Monday, April 11, 2011

boxes to japan:: for the children of ishinomaki

im very thankful that life's back to normal in tokyo again and we've been enjoying a little more sunshine and a lot more cherry blossoming this past week. our minds and hearts are still with the families up north.

i'd like to share a little project i've been busy with, posted on the sleepytime girl. the idea is to send a box of something that you already own in your home to the children in ishinomaki. you can read about it more here

i grew up knowing that my parents would always be there for me.. i've always been THE girl whose parents are the first in line to pick me up and with the loudest cheers at my concerts. so it broke my heart to read that after the quake, some parent never made it back to the school to pick them up.

i don't have children in the house. so i bent the rules a little..


so using fabric i already own, i made a bunch of "back to school" things:: a backpack, a pencil-sleeve filled with sparkly pens, a set of notebooks with fabric covers & a pillow filled with love.


back to school basics:: lunch box set, play mat & a bunch of school socks


girly essentials:: hand cream, chapstick, comb, hello kitty scrubby cloth, sewing kit & origami paper


using felt, i made a few girly hair clips...

daily essentials :: some people still don't have electricity & running water, so i put in a LED flashlight & plenty of babywipes. not in picture, i packed the box full of hand sanitizers, first aid kit, sanitary masks, vitamin C,  japanese snacks, milk candy and ziplock bags.

the little things we are able to send is nothing compared to what they've lost. but it was something tangible that we could do. because i couldn't write a note without tearing up, the husband wrote something in japanese to the receiver of the box. i hope it helps a little someone start the school year a little easier and put a smile on her face.

so if this is something you're able to do, please drop nicole a note at her blog. the aim is to send 300 boxes of love to the people there.

xx

edit:: our box arrived on 4/13!! hurray! :)

13 comments:

  1. so nice n meaningful...

    cant help but notice u have hello kitty scrubby cloth?!

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  2. @kennytricia

    hello kitty playmat and hello kitty senbei too! (japanese rice cracker)

    it made me smile. i figured, doesn't hurt! :)

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  3. thank you so much! if you don't mind, i'm going to put a link to this on my blog today!

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  4. Love this idea. And your packages are just adorable!

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  5. @Generic Jen B

    i just hope a little girlie receives it. or maybe a boy that LOVES his pink & hello kitty! xx

    how are you going to the aftershocks? genki des?

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  6. Oh my, this brought tears to my eyes! What a lovely project. I hope it brings a little bit of joy into one boy/girl's life. Good for you! xoxo

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  7. I actually shared your link through my Sleepy time Gal facebook page... thank you!

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  8. Thanks for package! I got your package yesterday! will give this package for school kids I'll promise.
    Thanks again and Have a great day!
    Sachiko.

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  9. @Sachiko

    thank you so much sachiko. sorry its so small! i wish i could do more.

    so if there is anything we can send up from tokyo.. meds, school supplies, more socks, shoes, etc. please let me know!

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  10. Hello. Thanks again for your package. It was really thouhtful. kids will love to have it. That is for sure! I think you might know boxes will comming over 400 all over the world. was really wonderful. anyway, thanks for supporting us in Miyagi and for kids in Ishinomaki.
    school will start 21 April. so, when school start will bring stuff to school.
    Have a nice day!
    Sachiko.

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