Hello Elf – Friends!!!
Are you a sister / fellow CLEARANCE SHOPPER, GIFT STASH KEEPER, or REGIFTER? Do you love to troll the clearance section at Target, visit dollar stores, or get excited to find post-holiday stuff on clearance for 75% off? ME TOO!!!!! I might get a little TOO excited, just sayin’…..but I do love to find cool things for our Three Below shoppers to share with their friends and families, and I do shop ALL YEAR!
So what exactly am I asking? Maybe you are a person, like me, that always has some basic gifts on hand – usually purchased on clearance or great sales! – and it’s time to go through it and clear out anything that just hasn’t been ‘perfect’ for anyone for awhile. Or maybe you get an odd ‘treasure’ from Aunt Mabel every year (think of the ‘one-of-a-kind’ ornament, or that not-your-color-scarf, or a figurine or two that might not make it to your shelves!)…that you’d like to regift? OR, you are a hard-core clearance shopper, that has a good eye for a great bargain, and you just need a ‘good reason’ to pick up a few extra items? Well, YOU ARE IN LUCK, and you are JUST the PERFECT ELF we are looking for! 😉
When I was preparing for our first Open House (in 2008) the idea to have a good old-fashioned Secret Santa Shoppe came to life from an abundant gift closet / stash of my mom’s, and my own. She taught me well! And since she was a teacher for many-a-year, she had built up a pretty good collection of candles / stationery / ornaments / etc. from her many wonderful students….so THREE BELOW was fully stocked! We just LOVE watching the smiles on the littlest shoppers, as they find the perfect gift for Mom or Dad or Grammie & Pop Pop…then as they wrap each gift up tight, so no one can peek. And hopefully it can be done without breaking the bank!
For me, as I shop throughout the year, I think of my purchases this way….
An example: I could write a $25 check to Charity Water, and in that way be a part of the life-giving work they do….OR I can keep my eyes peeled for 75% off or greater sales during the year (which is gobs of fun for me!), and donate the items to Three Below. These items can then be sold at almost-full or full-price (say, $1, though I only paid $.25) in the Secret Santa Shoppe, and my contribution has now quadrupled to a $100 contribution. A win-win!!! WOOHOO!
100% of sales from Three Below goes directly to Charity Water (charitywater.org), an amazing non-profit that works tirelessly to bring clean water and proper sanitation to the most desperate of children, and their families, around the world. And 100% of donations to Charity Water go directly to water & sanitation projects….all overhead costs are covered from completely separate fundraising sources, allowing each dollar that we raise to confidently go where it’s needed most. I love this organization, and am thrilled to be a small part of their efforts, through the Open House and the sale of My Green Crayons. Woohoo!
SO…sound interesting? I have NO expectations, other than a hope that you’d have fun helping me restock Three Below for 2015. Found one thing? AWESOME! Found a bunch of things throughout the year? THANK YOU! Just have some regifts and other new items to share from your current stash? WOOHOO! Every little bit counts, and I appreciate your time and contributions so very much. God Bless You!!!
Love, Your Sister-Elf, Kristen 🙂
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