December 1

Tomorrow is December first, day 1 ofthe 25 days of giving. I have been thinking about what we are going to do. This week is range week for my husband so unless I really need the car it isn't going to happen, and there is nothing I need the car for. So that limits me to what I can do in my neighborhood. I think we are going to bake some pumpkin cookies and Ayden can make some cards and we will deliver cookies on the door steps of neighbors with note to pay it forward this holiday season.

What are you planning on doing?

Acts of kindness ideas

Thursday marks Day one of twenty-five days of giving! I have talked with some friends and a lot are excited about this adventure for the holidays. There were some concern about coming up with ideas and low cost ways to do this. So here are some low cost/ no cost ideas for this up coming Challenge.

• At the store gather up all the loose carts 
• take a plate of cookies to firehouse or police station
• go through your kids toys with them and have them pick some to donate to a shelter
• Pick up trash in your neighborhood, park or beach
• Have kids make cards to take to residents in local nursing home or children at the local hospital
• Make ornaments and leave them on neighbors front porches
• Let someone get in front of you in line

• Leave an extra few dollars on the tip when you go out to eat

I hope this list gives you some ideas to make this work for your family this holiday season, please add your ideas in the comments to help other think about how they can give and show love to others this holiday season.

25 days of giving

So I have this crazy idea and wonder who might want to take part in it?? First I will start with the back story.

Growing up during the holiday season my mom was always teaching us to give back to others by doing random acts of kindness to strangers. Every year there was one act of kidness we did from buying food for holiday dinners, to giving ornaments out to strangers in parking lots, to paying for the person behind yous coffee. Even the years where things were tight my mom managed to still keep this going. Looking back I know see that she was teaching us you can ALWAYS find a way to help someone and make their holiday season a little brighter.

So my newest crazy idea was born, instead of just one act of kindness why not 25 days! Starting Dec 1 till Christmas me and my boys are going to do one act of kindness a day. I am not talking about big gestures just little things to make peoples days brighter. Like letting someone who looks like they need it go in front of you in line. Going and picking up trash at the local park or beach ( granted not all places have climate that allow for that), donating food, toys or whatever to a local shelter, taking cards/cookies to a local nursing home for them to give to the residents who don't get any visitors or things for Christmas or taking cookies to your local fire department or police department.

On top of this I am going to make an effort to smile and be kind to those I run into and deal with. Working retail at the holidays is a tough job, I am sure a smile and a kind word would make a little difference in their day.

Imagine the difference you could make in your community by doing 25 acts of kindness and having friends also do 25 acts of kindness to  spread Christmas cheer. I am hoping to be able to post what we are doing each day starting the 1st. If you want share this on your blog with a link back here so those who decide to can post about their acts of kindness each day and help give others some ideas they never thought about.  

Look for a post  at the end of the month for the kick off of the 25 days of giving!
Merry Christmas :)