Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Easy Christmas Gift for Little Friends


For a number of reasons, I encourage my children to give small gifts to their friends and classmates.  We try to keep them pretty simple and often homemade, and I love how this year's gift is turning out.

We gave small gloves last year as well, because it was easy, and surprisingly inexpensive (50 cents a pair at Walmart).  

This year, Scarlett suggested that we tape down the fingers to form the glove into the sign for "I love you."  This is perfect because this is what we are really trying to communicate to our little friends when we give.  Nothing more or less than love and peace.

It's also wonderful because Autumn has a few hearing impaired children in her class...and our family always uses this sign with one another, so it's just so US!

Just thought I'd share a quick, easy, and cheap way to spread a little holiday cheer this year and to encourage your children to practice giving at a young age.  The other materials pictured came from the dollar store, so they costs a few cents each if that.

Cheers...and remember, "Christmas is a time to say 'I love you!'"


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Christmas Cards for Inmates



I hope you guys are all having a wonderful Christmas season!  It's been go-go-go around here with Christmas baking, crafting for school, and some service projects that we've taken on.  Guess which one of those activities has brought the Spirit the quickest into our lives?  Yeah, that's right.

So, I have a quick and easy way that my readers can all help bring Christmas cheer to another person this season.  If you remember, I wrote earlier this year about a book I read called "Letters to a Lifer".

The author of that book is a woman named Cindy Sanford, and she lives in my stake.  Cindy has spent a great deal of her time ministering to inmates here in Pennsylvania.  Right now she is assisting her "adopted" son Ken as he tries to bring a little bit of Christmas to his cell block.

Ken, who is serving a life sentence and is the subject of Cindy's book, has been given the right to mentor other inmates.  Many of the men he oversees currently are mentally challenged inmates who have never received a letter during their time in jail.

These are the forgotten of society, but they don't have to be.  If you can find it in your heart to send a Christmas card to an inmate, you just might change a life, and you would definitely be honoring the Savior through your act.

If you are interested in joining me in writing a Christmas card to one of these men, please email Cindy Sanford at Sanfordnsons58@gmail.com...Cindy will give you the name and address of an inmate.  She will also give you HER PO Box address that you will use as the return address (instead of using your own).  All Christmas cards must be sent in a plain white envelope.

Thanks in advance for your help!!  And Merry Christmas!

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