“Oooh, look at all of those toys you got” the Walmart attendant noticed as my kids and I pushed our cart towards the exit. 

“They’re for kids in foster care!” My oldest daughter said proudly. 

“Oh really?” The attendant asked with a bit of surprise as she marked our receipt “That’s so nice!”

It may be nice, but it hasn’t always easy. This is the 5th year we’ve shopped for children in foster care. But the first time for each of my big kids, was a little rough. It was all fun and games until my kids realized they weren’t going to keep any of the toys. And that I wasn’t rewarding them with anything special for the gesture. 

But once we dropped the toys off at the facility with all of the volunteer elves ready to wrap them, they were pleased with their job well done. 

This year when I told my kids we were heading to Walmart to shop for toys, my daughter finished “I know! For the kids who need toys!” And there was no debate. Not even from my son, who got the biggest grin when I explained we were shopping for three kids this year, including a little boy. 

“How old is he?” He joyfully asked. “I think he’s eight,” I told him. But when I pulled out my sheet as a refresher I realized that we had wishlists for two girls who were 6 and 8 and a one year old boy (I try to shop for kids the ages of my own). 

I love that this act of kindness helps remind my children about the spirit of giving this time of year. They do sometimes get a little sidetracked by items they like, but are quick to come back to the task at hand. 

Every year we’ve done our shopping at Walmart because of the wide selection of toys at everyday low prices and my kids’ familiarity with it. This year, I also applied for the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card to use for all our holiday purchases. The card just launched in September and it offers some great rewards so you can earn while you spend in and outside of Walmart stores. We pay our credit cards off every month and don’t keep any revolving credit, but if we’re buying things either way, I’d rather be getting a portion of that back! Whether I’m buying gifts for others, purchasing groceries for my family, or even splurging on a trip or an evening out, the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card enables me to get more out of my money with rewards on my spend. 

With the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card we earn: 

-5% back on purchases at Walmart online (this even includes Walmart Grocery Pickup and Delivery! Whoop!) 

-5% back on in-store purchases when using Walmart Pay for the first 12 months and an unlimited 2% back on Walmart purchases in stores after that.

-2% back on restaurants and travel

-1% percent back everywhere else Mastercard is accepted

And because I was wondering too, no, there aren’t annual fees and no foreign transaction fees. You can redeem the rewards you earn in so many ways; for travel, gift cards, during online checkout at Walmart.com, to cover recent purchases or to obtain statement credits. 

I have yet to start my Christmas shopping for my family, but I’m happy that we were able to kick off our shopping in the spirit of giving. And now as I get started on our own and spend on things like groceries and decorations this season, I’ll be able to get a little kickback in rewards for myself. Who knows, maybe I’ll even treat myself to something special.

Tags: christmas shopping, family time, giving back, holiday gifting, volunteering