This post was sponsored by T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
It’s so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We rush into Thanksgiving and search for the hottest deals on Black Friday. We attend holiday parties with friends and family and can easily lose sight over the warmth the holiday brings. Each year during the holidays, my husband and I take a few days away from work and our normal routine to bring our kids together and spend some time together as a family without other outside responsibilities. We silence our devices and talk on our way up to a Christmas-themed amusement park the week before Thanksgiving.
We constantly remind our kids that whether or not we have presents under the tree, the gift of family is the most important of all, and we are lucky to have each other. We remind them of those less fortunate and try to find ways we can help out- whether it’s buying extra toys for a child who may not have something to unwrap this holiday season, or sending a complete holiday meal to a family in need. We’ve been helping our community since my oldest was just a toddler, and it’s something we’ve ingrained in them over the years. When I asked my girls why they wanted to join Girl Scouts again this year, their response surprised me. They truly enjoyed finding ways to help others and felt they had more opportunities with the Scouts to make a difference in their community. As you can imagine, this was such a proud moment for me!
As my kids were cutting out photos from magazines to make their Christmas wish list this year, my middle child asked for a separate piece of paper to make a wish list for someone else. When I asked her who she was making a list for, she simply stated, “A little girl like me who may not have a Christmas this year.” Her response floored me. She offered to take two toys off her own wishlist so that she can send them to someone in need. I took it a step further and took my older two shopping this weekend to pick out toys for our local toy drive. Knowing HomeGoods often have toys my girls beg me to buy everytime we visit, I took them to our local HomeGoods store to pick out something THEY would love to have and we will be sending it to a child in need this year. I chose HomeGoods because of their value- I know I can get relevant items that appeal to kids at a price that will stretch my budget so I can check off a few items from my list. While I was in there I picked up a few items to decorate our home this season.
My family is my greatest gift this and every holiday season. T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods know that family is the greatest gift as well, and have launched the Gift My Gathering contest to inspire people to connect and celebrate each other this holiday season. The Gift My Gathering contest will make it possible for five families across the United States come together and celebrate a holiday gathering. How special is that!?
Through November 28th, you can visit giftmygathering.com and share how T.J.Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods can help you gather with the people you love this holiday season. They will select five families and make it possible for them to be together and celebrate the season together.*
*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Gift My Gathering is sponsored by The TJX Companies, Inc. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S., D.C. and Puerto Rico, 18 & older. Begins 8:00 a.m. ET on 11/13/17 & ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 11/28/17. For official rules, visit giftmygathering.com.
Celebrate those you love this season, near or far, let them know how important they are to you.