When my twin boys were born, I dressed them alike constantly! It was adorable and for a while, they also wanted to dress alike too. They would pick out matching outfits and ask to wear bowties. Now that they are just weeks away from turning six, they want no parts of being 'handsome' and dressing up. I know the days are numbered when it comes to dressing them alike, but on special occasions, I can still convince them (read: bribe) to wear matching outfits. I know that if I'm going to win that battle, I have to give in just a little bit. That's the best part of OshKosh B'Gosh and their holiday clothing. They have all kinds of adorable styles and you know what? They are super soft and comfortable. I grabbed these adorable t-shirts that my boys won't even know that I'm dressing them up and making them look snazzy for our family photos this coming weekend. Finding a coordinating outfit for my 10-year-old is affordable and easy too.
My boys love the reversible sequin shirts that are all the rage these days. OshKosh has festive holiday-themed sequin shirts and even some cool dinosaurs, aliens, gaming, animals, and more. I love these Naughty and Nice shirts and my boys think it's hysterical to decide if they are going to naughty or nice! AND, I think having them make nice faces in one photo and naughty in the next will make a super fun holiday card! You can see they had a blast practicing.
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Although the holiday season is a festive one, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to give back to our community with my children. We were lucky enough this year to partner with OshKosh B'Gosh to deliver OshKosh goodies to families in our community. We teamed up with A Child's Christmas, sponsored by the Pasadena Business Association to give back to children in our community. A Child's Christmas adopts 2 families from each feeder school in the Chesapeake and Northeast Clusters. That's approximately 24 families that are helped each Christmas. They are provided toys, gifts, clothing, and even food to help them celebrate the holidays.
Last week, I took my oldest, Lucas, who is almost 10 on a special date. We headed to OshKosh at Arundel Mills to pick out hats and gloves to donate to A Child's Christmas. We had so much fun shopping and the Arundel Mills Store is so clean and the staff is extremely helpful and friendly. The entire store was on sale and I had a 25% off coupon, want one? 🎅 Want to save 25% too? Check out our exclusive coupon! http://www.oshkosh.com/macaronikid
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On the way home, Lucas looked at me with his big eyes and said, "Mom, thank you for taking me to pick out hats and gloves for kids who need them. It feels really good to help other people and it makes me really happy." I didn't prompt this conversation. I didn't even tell him to think about how good it felt. He understood the importance of giving back and figured out how good it felt all on his own. THAT is the magic of the holiday season right there.
Last week, I headed over to Chesapeake High School to deliver the hats and gloves to Melissa Bajedek, chair of A Child's Christmas. You can see our video HERE.
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The holiday season is the perfect teachable opportunity to show your kids how important it is -- and how good it feels -- to give to others in your community.
Kids who volunteer or give to others:
1. Feel great: Doing something for others makes them feel great and give them a confidence boost for helping their community.
2. Strengthen community: Kids can partner up with friends or join a community organization where they can meet new friends while doing good in their community.
3. Experience a feeling of belonging: Getting involved in giving back is a chance to feel like they belong to the community in a way that is 100 percent positive.
4. Learn gratitude: If you're children are anything like mine, sometimes they seem a little entitled or greedy. Helping less-fortunate community members will give you an opportunity to teach your child to be grateful for what they have.
5. Experience the effect of "paying it forward": This is a great chance to teach kids about the ripple effect that comes with showing even small kindnesses and how their efforts make a difference in our world.
There are many organizations and opportunities to give back this holiday season. If you'd like to donate to A Child's Christmas, they are still collecting monetary donations, new clothing and toys, and non-perishable food items. You can email Melissa at mbajadek@aacps.org to help out! Let's help spread that holiday magic this Christmas season!
I have received compensation and/or product for my review but all of my opinions are my own.
