Seasons Greetings!!
Don't you LOVE this time of the year! I do … the weather starts to turn cooler and our spirits are brighter, hopeful, full of family and friends, and full of love for all people.
While thinking about what I could share with you today, I stumbled upon this article, Holiday Random Acts of Kindness, on Stampin' Up!'s website by Cathy Caines, a member of the 2017 Artisan Design Team. Her idea embodies what I believe makes this time of the year so special – The Spirit of Christmas . I think it's a GREAT idea and hope to incorporate some of her ideas this season. Maybe you will as well.
Enjoy!!
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Holiday Random Acts of Kindness
You can feel the crisp chill in the air here on the East Coast of Canada. As I put on my mittens, you can almost hear the jingle bells in the distance. Honestly, it makes me a little bit giddy inside. I truly feel the magic every single year.
Every year, I vow to get organized early. Typically one of the first items on my agenda is to get our advent calendars ready. The tradition in our family is to select a wrapped holiday book every evening as well as a Lego advent calendar for each child in the mornings. However, this year my kids are now seven and five. It’s a great age to begin some Random Acts of Kindness. This Holiday List works the same way as a typical countdown to Christmas where my children will select a note each day.
The Trim Your Stocking Thinlits Dies (144682) is a perfect product to hold the twenty-four pieces of rolled-up paper containing the Random Act of Kindness.
To begin this project, I cut out 25 stockings using the Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper (144621) and the Merry Little Christmas 12" x 12" Cardstock Pack (144622). Carefully I pieced each holiday stocking together and placed a number made out of Real Red Cardstock (102482) and the Large Numbers Framelits Dies (140622). Finally, I attached each stocking with Real Red 1/8" Solid Ribbon (144631) and hung it on a large decorative frame using the Jute Twine (144625). If you don’t have a large frame, you could quite easily use a three-foot Christmas tree to hang these stockings.
The Trim Your Stocking Thinlits Dies also come with a pillow box-shaped die, which fits a gift card perfectly. It allowed me to have a pocket on each holiday stocking where I could place a rolled-up Random Act of Kindness. Since my children are young, I selected Random Acts of Kindness that did not take a great deal of time and would not be a financial burden. While I researched online for some ideas, it was easy to select 24 acts. I encourage you to tailor your own family’s Random Acts of Kindness list to what best works for you.
Here’s the Caines Family Holiday Random Acts of Kindness List:
- Send a card to a stranger, such as an overseas service member.
- Donate new toys to the Happy Tree.
- “Sock” a friend by putting a treat in a holiday stocking on someone’s doorknob with a special note.
- Make five sticky note messages and place them on a mirror or door. A drawing or a note like “You are beautiful” would be perfect.
- Bring a joke to school to read to your class.
- Donate food to the food bank.
- Help Nanny put away the dirty dishes.
- Draw a picture for your teacher and give it to her along with a treat.
- Shovel for a neighbor or clear off their cars before they wake up.
- Donate 10 books you no longer need.
- Help clean the neighborhood on a walk. Be sure to wear your gloves and bring a garbage bag.
- Go through old towels and blankets to donate to the animal shelter.
- Drop by a senior’s home and bring a poinsettia. Be sure to say hello!
- Donate some cards to Ronald McDonald House.
- Write a list of five things you are thankful for
- Pay for someone’s coffee.
- Donate some money to a charity.
- Leave candy canes on someone’s windshield.
- Put a treat in the mailbox for the mail carrier.
- Call both your grandmas just to say hello.
- Bring coloring books to the doctor’s waiting room and the gymnastics viewing room.
- Decorate rocks using paint and place them around the neighborhood for strangers to find (“kindness rocks”).
- Be a helper by picking up 10 things off the floor each day.
- Give five people a compliment. Or more!
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Merry Christmas!
I am so excited to share these adventures with my children and I truly believe that these little gestures will make a big difference in our small community.
I’m wishing you all the best in your holiday preparations!
Cathy Caines
2017 Artisan Design Team