Operation Christmas Child

Want to bring some joy to a child who would otherwise not get any Christmas presents this year? You can through the Samaritan's Purse organization and the Operation Christmas Child project. Operation Christmas Child's mission is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

It's simple to do, just get a standard size shoe box, choose whether you would like to buy gifts for a boy or a girl and then pick which age bracket: 2-4 years, 5-9 years or 10-14 years. (You can print out labels on the website that you'll attach to the top of the box.) Purchase your gifts and then wrap your box--wrap the lid separately. You can include a personal note from yourself and your family if you would like.

Include $7 per box to help pay for shipping costs; simply fill out the donation form that's on the website--it's on the same page as the labels--and write a check. Put those items in an envelope and place them inside the box on top of the gifts.

There are several drop-off locations and next week, November 16-23, is the collection week. This is so easy to do and what a difference you could make in a child's life--think of the smile you're going to bring to their precious face when they see the goodies you've given them.

Be creative with your gifts inside the boxes...here's some ideas to get you started:

TOYS small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

HYGIENE ITEMS toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

OTHER Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)

A PERSONAL NOTE In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)

DO NOT INCLUDE: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans

In case you missed the link to the Operation Christmas Child website at the top, here it is again:
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DETAILS

So, how many boxes will you fill?

Atlanta Highlights: Fox Theatre & Spaghetti Factory

My husband gave me the sweetest First Anniversary gift: tickets to see the movie Gone With the Wind at the Fox Theatre and dinner out! As most of you know, each anniversary has a gift that goes with it: the traditional gift is one of paper (the modern version is a clock…I’m not a huge fan of clocks for some reason so I’m glad he didn’t go with this!). So a gift of tickets to see my all-time favorite movie was just perfect!

We began the night at the Old Spaghetti Factory, which was absolutely delicious! In case you haven’t been there before, the food is great and very reasonably priced. I had the Crab Ravioli which was covered in a pesto alfredo sauce and tasted wonderful. The meal is also served with hot, fresh bread; a salad–they have the best dressing there: Pesto Ranch (can you tell I like pesto?!) and also for dessert: Spumoni, which is an Italian ice cream of three flavors: chocolate, cherry and pistachio–this eclectic combo tastes great together!


One of the reasons I love eating at this restaurant is looking at the many beautiful chandaliers they have hanging everywhere. The restaurant is full of various types of big, bold and beautiful lights such as the one above. Also, the furniture is all very antique-Victorian looking and is very neat.

If you are in the Atlanta area and would like a fun restaurant to eat at with great food, try this one out! It’s located at: 249 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta. Or you may be lucky enough to have one located near you…they have over 37 locations in 14 different states.

Next we headed over to the fabulous Fox Theatre so we could watch our movie! The Fox is an Atlanta tradition and first opened in the 1930s after being headquarters for the Shriners organization in the 1920s. This beautifully ornate building survived so much and “the Fox stands today as a fiercely protected landmark and a nationally acclaimed theater; having survived depression, mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy, competition, television, real estate development, and above all, age.”–FoxTheatre.org

Watching this classic movie on the big screen at this amazing venue was a wonderful night out for sure! I thoroughly enjoyed the night and encourage you to look into having a night at the Fox sometime yourself. They do everything from concerts and musicals to plays and ballets–there is something for everyone.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be there next, but what I’m most looking forward to is seeing the Radio City Rockettes perform their Christmas show in November!

For tickets or more information visit their website: The Fox Theatre. They are located at: 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!