Neighborhood Gifts

I've had this idea that I have wanted to do this for a couple of years, but I was never sure if there would a good response . . . but turns out there was. 

I don't particularly love neighborhood gifts, but I've never been able to just throw in the towel and quit doing them.  Every year I spend the first 1/2 of the year swearing I'm not going to do neighborhood gifts this year, and then I spend the last 1/2 of the year thinking of a nifty/cute/inexpensive idea, waiting in the longs lines on Black Friday to buy the inexpensive idea, hours making tags and bows for all of them and then a hour running around in the freezing cold trying not to fall on ice handing out those little gifts to to our neighbors and friends because I just so desperately want them to know that I value their friendship.

It just seems like a whole lot of hoopla  . . . and did the gift really prove the point of how much I enjoy their friendship?  No, not really.

So this year, I finally did it!  I talked 2 of my neighborhood friends into throwing a neighborhood get togther and gathering donations for a shelter in lieu of neighborhood gifts and . . .

 it was a smashing success if I do say so myself. 

We gave everyone plenty of warning (in October) of our plans, then a little reminder right before Thanksgiving (Black Friday) and then one more warning the week of.   We supplied a snow plowed cold -de-sac, 3 roaring fire pits, hot chocolate, some treats and Santa!   We had our 3 cars open and ready for donations and invited people to more bring treats to share. 

People came prepared for the weather and we had a great time!  Even a little rain didn't deter people. They all stayed much longer than we ever anticipated and I think we genuinely enjoyed some fun time together as a neighborhood

 PLUS we collected nice assortment of needed items to donate.