Gratitude Cards

I love this idea!! Jenn, from one of the blogs that I follow "My Delicious Ambiguity" created gratitude cards.

"I thought it would be fun to make a set of gratitude cards with questions, crafts, activities and acts of service that we can do together to learn about gratitude and to help others in our community. In total I came up with forty-eight things that we can do as a family."

You can download these cards in PDF format at her Etsy shop.

Adopt an Orphan

So, for those of you who don't know me, we're an Xbox family. For years, I swore I would never purchase a system as I lose my family members to the television and computer enough as it is and felt that a gaming system would fracture that family time I'm always looking for. I was definitely wrong. It's something we definitely do (and laugh at) together. One of the games we love is Toy Story 3 and a part of the game is that you have to save the "orphans."

Immediately, a lightbulb went off in my bed. I couldn't believe I hadn't yet posted about a program I'm very excited about. It's called Show Hope: A movement to care for orphans. For just $35 a month, you can sponsor an orphan in dire need of care. "There will be opportunities to send letters, prayers, and encouragement to the children you will impact; and through pictures, updates, and visits, you will be able to connect with the special needs orphans you help at Maria’s Big House of Hope." How awesome would that be to have your preschooler connect with someone across the world? Not only does this teach compassion and empathy but it just might save a child's life. 

Change homepage to Yahoo!

Posted from one of my favorite blogs, Money Saving Mom:  "Yahoo! (is) offering to give $10,000 to the charity of my choice in exchange for me to ask you to change your homepage to Yahoo! for two days." Simply go to her blog and follow the link and that's it. (I know, I know totally has nothing to do with community service projects for kids but what a great opportunity to help!)

Helping the Disabled

"Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed by someone."
-- Martina Navratilova

Here in Maryland, there is an organization called the Arc of Baltimore. Their focus is to "ensure that people with developmental disabilities have maximum opportunities to actively participate in all aspects of community life, and to offer programs and services that support them in doing so."

They have a particular program called People2people that matches a disabled person with a volunteer living near them to share activities and interests. "Volunteers might provide a friendly visit, trip to the mall, movies, sports, events, restaurant, special event, anything they choose to do together." This is such a fantastic opportunity to get your family involved in bringing their positive energy to another person's life.

Host an exchange student

I absolutely loved "The Holiday" with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. I loved the idea of going to another country and falling into another person's life, culture, home (and if Jude Law just happened to be in that particular home, well, even better).

But hosting an exchange student is all of that and so much more. Education First-Foundation for Foreign Study writes:  "Few experiences can spark an interest in the world like welcoming an exchange student into your home. By hosting, families can connect to their communities in exciting new ways and create life-changing friendships. They can share the Amerian way of life with enthusiastic visitors, and expose their own children to international cultures. Hosting an exchange student offers a profound experience that does more than change your world view. It changes your life - forever."

By going to Education First's website, you can chose which region you are interested in, learn about the students in need of homes and even learn about their interests and hobbies to find an appropriate match. What an incredible example and lesson you are providing for your child by opening up your home and your family to a complete stranger so that not only can they learn and experience all that "the states" have to offer but that you can learn quite a bit in return.

Reasons to volunteer

What Kids Can Learn From Volunteering (excerpt from Kids Health from Nemours- no idea who they are but I like what they have to say ;)

If volunteering begins at an early age, it can become part of kids' lives — something they might just expect and want to do. It can teach them:

• A sense of responsibility. By volunteering, kids and teens learn what it means to make and keep a commitment. They learn how to be on time for a job, do their best, and be proud of the results. But they also learn that, ultimately, we're all responsible for the well-being of our communities.
• That one person can make a difference. A wonderful, empowering message for kids is that they're important enough to have an impact on someone or something else.
• The benefit of sacrifice. By giving up a toy to a less fortunate child, a child learns that sometimes it's good to sacrifice. Cutting back on recreation time to help clean up a beach tells kids that there are important things besides ourselves and our immediate needs.
• Tolerance. Working in community service can bring kids and teens in touch with people of different backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, ages, and education and income levels. They'll learn that even the most diverse individuals can be united by common values.
• Job skills. Community service can help young people decide on their future careers. Are they interested in the medical field? Hospitals and clinics often have teenage volunteer programs. Do they love politics? Kids can work on the real campaigns of local political candidates. Learning to work as a team member, taking on leadership roles, setting project goals — these are all skills that can be gained by volunteering and will serve kids well in any future career.
• How to fill idle time wisely. If kids aren't involved in traditional after-school activities, community service can be a wonderful alternative

Make A Child Smile

There is something completely magical about smiles. New parents will tell you the exact moment their children first smiled (and insist that it wasn't just "gas"). Parents of toddlers will tell you how their children's entire face lights up when a parent comes into the room (especially when the parent is carrying a package of Goldfish crackers). And parents of preschoolers will tell you how exciting it is to see their children smile with pride when they overcome a particular challenge (like when their parents finally give in and let them have whatever it is they've been whining about for the past 45 minutes).

Make A Child Smile is an organization that recognizes the importance of smiles, especially when they are flashed on the face of a child with chronic or life-threatening illness. Their goal is to encourage people to send cards, letters and small gifts to children who could really use a smile. By clicking on the "featured kids" link, you can read about these spectacular children and get their addresses to send your support directly.

Please make sure to read the FAQ's section before sending to the children and their families for recommendations on what to say and what not to say, how children are featured, what might be appropriate things to send, etc.

Volunteer Match

Sit down to watch NCIS on any given night and you're bombarded with commercials for websites promising all sorts of matches. Matches for your future soul-mate. Matches for the perfect pet. Matches for your career. Matches for a custom-built home and even matches for your own personal psychic adviser.

But Volunteer match trumps them all. You put in the "where's" and the type of volunteer service you're interested in and they'll match you with an organization in need of help and there's even an app for it! Hellllooooo. How fantastic is that? Back in the day, you'd have to read your weekly Church bulletin or even an old, smelly coark board at a local supermarket to get this kind of information. Now, with just a few clicks of the keys, Volunteer Match generates an entire list of volunteer opportunities for you and your family to research and decide on and no personal information is exchanged until you chose which organization is right for you.

Hats and Scarves for the Homeless

It's hot. It's stinkin hot. I find that I'm a better parent when it's hot because I come up with all of these fun lesson plans and ideas to do....indoors... but there are plenty of people who do not have the luxury of central air or who have to fight for the shade in the afternoon heat. They are our nation's homeless.

Knot 2B Forgotten, Inc. is a non-profit agency that supplies hats and scarves to the homeless in Arizona. They are asking for hand-made creations to keep them warm (I decided to post this activity now because if you are anything like me, these type of crafts tend to take months and "months" is exactly when the homeless would need these hats and scarves.)

Many arts and crafts stores have classes for youth to learn how to crochet and knit, such as Joann fabric and craft stores. Many of these classes take place on the weekends and not only can your child feel pride in learning how to create something beautiful with their own hands but they can also learn how those same hands can provide warmth and support to people in need. These families will not care whether their lines are neat and trim, just that someone took the time to care.

The Butterfly Project

The Butterfly Project

In an effort to remember the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust, the Holocaust Museum in Houston is collecting 1.5 million hand-made butterflies. No food, no glitter products can be used but any and all 2 dimensional butterflies are encouraged. The butterflies will then appear in an incredible exhibition in Spring of 2013. Please send completely butterflies by June 30, 2012 to

            Holocaust Museum Houston

            Butterfly Project
            Education Department
            5401 Caroline St.
            Houston, TX 77004
            USA

For more detailed instructions please visit their website.

Project 12: Orphan Outreach

Looking back at old pictures of myself from my Long Island days, there are a few things that stand out...or in the case of my hair- stand up. I loved all things "loud" from my thick eyeliner to the jangly bracelets hanging loose on my wrists. Every time I walked, my arms seemed to make the sound of an on-coming freight train.

Years later, with my hair a foot shorter sporting wrinkles instead of Maybelline, I can look back on that time period and laugh at the ridiculousness of adolescence. I can laugh from the security of my happy home and loving parents but I know it's a luxury that not everyone has.

Project 12 has partnered with Orphan Outreach to ask for help in providing hand-made bracelets for orphans in Russia. They can be hemp, woven, beaded or any way you can imagine. The only requirement is that they are hand-made. The bracelets will be distributed to children between ages 4-18.

Send completed bracelets by June 15, 2011 to:

Carin Vogelzang

630 Griswold SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Meal Train! All aboard!

It should be known that I love food. I love cooking, baking, toasting, blending and nuking just about as much as I love eating and so, I use every opportunity I can to include my kids in the cooking process. I think that's one of the reasons I love meal trains as much as I do.

As explained on the website: When a friend is in need, everyone says "What can I do to help out?" The answer is usually to help them with a meal. When many friends give a meal, this is a meal train.

Back in the day, the organization of meals typically fell on one person or at the worst, fell on the family in need. Mealtrain.com is the answer to all of that confusion and it's free. Wait. What? Free? Did Dani just say "free?" Why yes...I did but not only that...there are no glitches or gimmicks...go ahead and pinch yourself. I'll wait.

Meal train offers:

• Real-time meal calendar
• Ability to customize dates, times, and meal preferences
• Invitations via e-mail and facebook
• Reminder emails
• Add booked dates to a personal calendar automatically

The entire process can be shared with your preschooler. From the purchasing of ingredients, the preparation and the delivery, you can keep an open dialogue with them about why you are making the meal, how much the family will appreciate it and what a great thing they are doing by helping. Including a hand-made card (where appropriate) is also a great way to keep them involved.

Memorial Day

I've cleaned the house (which my children tore through at the speed of light), I've googled "creative Memorial day recipes" (which was hard to navigate since someone smeared peanut butter all over the "enter" button) and have smiled endlessly at the idea of my husband (the work horse) being home for three days straight. I plan to Zumba like crazy in order to devour the red, white and blue oreo balls and flag bread I plan on making. Yes, I am ready for the three day weekend....only....I'm not even close.

Here I am, starting a blog in hopes of building my children's character, getting them more involved in the community and the world and I'm so pre-occupied by my own selfishness that I've completely forgotten about those who have lived and continue to live the most selfless lives possible. So, my to-do list might have gotten a bit longer (and much more fun) but this holiday was never about me and nor should it be (although a federal holiday in my honor would be welcome. Just if anyone wants to start a petition...)

• Most Memorial days have a moment of silence. Participate with your children. Encourage them to think about the good guys in the world who fight the bad guys, who keep us safe, who fight for our freedom (of course, say whatever is most age-appropriate). For faith-based learning, encourage them to pray to God, to the soldiers who've passed, for the safety of those still serving. Don't expect them to last a full minute as I know plenty of adults who can't sit still that long.
• Send a card. The Veterans for Foreign Wars is making it super easy by offering to print out and send out the cards. All you need to do is sign your name. This is a great activity to do with kids of all ages.
• Hang up your flag at half-mast until noon to honor the men and women who have died and then raise it high to honor those currently serving. Don't have one? Sit down with your children to make one! A simple rectangle, strips of red paper, 51 stars....okay, that's a lot of stars to cut. For those with laziness-induced-carpal-tunnel like me, here's some coloring pages to print out and a collection of crafts for all ages. This is also a great selection of ideas for crafts, puzzles and other word searches.
• Who doesn't love a parade? Okay, my child doesn't but who else doesn't? (Don't answer that) Explain to your children that Memorial day is a day we thank the men and women who keep our country safe. Encourage them to clap, wave their home-made flag, do the chicken dance, whatever they feel like doing to say "thank you" as our military walk by.
• When in doubt, read a book. Most preschoolers don't need to know about the details of war. Thankfully, authors tackle the topic so we don't have to! Search your local library or ask your librarian. Some recommendations: Memorial Day Surprise by Theresa Golding; F is for Flag by Wendy Lewison; Red, White and Blue by John Herman.
• Make a donation to the Purple Heart. Go through your house with your child and collect clothes, appliances, toys, etc. Their website takes you through a list of items they accept, schedule pick-up online and put it out front! Your items are then sold to thrift stores and the proceeds benefit the veterans.

Hearing accolades about my killer ham and pasta salad or my prompt delivery of beverages may be something I hope for this weekend but I will also make sure to keep the REAL heroes a part of our celebration because really? They are the ones who make sure there are no monsters under our bed or in our closets. They are the ones who stay up all night keeping watch so that we can burn the hot dogs and lick up the popsicles. They might not wear capes but my family will know them as the superheroes they are.