Tag Archives: giving

Allana’s Compassion in Action

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“Look, Mom!  My shirt matches the sign!”  Allana proudly exclaimed when she spotted wings on the Angel Crossing sign.

A few days before Christmas, Allana and I volunteered at the Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Tent.  It was a wonderful learning experience for her as she saw firsthand how our donations to the food bank help others.  Allana enjoyed helping the families and throughout the evening she often commented on the graciousness and cuteness of the children.

A couple weeks later, I realized just how much the experience impacted Allana when my friend made some remarks about her high school students’ poor their hygiene.  I didn’t know Allana had heard my friend’s comments until she chimed in, “Well maybe they’re homeless and they don’t have any running water.  Maybe they live in their cars.  You really shouldn’t judge, because you just never know someone’s situation.”

Our short time volunteering had a big impact Allana but at that moment, I learned something too.  My daughter is growing into a truly beautiful, compassionate human being.

30 Days of Giving 2011

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30-Day Giving ChallengeFor the third year now, I participated in the 30 Days of Giving Challenge.  The act of giving may not seem like a challenge, but it actually requires quite a bit of scheduling and planning.  Even with all the planning, situations pop up to cause a bump or two on the road to giving.

Some gifts are simple, like a mailing a card to a loved one.  Some things require more work, like preparing a meal for friend.  In the end, no matter how small or big, it’s the thought that counts and that gesture means so much to someone else.  The smallest gift can have the biggest impact on others.

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”  – Aesop

Our gifts

    • Donated canned goods to a food drive.
    • Donated items to Goodwill.
    • Recycled my old running shoes to benefit the homeless through Fit Niche.
    • Filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

    • Brought gifts to a local animal rescue shelter.
    • Dropped spare change in the Salvation Army red kettle.
    • Donated items to Toys for Tots.
    • Bought a coffee for a frequent play date host in my moms group.
    • Sent coupons to a military base in Japan through Overseas Coupon Program.

    • Added a love note to my kids’ lunch boxes.
    • Planned a picnic lunch for my kids and enjoyed a “special” lunch together at school.
    • Planned a lunch date with hubby.
    • Baked cookies for the firefighters.
    • Volunteered at my children’s school.
    • Arranged guest speakers for the Great American Teach-In at my kids’ school.

    • Spent an evening with an old friend to catch up to give the gift of time.
    • Baked cookies for my running club and tossed $5 in the coffee fund.
    • Welcomed new neighbors of a 16 month old with a baby safety kit.
    • Sent a “thinking of you card” and Publix gift card on behalf of my moms group to a friend in need.
    • Mailed a set of hand drawn Angry Birds by Allana to Stacy Uncorked for Princess Nagger’s birthday.

    • Mailed a Thanksgiving card to my grandmother.
    • Mailed a get well card to my ill uncle.
    • Brought a home cooked meal to a friend at work.
    • Purchased meal vouchers for families in need through Groupon’s Feeding America program.
    • Sent $10 gift certificates to several friends via Restaurant.com’s “Feed It Forward” program.

Pssst!  Speaking of gifts….Don’t miss this one!

Photobucket

In My Life

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For the past year, I’ve worked extremely hard on repairing some broken relationships.  It took a lot of patience, trust, honesty and understanding to rebuild those relationships, but it was so worth it.  Now, my life is full of laughter rather than pain.

Or so I thought.  As I expended my energy into one relationship, other relationships unraveled because I hadn’t been as plugged into some big events as I should have been.  My lack of presence and support was perceived as a lack of empathy.

When I heard I let my sister and friends down for various reasons, it stopped me dead in my tracks.  Somehow between running around after my family and running in races, I had missed some important events and it’s not like me to not be there for loved ones.  However in these incidences, I wasn’t and I hurt them terribly.  When I heard I let them down, I cried for weeks.

Even now, the pain I know I caused brings tears to my eyes. I live a rich life because of my family and friends. Their relationships are bountiful blessings. Without them, my life would be empty and lonely.

Somehow I have to find balance between my own family, my extended family on both sides and my friends.That’s why I am so grateful for the 30 Day Challenge, because it forces me to stop and remember everything and everyone that is important in my life, whether it’s spending time with them or sending them a note to say, “I love you. I appreciate you in my life.”

Of course with schedules, it’s hard to coordinate time to spend together, but we’ll make it happen.  And for that, I’m thankful.

 

For the next four Music Mondays, I’ll be counting my blessings through song.  Each week in November, I will be singing my praises and giving thanks by sharing a song that symbolizes one of the many blessings in my life.  Come count your blessings with me and link up while you’re here.  What a blessing that would be!



Visit Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

Xmas Ornament Xchange

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It’s the gift giving season around the world and the joy of giving is the air.  Let’s spread some of that gift giving joy in the blogosphere with an ornament swap!

For this Xmas Ornament Xchange, purchase or make an ornament valued up to $5 and be ready to ship it to somewhere in the United States at the close of the linky party (December  11). 

To make this Xmas Ornament Xchange more meaningful, send an ornament that reflects what Christmas feels like in your corner of the world.  Your ornament should represent your hometown.  Do you have white Christmases or do you build sandy snowmen?  When Santa visits your home, would he wear a red velvet suit or hibiscus Bermuda shorts?  Be creative and think outside of the ornament box.

To sign up for our first Xmas Ornament Xchange, add your name/blog title and blog url to the linky party below.  Then, fill out the Xmas Ornament Xchange form.  By adding your link and submitting a form, you promise to fulfill your commitment to this gift exchange.  Please do not send your gift late or fail to send one at all.

Then, promote the Xmas Ornament Xchange in a blog post.  The more, the merrier!  Add the Xmas Ornament Xchange button to your site and link back to Run DMT.  Encourage others to link up and join the fun!

The linky party will stay open from November 20 to December 11. 



Fill out the Xmas Ornament Xchange mailing address form here!

***To respect your privacy, the information collected on the form will only be used for this gift swap and deleted after the close of the gift swap.  Only the sender assigned to you will know your mailing address. ***

Working the Women’s Half Marathon

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I hadn’t planned to run the Women’s Half Marathon this year since Space Coast Marathon falls a week later.    Then, I heard my friends at Suncoast Running sponsored two water stations at this Women’s Half Marathon and needed about 3 dozen people to help work the stations.  I jumped at the chance to be part of a race without the training and roped my friends, Chrissy, Faith, Michelle and Raffi into helping too.

I have always wanted to give back to the sport that has given me so much.

I loved witnessing the different emotions (joy, elation, pain and exhaustion) as a spectator.  I had felt those emotions many times.  Sometimes all those emotions in one race.

We cheered and celebrated their victories while serving them water with smiles.

For me, working the water stations at the Women’s Half Marathon was far more enjoyable than running it and I would definitely do it again, if they’ll have me.  Hopefully, I didn’t scare anyone with my crazy pimp hat dumping feathers in anyone’s water or my loud mouth boisterous cheers and praise.

*Droid photo submitted to*

Unknown Mami

 

Random Thoughts about Some Challenges, My Heeling Process and a Footnote

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For the month of October, I committed to the Unprocessed Challenge and by doing so, I swore off processed foods.  Basically, participants had to refrain from eating foods they couldn’t reproduce, bake or cook themselves, such as foods that can only be produced in a factory.   Thankfully, store-bought beer and wine were acceptable.

Seriously?  In October?  What was I thinking?  I freaking love candy corn and other Halloween candy.  I think I ate even more of it because I knew I couldn’t on account of the challenge.  It was tough and I think I lasted (at most) two weeks.  And then I devoured some Tyson hot wings.

For November, I’m participating in the 30 Day Giving Challenge for the third year.  I love this challenge, but I’m not going to lie.  It’s hard, even when I plan out all my gifts for the month, because schedules change, kids gets sick and sometimes things just don’t always go according to plan.  I’ve done well though and I’ve given 15 gifts and then some in 15 days so far.

Speaking of gifts, my t-shirt giveaway didn’t attract as many people as other giveaways have in the past.  I tweeted, Facebooked, linked up at giveaway blog hops but still only 4 people entered the contest, including my SIL, Kirsten and my friend, Chrissy, who won as a result to all her entries.  Obviously, she had the best chance, which is what you hope for when hosting a giveaway.

Has anyone else noticed a drop in giveaway participants?

I had this whole 12 Days of Christmas giveaway plan in the works, but after this giveaway, I’m rethinking the idea.  It’s a lot of work and if it doesn’t generate a response, I’ll be disappointed.  Oh well.  But I’ve got other fun bloggie Christmas plans in the works, like a blogger ornament exchange and a virtual cookie recipe swap!  Stay tuned for more details!

This Sunday, as part of my giving challenge, I’m volunteering at the Women’s Half Marathon water stations with Suncoast Running.  I’m so excited to give back to a sport that has given me so much.  I’m looking forward to cheering and encouraging all the runners while handing them a cup of cold water with a smile.  It will mean the world to each participant, whether it’s their first half marathon or the fiftieth.

Do you remember that almost 21 miler I did a couple of weeks ago with little to no pain?  I even survived walking around Universal Studios the next day (minus a hamstring pull from 25 pound toddler squats all day).  Then, I didn’t run for two days to rest.  I ran about 3 miles on Tuesday and then on Wednesday, I ran almost 10 miles.  And that’s when it all went downhill.

I had some serious heel pain, like my heel was being stabbed with a knife.  I’ve never had this pain before, but I knew it wasn’t good.  I researched about heel pain and learned that I have heel spurs possibly as a result from increasing miles too quickly or running in old shoes (shoes without support). I’m inclined to believe it’s the latter because I’ve been pretty careful to not push myself too far too quickly.

As for healing my heel, everything I’ve read recommends taking a week off from running.  But, my marathon is in 12 days.  12 DAYS!  And I can’t run or even taper!

So now, I need new shoes.  But new shoes need to be broken in before I attempt to run 26.2 miles in them.  Plus, I don’t have any extra cash at the moment and I was really hoping Santa would bring me some new running shoes.  My friends over at Suncoast Running told me that they will have some great Black Friday specials. But I’m still nervous about running a marathon in new shoes.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be a week since I last ran and it still hurts to walk or put any pressure on my right heel.  I tried some light hiking when we went camping over the holiday weekend and the pain would gradually increase.  I’ve read that I can do alternate work-outs like cycling or very low impact aerobics, but I don’t think my heel could handle any impact.  Plus, I’m still scared to get back on my bike.  So resting and yoga is the plan for a few more days until I get some new shoes.  It seems my running plans have become a footnote and I’m not liking it all.

Oh and there’s this other nagging other issue I keep forgetting to do.  I haven’t booked a hotel room for the race yet.  I know. I know.  What am I waiting for?  I was waiting until I registered, which was delayed until I knew I could come close to a marathon distance again post-baby number 3.  Well, I’m officially registered (as of October 22) for the Space Coast Marathon and now I can’t find an available room.  But it doesn’t matter really because it appears that I will have to buy shoes instead of a securing a hotel room.  Looks like I’ll be sleeping in my car the night before the marathon. Yay.

As you can see, lots of challenges lie ahead this month.

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

You Down with OCP? Yeah, You Know Me.

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Recently, I stumbled upon a coupon program for military families living on bases overseas.  Through OCP, you “adopt” a military base and send them your coupons.  Donated coupons can be two months past their expiration date because retailers allow military families to redeem expired coupons up to 6 months past their expiration date.

With the knowledge of this coupon program, I organized a collection for my moms group.  Once again my moms pulled through and I was overwhelmed by the response.

I wish I knew the monetary value of all these coupons.  The OCP states on their website that “the average Sunday newspaper contains approximately $125 worth of coupons.”  Based on that and a rough estimate, I’d say there about $4000 worth of coupons in this pile.  Amazing.

I’m so proud of my mamas!  It feels so good to be able to help military families, especially so close to Patriot Day (September 11).

30-Day Giving Challenge

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30-Day Giving ChallengeToday begins Day 1 of the 30 Day Giving Challenge.  My family and I participated last November and we are thrilled and excited to be participating in this challenge again this season.

 

Like last year, the girls and I will be making our cornucopia placemats so that they can record, admire and treasure their gifts of giving for years to come.  And also like year, I will share our gifts by tweeting and posting them on Facebook.  I believe it inspired many of my friends and followers to take on the challenge as well.

 

However, this year I’ve decided to have Allana and Emmalynn help plan our 30 Days of Giving to make the experience more meaningful for them.  Using the calendar on the 30 Day Giving Challenge website, I’ll ask the girls what they would like to give and record their ideas on the calendar.

 

For Day 1, the girls have chosen to bring their Halloween candy to our dentist, who will donate candy to the troops through Operation Gratitude.

 

Where some might view this challenge too extreme or too difficult, I found we gave more than 30 gifts by the end of the challenge.  It’s such a rewarding experience and I encourage you to take on the challenge with my family and me.  Keep it simple and you’ll see how simple it is to give.  If you need some “gift ideas”, read through my list here for some suggestions.

Medals 4 Mettle

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I’m fairly new to exhilarating world of running, but even as a fairly new competitor I can appreciate one thing: THE BLING.

 

Some races ring a medal around each runner’s neck as the athletes cross the finish line.  Then, there are races where I actually qualify in my age division and I am awarded for my efforts with a shiny new bit of bling.  But whether I get a medal for just being there or one for being my best, the bling all means the same to me.  I trained for it, therefore I earned.

 

After a race, I have been seen around town wearing my medal proudly at the supermarket or at the local pub while downing a pint with friends.  After all, you can only wear your medal for so long before you look like a wannabe Flo-Jo.

 

As proud as I am of all my achievements and my medals, my bibs and bling are stuffed into drawer in my nightstand, however, I have been toying with the idea of displaying my bling on a curtain rod like MJ of Runner with a Knitting Problem.

 

 

Then, while visiting another runner blog (Mile By Mile), I stumbled upon her post asking what other runners did with all their medals.  She mentioned Medals 4 Mettle, a non-profit organization that collects medals from athletes and redistributes the medals by awarding them to people who face greater challenges in their lives, such as debilitating disease or disability.

 

Taken from the Medals 4 Mettle website:

 

Its mission is to celebrate and reward the individual and collective courage of all human beings by facilitating the gifting of marathon finisher’s medals from marathoners to people who have demonstrated similar mettle, or courage. The recipients can be any age and might have exhibited such mettle by dealing with disease, handicaps or any similar challenge. Marathon runners around the world, and others who have won medals, give their medals to Medals4Mettle. Then our nationwide network of physicians and others award these medals to those who might not be able to run a marathon, but are in their own marathon to continue to live their life. As marathoners run through the streets, large crowds cheer the runners for their effort. Medals4Mettle lets these runners, healthy enough to compete in such an event, to return the cheers to those who have supported them.

 

So, as I stuff my small achievements into a sock drawer, it seems I don’t truly appreciate my medals as much as I should.  Medals 4 Mettle reminds us that others have huge hurdles yet to overcome and I can share my accomplishments with others who have survived and lived to tell about their HUGE ACHEIVEMENTS.

 

In the spirit of selfless acts and 30 Gifts in 30 Days, Medals 4 Mettle offers just one more to give.  Now I pose the same question:

 

What will you do with all your medals?

 

If you would like to donate to Medals 4 Mettle, visit their contacts page to find a chapter near you.


***A special THANK YOU to MJ of Runner with a Knitting Problem for the use of her photo.  Thanks, Sweetie!*** :-)

30 Days of Giving

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The other day, a friend on Facebook shared in her status update how she would be spending the month of November.  For the next 30 days, she and her family would demonstrate acts of giving, which had been inspired by the book 29 Gifts by Cami Walker.

 

In her memoir, Ms. Walker shares how simple acts of giving helped heal her body, mind and spirit.  With the popularity of her book, she founded 29-Day Giving Challenge, a website which encourages others to do the same.

 

Admiring my friend’s quest and yet moved by everyone’s compassion for one other on the 29-Day Giving Challenge website, I decided to spend the month of November doing the same.  With simple random acts of kindness (RAK) over the next 30 days, I would be teaching my two girls how to do their part to make the world a better place.   With our small gestures of giving, we would let other know we care.  Even the simplest of gestures can mean the world to a friend or a fellow human being.

 

If you would like to join us in our 30 Days of Giving Challenge, here are some ideas to help get you started.

 

  • Participate in Operation Christmas Child by either filling a box or donating money.
  • Donate canned goods to a food drive.
  • Donate toiletry items to a homeless shelter.
  • Donate items to Goodwill or Salvation Army.
  • Donate items to an animal rescue shelter.
  • At Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts drive thru, treat the person behind you to a cup of coffee.
  • Pass along your unwanted coupons to a friend.
  • Leave unwanted coupons on the shelves at the supermarket.
  • Give your supermarket receipt coupons to the next person in line at the checkout.
  • Recycle old running shoes your local store. (The Running Center in Tampa collects old shoes.)
  • Send an e-card, card or a care package to our troops overseas.
  • Donate $1 to Miracle Children’s Network at the checkout.
  • Recycle old cell phones.
  • Purchase a Scholastic Gift Certificate in the book order form for your child’s teacher.
  • Donate old books/magazines/videos/CDs to the library.
  • Drop some coins in the tip jar at any food service place.
  • Send a love note in your children’s and spouse’s lunch box.
  • Purchase a car wash for the person in line behind you.
  • Pay for a toll for the driver behind you on the parkway.
  • Call an old friend to catch up to give the gift of time.
  • Take a friend to lunch.
  • Take some baked goods to a neighbor.
  • Babysit for a friend so she/he can enjoy a pedicure or a date night with her/his spouse.
  • Volunteer at your child’s school.
  • Print out some of your favorite photos and share then with a friend.
  • Visit a retirement home.
  • Give blood (if you physically can).
  • Drop a friend’s business card in a drawing to win free lunch at a local restaurant.
  • Serve a meal at a soup kitchen.
  • Let another driver merge into traffic in front of you.
  • Let the shopper in line behind you check out before you. (An idea from Nicole)

 

More than a simple list of RAK, I will be taking our 30 Days of Giving Challenge one step further with my girls to make our month of giving a bit more meaningful and colorful.  Since my girls and I love crafts as much as random acts of kindness, we will create a Thanksgiving craft to display their accomplishments and a cornucopia (the symbol of a bountiful harvest) seems to be the best representation for our bountiful supply of gifts!

 

For our cornucopia craft, the girls will cut out a cornucopia shape printed on a sheet of brown construction paper.  (We’ll use this one from DLTK as a template.)  Then, using the smaller templates, they’ll cut and color the leaves, fruits and vegetables to fill their cornucopias.  After completing a random act of kindness, we’ll record what each girl gave on one of the shapes and paste it to their cornucopias.  By the end of November, their horn should be plenty full.  Then, as a reward for their kindness, I’ll laminate their cornucopias so they can use them as placemats and cherish their gifts of giving every day.