Giving Back

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Somehow it's THAT time of year again, time for the lists and 3am trips out in the cold to find the PERFECT present for someone!  I'm that mom.  The one with lists, that gets excited about shopping on Black Friday.  I am NOT one of those crazy people that just rush in without a plan though.  I have a plan, and usually know what I'm at THAT store for.  Don't get in my way, I'm not there to browse.  I've been known to split my shopping party up and send someone to one store with a list while I head off to another.  It's just who I am. 

Until I had babies, I hated Christmas, hated everything about it.  It wasn't like I had bad Christmases as a child, I fondly remember my Popple, my Just like Me dolls, and Spud McKenzie dog (don't judge, it was the 80's)  and all the other cool stuff I had.  I had my own tv in my own room, which, if I remember correctly, was the biggest bedroom in the house.  

Until 5th Grade.  

Until January 6th. 

I would have to say 88 or 89.  I had JUST brought all my Christmas toys home from my grandparents.  I had been staying there (just across town) since Christmas, and school started the next day, so off home I was shuffled.  January 6th started off as a fun day.  I went to lunch with a friend at Pizza Hut, then back to her house to play.  I remember the fire whistle starting to sound, and my mom and grandma outside beeping for me to hurry since we had to drive right past the fire department to get home.  I ran outside, and the firemen were just getting into their gear and getting ready to leave as we drove by.  I remember being intrigued at their preparations.  As we drove through the light, we saw the sky aglow in our neighborhood, and my Grandma and Mom started worrying about the family...and then we drove down the steet and saw it.  OUR house.  There was a break between the two houses across from ours, so we could see it plain as day.  FLAMES!

EVERYWHERE.  

Shooting out of my bedroom windows on the 2nd Floor, out of our Living Room windows, out the roof...

I remember wondering who was screaming, only to realize it was me.  

My little brother was with us, my sister at sleep over with a friend.  My dad was a long haul truck driver and was out with a load.  We beat the firetrucks to our house.  My mom ran around back and started trying to get our animals out, and she started frantically pulling laundry baskets out the back of our house that were in the back laundry room.  She continued back and forth until the firemen stopped her and the neighbors had to hold her back.  

Her animals were in that house, and she couldn't get to them....for my mom it might as well have been one of us. (BUT that's another story)

I remember standing there and watching the firemen cut holes in the roof, in the walls of my bedroom from the outside, just trying to get the flames out.  It was horrific, and scarring....

And that's as far as I can go with that story, otherwise this wil be the longest post in the history of blog posts.  

Long story short.  Toys for Tots took us to their warehouse, and let us have anything we could carry out in one load.  I remember how proud I was of the toys I picked, and how lucky I felt that they were there to give us these toys.  

And now as an adult, I want to give back, to make sure other children have that same feeling I did as they gave me my toys. 

And it makes me unbelievably happy to know that there are others who feel the same way.

So what this whole post leads to is this:

Christmas Crazy 
Another blogger here in the Burgh heads this up and it's a GREAT cause!
The tutus at the top of my page can be found on our Etsy page.  There's a link right up there at the top.  FIVE dollars from each tutu will be given to Christmas Crazy.  I'm only making 30 black and gold tutus total to ensure that they can all be made this month.  Yes, they are a little steep, but I use at least DOUBLE the amount of tulle as other tutus I've seen.  They are full and fabulous, and I love them!  Almost as much as I love donating to children!  SO, if you are in the market for a tutu, head over to our Etsy page.  I promise you won't be disappointed!  If you would just like to send a couple bucks to Christmas Crazy, just click the link!!
Either way, it's all for a great cause.
I'll be listing other items on my Etsy site soon that will donate to Christmas Crazy as well, so make sure to come back!!!