Where’s Your Christmas Spirit?

Last Christmas was the first year in a long time I felt good about Christmas. I was able to buy presents for everyone on my list with my own money. I took my son to donate to Toys for Tots and he did an awesome job (at 4 years old I think it was huge for him).

I’ve always tried to be “giving” and since last Christmas I have done my best to be as helpful and/or giving as I can be.

When you guys help me earn rewards through Swagbucks, Shop it to Me, or other opportunities like the No More Rack iPod we got, I think about how I can give it away. I don’t really want to go on about what I do or who I help do what, that’s not the point. Just trying to do what I can… It’s what I enjoy.

My Dad

my favorite picture of my dad and me

My dad led by example and instilled that giving aspect (as well as my mom). He had a way of doing things just without thinking about it. Like if they needed it and he had it, it was that simple.

I remember one time he got a new pair of shoes. His other shoes weren’t bad or anything just getting dirty or whatever. I asked him why he was boxing up his other ones. He was giving them to someone at work who he had noticed either had a hole in them or something. I think my dad was his manager at the time.

A neighbor he got close to that was an elderly woman, he took care of like she was family. He took her shopping weekly and if he couldnt, he made sure she was okay. We visited her constantly. It was like having another grandma.

He was one of those people who had “sponsored” a child somewhere, and him and his wife wrote to. They adopted a dog who had been treated really badly. That dog ended up more spoiled than me!

That is just a few things I remember from him growing up.

He was, let’s say, treated badly growing up. I can never remember him EVER hitting me, maybe a punch in the chest if I accidentally said a bad word. (I was 16 and we were in the car… lol). I don’t know, I guess each generation you want to be better for your kids, and I hope I can continue that.

Unfortunately I lost my dad one week before Thanksgiving just after I turned 18 (2004). I know for a while he couldn’t of been proud of me, but now I hope I can carry on his spirit and attitude and share it with those who need and deserve it.

I am thankful I am able to interact with you all.

Merry Christmas

To end this… I am happy that all the samples, deals, and giveaways have made for some Christmas gifts. I know I can’t stop spending some of my Amazon credit.

I wanted to share this picture that Liz Egbert left on our wall.

christmas tree

“A Christmas that had the potential to be very lean, was not thanks to all the giveaways I found here!”

Teresa Harvey also commented that “95% of my Christmas is freebies!”

Where do you get your Christmas spirit? Friends? Family? Your Children?

If you want to read a little more about my dad etc. I have this poem about him.

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