Tag Archives: service idea

Secret Service Saturday-White Envelope

Today’s idea is one that I posted last year, but I think that it is worthy of  posting again this year.

We have a tradition in our home that we started a few years ago.  My children are all grown and married, and every year we would go through this little ritual– They would say, “Mom, what do you and dad want for Christmas?”  and I would reply “that we really did not need anything,” and I could never come up with any ideas for them.

We usually all get together for Sunday dinner, and three years ago at one of these family nights, I read the following story to my family.  It reminds me so much of my own husband, because he does not like the commercialism of Christmas just like the man in the story and all of our kids had to agree, and thus was born the tradition of the White Envelope.  It is truly the highlight of Christmas for my husband and I.  We wake up on Christmas morning and we read the letters from each of our children and their family and I must admit, that it usually brings tears to our eyes!  What a beautiful way to start our Christmas Day!

This is our “White Envelope”, I made it out of fabric and it goes on the Christmas tree.  You could use any white envelope, but I decorated it up and we use it year after year.  All of the grand kids know exactly what it is and they get caught up in the spirit also!

Here is the story that I read to my family:

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Secret Service Saturday

Remember when I said in the Nov. visiting teaching post that I felt like I needed to do more service?  Well I decided that from time to time I will do a

Secret Service Saturday!

I found this really fun idea in the Oct/Nov 2012 Taste of Home magazine!  The article is called “Best $10 I Ever Spent”

The idea of this article is a way for us to think of others.

A mother gave each of her adult children and grandchildren $10.  She told them to spend it on someone less fortunate than themselves and then they were to report back in a few weeks of what they did with the $10.

Some of the ideas were:

Bought yarn and knitted hats and scarves for the homeless.

Gave the $10 to a local elementary school to help pay for school lunches for those students who couldn’t afford them.

Bought food for the hungry.

Gave the money to someone in line at the department store who didn’t have enough money.

I totally love this idea and I am planning on doing something like this with my kids and grandkids!  I love that it makes you think of someone else and how you could best use $10.

Is there something that you could do this Saturday that could be a Secret Service?  It does not need to be a big thing, a phone call to someone who is lonely, a smile or a wave of your hand to a stranger, perhaps spending time with someone who is down, etc.  I am sure that you can think of one thing that you could do to brighten someone else’s day and I will just bet that if you do, you will find yourself  just a little bit happier too!

Happy Secret Service Saturday everyone!  Love Ya!