Here at Bash And Lucy, we’re counting our many blessings over the holidays and focusing on ways to encourage fortunate children like Michael to give to the less fortunate (both human and four-legged). One of the ways to help kids focus on giving is by reading “The Sparkle Box,” a kids’ book the author’s team asked Michael to review. This children’s picture book shares the author’s family tradition of focusing on ways to help the needy. The book includes a sparkle box, to be opened on Christmas, that families fill with notes about how they helped the less fortunate throughout the year. Here’s a YouTube review of the children’s book from Michael, age 5, and his friend, Mia, age 13:

After reading the book, we asked Michael how he might fill his sparkle box, and realized he had worked hard to help needy dogs and other animals this year. With our “Bash and Lucy Fetch Confidence” book release party and our Christmas Bazaar fundraiser, we raised and donated $440 to the Oregon Humane Society. We plan to continue the tradition of raising funds for the Oregon Humane Society in 2014. This organization is near and dear to our hearts because it does so much for animals from Oregon and other states. Many shelters send their animals to the Oregon Humane Society because it has enough room–and volunteers–to house and care for animals that would otherwise be euthanized.

How will your children fill their sparkle boxes this holiday season? How do you encourage kids to give to the less fortunate? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com and tell us your stories!