All I want for Christmas.......

1) A permanent FTE job (really.....I want a career) please!!!


Really though.....

With Christmas rolling around, and being so accustomed to buying and receiving all these presents from friends and family, it's difficult to NOT participate in the shopping rush.

I admit...I went shopping on Black Friday. Heck, I even went shopping with sissy last night (and took advantage of a few sales)! Could I have done without? Yes. (I like shopping ok?)
I do feel a bit guilty indulging my retail cravings...... and although I have purchased things for myself and am shopping for close friends and my family....

All I ask this year for my Christmas present is..........
Nothing. For me at least. As much as I love STUFF....
I don't really "need" anything. I have a job (for now). I have a roof over my head (for now). I have the means to buy enough food. I don't really "NEED" presents this Christmas.

So.... if you're wondering what you could get me for Christmas... do this instead:

Donate food and/or baby formula/food to Northwest Harvest (http://www.northwestharvest.org/Events/Food_Drives.htm). So many families can't afford to buy themselves or their family enough food for the week.
I just read a story today about a couple who could not afford to buy any more baby formula to supplement what they were already receiving from WIC. So they figured to make the formula last longer, they would water it down. Little did they know that this was actually harming the baby more than it was helping.

"Jerri Moss of Tampa had been watering down her 5-month-old baby’s formula to make it stretch further. Last week, she said he curled up in pain and stopped breathing. Emergency room doctors say he had water intoxication and that if he had gone one more hour without treatment, he would have died. Too much water can basically lower the sodium content and lower the ratio of other electrolytes in the blood and that can lead to seizures and other problems. It can even be fatal."
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/35496879.html

So many people can't provide themselves or their families with basic necessities anymore because of today's economy. It breaks my heart knowing there are so many who once could.... but cannot today.

I may not have much money myself.....but I like to believe that I can do enough to help even just 1 person. 1 family.
Fortunate to work at a company that is big on giving, I've been able to coordinate a food drive and a Giving Tree where folks have the opportunity make someones Christmas wish come true this year.

That's what you can do for me this Christmas. Give to someone else that needs "it" more. Be it food, clothing, or a toy.....
Give to the food bank.... to a shelter..... buy a gift for a foster child or a struggling family/single parent.

I'm blessed with "just enough." And that's a good enough gift for me. =)