2013 is almost upon us! It seems unbelievable to me that another year has passed, but the saying, "The days are long, but the years are short" certainly holds true for me. Soon my oldest will be turning six (yikes!) and we'll be adding another little one to the brood. Our lives have really been nothing but chaos for several years, but I wouldn't change it for a thing. With another year approaching, I've spent some time thinking about some improvements I'd like to make in many aspects of my life. While not all are for sharing publicly, over the next week or so I will let you in on a few of my goals for 2013!
Today I am excited to share with you one of the biggest undertakings for 2013: a kindness project. At heart, I really have a passion for helping others and teaching our children the importance of service. I know I have posted about this before, most recently in light of the tragedy that occurred in Connecticut, but I have decided to officially create a family service project for the upcoming year. It has been affectionately been coined, "2013: 52 Acts of Kindness." The best part? We are inviting you and your family to join in on this wonderful adventure. To make this project easy to follow, I have created a separate blog that I will update weekly, as well as a Facebook page to keep connected and to allow the ideas to flow.
I know that we are all busy and feel like we have no time to take on one more thing, but think of how wonderful it would feel to focus on helping others once a week. Your act of kindness doesn't have to take up a lot of time nor does it have to cost a lot of money. There are thousands of ways to help others and choosing what to do will be part of the fun and challenge of this project. Perhaps it will draw you closer to your family and make everyone appreciate what you have more.
Make sure to check out the blog for the project, subscribe so you can follow along, and share your ideas either on the blog or Facebook! Let's all work together to make a positive difference in our communities in 2013. Happy New Year!!!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
New Year's Eve Appetizers
I'm ashamed to admit that we don't really do much for New Year's Eve anymore. Perhaps once the days of rising early with the kiddos pass we'll get into the spirit again, but until then I guess we'll just have to be content with hanging out at home. Last year we hosted a small gathering with some of our friends who also had young children. It was fun: we gathered around 5, visited and ate while the kiddos played, had an early celebration complete with poppers and confetti, and had called it a night by 8:30. The kids had a blast and we got to enjoy some social time, too. I haven't seen midnight on New Year's in awhile, but I always DVR it and watch it the next day. Lame, I know, but true!
In my opinion the best part of New Year's Eve is....the food! I haven't put together a list of what I'll make this year, but I thought I'd share a few appetizer recipes that we've had in the past: Queso, BBQ wienies, and stuffed mushrooms. While the first two are ridiculously easy (and yummy!), the mushrooms take a bit more time but are worth it!
Queso
*This can be made in the microwave or using a Crockpot
Large block of Velveeta
2 cans of Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles
Chop up Velveeta and add Rotel. Microwave for two minutes. Stir. Continue until all is melted. If using crockpot, follow same instructions, but cook on low until melted.
BBQ Wienies
Lil' Smokies
Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Drain wienies. Place in a crockpot with BBQ sauce. Cook on low until heated through. Serve.
Stuffed Mushrooms
10-20 medium to large mushroom caps
1 T. butter
2 T. green onion
1/4 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 c. soft bread crumbs (canned)
1/4 c. shredded cheese of choice (parmesan is good)
2 T. water
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb. ground pork or pork sausage (chopped finely)
*You can omit the ground pork and use sharp cheddar cheese for a different twist
Wash mushrooms quickly under running water; drain on paper towels and pat gently to dry. Pull stems from mushrooms and chop finely. Brown and drain sausage. Set aside. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped mushrooms stems and onion. Sauté until tender. Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, bread crumbs, cheese, and pepper. Add pork.
Sprinkle salt over mushroom caps and fill with sautéed mixture, mounding over the top. At this point, you may cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Before serving, put 2 T. water in a shallow baking dish and arrange stuffed mushrooms in dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and serve hot.
In my opinion the best part of New Year's Eve is....the food! I haven't put together a list of what I'll make this year, but I thought I'd share a few appetizer recipes that we've had in the past: Queso, BBQ wienies, and stuffed mushrooms. While the first two are ridiculously easy (and yummy!), the mushrooms take a bit more time but are worth it!
Queso
*This can be made in the microwave or using a Crockpot
Large block of Velveeta
2 cans of Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles
Chop up Velveeta and add Rotel. Microwave for two minutes. Stir. Continue until all is melted. If using crockpot, follow same instructions, but cook on low until melted.
BBQ Wienies
Lil' Smokies
Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Drain wienies. Place in a crockpot with BBQ sauce. Cook on low until heated through. Serve.
Stuffed Mushrooms
10-20 medium to large mushroom caps
1 T. butter
2 T. green onion
1/4 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 c. soft bread crumbs (canned)
1/4 c. shredded cheese of choice (parmesan is good)
2 T. water
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb. ground pork or pork sausage (chopped finely)
*You can omit the ground pork and use sharp cheddar cheese for a different twist
Wash mushrooms quickly under running water; drain on paper towels and pat gently to dry. Pull stems from mushrooms and chop finely. Brown and drain sausage. Set aside. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped mushrooms stems and onion. Sauté until tender. Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, bread crumbs, cheese, and pepper. Add pork.
Sprinkle salt over mushroom caps and fill with sautéed mixture, mounding over the top. At this point, you may cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Before serving, put 2 T. water in a shallow baking dish and arrange stuffed mushrooms in dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and serve hot.
Friday, December 28, 2012
The Aftermath of Christmas
Phew, we made it through our "Christmas Marathon!" The presents are unwrapped and somewhat put away, the pile of laundry is depleting, and the majority of the cookies have been consumed. I must say waking up in our own home on Christmas morning may have been the best gift. It was wonderful to spend the morning with our kiddos and watching them open their gifts. I love the age that they're at, because they open a gift and then want to look at it or play with it. We took our time and though we didn't spoil our kids rotten with mountains of gifts, they were thrilled with what they received and I haven't heard any complaining about what they didn't get. Wonderful! Needless to say, they have been busy playing with their new loot.
My husband and I considered this our "trial year" for establishing how we'll handle the holidays now that we're at home. We learned a few lessons along the way and have decided that next year we need to get home earlier from our parties, set our cookies out before we go to our Christmas Eve gathering, and perhaps do church on Christmas Eve. All-in-all it was a success. Everyone is tired, but hopefully we'll get back to a normal routine over the next few days. I am praying that we avoid the illnesses that we were exposed to, because I'd rather not spend the next week sick or nursing sick kiddos. If there is one thing I could go without during the holidays is the sharing of nasty germs!
We did have a few mishaps along the way. The worst: The Princess wanted some Zsu Zsu Pets after seeing another child receive them at a birthday party. I found them on clearance (for a deep discount!) at Kohls and we gave them to her. While unpacking them, there is a sticker on the bottom that states "Keep away from hair." I told her that she needed to keep them on the floor and away from her hair, but what do you know? A few minutes before we were heading out to my in-laws on Christmas she is screaming and crying. I knew what had happened before I saw her. The Zsu Zsu Pet was stuck in her hair...extremely stuck. After spending ten minutes trying to free the dang thing from her hair, I gave up and cut it out. Nothing like an impromptu haircut on Christmas Day. Luckily it wasn't much and her hair is so long you can't tell. I hope the lesson was learned, but I fear that I will be cutting another Zsu Zsu Pet out of her hair someday soon!
Now it is time to switch gears and think about the future. I am not big into resolutions, but rather goal-making for the New Year. I have been giving a lot of thought to this and hope to have everything put together over the next few days. The state of the economy is making me a little nervous, so finding ways to cut some costs will definitely be included in these goals!
My husband and I considered this our "trial year" for establishing how we'll handle the holidays now that we're at home. We learned a few lessons along the way and have decided that next year we need to get home earlier from our parties, set our cookies out before we go to our Christmas Eve gathering, and perhaps do church on Christmas Eve. All-in-all it was a success. Everyone is tired, but hopefully we'll get back to a normal routine over the next few days. I am praying that we avoid the illnesses that we were exposed to, because I'd rather not spend the next week sick or nursing sick kiddos. If there is one thing I could go without during the holidays is the sharing of nasty germs!
We did have a few mishaps along the way. The worst: The Princess wanted some Zsu Zsu Pets after seeing another child receive them at a birthday party. I found them on clearance (for a deep discount!) at Kohls and we gave them to her. While unpacking them, there is a sticker on the bottom that states "Keep away from hair." I told her that she needed to keep them on the floor and away from her hair, but what do you know? A few minutes before we were heading out to my in-laws on Christmas she is screaming and crying. I knew what had happened before I saw her. The Zsu Zsu Pet was stuck in her hair...extremely stuck. After spending ten minutes trying to free the dang thing from her hair, I gave up and cut it out. Nothing like an impromptu haircut on Christmas Day. Luckily it wasn't much and her hair is so long you can't tell. I hope the lesson was learned, but I fear that I will be cutting another Zsu Zsu Pet out of her hair someday soon!
Now it is time to switch gears and think about the future. I am not big into resolutions, but rather goal-making for the New Year. I have been giving a lot of thought to this and hope to have everything put together over the next few days. The state of the economy is making me a little nervous, so finding ways to cut some costs will definitely be included in these goals!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Holiday Desserts (That Aren't Cookies!)
This year I am bringing dessert to my grandmother's house for Christmas Eve. Since we will be sharing our cookies as well, I wanted to make some desserts that weren't rich. I decided on a berry trifle and a frozen lemon lime dessert. I thought I'd share those with you today in case you are looking for something a little different this holiday season.
Berry Trifle
One angel food cake
1 large container Cool Whip
1 large package instant vanilla pudding
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
This is best made the day of your event, as it tends to get soggy if it sits too long. Make angel food cake (or buy one!). Cut into small square pieces. Make pudding per package directions and set aside. Wash and cut up all fruit. Layer cake, berries, pudding, and Cool Whip in a clear, round glass bowl (I have a large, flat-bottom bowl I like to use). Repeat until you have used up your ingredients, reserving a few berries to put on top of the Cool Whip on the top layer. Dish out with a spoon.
Frozen Lemon Lemon Lime Dessert
(from Taste of Home)
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
14 T. butter melted, divided
1 1/4 c. sugar, divided
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1 quart lime sherbet, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. lemon juice
In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, 7 T. melted butter, and 1/4 c. sugar. Press into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Freeze until firm. In a large bowl, combine ice cream and sherbet until mixed. Pour over crust and freeze until firm.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the eggs and remaining sugar. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining butter. Cook and stir until mixture reaches 160 degrees and coats the back of a metal spoon. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
Spread over ice cream mixture. Cover and freeze for 3 hours or overnight. May be frozen for up to two months.
Just before serving, remove from the freezer and cut into squares.
Berry Trifle
One angel food cake
1 large container Cool Whip
1 large package instant vanilla pudding
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
This is best made the day of your event, as it tends to get soggy if it sits too long. Make angel food cake (or buy one!). Cut into small square pieces. Make pudding per package directions and set aside. Wash and cut up all fruit. Layer cake, berries, pudding, and Cool Whip in a clear, round glass bowl (I have a large, flat-bottom bowl I like to use). Repeat until you have used up your ingredients, reserving a few berries to put on top of the Cool Whip on the top layer. Dish out with a spoon.
Frozen Lemon Lemon Lime Dessert
(from Taste of Home)
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
14 T. butter melted, divided
1 1/4 c. sugar, divided
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1 quart lime sherbet, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. lemon juice
In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, 7 T. melted butter, and 1/4 c. sugar. Press into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Freeze until firm. In a large bowl, combine ice cream and sherbet until mixed. Pour over crust and freeze until firm.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the eggs and remaining sugar. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining butter. Cook and stir until mixture reaches 160 degrees and coats the back of a metal spoon. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
Spread over ice cream mixture. Cover and freeze for 3 hours or overnight. May be frozen for up to two months.
Just before serving, remove from the freezer and cut into squares.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
More Time to Bake!
Since we had a snow day today, I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking some cookies that I hadn't planned to make! I have to admit, my cookie stock this year is dominated by chocolate. I'm going to make some gingersnaps and sugar lollipop cookies over the next few days to try to balance it out a bit. I did finish up my Oreo Truffles this morning and just have to dip my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles later today. On a whim, I made some Hot Cocoa cookies this morning. It took a bit to get them right, but in the end they turned out mighty tasty!
Today I thought I'd share the Oreo Truffle recipe with you. While they aren't difficult, they take a bit of time. The chocolate dipping is always the most challenging part for me!
Oreo Truffles
1 package regular Oreos
1 package cream cheese (I used the reduced fat and it worked fine)
1 package Bakers Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
Twist open Oreos. Scrape filling from the middle and put in a bowl. Place cookies in a Ziploc. Beat cream cheese and Oreo filling together until creamy. Finely crush Oreo cookies in the Ziploc and add to filling mixture. Mix together. Roll into balls and chill for at least an hour. (This time I chilled first and rolled into balls. If the other way isn't working, try that route!). Melt chocolate per package directions. Dip balls and place on wax covered cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Let set and refrigerate. If you want to get fancy, you can reserve some cookies and sprinkle on top before chocolate is set or drizzle chocolate on top.
Today I thought I'd share the Oreo Truffle recipe with you. While they aren't difficult, they take a bit of time. The chocolate dipping is always the most challenging part for me!
Oreo Truffles
1 package regular Oreos
1 package cream cheese (I used the reduced fat and it worked fine)
1 package Bakers Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
Twist open Oreos. Scrape filling from the middle and put in a bowl. Place cookies in a Ziploc. Beat cream cheese and Oreo filling together until creamy. Finely crush Oreo cookies in the Ziploc and add to filling mixture. Mix together. Roll into balls and chill for at least an hour. (This time I chilled first and rolled into balls. If the other way isn't working, try that route!). Melt chocolate per package directions. Dip balls and place on wax covered cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Let set and refrigerate. If you want to get fancy, you can reserve some cookies and sprinkle on top before chocolate is set or drizzle chocolate on top.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
New Traditions and Christmas Morning Breakfast
This year we will be spending our first Christmas morning at home. I am beyond excited! Since we always had to travel so far, we always had our Christmas at home early and then took off on our "tour" of Christmas. While we always made our Christmas celebration day special, it just never really felt like Christmas since we were sometimes celebrating up to a week early. I am thankful to be close enough to family now that we can have Christmas morning with our not-so-little family in our own home and still be able to spend time with both of our families throughout the holidays. I have always missed not being able to wake up and enjoy Christmas morning at home and felt like we were missing out on these family moments, so our inaugural year will be extra special.
When I was young, we went to my grandparent's home on Christmas Eve and then spent the entire day at home on Christmas. It was so wonderful to wake up, open our gifts, and then have brunch with my other grandparents. Since our kiddos are so young and believe in all of the Christmas magic, I am thrilled we can start some traditions in our own home. I don't think the timing could be better, because our kindergartener now understands dates and realizes that Santa makes his stop at our home sometime while we're sleeping between the 24th and the 25th. I'm not sure how I would have explained his early visit this year. He is very excited that he will be stopping at our house during that time this year. Christmas is just such a magical time for the little ones that I am looking forward to having this time with my family. I think this is one of the great joys of parenting and I am going to love making these memories in our new home. I can't wait to work our "magic" and watch the kids' reactions that morning.
I am sure our children will be up and at 'em early, which is good as our church service on Christmas is at 8:30 in the morning! I hate to admit this, but we have not gone to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas in years, because we've always been running from one place to another trying to fit everything in. This is one wonderful change I am looking forward to! I thought that I would have a light breakfast treat ready for them to eat quickly before church and then when we return we can have a nice breakfast that we can prepare while they check out their new gifts. I chose to make our favorite banana chocolate chip muffins in cute Christmas papers early and will freeze them to pull out the night before Christmas. These muffins really are so delicious. I could eat them all day (and sometimes do!). When we return from church, we will have homemade waffles (my husband's specialty), scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage links, and fruit. Since I'm sure they'll have juice with their muffins, I think we'll treat them to hot chocolate with breakfast. This is making my stomach rumble!
I really can't wait to wake up, turn on the fire, and enjoy the morning my husband and kiddos. These are the moments we will always treasure and this year will be extra special in my book!
(The recipes are linked in this post to previous posts. Enjoy!)
When I was young, we went to my grandparent's home on Christmas Eve and then spent the entire day at home on Christmas. It was so wonderful to wake up, open our gifts, and then have brunch with my other grandparents. Since our kiddos are so young and believe in all of the Christmas magic, I am thrilled we can start some traditions in our own home. I don't think the timing could be better, because our kindergartener now understands dates and realizes that Santa makes his stop at our home sometime while we're sleeping between the 24th and the 25th. I'm not sure how I would have explained his early visit this year. He is very excited that he will be stopping at our house during that time this year. Christmas is just such a magical time for the little ones that I am looking forward to having this time with my family. I think this is one of the great joys of parenting and I am going to love making these memories in our new home. I can't wait to work our "magic" and watch the kids' reactions that morning.
I am sure our children will be up and at 'em early, which is good as our church service on Christmas is at 8:30 in the morning! I hate to admit this, but we have not gone to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas in years, because we've always been running from one place to another trying to fit everything in. This is one wonderful change I am looking forward to! I thought that I would have a light breakfast treat ready for them to eat quickly before church and then when we return we can have a nice breakfast that we can prepare while they check out their new gifts. I chose to make our favorite banana chocolate chip muffins in cute Christmas papers early and will freeze them to pull out the night before Christmas. These muffins really are so delicious. I could eat them all day (and sometimes do!). When we return from church, we will have homemade waffles (my husband's specialty), scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage links, and fruit. Since I'm sure they'll have juice with their muffins, I think we'll treat them to hot chocolate with breakfast. This is making my stomach rumble!
I really can't wait to wake up, turn on the fire, and enjoy the morning my husband and kiddos. These are the moments we will always treasure and this year will be extra special in my book!
(The recipes are linked in this post to previous posts. Enjoy!)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Taking Care of Our Corner of the World Part 2: Our Community
Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to be a time when many of us focus on helping others. There are endless food and toy drives, as well as opportunities to donate warm winter clothing to those who may be in need. This is the time of the year when we tend to offer our support to those in our community, and perhaps around the world, who are much less fortunate than us. It may come as second nature to many of us to participate in these activities, but are we taking care of our community the other ten months out of the year?
In this part of my series on caring for our corner of the world, I would like to reflect on how we can better take care of those in our community. Once again I find myself thinking about what we currently do and in what areas we could improve upon. When I think of helping my community, my first thought is of those in the area in which I live who are struggling to make ends meet and in need of basic survival staples. Perhaps this is what many of you think of as well, and while this is very important, maybe we should be looking even closer to home: our family, friends, and neighbors.
In this day and age of "hurry up and go" and technology, I feel like we've become much more disconnected to those around us. Instead of picking up the phone and speaking to someone, we send an email or text. Birthday cards and handwritten letters have often been replaced with electronic cards, Facebook or other social media wishes, or emails. At times it feels like we've lost the ability to effectively communicate without the use of technology. I know I am guilty of this, but it is something that with some organization and conscious effort, could easily be changed. How simple would it be to go through the calendar at the beginning of the year, write down your family and friend's birthdays, and have a stack of cards ready and waiting to be mailed? Including a little note would be a wonderful gift for those important people in your life!
When we talk with our family, neighbors, friends, and co-workers are we really listening? Everyone struggles and has their ups and downs, but are we willing to listen and offer help if necessary? Not long ago I was struggling and feeling overwhelmed (not to say this doesn't happen at least once a day!) and just not feeling like myself. One day I got a text from my dear friend from college asking if everything was okay. She had picked up that I wasn't acting like myself and I couldn't have been more relieved to have someone to talk to. It's the little things that make a big difference. Our exchange made me realize that things were a little "off" in my life and gave me the push I needed to express those feelings I was holding inside. How often do we miss these cues in other people or brush them off as nothing. Maybe a simple, "Are you okay?" could make a huge difference in someone's life. A few weeks ago after a Kansas City Chiefs football player killed his girlfriend and himself, Brady Quinn sat in a press conference and made this wonderful point (take a listen, it's worth it!).
Taking a look at our bigger community is very important as well. What could we do to help out those who are in need? I read a thought-provoking book called You Can Buy Happiness (And It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and You Can Too by Tammy Strobel. Much of this book talked about our society's obsession with "stuff" and how removing some of this clutter in our lives can be very beneficial. By no means would I ever claim that I would even consider being as radical as her in this adventure, but I think there were many valid points that encouraged me to think a little about how we could change. I'm sure we could all go through our closets and find clothes that we've hardly worn (or maybe even ever worn?) and donate them to those in need. The same would apply to toys, books, household gadgets, etc. Perhaps we could take the money that we may spend on unnecessary things and instead buy food or clothing to donate throughout the year. Time is a precious commodity, but if we could find some every week or month, could we find causes near and dear to our hearts and volunteer our time and physical presence to really make a difference? Many, many kids struggle with literacy, school, socializing, and quite frankly feeling like someone cares about them. Could we find some time in our busy schedules to help them? There are always opportunities on United Way's website (look in your local area) to help. Could we all challenge ourselves to go out of our way this year to find some volunteer opportunity to donate our time to?
This post only begins to touch the surface of what we could do. There are many worthy causes we could assist in our community: the homeless, sick, military, under-priveleged , elderly, etc. What touches you and what will you do to make a difference? I know that one of the areas I am passionate about is literacy and children. This year I plan to challenge myself to find a way to get books into these kids' hands. A lifelong friend of mine and I are working together to explore a way to help in our local community. It would make me so very happy if our idea came to fruition.
For those of you who are parents, don't forget to encourage your children to think of others and involve them in service activities. If possible, take them along when you volunteer. Have them make cards for sick neighbors, friends, or family. Take them to the store and have them assist in buying food, clothing, toys, or books for others. What a wonderful way to instill a lifelong love of service. Let's help out the community, large and small, in our corner of the world! This is the perfect time of year to set some goals and follow through on them!
In this part of my series on caring for our corner of the world, I would like to reflect on how we can better take care of those in our community. Once again I find myself thinking about what we currently do and in what areas we could improve upon. When I think of helping my community, my first thought is of those in the area in which I live who are struggling to make ends meet and in need of basic survival staples. Perhaps this is what many of you think of as well, and while this is very important, maybe we should be looking even closer to home: our family, friends, and neighbors.
In this day and age of "hurry up and go" and technology, I feel like we've become much more disconnected to those around us. Instead of picking up the phone and speaking to someone, we send an email or text. Birthday cards and handwritten letters have often been replaced with electronic cards, Facebook or other social media wishes, or emails. At times it feels like we've lost the ability to effectively communicate without the use of technology. I know I am guilty of this, but it is something that with some organization and conscious effort, could easily be changed. How simple would it be to go through the calendar at the beginning of the year, write down your family and friend's birthdays, and have a stack of cards ready and waiting to be mailed? Including a little note would be a wonderful gift for those important people in your life!
When we talk with our family, neighbors, friends, and co-workers are we really listening? Everyone struggles and has their ups and downs, but are we willing to listen and offer help if necessary? Not long ago I was struggling and feeling overwhelmed (not to say this doesn't happen at least once a day!) and just not feeling like myself. One day I got a text from my dear friend from college asking if everything was okay. She had picked up that I wasn't acting like myself and I couldn't have been more relieved to have someone to talk to. It's the little things that make a big difference. Our exchange made me realize that things were a little "off" in my life and gave me the push I needed to express those feelings I was holding inside. How often do we miss these cues in other people or brush them off as nothing. Maybe a simple, "Are you okay?" could make a huge difference in someone's life. A few weeks ago after a Kansas City Chiefs football player killed his girlfriend and himself, Brady Quinn sat in a press conference and made this wonderful point (take a listen, it's worth it!).
Taking a look at our bigger community is very important as well. What could we do to help out those who are in need? I read a thought-provoking book called You Can Buy Happiness (And It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and You Can Too by Tammy Strobel. Much of this book talked about our society's obsession with "stuff" and how removing some of this clutter in our lives can be very beneficial. By no means would I ever claim that I would even consider being as radical as her in this adventure, but I think there were many valid points that encouraged me to think a little about how we could change. I'm sure we could all go through our closets and find clothes that we've hardly worn (or maybe even ever worn?) and donate them to those in need. The same would apply to toys, books, household gadgets, etc. Perhaps we could take the money that we may spend on unnecessary things and instead buy food or clothing to donate throughout the year. Time is a precious commodity, but if we could find some every week or month, could we find causes near and dear to our hearts and volunteer our time and physical presence to really make a difference? Many, many kids struggle with literacy, school, socializing, and quite frankly feeling like someone cares about them. Could we find some time in our busy schedules to help them? There are always opportunities on United Way's website (look in your local area) to help. Could we all challenge ourselves to go out of our way this year to find some volunteer opportunity to donate our time to?
This post only begins to touch the surface of what we could do. There are many worthy causes we could assist in our community: the homeless, sick, military, under-priveleged , elderly, etc. What touches you and what will you do to make a difference? I know that one of the areas I am passionate about is literacy and children. This year I plan to challenge myself to find a way to get books into these kids' hands. A lifelong friend of mine and I are working together to explore a way to help in our local community. It would make me so very happy if our idea came to fruition.
For those of you who are parents, don't forget to encourage your children to think of others and involve them in service activities. If possible, take them along when you volunteer. Have them make cards for sick neighbors, friends, or family. Take them to the store and have them assist in buying food, clothing, toys, or books for others. What a wonderful way to instill a lifelong love of service. Let's help out the community, large and small, in our corner of the world! This is the perfect time of year to set some goals and follow through on them!
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