Lots Of Great Things Today

  Today I don't have just one thing that I'm counting as my act of kindness but a few small things instead that will be carried out over many days. I volunteered to coordinate and organize a lunch at my daughter's school to show the staff there some appreciation this morning.  I also started putting together some care packs for the homeless that I plan to distribute sometime early next month. I've been collecting items from several generous people for a few weeks now and I can't wait to get those all together. The third thing today was that I starting using my new reusable Starbucks cup as seen below...

I have what some might call a bit of a "problem" or perhaps a pretty hefty coffee "habit", lol. I go through a lot of coffee, at home and when I'm out. So my use of plastic and paper cups adds up pretty quick. Now at Starbucks you can buy one of their reusable cups for only 1.00 and stop creating trash each time you purchase a beverage from them. They also give you ten cents off every time you bring it in and use it. So after bringing it in ten times, and let's face it... that will be a breeze for me, it has paid for itself and I'm cutting down on waste. Win Win in my book!

Also, today marks four full months of random acts of kindness and good deeds. I'm loving it and look forward to all kinds of great things for the rest of this year. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped out so far.  Please keep the ideas and comments coming and please sign up to follow the blog as well so I can keep adding change to the "change for a cause" bucket. It's looking pretty slim...

Memory Tree

   As usual, I'm a few days behind. Arbor Day was this past Friday and this year I wanted have a tree planted for my act of kindness on arbor day. But like I've said before, better late than never and in the end I'm still contributing to the environment so it shouldn't matter if it was officially on Arbor day or a few days later, right?? So today I had ten trees planted in a national park and I did it in memory of my dear and close aunt Marie who passed away a few years ago. She was such a great lady who was many things. She was a superior cook, had an awesome sense of humor, was great at games, very crafty and also always had beautiful plants and flowers in her yard. Every summer when I visited, her lawn looked great with nice shady trees, pretty flowers and bushes that complimented her house. I thought having trees planted would be a nice way to honor her memory and also a good way to make our world a little healthier and greener.

Saying Goodbye

   Today was another bittersweet one. Our good friends Will and Amanda and their super cute kiddos are moving out of town in a couple of days and their going away party/last minute packing and loading the truck event was this afternoon. So for today's good deed we went early to help out with the last of the move and get things ready for the party. My husband helped out a lot by loading furniture and boxes while I kinda corralled all the kids so they didn't get in the way and helped prepare food for the party. We had a great time and I was more than happy to help but I would have gladly traded a great party if it meant that our friends were gonna stick around a bit longer. We're really gonna miss this family but happy that they are going to start on a new journey. Bon Voyage Canningtons!

Volunteer Time

  The last couple of days I have been volunteering for the Nashville Country Music Marathon and this morning I was out there in the pouring rain bright and early with the 35,000 runners helping at the finish line. I have actually been looking forward to helping out here for a while now because I am a runner myself and at all the different races I have run, the atmosphere and community there is amazing and so much fun. I was able to help several people today at the race, including helping one runner get in touch with family that she couldn't locate, give directions to several runners, and return their personal belongs to them as well. I can't really complain because I had a good time despite the rain and got to spend a good part of my time there under some kind of cover. Even though doing acts of kindness and good deeds always make me feel good afterward, some days they aren't always easy or fun to perform. Today was NOT one of those days.

Dishing Out The Goods

For today's act of kindness I passed along some dishes and cooking utensils to another mom who's oldest child is newly married and starting a home of their own. She had asked if anyone might have some kitchen items that they were going to get rid of anyway, and donate them to her son and daughter-in-law instead. When I heard about this I knew I had some stuff. I love to cook and bake and have several dishes and appliances that I use on a regular basis but I also have several that just sit and take up space because I never or rarely use them. I was very happy to be able to give to a young couple starting out because my husband and I were very blessed in the beginning of our marriage with some great hand me downs and gifts.

Adventures In Babysitting

   Today I am keeping one of my good friend's kiddo while she takes care of some business that came up this morning for my good deed. I almost feel like this one shouldn't count because he is such a breeze and gets along pretty good with my kids. I'm hoping some of his quietness will rub off on my over-the-top loud little boy, lol. This is another one that I am more than happy to do because she's been there to help me out with my kids in a pinch and knowing that I can always call on her for help and vice versa is a great feeling. This should also be good practice for this summer when I will be taking on more kiddos.

First Book

   My husband and I are currently in the midst of working on my daughter's reading skills and while reading with her today I was reminded how lucky we are that we have been able to have constant access to books and learning materials. Sadly this isn't the case for many families and children in our country. A while back I came across a program called First Book that is providing access to new books for children in need. They have provided over one million books and resources to schools and programs that serve low income families. They are also working to help get access to new digital media as well as we start to move away from traditional books so that no child is left out because of what they cannot afford. You can check out more on their website and get some great information by clicking HERE. So today I donated to this organization as my act of kindness/good deed. Just ten dollars buys four new books! Something else I really liked was that 97% of what you donate goes towards towards the buying and distributing of books instead of the majority of it going to overheard and personal costs which can be the case sometimes. Children today encounter all kinds of obstacles and challenges for a variety of reasons but learning to read because of lack of money shouldn't be one of them.

Chow Time

  This day has been so busy that I almost forgot to post about my act of kindness today, but no worries... I did complete it! Last week a MOPS friend of mine had surgery and several of us have been providing meals for her and her family so she can rest up and recover. So today was my turn, and along with another friend we cooked a dinner for her family and then I went and delivered it to their home. I was really happy to be able to do this because I've had this kindness shown to me when I came home from the hospital with my youngest. It was such a blessing and relief not to have to worry about what to make and feed the family. Alica has been so very thankful for all the meals, now I just hope it was edible!

Happy Earth Day

  Happy Earth Day Everyone! Today's post is early because as part of my good deed/ act of kindness I wanted to share some ideas with you so that perhaps you can try or do some of them in honor of Earth Day. This year marks the 43rd celebration of Earth Day and I found an article with 43 ideas on how you can do your part to help spread awareness about the environment and health of our planet or simple tasks you can do to take action yourself. For the other part of my deed/act I will be doing some of these today as well. You can access the article by clicking HERE. I'm hoping that at least one will be come habit instead of just a one time a year thing so that I can really make a difference and be more proactive in leaving my kids and their generation a nice home.

Icee Time

   This time a year brings busy schedules for my family as our calendar fills up quickly with all sorts of sports and events. Today was one of those days where we had more than one thing going on. While I took my daughter to a birthday party my husband headed out to a baseball practice for a team that he is helping coach. He also has a thing for Icee's... especially after playing baseball it seems. On the way back home from the birthday party I couldn't stop thinking about how it would be a nice surprise to have one waiting for him when he got home. So that's just what I did today... My daughter and I stopped in at a local gas station and got an Icee for my husband. She really liked the idea of getting him a little something special. I have loved doing these good deeds and acts of kindness each day, but I also love when I can do something a little random or on the fly for my husband just because.

Walk For MS

   For today's act some friends and I participated in the Murfreesboro walk for Multiple Sclerosis. A few months back I mentioned an old friend of mine had been recently diagnosed with MS so we did this walk in his honor. All the fundraising proceeds go towards finding a cure and new types of treatments for this chronic disease. The organization that put this walk together has raised over a million dollars for finding a cure just here in middle Tennessee. You can can get more great info on them my clicking HERE. It had a pretty nice turnout today and it was really nice to see so many people who care and are doing their part to help so many others.

Sharing A Story

   Today I am not even sure where to begin. I've been following some awful drama that has been unfolding over the last 24 hours and it really just makes me sad and angry. It involves some wonderful mom friends of mine, Gina and Lacey, and the maternity pictures that Gina shot for Lacey earlier this week.  So for my act today I'm going to share this story and photo because I think it is beautiful and it needs to be shared and I hope that if you read this, you will share it with others as well.
  Some of you may remember my friend Lacey and her son Christian from a post last month when I raced for Special Kids of Murfreesboro , which is where Christian and other special needs children receive services. Well, their family is about to be blessed with baby number two very soon and so they decided to have Gina, who is an excellent photographer and specializes in photographing special needs kids, do some maternity shots and a few with Christian as well. They turned out great... Lacey looked radiant and the ones with Christian playing with his momma's belly were so sweet. Gina posted a few of them on Facebook as she was editing them to give the family a sneak peak of how great they came out and they were instantly liked by many who are friends with both ladies. But someone out there did have a problem with one of the pictures and claimed they found it so offensive that it needed to be taken down. So they went to Facebook and demanded that it be removed and it was. Facebook took down the post and all other shared posts of the photo and then temporarily locked Gina out of her business page. After some time she was able to get back on but was told that she was to remove any other offensive photos or risk having her page taken down all together. But it was never explained what someone found offensive about the photo or what about it made it unfit for posting. Now someone please tell me what is so offensive about this beautiful photo of a mother and her son being playful together and excited about a new baby that is going to arrive soon.....

Here's the beauty of Facebook, if someone posts something you don't like or want to look at you can un-friend them or hide their posts from your news feed. And in the end I think whoever caused this whole stir knows that but was just trying to be hurtful. This isn't the first time that someone has called pictures of Christian offensive or made very rude and hateful remarks about him or Lacey.  Thankfully Lacey is wonderfully blessed with being able to handle these types of situations with class and demeanor. I don't know that I would have such patience. So I hope you'll share this post and photo because it really is great and sweet and I don't want anyone to think that it is ever okay for anyone to be singled out or treated unfairly. Sure Christian is different, but we're all different for a million reasons. He is just as deserving as any other child of having his photos shown off on Facebook that his mom is proud of and wants to share friends and family like so many of us with children do.
I also wanted to take a moment to share Gina's website and business if you are interested. She is great with such a wonderful heart and that comes through in the photos that she shoots. You can check her out HERE.

Tidying Up The Neighborhood

   Today's act of kindness and good deed was for my neighborhood. Today has been so beautiful outside, so much in fact my friend and I took our boys to the greenway this morning. But while it has been super beautiful, it has been extremely windy. We got blown all over the place, but we weren't the only things that got blown every which way. Today was garbage day so when we got home we saw that everyone's garbage cans were scattered in the street, some with some trash flying around and mailboxes had also been blown open with their contents hanging out. My neighborhood was a mess! I tried to get a better picture than the one posted here but everything kept flying away. So I went to work returning everyone's trashcans to their garages, picking up trash, closing mailboxes and making sure everyone's mail was in the right place. I did a good deed earlier this year where I picked up trash in the neighborhood but today was a little different, so I still think it counts... and I'm sure my neighbors will appreciate having their belongings returned to them.

A Little Pick Me Up...

   So ask and you shall receive as the saying goes... Earlier today while I was playing outside with my kids I was wondering what I could do today. Then after we came in I thought about it again and hopped on my lab top for a minute and first thing that I saw was a friend of mine named Kendra had been having a tough couple of weeks. Her kids and husband have all been sick off and on for weeks and now the youngest is sick again with RSV, which can be awful. On top of all that she's in her first trimester of another pregnancy so she's feeling pretty awful and tired herself these days. I knew that when the first thing that was brought to my attention was her, today I needed to do some little something for Kendra. I know from experience having sick kids is hard and challenging and can make you go a little stir crazy sometimes. So I thought about what would make me feel better in this situation. And the answer was immediately CHOCOLATE! I can't heal her boys or give her energy, but I can give her something to make her smile and take her mind off things if for only a moment. Those that know me, know that there is never a shortage of chocolate in my house and I always have plenty on hand. So I made her a little care pack to hopefully give her a little pick me up and let her know that someone was thinking of her. I dropped it off on her porch as a surprise and left her a text that she had something waiting for her. After she found it, she was so sweet and surprised and said her husband as well was looking forward to the chocolate. I'm glad I could do a little something for her today because I have been where she's been and it's hard. Sometimes just a small gesture can make all the difference.

Help For Boston

   Today my heart is heavy for the city of Boston and all those involved in the marathon. If I'm being honest my heart is heavy for all of as human beings. I'm sad that in this day and age we still can't find a way to get along with each other and put aside differences to see that at the core, we're more alike than we are different. I'm sad that we have come to extremes like setting off bombs and intentionally hurting one another. I'm sad that horrible tragedies like these are becoming more and more common and the norm than the other way around. For some reason, yesterday's event hit me harder than expected. Maybe because I am a runner myself and I know what it is to train for something like this and when you get to race day and complete it it such absolute wonderful feeling, and the camaraderie and support from other runners and spectators is simply amazing. But that was cut short because someone or someones had different plans.
   Despite how sad this has all made me something that has been great has been all the outpouring of acts of kindness and heroics from so many in Boston and around the country yesterday and today. I've been listening to NPR on and off today and most all their programming has been about yesterday's events. One program in particular was just people calling in and talking about the acts of kindness they have witnessed in the last 24 hours. This has made me feel a little better and very happy to live in a place that when these disasters strike that there are still people out there running to the aid of others and coming together to help each other. Many people opened up their homes to racers who were stranded, people who are medically trained were going down to the race site to help with medical care, restaurants and businesses were passing out food and water to those in need, and people were streaming into hospitals to donate blood.  All of this makes me so very proud.
    So today my act of kindness is also to aid those involved in this tragedy. I found and donated to an organization called Technology Underwriting for a Greater Good or TUGG for short who is fundraising along with fundraise.com to help support the victims of the Boston marathon bombing. Please check them out HERE. 100% of the proceeds are going to support those in need. They are working with the working with the local Mayor's office, the Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts, and the hospitals that cared for the patients with the most pertinent needs to deliver funding directly to those impacted. I urge you if you can to donate any small amount. Other organizations that are helping with relief are The Salvation Army and The Red Cross.
Okay, I'll hop off my soapbox now, I just hope that we as humans will eventually wake up and stop literally tearing each other apart.

P.A.W.S

  For today's act of kindness I donated some old sheets and towels that I haven't used in ages to the Rutherford county pet adoption and welfare services or P.A.W.S for short. This organization serves as the local animal shelter as well as animal control. Before I had kids I worked with a local humane society for animals so I'm pretty familiar with the great and hard work that these organizations do for local animals. This one takes in unwanted animals and provides adoption services, provides vaccination  clinics as well as enforces the law related to animals and their welfare. You can find out more about this specific location by clicking here. These organizations always have needs and wish lists to help take care of all the animals that they receive and I knew from experience that towels, sheets and blankets are usually in high demand. So the items I brought today will be put to good use.
  I also just want to take a minute and say that if you are considering adding a pet to to your family, please seriously consider a shelter pet. Having adopted one myself several years ago, I can tell you that they will be forever grateful for a new home. Shelter pets also come with all their needed vaccinations and by adopting one of them instead of an animal from a breeder or another source, you are helping to stop the overgrowth of the pet population because they will be spayed or neutered.
  

The Contributor

   Today the kids and I headed to Nashville to watch my husband's baseball game. Since we had some extra time to kill before the game, at the last minute I decided to take them through the neighborhood I grew up in and by my old house. Since we took a little detour we ended up going down roads I hadn't originally planned on taking and we came across a person at an intersection selling The Contributor newspaper. The Contributor is a non profit in Nashville that prints a newspaper twice a month on the perspectives and information on the condition of homelessness in the area. But it also gives homeless and formerly homeless a source of income because they help put it together and sell it on the street. You can find out more about The Contributor by clicking here. So today I contributed and bought a paper from the vendor we came across. I've always felt conflicted about giving money to people begging on the streets because part of me feels like "well I don't know if they are actually in need or just someone who is capable having a job and making money but they choose to take others money instead." Or I don't know that the money I give them is actually going to help with basic needs like getting a meal or if they are going to use it to buy alcohol or drugs... But like I said in the beginning of this journey, I have been beyond blessed in my life and until I walk a mile in the shoes of someone begging on the corner, who am I to judge them? I don't know what has happened in their lives or what circumstances have lead them to where they are today. I am hoping that my contribution will help someone get their life back together and that reading the paper will open my eyes to some of the issues and things that a part of our community that I don't know a lot about face day to day.

3rd Annual Sara Walker Run

   Today's act was bittersweet... It was great because we were celebrating the life of an awesome family member and friend and also helping raise funds for a great new organization, but sad to me because she wasn't physically there to share this day with us. But I do feel like she was watching and would have been proud. Today my family and I went to the Sara Walker 5k run to benefit the Sara Walker Foundation and the family that she left behind. As you can see from the picture above, her motto was to "Savor each day" and that was a great lesson that she passed on to thousands after she passed away last August from colon cancer. The Sara Walker foundation was formed after her passing and it exists to help charities and organizations that Sara felt strongly about. Currently the foundation is working with and supporting the Blessings hospital for women and children in Malawi, Africa.

This is Sara with her husband Brian, who is my cousin, and their two wonderful boys Camden and Scott. The foundation also helps to fund college and education for the two boys.
Throughout her long battle with colon cancer, Sara touched so many and her spirit and humor were literally heard and seen around the world through her writings and videos.
One of the things I liked best this morning was posted on signs all over the run sights were quotes and things best remembered about Sara. This sign here was one of my favorites and reminded me how much I loved her sense of humor.

So glad I was able to go out and support such a great cause and remember fondly such a great woman!

An Unexpected Visit

   My plans for today changed this morning as they sometimes do in life and today's change brought more time with my family. I had been thinking a lot lately about my husband's grandmother lately and that we really should go and visit her. She currently lives alone and has had several ups and downs the past few months. So I thought today she could really benefit from a visit from us and the kids. We even baked some chocolate cookies to take to her. She was so happy about this last minute surprise visit. It was nice to get and chat for a while and I know she appreciated having someone to talk to to as well. Sadly, in my crazy go go life sometimes I get too wrapped up in my immediate family's needs and wants and don't always see those of others who are in need or could benefit from some of my time as well. I'm hoping that this challenge this year will put a change to that!

A Little Car Trouble... Sort Of

   Today I got to do one of the cliche' random acts I'd been hoping would come along at some point, but it didn't go exactly like I thought it would. In the end I helped someone and that's all that matters right??? Anyway, on my way home from picking my daughter up from school today I saw a lady standing outside of her car with her emergency flashers on in the shared middle turn lane of the road. I figured she probably already had called someone for help but with the huge storm we've been expecting all day I figured I should at least check and see if there was anything I could do so she didn't get stuck in the storm. So I slowed down, turned around and drove back to where she was stopped at. I got out and went over to her as she was waving her arms frantically. As I got closer (but not too close) I asked her if she needed help or if I could call someone for her. She turned to me and told me that I was going to think she was crazy. I assured her that wasn't the case and I was just here to help her. She then told me that while she was driving a large wasp had flown into her car and she tried her best to get it to fly back out but had no luck. She was really worried because she had a newborn in the back and no matter how hard she swatted at the wasp it wouldn't leave the car and she hadn't been able to kill it. So I did my best to wave and swat at it as well to move it around and hopefully get it to fly out of the car or at the very least to get it out of the back seat away from the baby. After lots of trying we finally got it out and she was able to head back on her way. I'm sure people driving by thought we were nuts but hey... at least she didn't have to look nuts by herself right???
   So like I said, not exactly what I was expecting... I was thinking I might help change a tire, jump someone's battery, etc.. but this works too!

Supporting Jake And The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

   I am really excited about today's act of kindness/good deed. This is a picture of my fellow MOPS mom Amy Bachman and her amazing husband Jake. Jake has cystic fibrosis which is a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. You can learn all about CF by clicking HERE. Sadly at this time there is no cure for this disease but there are lots of treatments that help people with the disease live longer and more comfortable lives. Jake and Amy both are huge advocates and fund raisers  for the cystic fibrosis foundation which is a non-profit organization that fights to find a cure and new drugs for the disease. So much in fact that Jake is being honored at Nashville's top 30 under 30 which recognizes people for their achievements professionally and philanthropically. As a part of this recognition Jake has a goal of raising $10,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. So this morning I went and donated to help him reach his goal. If you'd like to donate you can do so by clicking here. 
I also wanted to share this great video that Amy called Love and CF made in support of her husband Jake and his battle with the disease and all that he does to help find a cure. 



 

Candy For Kiddos

My kids have been blessed to have lots of family in the area who like to spend time with them and spoil them from time to time.... Well, this Easter they ended up with so much candy that we don't even have enough places to store it in the house, lol. While I appreciate all the sweet things everyone wants to give them at some point you can have too much candy, and I think we've reached that point. So for today's act of kindness I took some of that candy to my daughter's class to share with her classmates and some for the teaches to use to restock their reward basket. I know that the candy that is in the reward basket comes out of the teachers pocket so maybe this will save them a little money. Perhaps they will keep a few pieces for themselves to enjoy as well.

Cleanup In Aisle 6

   Today is Monday and I think I've mentioned before that this grocery shopping day for me. This morning after breakfast I loaded the kids up and we headed on out to buy some some food for our family. As we were finishing up on the toiletry aisle and I was sorting through coupons, one of the employees was restocking items on the shelves and displays. She was very kind and stopped what she was in the middle of to offer us some help. I told her we were fine and thanked her as we got ready to head to the check out. Then as we were pulling away I heard a crash behind me. I turned around and saw that many of the items she had just spent several minutes stacking up and replenishing now covered the floor. She was not happy to say the least... So for today's good deed/act of kindness I stopped and went back to help her restock the shelves and display she had just spent so much time on. She thanked me for the help and said it was really nice that I stuck around to help. I'd like to think that most people would have done the same thing, but these days who knows??

Mission Trip To Mexico

   My good friend Aimee is getting ready to head to a small community Mexico on a mission trip to build churches and help in several other ways. On a previous trip down there she was really able to bond with several of the people down there, especially the children. The people there are all so welcoming and friendly and while Aimee and others are doing so much outreach for the community, she wanted to do a little something for the kids this time too. She contacted me about helping and I was so excited to do anything I could. She decided taking them some toys to play with and keep would really make their day. Many of them live in horrible conditions and toys are a big luxury. So I went and found all kinds of small toys for all ages and with the help from some other great mom friends, I was really able to give her a good amount to take down there and distribute. When I dropped them off with her today, she was so grateful to have them to give out. I think I was just as excited about them as she was. I know these will go over well and I can't wait to see all the pictures of the kids enjoying them.

Don't Forget To Tip Your Servers Folks

   On our way back home this evening from our trip, my family stopped to have some dinner. For the most part I consider my husband and I to be pretty generous tippers. We figure if you have to wait on us and our crazy five and two year old kids then you deserve a little something extra. Basically as long as you aren't completely awful, you'll get a nice tip from us. Tonight our waiter was a pretty young guy, probably a college student in the town we stopped in. We figured this was his part time job while in school. He seemed relatively new because a few times he seemed unsure how to handle things but he was trying hard and was really nice to the kids. He checked on us many times to make sure we were okay and refill our drinks which is always nice, but there were a few things that didn't go right. Nothing major... but since it was so obvious that he was trying his best to get and fix everything and he was a young student, we figured he could use a little something extra. So for today's good deed, when the bill came we just doubled the amount for his tip. Was it the best service we've ever had? No, not really, but he was personable, worked hard and owned up when he made a mistake instead of blaming it on someone else or just ignoring it all together. My husband especially figured that that young guy could use that money more than we could and that gesture may have just made his whole night.

Some Kids Lucky Day...

   My family and I are still out of town having fun and while the kids and hubby went back to the hotel to rest for a while I headed out on an errand. While I was out I ran across these toy and candy machines. Normally I just walk on by but after seeing one kid throughly inspecting all machines to see if anyone left any prizes or coins behind, I stopped and watched for a minute. I remembered back when I used to do the same thing as a kid and how excited I would get if I actually found any money or toy in one of the slots. So after the kid I was watching got their goodies I went over and placed quarters in all the twenty-five cent machines that I found scattered around. They weren't all in the same place so hopefully multiple kids will get to take advantage of a free treat instead of one child finding them all. I was hoping somebody would come by pretty soon after I placed the quarters in the machines so I could see their surprise but I decided not to wait around too long and headed on my way. I know some kiddo is going to think they hit the jackpot and hopefully it will make their day.

Kiss A Pig

   Today my family is taking a little vacation and we are in Louisville doing all kinds of fun stuff. After dinner we decided to go for a swim at our hotel and it was then I realized that I forgot to pack swim diapers for my youngest. So I headed out to find the closest store to pick some up along with a few other things. After driving for what seemed like forever I finally found a Walgreens. When I went in I noticed a huge display right at the front of the store and at all the registers but I headed toward the back of the store to grab the diapers I needed. Then when I went to pay for my items, I saw what it was all about. The American Diabetes Association was having a fundraising drive at this particular Walgreens and had all kinds of info and flyers about the disease. Their campaign was encouraging everyone to "Kiss A Pig" because pigs were the first successful source of insulin for diabetics. They had all kinds of cute pigs and of course I couldn't resist donating to a great cause. At first I was kind of annoyed that I forgot the swim diapers and had to make a trip out and then even more annoyed when I couldn't a place close. But I think that's what was supposed to happen for me to end up at that Walgreens today and to come across this fundraiser....

Giving To The Arc

   Today I donated clothing and shoes to and organization called The Arc. They are a national organization that advocates for those with intellectual and physical disabilities and their families. They offer a number of programs and services like job training, therapeutic services, transportation for individuals, medical help and benefits and supported living. You can find out more about all the great things they do by checking out their website or by clicking HERE. The items I donated today will go to one of their thrift stores that raise money to help further the cause of their organization and gives employment to some of  the people it helps. This is another organization that I really like because it is helping so many that can't always help themselves.

Boxing Day

   Our good friends Amanda and Will are moving out of state soon and while we are super sad to see them go, we're happy that they are getting to grab up a great opportunity. So for today's good deed I helped Amanda pack and box up several rooms of their house to get ready for the move. It was actually fun, probably because it wasn't my house that I was trying cram in boxes. I'm really glad I could lend a hand today because they've been so great about helping us in the past. They were also nice enough to treat me to some yummy Thai food for lunch. Like I said before... good deeds pay off!

A Little Something For The Brothers And Sisters...

  Today while I was out picking up items for another act of kindness in the works, I picked up some coloring books and activity kits. I'm going to take them to the maternity floor of the hospital here in town for the kids who are waiting around for or visiting their new siblings who were just born. Waiting is no fun, especially when you are a kid and hospitals aren't exactly the most exciting places to be. This great idea came from my friend Kendra who is a pro at entertaining and distracting multiple kids at once. I also liked this one because with new siblings come some jealously from the older ones, so it might be nice to get a little something that is just for them.
I plan on taking these over later today and I'm sure some kiddos will get some good use out of them.

On a related note, today marks the beginning of the 4th month of this challenge and journey. I have loved every bit of it and it really is flying by. I have so many things I want to do this year and hopefully can complete most, if not all of them. But please keep the ideas and comments coming and sign up to follow the blog if you haven't already so I can keep adding money to the jar for a cause!