Shop using Amazon Smile – shop Amazon like normal and a portion of your total goes to the charity of your choice
Give a warm drink to the person volunteering at the Salvation Army bucket
Participate in a holiday-themed 5K that supports a good cause – find a local race here – Charitable Race Calendar (in DFW- Jingle Bell Run, Chocoholic Frolic 5K & 10K and more)
If you’re hosting a party, ask each guest to bring a $5 children’s gift to donate – to a local toy drive (like The Elf Society)
Send warm holiday wishes to a member of the military – quick and easy through A Million Thanks
Shop small / local – my personal fav small shops w/cool gifts are JOY Creative Shop for adorb custom paper goods; DictionArt for unique vintage dictionary prints; and ZDough for homemade scented play dough for adults and kids
Donate some of your airline miles – Wishes in Flight supports Make-a-Wish; Luke’s Wings supports military families
Donate a sum to your local animal emergency room – to help cover the cost of a family’s emergency during the holidays
Purge your closet and donate – to a local shelter (in DFW- like Nexus Group or Heaven’s Attic)
Leave a nice note in your mailbox for the mail carrier delivering you all your goodies – fun free printable here
Offer to babysit for the single parent you know so they can run errands
Go through your kids sports gear and donate to a local after school program (in DFW, my fav is Dallas After School)
Collect $5 McDonald gift cards to give to the homeless – #1 recommended gift so they can order themselves a hot cup of coffee with dignity
Send a $10 teddy bear for a grieving child to the Grief and Loss Center of North Texas – send one on Amazon here
VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME! In DFW, I got you! Come with me to this huge Christmas Party for less fortunate families in Dallas on Dec 12, 2020! If not, reach out and I’ll help you find somewhere super fun to volunteer your time!
Here are some ideas to involve the kiddos and show them that they can make a difference too!
Host a hot chocolate/cider stand, instead of lemonade – let them choose charity they donate to
Make blankets for your local hospital – fleece fabric blankets are easy and don’t require any sewing (my fav tutorial here)
Bake cookies and deliver them together – to a local nursing home or a local police or fire station
Have them go through their books and choose 10 to donate – to kids who need them (in DFW- like Genesis Women’s Shelter or Capes for Kindness)
Candy cane bomb a parking lot – fun free printable here
Make lunch sacks to deliver to homeless – have them help make sandwiches and decorate bags
Let them pick a dog/cat treat at the store – to donate to your local animal shelter
Let them be a Dollar Store angel – leave 5 or 10 $1 bills hidden around the store
Let one of their gifts under the tree be a donation gift certificate to the charity/organization/cause of their choice – fun free printables here
TRAVEL BONUS! I’ve been to 15+ countries and have my personal tips for each location to share with you! Paris * Amsterdam * Northern Lights in Norway * My Fav Travel Items * Rio de Janeiro * Iceland * Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany * Airbnb Tips * Summer Olympics * I Can Fly * Harry Potter Studio in London * Auschwitz * Cheap Flights 101 * Ireland * Ultimate Bucket List * Albuquerque Balloon Festival * Luxury Travel Items * Disney World for Adults (coming soon… Train through Switzerland, Sound of Music in Salzburg and Havana, Cuba!)
Carla Sue Travels is an Amazon Affiliate, meaning I may get a small profit when you purchase an item I recommend. Everything I earn goes towards website maintenance and any “Giving Back Project“-related costs.
