Giving Back this Holiday Season using influence as a blogger and two giveaways by sharing yours.

I have been collecting toys for a few months now. I have wanted to make a difference in my community so my husband and I thought of what way I could best make a difference. I hope to encourage other bloggers to use their influence to acquire donations for charity in your communities. Review Giveaway bloggers receive so much. How much of it do you really need? If a company offers you something and it fits your blog, and in my opinion if you are a “review/giveaway” blogger then everything fits. Just don’t overwhelm yourself, it’s easy to do. Don’t keep it, review it and donate it. I know a ton of places won’t take items that are opened but some will, especially if you explain this was a review item. I used it, tested it and that’s it. It’s still in good condition so it will be wonderful for someone else. My husband received tons of used toys for Christmas and he loved them. He was still happy. Children in need aren’t going to care if their toy was used.

I know that the Top Bloggers are in such a position to help others. Do it. I urge you, and it’s easy.

It’s also so easy to get your kids involved. Mine are only two and three and I have them helping me with food drives, cookie drives, and toy drives. Activities as families are enriching and engaging. We all grow together.

The Back Story:

There was a short time in my husband’s childhood he was homeless. His parents were proud and it was very hard for them to ask for help. He lived in an apple orchard for a while and he thought it was fun. He doesn’t like for me to share details of his life on my blog so I will leave the story part at that.

It was because of churches and small places like Food Banks that he was able to get toys for Christmas. Family sometimes gave him older toys and he cherished them. So I’m inspired by my husband’s youth to want to give back to smaller places that reach local people in my community. So I teamed up with My MOMS Club, and the power of my influence as a blogger to gather toys. My MOMS Club wanted to include the kids so we are going to also to a cookie drive for the elderly.

We always have a cookie exchange and end up with too many cookies to take home for the holidays. None of us want anymore sweets in the house so we’re going to put them in tins and give them to The Maltby Food Bank. Because we want the kids involved they are going to help drop off the donations. I already dropped off my set of toys because of my surgery. My kids helped me take pictures of all the toys.

Mom Start collected a ton of toys this pictures half of what we collected:

Think Wow Toys donated ICEE Instant Slushy Maker (30) and EZ-2Make Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Maker Play Set (54)

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 Discovery Toys Donated three different learning toys. I’m very impressed with their quality. The Caterpillar Shape Sorter (15), Busy Farm (20) and

Flip Flop Faces (23)

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Educational Insights donated Blurt The Webster’s Game of Word Racing (23)

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Nerf N-Strike Switch Shot EX-3 Yellow (40)

Mr. Potato Head Silly Suitcase (32)

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Two 20th anniversary water guns. These are the same guns my husband and I both had as kids.Super Soaker 50 Water Blaster – 20th Anniversary Edition (15)

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 Room Tech Beingz Alarm Clock Radio – Yellow/green (60)

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Strawberry Shortcake Playset – Berry Cafe (29)

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 crocs Toddler/Little Kid Scooby Doo Cayman Clog (30)

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Assorted Bandai Ben 10 and Kamen Rider Toys (50)

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Two Helmet Heroes (100)

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OgoSport sent us a Super Sports Disk and some darts (40)

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 Nerf N-Force Sword – Shadow Fury Blue (25)

Jakks Pacific donated, Dunkaroo (8), Style Six Screen Printer (40) Gx Racers and accessories (50) and Candy Bead Studio (20)

Klutz Invasion of BristleBots (20), The Encyclopedia of Immaturity 2 (20), Paper Fashions Fancy  (21)

Not Pictured:

2 My Friendship Bracelet (50), Leap Frog DVD Set (20), Colgate Products Dora the Explorer(15), The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Vol. 1 (14), Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper  and accessories (100), Shred Sled (119)

About 1000.00 Total, this doesn’t include all of the video games and books. Thank you to all of the companies involved with my Toy Drive. Thanks To MOMS Club of Woodinville, I can’t wait to see the pictures of all of your toys that we are going to add to these. Happy Holidays.

(as you can see my kids had a blast with the donations)

I have a ton of sheets that I received from Kmart and Sears that we are going to donate along with the Bubleride Stroller and an evenflo car seat if it every shows up. The Food Bank doesn’t take these kinds of items so we are going to donate them to a local shelter for women who find themselves pregnant and no way to take care of the baby, Special Delivery.

Robeez and Twitter Moms are giving back:

Join Robeez and TwitterMoms as they share their heart-felt stories on how they are giving back this holiday season. The first 50 bloggers to post will receive a free pair of Robeez Soft Soles! And that’s not all! 10 randomly selected bloggers will receive a $50 Stride Rite gift card to shop in stores and a free pair of Robeez Soft Soles! And, one lucky grand prize winner gets the entire Robeez Soft Sole spring collection!

Mom bloggers must post about how they are giving back this holiday season. Bloggers must also pick their favorite pair Robeez Soft Sole from the Robeez Web site and mention that, for every pair of Robeez Soft Sole purchases, stride rite will donate that pair to K.I.D.S (Kids In Distressed Situations), through December 23rd. The contest officially ends on mid-night ET on December 23, 2009. All participants will be contacted the week of Jan. 4, 2010.
K.I.D.S brings hope and self-esteem to children in need and their families by providing new clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books and juvenile products donated by leading manufacturers and retailers. The donations move through their network of community social service agencies in the U.S. and abroad to reach children who are ill, living in poverty, or are the victims of natural disasters.

Entry Rules

My favorite pair is the Boardin Bear in espresso.

Dole Wants to Give Back

Dole is donating 25.00 to The Maltby Food Bank for advertising about their Share the Goodness program.

DOLE has launched its "Share the Goodness" contest and I thought you might be interested in entering!

It’s as easy as holiday pie. Just share a fun holiday photo (with a caption describing your family’s tradition) to become a part of the virtual DOLE mosaic poster. Then send an eCard to friends and family, inviting them to see your pic and share their own photos at www.DoleShares.com. And get this…the grand prize winner will receive $5,000 and $5,000 will be contributed to their local food bank. If the grand prize winner is a friend you referred, you also win $2,000!  Now that’s a memorable friendship!

Enter to Win 100.00 at Bloggers Give.

To Enter:

Visit bloggers Give for instructions.

(If the flow of this article is off, I’m still on pain pills from my surgery, I blame that)