Christmas Countdown Random Acts of Kindness...Recap...WAYYYY late.

I am very sorry for the lateness of this post apparently baby brain is striking hard. I have had this post ready since the day after Christmas and I was certain that I posted it...Well as you can see I didn't! Whoops! Please forgive me! 

Monday Day 13- We took Candy Canes to the local nursing home...this was an absolute treat! Charlot loved handing out the canes and the residents loved seeing her. So much fun I don't think that RAOK will ever leave the list.

Tuesday Day 15- The above picture is of her getting ready to deliver treats to our meat cutter at our local grocery store. He is always so very kind to us that we want him to know how much we appreciate him!

Wednesday Day 16- She brought a flower to the cooks at school.

Thursday Day 17- She got to choose someone to call just to say I love you! As we expected she called her grandma Linda they are quite the pair. 

Friday Day 18- We made a meal basket, with a meal she chose and took it to one of our neighbors. She even chose the recipient of this gift. It was so so much fun!

Saturday Day 19- We actually did two things, the first was we spent an hour volunteering for the Salvation Army and rang bells in front of Wal-mart. This has been a tradition my mom and I have had since I was a little girl and I am so glad we are keeping the tradition up. Then we went inside of Wal-mart to do a little shopping and Charlot's task was to choose someone to go in front of us in line. The guy she chose and his son were so kind and appreciative of her gesture. 

Sunday Day 20- We took this delicious Clementine Cranberry bread to our wonderful minister. Our church is so blessed to have such a kind man who is great with all people young and old. 

Monday Day 21- We took treats to the sweet ladies and gents that work at our local bank. They deserved this so much every time we are in there they make certain to give Charlot a sweet treat.

Tuesday Day 22- Her task for the day was to surprise someone with a yummy breakfast. Well Uncle Zach and Aunt Lauren were the lucky ones this year!

Wednesday Day 23- We couldn't forget our four legged friends. Nutkin and friends needed some special Christmas sweets as well.

Thursday Day 24- She was to make a list of things she loved about someone. Well she chose her Pap and man alive is this list interesting and awesome. I have to share a few things with you, "I love my Pap because he let's me take his socks off for him." "I love my Pap because he lives with Grandma." This list was so great that my parents framed it and hung it up in the kitchen. 

Friday Day 25- This was her choice. It was Christmas I wanted her to choose. She chose to give her cousin one of her favorite books because she just knew that Karstin would love it! 

I hope all of you have enjoyed following along in this little tradition with us. I pray it is something we will continue for years to come and that it will become a tradition my little one treasures. 

Random Acts of Kindness Recap- Week 1

As we begin a new week and begin getting closer and closer to Christmas, I want to share with you our activities from the last week of counting down to Christmas in our house. The above picture is how I have her daily envelopes displayed at her level and easily accessible for her to go grab one each evening. We are loving this activity even more this year and I really hope it can become a loved tradition in our family.  

Day 1-we taped candy canes to the ATM's at our local bank, with a care wishing people a very Merry Christmas.

Day 2- Charlot colored pictures to send to someone she loves. She chose to color two one for Grandma Linda and one for Grandma Jones

 

Day 3- She had to pick out some of her toys to donate to her schools toy drive, this was a little hard for her but she managed to find a few that she didn't need.

 

Day 4- We left some yummy Christmas cookies for our sweet mail lady. The top picture was quite successful (HA) it was a little early and she thought the that flash was a bit bright.

 

Day 5- We paid for the person behind us in the drive-thru line, we asked the lady at the window to give the person this card. Charlot was so excited to do this she loved it when the guy shouted THANK YOU out of his window.

Day 6- I didn't get any pictures but we passed out Candy Canes and Hugs at Church yesterday. I know she spread lots of love around the church.

I hope each of you are having an enjoyable time preparing for the Christmas Season. And we would love to hear about any of your Christmas Countdowns!

Our Countdown to Christmas...Random Acts of Kindness Style

Ok I know I have not been a faithful blogger the last month or so. Frankly it just hasn’t been on my heart and I seriously wasn’t in the best place emotionally after my Papa’s death. But time and rest can bring about renewal, and a vacation in Colorado sure doesn’t hurt, (another blog this week). So please accept my apologies and please know that I still love this little blog and I sure hope it touches a few people!

Today I wanted to talk about what we are doing for a countdown to Christmas again this year. I continue to want to show my kiddo that Christmas is about so much more than the big guy in the red suit coming to see her. I want her to know that reason for the season and to try to live her life more Christ like. We started the Random Act of Kindness Countdown with Charlot last year, and it was quite a success. So we plan to do that again this year.

Same deal as last year each night she will open an envelope that tells her what her RAOK for the next day is then we will help her get the needed items and help her pull off the act the following day. But the decision is hers  as to when, where and who is the recipient of her RAOK. I hope to continue this tradition with her each year and grow it from there so that hopefully she will just look for opportunities throughout the year to show kindness because frankly kindness costs nothing.

We would love it more than anything if you and your families would like to join in with us please share your stories with us. Each Friday I plan to do a recap of the weeks activities so each of you can follow along. Oh and if you happen to be local and see some of her RAOK's she would love to know about them! Below are the links to last’s years ROAK. 

ROAK-Explained and Week #1
RAOK-Week #2

ROAK-Week #3

Please note Charlot knows all about Santa and she very hopeful he will be coming to see her. We just choose to not focus on him. Also know I have nothing against families who choose to countdown to Christmas with the Elf it just isn’t for us. 

Random Acts of Kindness Christmas Countdown...Week 3 Recap

It’s Friday!!! My last day of work for 2 count them 2 whole weeks!!! But it also means that it is time for a recap of Miss Charlot’s Random Acts of kindness for the week. I can’t even explain to you the joy this little project has brought to my life. I worried that I would mess it up or that we wouldn’t have the time but I will always make the time for this. And you can’t really mess up a RAOK, can you? Plus trust me if I forget to get things together or I haven’t helped her do the act she is reminding me!

This week has been especially fun because we have left treats for many people and that means we got to bake cookies!!! Yummy. Again I encourage you to try this with your kiddos. I know that Christmas is only a few days away but it RAOK can be done any time anywhere. Just think how awesome it is just to make one person’s day better!

So here’s our recap from last Saturday to today!

12/13/14- We rang bells for the Salvation Army. Oh the people of Walmart got quite a treat from my little one singing Jingle Bells for an hour. This is a tradition that momma Linda started with me long ago. 

12/14/14- Charlot had a little random acts kindness card that she gave to a lady and told her she could go in front of us in line at Michaels. The lady was so sweet and thanked her so much and told me that she thought I was an awesome lesson. It was good for momma’s heart.

12/15/14- Charlot passed out candy canes at our local nursing home. It was so much fun to see the smiles on their faces. There was a door there decorated with Minions (Despicable ME) so Charlot hung two candy canes on that door for “the people that live behind that cool door!”

12/16/14- We left treats for our mail lady. And our mail lady left us a sweet note in return!

12/17/14-We left treats for the trash men, they kind of have a thankless job and deserve a pick me up! Just think if they stopped doing their job, YUCK!

12/18/14-Our local grocery store is AMAZING and we are so blessed to have an awesome meat department there. The meat cutters are always willing to help and go the extra mile. So yesterday they got a plate full of Charlot homemade cookies! (I forgot to take a picture)

12/19/14- Today goodie bags were packed and delivered to my co-workers.

Hope you all enjoy these stories and that maybe it will inspire you! 

Random Acts of kindness week #2

It's Friday so that means....RAOK recap! This little project is just getting better each day. Charlot gets so excited each day to open her envelope. And plus ok this is a proud mom moment, but her sitter told me that she asked the kids the other day what happens in December? My kiddo answers "Jesus's  Birthday!" Hooray! Then she proceeded to tell her Grandpa last night that Christmas is Jesus's Birthday and Jesus is so nice he lets us get the presents now on Christmas. 

I hope this project continues to bring her and others joy throughout the season! But mostly I hope this teaches Charlot how to lead her life the rest of the year. So here is our recap for the week starting last Saturday! Please feel free to join us in this project and share your stories with me!

Week #2-

This is her telling the lady at the window she wanted to pay for the car behind us

12/06- Paying for the person behind us at the drive-thru

12/07- Handing out candy canes at church and wish people a Merry Christmas (sorry no pictures) 

12/08- Calling someone just to say "I love you", she chose three people, grandma Linda, Mer Mer, and RaRa.

12/09- Picking out one of her toys to donate to the Holiday Project. She decided on two!

12/10- Taking a special treat to the pigs. Four legged friends need kindness as well.

12/11- Ding dong ditch someone and leave them a box of Ding Dongs!

12/12- Pack a homeless person snack kit, to keep in the car for when we see someone in need.charlot thought princess fruties were necessary. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Random Acts of Kindness Christmas Countdown!

We started a new tradition in our home this year a new countdown to Christmas a Random Acts of Kindness Countdown. I started this for two main reasons, 1. It is my greatest desire as a parent to raise my child to have a servant’s heart, and 2. I kept hearing her say Santa’s going to bring me this or Santa’s going to bring me that and I wanted her to understand that Christmas is about more than Santa. We really want Christ to be the center of Christmas in our house.

 This is our advent countdown, and no we don’t have an elf on the shelf, but our kiddo does know that Santa will still come. And hopefully if Santa sees her doing all these nice things for other people he will be even happier with her. No elf just a garland with envelopes that have a task for her to complete each day. The way we have worked it is that on Sunday night we presented a letter to her explaining what we were doing and why. Then we let her open her first envelope. We open one each night after supper and it tells her what she is going to do the next day, we typically complete the task after I pick her from the sitter each day. This has become something she looks forward to each day and the smile on her face makes it all worthwhile

A few people in town have seen what we are doing and asked or commented about it, which I think is awesome. I got most of my ideas for each day from Pinterest and some I really wanted her to do. My plan is to post a summary of her week’s activities each Friday. Then at the end of Christmas post a summary of the whole event. So if you and your family care to join in please do!

Week #1-

12/1- Tape Candy Canes and a Note to the ATM’s

This is her leaving the book on the friends porch

12/2- Pick out a book to give to a friend

12/3- Tape Money and a Note to the Soda Machines in Town

12/4- Color a Picture for someone and Mail it to them

12/5- Pick out Hats and Gloves to Give to the Holiday Project (No pictures yet her and Daddy are doing this tonight while I cook for the church chili supper)

I have nothing against the Elf thing this is just what we are doing and I wanted to share!