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I need to know what the most popular toys are. You know, the one's kids are asking for for Christmas. I'm not talking IPods here or expensive electronic gadgets. I'm talking toys for little kids that use imagination and quiet play. Bill and I are so out of the loop without little crumb crunchers around. Although, that will be remedied soon!!
We are leaving in two hours to start shopping for the TOYS FOR TOTS program, a charity for toys for children in need. My physical therapy group has a box that is sitting empty. EMPTY!! So, to remedy the case of the empty box, Bill and I are going to fill it to overflowing ourselves. Yay!!
Anyway, we want to buy toys that children are asking for. The usual suspects are Legos, dolls and Barbie type dolls. Which one's? Is a Hannah Montana doll a good one? I haven't a clue!
Your help would be so very much appreciated!! Thank you in advance!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Edited to say: I've got the bears covered. 
Taber, AlbertaHannah Montana is a good one and Disney character toys too and Lego kits are always a hit!
Aleta, bless you and Bill for making Christmas for these kids !
What about any toy, book or game about Wall-e ( Disney character) , Transformers, Bionicals , Dora the explorer ,Bob the builder ,Hannah Montana, High school Musical , Bratz ( like barbies) or Webkinz(stuffed toys with a computer code). I think Play-doh, Lego and Barbies, hot wheels, craft kits are a wonderful & safe choice. The electronic toys are always good only until the batteries give out !
Have fun shopping. Just see what everyone else is buying, or ask the clerks what's popular. .
Canna Bear PaintGood for you and Bill! My mother's church fills stockings for orphans every Christmas, so I've gotten good at figuring out a variety of SMALL gifts, anyway.
Hotwheels, little books (stories are good, Mad Libs are fun too!), board games and card games, puzzles, play-doh. If you're looking for creativity, sometimes arts/crafts stores have neat little kits for kits to paint / sew / sculpt / make jewelry / etc.
Have fun shopping for a good cause!
Kelly
You girlies have given me some excellent ideas!! Thank you. 
WienAleta, your idea is grrrreat! Bless you for what you do.
Now, apart from all these electronic gadgets I found, that children nowadays still love to use pencils and know how to draw and express their ideas.
Something that deffinitely needs to be supported!
All the best for your project!
Gaby
Back Road BearsAleta, Henry and I have done the exact same thing this year.... in leiu of spending way too much on rich nieces and nephews who don't appreciate what we give! (There, I said it!!!)
Our local Toys For Tots Headquarters has given a list of age groups they need toys for the most.... and they are DESPARATE for toys. The request for help is greater than year's past and the donations are less than years past. Both are very understandable. We just feel very blessed that we can do a little something!
So, my suggestion: find out what ages/sex they need toys for the most! This might help narrow it down! We sought out arts and crafts kits for the 10-13 yr. olds .... no way I was going electronic and like you, want to encourage imagination and creativity.
Have fun!!! We did!!!
:hug: :hug: :hug:
Little Bear GuyWe usually buy our boss something every year for Christmas (which I hate doing) but this yr everyone decided that we would adopt a local family through the Childrens aid Foundation. Our boss said she would match our contributions dollar for dollar, we raised enough money to adopt two families of two. Both young single mothers with a young child. We were provided with a wish list from the family and we did the shopping, it was soo much fun and certainly made you feel good. I"ve already suggested to my co-workers that starting in January we each contribute two or three dollars a pay and by December we will have raised enough money to adopt even more families next yr.
Good on you and your hubby Aleta,
big hugs
Shane
Hi girlies! 
We're back and the diningroom table is plum full of toys for all ages!! From babies to pre-teens there's a little bit for all. Yay!! There are dollies, Barbies, Hannah Montana's, Matchbox cars, Legos, droid toys, building blocks, games and art kits. Whew! We went to Wal Mart (my goodness, they have cheap prices!), Toys R Us and Michael's and filled up three shopping carts to brimming!!
It's the most fun I have every Christmas!! It also makes me a little sad and oh, so very thankful for the life I have. I get all choked up when I'm buying the gifts because of the story my mother-in-law told us years ago. You see, the year Bill and I were married, his parents signed up with a local church to help out a struggling family at Christmas. We gathered clothes and toys and food and she delivered it all on Christmas eve. Long story, short version: A little boy in the family told her that years present was even better than the last. She asked what he received last year and he told her, beaming with pride,.....a red balloon with a face drawn on it. Be still my aching heart! 
That's part of the reason I go with toys without all the bells and whistles. The simplest gift is often times the best of the bunch. The other reason is because I think there are far too many toys that undermine creativity and thinking skills. For criminy sakes, there was one aisle we went down today that everything was talking, beeping and blinking!!! On a side note: Have you noticed how many kids have their noses in a hand held device while out to dinner with their parents? What happened to communication of the family sort? I digress.
Yes Dee, we did have fun! Thank you! Isn't it just the best feeling to know that in our own little way we've made a child's Christmas just a wee bit brighter? After all, Christmas gifts truly are for children.
On a side note: I encourage everyone to give a little something. Whether it be time, food or money to a favorite charity or organization. Every bit makes a difference to someone somewhere.
Now, I really must get to the TT Christmas card list!!
Warmest Christmas wishes and biggest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Shane,
You were posting while I was still typing!!
Yay for you!!!!!! And your co-workers too!!! What an excellent idea to take a few bucks out of each pay period. Now THAT is the holiday spirit taking hold throughout the year. 
LOVE that!!
Bill and I came across a television program last week about millionaires going "undercover" to realize or remember there is life beyond their high living and to give back to the community. The stories are amazing. Bill and I are not millionaires but, I have not wished harder to win the lottery in all my life! I would love the opportunity to give away thousands and thousands of dollars to people on a mission to do good things in their communities.
Thank you, Shane, for your post!! Most excellent!! My heart is full to brimming hearing such goodness happening in a time that is tough for so many!
Hugs and hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Newcastle, OntarioAleta,
What a wonderful thing you and Bill are doing! My hubby waits every year for the Salvation Army to come out with their stands for money donations. He had a tough childhood and has always donated, even when we were dating in our teens. We also buy gifts for the toy drive in our area - they have both a food and toy drive when they have the local Santa Claus parade. I've been asking my daughter to buy a toy so Corson can get in the habit of remembering other children at Christmas. He could open a toy store with what he already has - makes me sad. He is already addicted to Video games and he's only four! I refuse to buy an Xbox for our house so he has to think up things to do when he's here. I love to play games with him and he really likes to cut and paste, when he's given the opportunity.
hugs,
Brenda
Little Bear GuyOH Aleta I watched that program last week, grab of box of tissues if your going to watch it. It's an amazing show and I wish I was a millionaire so I could do what they get to do.
big hugs
Shane
Dale and I always give a nice check to the local Toys for Tots. We used to go pick out the toys but we've never had kids and we are so clueless about what to get for any of them. We got together with his family a few years ago and we decided that none of us need anything. We give a gift card to his young niece and nephew and that's it. The rest goes to charity. We also have a local womens group that have a tree with the first names of elderly people on it who are in an assisted living area or without family. We pick some names and on the card is something they want...slippers, cologne, anything they may want or need. That is really fun to buy those and wrap them up in fabulous paper with bows....next the animal shelter always needs things. We support them all year but give extra this time of year too. Don't forget the troops overseas. There are organizations that make care packages to send to them. This always busts our budget with all this stuff but it's fun anyway. I know it makes all of those people happy but I think we get more benefit from it than they do. I love all the ideas you all have, I just have to remember to check with TT more often!! Susie
Past Time BearsA standing ovation for all of you generous, charitable, compassionate people that help the less fortunate during the holidays. You all rock! :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Redmond, WAPassing on this important Toys for Tots-related message...
"Toys for Tots has a problem. They have gifts for toddlers. That's not
a problem. What they DON'T get nearly enough of--ever--is stuff for
tween and teens, particularly boys. (This is a common problem for most
charities distributing kid's toys apparently--there's tons of baby
stuff and nothing for older kids.)""Toys for Tots is always DESPERATE for gifts for teenage boys. Ditto
for any other organization distributing gifts for kids. They're
flooded with stuff for little kids, but get practically nothing for
teens, especially teen boys."
I know, obviously because teenage boys are the hardest to shop for. But there IS stuff out there you can get. Tween boys are often still interested in toy cars and Star Wars figures (heck, I know adult men still into these things). Comics books and/or graphic novels have been suggested for older boys (here's one with a upbeat and positive message for boys)
These kids are already at an age where, even in the best of situations, they can feel alienated and left out. Please don't forget about them.
What a super thing to do Aleta! And such fun too!
I remember the days when colouring crayons, lego, baby 'Tiny Tears' and her hand made clothes (thanks Mum!) filled me with delight at Christmas. With five of us girls, you can imagine how much work went into Christmas for our parents!
My lovely niece Leah will be sacrificing her own family Christmas this year, to give Christmas to the children in the home she works in. These are very challenging children and Leah is just twenty (twenty one at Christmas!) She will be staying at the children's home to organise Christmas from Christmas Eve until Boxing Day, as these youngsters have no families to share Christmas with ... I'm so proud of her. :hug:
Going back to children's presents, I had the best time at the weekend, I handknitted an old-fashioned dolly for my three year old niece's birthday and she absolutely loved her! Making dolly (pattern by Jean Greenhowe) was a gift for me too - I really enjoyed it! 
By the way, while we're on the subject of thinking of others at Christmas, keep 'em peeled for the tinsel trolleys in supermarkets ... do you have them overseas? We have them here in the UK. It costs next to nothing to add a couple of tins of non-perishable goods for the homeless ... just drop 'em in the trolley as you leave.
Newcastle, OntarioPaula,
We have them as well - they are big bins for the local food banks, that you can add non- perishables to. They locate the bins at the front of the stores, after the check-outs. People can pay for the donations with their groceries and then just drop them in the bin on the way out. They are always important, but especially at this time of year.
There are major fundraisers this year for a local family that has had a horrendous tragedy a couple of weeks ago. It's a complicated story. A young couple had three children - an 11 year old boy from the dads previous relationship and two wee boys from their marriage, three and four years old. They had also gone to court recently and won custody of the father's 13 year old half brother, as their mum had died in the summer and the father was very unstable.
Two weeks ago, they were celebrating the 11 year old's birthday, and the father of the 13 year old came to the house and stabbed the two youngest boys and the parents. He was angry that he had lost custody of his 13 year old son and he was fatally shot by police. The mother was fatally stabbed, and the father and two youngest boys were critically wounded. The youngest boy died a few days later but the dad and 4 year old brother were supposed to be okay. Then last Thursday, the day before the father was to be released, he died of an unexpected blood clot, leaving the remaining three boys all orphans. I don't know when I've been so upset - it's such a horrible situation. They are fundraising so they can try and have monetary help to keep the 3 boys together but they don't know if it will be possible. They all have different relatives and it's a huge commitment to adopt three boys that have witnessed so much trauma. They've lost so much already, it will be unspeakable, if they can't stay together. It's certainly put things in perspective for people in our community.
hugs,
Brenda
Hi Paula, Brenda, Susie, Sue Ann and Merry!
I think some supermarkets here have bins like you're talking about. Moreover they have donations slips at the counter in denominations of 1, 5, and 10 dollars. They say a monetary donation goes further as they are able to buy in bulk the items that are really needed....the basics. The donations slips are set up right at checkout so you just add them to your bill. So easy!
Bill and I have several charities we give to througout the year to help those in need. Food banks rank as one of the top. They are so vital in an economy when so many are out of work. People who never thought they'd ever need the service are filling the lines now. My hope is that if I ever find myself in a tight spot that there would be something to fill in the gaps for me too.
On the subject of buying for teens.....got it covered!! They can be difficult to buy for but my own children aren't that far from their teens. I remembered the kinds of things they were into....art and jewelry making....so that's what I got. Art kits with paper pads attached and jewelry making kits. Hey, I wouldn't mind having some of that stuff myself!!
Another service that comes up short sometimes are the Senior Citizen Centers. I remember one year picking up a tag off the tree that said a particular senior wanted warm socks. Socks. Pretty simple right? You should have seen me stressing over picking out just the right socks. I know it was a senior lady so I wanted the socks to the prettiest, warmest socks she'd ever seen in her life. Something really special! I was in the department store for ages, making a pile of stocks and then putting my hand in each pair to make sure they wouldn't be too tight around the leg or that they didn't have any scratchy threads or laces. I know....obsessive. But hey, I like to think that the socks I picked out made her feel like a queen for a day.
Brenda, that story just breaks my heart. I just know that someone will adopt all the children together. I just know it in my heart. I know there are people out there with room in their hearts and homes for a family. It simply must be....it simply must.
:pray: :pray:
Okay girlies and Shane!, there is much to be accomplished today so I have to dash off. It's been a joy chatting with you.
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
P.S. Shane, did you see last nights episode of Secret Millionaire? Next weeks episode looks like I may go through a whole box of tissues instead of just a half of one.
P.S.S. Paula, that dolly is just the sweetest thing!! OMG, the detail in her is just lovely. Lucky girl!!
Canna Bear PaintI am a regular volunteer at a local food pantry, so my special thanks to everybody who supports food pantries! Yes, they are desperate right now, as the need is so great (and increasing constantly) while donations are down. Yes, we are constantly getting new people in from all walks of life, and MANY tell me that they "used to donate to places like this, and never thought I'd need their help".
So, here are some thoughts from a food pantry "insider"...
Please remember to donate AFTER the holidays, too. People are very generous in remembering others before the holidays, but we expect shortages in the months after.
Food donations are wonderful, but so are financial donations. Yes, we can "fill in the gaps" on the shelves ourselves when we get cash donated. This also helps keep us from running out of anything important during leaner times. Grocery stores usually offer pre-paid gift cards to be used at their stores, those are a perfect gift for a food pantry. Some individuals are able to donate gift cards themselves, but we usually get them from churches and local businesses who have taken up collections among their parishioners / employees / customers. You should have seen the celebration among our bare shelves in September when we received several substantial gift cards from a local business! The shelves were a lot less bare the following week.
Food pantries can always use volunteers! If you can't afford to donate money, perhaps you could spare an hour or two even once a month. Some people have mental image of food pantries existing in rough areas, but that isn't always the case! The one I volunteer with is in a very safe area in, actually, a very wealthy suburb, though it services five zip codes around the area and is off a major bus line. A wide variety of volunteers are welcomed.
If you want to donate food, here are some recommendations on really useful donations, with some of my thoughts thrown in. Though keep in mind that most food pantries will accept ANYTHING!
- Peanut Butter (we always get more creamy than chunky!)
- Jams and Jellies (everybody remembers peanut butter, nobody remembers jam! Squeeze bottles are welcome for those with children and or adults with dexterity problems. Sugar-free options are also appreciated.)
- Cereal, hot and cold
- Canned fruit and vegetables ("lite" fruit or those in fruit juice instead of syrup are a great choice)
- Juice (100% fruit juice is greatly appreciated)
- Canned tomato products and sauces (spaghetti sauce is always a good one)
- Soups (ANY, though we usually have a LOT of Campbell's tomato and chicken noodle, so others are great including the Campbell's 'cream' soups and hearty soups like Progresso)
- Pasta, rice, side dishes, macaroni & cheese
- "Pre-made" meals in cans, like Spaghetti-O's and Ravioli
- Tuna, also other canned fish, meat, chicken, Spam, etc.
- Snacks, healthy and otherwise (cookies, crackers, snack bars, Jell-o and puddings)
- Baking products (cake / brownie mixes are commonly donated, but "real" baking ingredients are extremely popular and not often donated, like flour, salt, cooking oil, sugar)
- Condiments (traditional items like mustard, ketchup, relish, olives, pickles, salad dressing always appreciated, though we certainly get in a variety of unusual things!)
I will mention that the food pantry I work at is an unusual one, in that people get to "shop" with the volunteers and choose what they want. Many food pantries give out a pre-sorted sealed bag of food, so you don't get any choices. However, regardless of how pantries work, food is food and EVERYTHING is appreciated! We try not to waste anything. We only throw away things that have already been opened or have obviously gone bad. Even expired food has a place to go, we sort it out and one of the volunteers takes it down south to some outlying rural areas that get NO help and have extremely high poverty and unemployment. Entire neighborhoods have no work, food, and nowhere to turn. So they get our expired food, most of which is, luckily, still good for an extended time past it's expiration date.
And in case anyone is worried... here in the US, you are completely legally protected when donating food, courtesy of the Clinton administration since the mid '90s. If you have a can you're not sure of (I hate cans with codes and not dates!), go ahead and donate it and let us worry about it. We have some guidelines we work off to try to figure out what is still good versus what is expired or has gone bad.
2009 is looking like it will be a very trying year for food pantries, so please do whatever you can to help.
Best wishes and bear hugs,
Kelly
Aleta,
Bless you for your generosity. I just finished shopping for my Christmas Angel through the Salvation Army. It was difficult to find children who didn't want expensive things that my own children do not have. Here is a list of inexpensive things that my Christmas Angel asked for plus some other ideas.
Art Kits - Michael's has these on sale right now and most kids LOVE to draw
Sketch pads - gotta have paper to go with the art kits
Beading kits
Sculpey Clay kits - they have special kits for kids
How to draw books - they have Disney ones that are really cute
Legos - my son's favorites
Board & card games
Stuffed Animals - Kohls has Curious George Animals for $5 it's a double dipper because the proceeds from the sales also goes to Charity
Books! - my kids still love to get books for Christmas
I did find that the Costco near my house had Heely's, those rollerskate shoes, for $10! They are usually about $50 so I picked up a few pair to donate.
I hope this helps.
Alison
Back Road BearsOn the food pantry topic..... we donated to our State's Food Food Bank this year in addition to Toys for Tots. On their website it said that $1 would feed 4 people a balanced meal! If they can stretch a dollar that far I'd rather give them the money and get more out of it than I could buying full priced food at the grocery store. I'm guessing they can probably get food in bulk from suppliers at a discount, is that true, Kelly?
Canna Bear PaintOn the food pantry topic..... we donated to our State's Food Food Bank this year in addition to Toys for Tots. On their website it said that $1 would feed 4 people a balanced meal! If they can stretch a dollar that far I'd rather give them the money and get more out of it than I could buying full priced food at the grocery store. I'm guessing they can probably get food in bulk from suppliers at a discount, is that true, Kelly?
Yes and no. Grocery stores are lowering their prices right now to be competitive with places with Super-Walmarts, which are taking a big bite out of their clientele in today's economy. When they lower their regular prices for the average consumer, they become less willing to cut a deal with charities. In fact, one of the grocery chains that worked very willingly with us before has become a bit hostile on the subject. *sigh* We have a local bakery that keeps us in free bread, and sometimes a manufacturer will send us "overstock" of unpopular items for free, but they are certainly the exception to the rule.
Donations of food by people purchased at their everyday grocery stores is extremely valuable to us. No, we could not necessarily get it at a better price ourselves, especially not these days. And those donations also give us more variety than we would have if we just bought bulk items ourselves... we'd wind up with 300 jars of grape jelly and nothing else. Some people will buy "flats" of items to donate to us from discount chains like Sam's Club, BJ's or Aldi's, and those are great.
For the record, I save my own change in a jar and occasionally cash it in at the grocery store for things I know the cupboard is short on. I wait for good sales, and it is very worth it.
Best wishes,
Kelly
Should probably add this: I'm sure there are food pantries that run better on cash OR food donations, whereas the one I work at is equally grateful for both. If anyone is concerned with doing the MOST good for their local pantry, give them a call and ask what they prefer.
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