Category Archives: Service

Secret Service Saturday

Service, , , ,

I know that today is not Saturday, but I decided that I have not done one of these posts for a long, long, time and so it is way overdue.  I figured that because it is so close to the holidays that we might need all weekend to get this accomplished, so therefore, I am posting my Secret Service Saturday on Friday!  :)

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 So what is our Secret Service Saturday?  

It is just simply what it says…do some kind of secret service for someone today (or this weekend)  It can be something as simple as let someone in line in front of you.  Let someone in when you are driving and do it with a smile.  Pay for the person behind you at the drive-up window when you are buying lunch.  (This happened to me once and I have never forgotten how wonderful it made me feel!)  Smile at someone today.  Offer to help someone who could use your assistance.  Just be kind with your words and your actions.  

Who knows, maybe you will just feel better about your day and yourself!

Thanks for visiting today. Have a great weekend everyone.  I am thankful for all of you and your kind comments and your support, so thank you and I hope that all of your holidays plans are happy and all of your Christmas wishes are coming true!

Love Ya!

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Humanitarian Quilts

Quilts, Service, Sewing, , , , , , , , ,

I have been practicing my quilting techniques again lately.   I decided that I would make some quilts that I could give away to a charity and practice my quilting skills at the same time.  I figured that a small child somewhere would not care what the quilting looks like in a new blanket, right?  So this is a perfect combination for me.  I practice quilting and someone, somewhere will get a new quilt!  A win, win situation!DSC_0128

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Project Snowflake Update

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I saw an update over at Artsy Fartsy Mama and wanted to pass this information along to any of you who were thinking of making snowflakes for Sandy Hook Elementary:

I am so glad to tell you that the children of Sandy Hook Elementary are going to have a beautiful Winter Wonderland!  They have received snowflakes from all over the world!  They have received enough snowflakes to decorate not only their school, but also their community!  But they have now asked that we send no more snowflakes!  It does suggest that you make a winter wonderland in your own community in honor of them!

Here is the note from their website:

Thank you to everyone who has donated snowflakes on behalf of the children of Sandy Hook  Elementary School and the community of Newtown. We know that each snowflake represents the emotional outreach of the person making it. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from around not just the country but the world. At this time, we have enough beautiful snowflakes to blanket the community of Newtown. Therefore, with regret we must close the snowflake project to further donations. Please take this idea and your snowflakes and create a winter wonderland of your own in your community as a show of solidarity for our Newtown families. Please share your winter wonderlands with us. We would love to share your pictures with the families of Sandy Hook and all the other participating communities.  Thank you for your heartfelt and amazing creations and for all of your magnificent notes and kind wishes for the Newtown community.

If any of you sent snowflakes, I thank you too!

Have a great day! Love Ya!

 

Glittered Snowflakes

Crafts, Service, , , , , , ,

The PTA leaders of all of the schools in Newtown, PA are requesting our help in supporting the families whose lives were turned upside down after last Friday’s tragedy. If you’re looking for a way to show sympathy and encouragement for this community, here is a project that is in need of support. It is a perfect activity for the entire family, or for any individual who’d like to help.

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Secret Service Saturday-White Envelope

Christmas, Service, , , , , ,

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

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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!

BYU Women’s Conference 2012

Church, Service, Sewing, , , ,

I have been asked to help with one of the service projects for the BYU Women’s Conference this year.  I am excited to be a part of this organization.  They always do so much good in these service activities.

This year, one of three of the projects that they are doing is making felt backpacks for school children.  The fun thing about this project this year is that it is going to stay right here in our own communities!

I was asked to help sew some of the velcro on the backpacks.  This was done by machine and that is the only thing sewn by machine.  The rest of the backpacks are all sewn by hand!  That is what all the women will doing Thursday night of the conference!  It will be quite a sight to see so many women doing service all at the same time!

This is only a very small percentage of all the  backpacks that will be made that night.Isn’t this one of the cutest little “Backpack” models that you ever did see? Continue reading →

Blanket Delivery

Crafts, Family, Service, , , ,

Yesterday I did a tutorial on how to make the fringed fleece blankets and I was able to get eight of these made and ready for delivery to a local hospital.  We are doing this project because one of my granddaughters was recently in the hospital and she received a blanket like this and it made her so happy that I decided to pay it forward to some other sick children.

On Sunday afternoon after we had dinner, I talked all of the girls into helping me tie up the blankets to get them ready for delivery to the hospital.  As you know, my motto is that ribbon makes everything cuter!  So we tied up the blankets with different colored ribbons.  We have 4 boy blankets and 4 girl blankets ready to go! Continue reading →

Fringed Fleece Blankets

Crafts, Service, Tutorials, , , ,

When my granddaughter was in the hospital they gave her a fringed blanket and she absolutely loved it.  So I decided to make some blankets to donate back to a local hospital.

I don’t know if I have been living in the dark ages or what, but I had never seen these blankets tied like this until she got hers and when I saw it, it was an ah ha moment!  Why didn’t I ever think of that?! Don’t you love my little blanket models?  My granddaughter is behind the blanket holding it up for me!

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Angels Among Us!

Family, Service, , , , ,

I went to visit one of my cute little granddaughters in the hospital.  She has been there for a few days and she has been a little angel during her stay. They have poked and prodded and checked and helped her and she just continues to keep her sweet smile!  While I visited with her and her daddy one afternoon, we ate lunch, went for a walk in the wagon while the nurses changed her bedding, we blew bubbles and played with her magnetic princess paper dolls!  It was  great!

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