Giving Back This Holiday Season #CBias #DisneyCFK

With the holiday season in full swing, I feel very blessed to have two healthy, wonderful girls and a loving husband to celebrate the season with. And while the holidays are not just about presents, when you have a three-year old in the house, it is certainly an important aspect. Since opening presents Christmas morning is so important to a child, I am also thankful that I am able to provide my daughter with a toys and goodies that her little heart desires.

As I survey my stash of presents for my daughters’ Christmas morning, I cannot even begin to imagine the pain a mother must feel if she is not able to offer her children the joy of finding Santa’s goodies under the tree. That unfathomable pain motivates me to be a Champion for Kids because by supporting kids and keeping the magic of Christmas alive, I know that I am doing a little bit to make the holidays just a bit easier for another mom.

My daughter’s list for Santa is simple. When you ask her what she wants, she’ll tell you just one thing — Apple jack. (No not the cereal, it is the name of a My Little Pony.) A simple request that she is sure to find under the tree, along with many other goodies. But take her to a store, and she wants everything she sees. Even the checkout lane at Walgreens isn’t safe from an attack of the I wants these days.

It isn’t her fault, she’s only three. But she’s old enough to start learning about giving not just receiving. So this year, we have gotten her involved in giving to others every chance we get. Last weekend, after our neighborhood parade, a couple of Marines were on hand collecting toys for Toys for Tots. Instead of just dropping off the toys, we made it a big deal that she should give the toys to the Marines for little girls and boys who might not have toys to play with Christmas morning. She was actually quite excited, and never asked about keeping or getting a Barbie like the one we were donating. (I was so proud.)

For her next lesson, we will be tackling the December Champions for Kids SIMPLE Service Project. For this project, we will be headed to Walmart to fill a stocking with Disney items. The stocking will then be donated to a local organization that helps provide support to one of the poorest communities in Orlando. I choose this organization because it is small and can get directly to families that need the most help. While I don’t know who will receive my stocking, I trust that it will bring joy on Christmas morning. And by taking my daughters to help pick out the items, I also taking steps to nurture generous heart in my girls.

Next week, I will share with you pictures from our shopping adventure and how we filled our stocking.

Learn more about how you can get involved in giving back with Champions for Kids at www.championsforkids.org.  If you are on Twitter, I also invite you to participate in the Champions for Kids Twitter party on December 15 at 9:00 EST using the hash tag #ChampionsforKids.

Disclosure – This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.