Packing Season has started and I’m feeling overwhelmed - Operation Christmas Child

[@KellysKidz]

It's so fun to see the older boxes 😀❤ Be encouraged, you're doing a wonderful job!

[@Kit.Nicole]

Thank you! They are such a blast from the past 😆

[@susannamarie1695]

Sometimes I get overwhelmed as well! It's hard to make all the decisions involved with packing boxes. I decided I would pack a certain number of boxes this year and then changed my mind 3 more times before landing on the final number 😂 God has helped so much to let go of my perfectionist tendencies but I am still a work in progress!

[@Kit.Nicole]

Haha I agree about the decision making! It was so nice when my bestie came and helped me pack a few boxes and she was the one making the “creative” decisions 😆 And the perfectionism is so real! I like to have everything nice and even and similar. I have to allow myself some variance 🙃

[@withloveIva]

Thank you for being so transparent!! This was my first year packing all year and I was absolutely insane and set a goal of FIFTY boxes. Well I still live with my parents and they are not happy. We have no basement or attic or big closets so you can imagine how my dining room looks right about now. My parents want me to downsize for next year but I already have things left over from this year and I found a lot of clearance like 10 cent notebooks. Like how can I not get them?! When Christmas and Valentines went on 75-90 off I got a lot of plushies and they make great wows! I have packed 56 boxes this year shopping strictly deep clearance and I am going through my totes to see if I can build any more. I think I can push out 25-28 more boxes and that literally WILD and I am feeling so overwhelmed because we are down to the last few weeks and I am by myself too!!! I am still shopping and will continue to because I want to bless as many kids as possible! I'm leaving it in Gods hands, sorry Mom and Dad! Have you ever done a fund raiser for shipping costs? I am thinking I will set something up to get some help with the shipping.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Sending you hugs! Yeah I’m with my parents still too and sometimes they give me looks when I come back home from shopping even though I store everything in the basement 😆 I’ve never done a fundraiser for the shipping costs as my job pays pretty well. Main piece of advice I can give is to alternate months shopping and to only buy in quantities that you want to do. But don’t worry, sometimes packing less shoeboxes is more ❤️

[@linal3489]

What State are you from?

[@drogers]

Very cool to see the older boxes. And yes, I’m surprised shipping is not higher now than it is! I do like the thicker cardboard. Hang in there Nicole. We all get a little anxious this time of year. I finished early this year due to my surgery date and it has been so wonderful to feel done! Thanks for sharing and happy packing!

[@Kit.Nicole]

I hope your recovery has been going well! And it’s good to see that Samaritan’s purse has been handling their funds well so the shipping costs stay low ❤️

[@fiddlejillm]

I also think Aug is the time to start thinking about it - with all the back to school sales! I have been doing this for over 20 years so I definitely remember the old boxes. I head this up at our church and it's ALWAYS overwhelming. But it's also worth it.

[@Kit.Nicole]

That’s amazing. So glad that this is something so rewarding ❤️

[@LyrinLoreweaver]

I remember those Lego sets! My boys were obsessed with them. Esp the eagle guy...? The old OCC boxes!!! With the old logo😊

[@Kit.Nicole]

Took me a moment to recall, but yes, the Turaga Dume set. I remember that 😆

[@LyrinLoreweaver]

@@Kit.Nicole you did better than me...I wasn't even positive it was an eagle :D

[@jonellwells3143]

I hear you girl! I go with my husband to dollar tree and I find really cute things. So I try to stay out of stores now. So now I am overwhelmed with toys for Occ. I also wanted to do only 20 boxes. Like you it will like 30. Yikes. Fillers here we come.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Haha Dollarama and Dollar Tree are both traps when it comes to shoeboxes 😆 You’ve got this!

[@kristinesharp6286]

Fillers…

[@Kit.Nicole]

Fillers are a bit of a struggle for me. I always end up thinking I could just pack another box with what I have 😆 That being said, I do have some fillers planned for this year 👍

[@kristinesharp6286]

@@Kit.Nicole I did 24 boxes one year. And I realized it was too much for one person. Had trouble fitting in the car. Lots of trips back and forth to the car. I cleared the top shelf of my closet just to fit stuff for it. Also my purpose is just trying to do nice things for children. I found I kept having to buy to even out the boxes. It was too much. So I do less boxes, but also fillers. Then I am not responsible for every box. And can buy outside the toddler age, I do boy and girl toddler boxes. With S&H to $10 and then $4 per box unless you get them in bulk each box is already a fair amount. Many people commit to that and just can’t fill the box but send it anyway. Or new to packing and don’t realize the liquid in a snow globe so their box is partly emptied at the processing center. We have all been first time packers. It’s like paying it forward. I have 20 plush, some kaleidoscopes and sound tubes, toy cars safe for toddlers and I’m about to put together safety kids for 10 and up kids. They will be a whistle and a hand crank flashlight. Another year I did notebooks and color pencils in a pack and crayons and full size coloring books in another pack. Another notebooks, pencil pouches with pack of pencils and sharpener. I put them in cello bags. They took a lot of room up in the car. But they are easy to fold over, yet substantial and a only few bucks to make school supply sale time in August.

[@Kit.Nicole]

I was thinking of reducing my boxes next year, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be the case 😆 If I use anything that I have currently have in my stash for fillers, it makes me feel like I have to do more shopping next year 🫠

[@kristinesharp6286]

@@Kit.Nicole than do more boxes.

[@Kit.Nicole]

@@kristinesharp6286 makes me feel even more overwhelmed, haha. It’s a snowball 😆