Syrendell Silk Streamer Stick {Handmade Giveaway #5}

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Remember, back in March, when I participated in Code Name: Mama's March of Kindness? If not, here's a quick run-down: All through March, she had a meme based on random acts of kindness. The goal was to go above of your everyday acts and do something extra for your family, friends, complete strangers, and even yourself. I took part, attempting to help others whenever I had the opportunity. I had a lot of fun finding new ways to perform these acts of kindness! (Read about them HERE.) Throughout the month, she had giveaways here and there for those who were participating. I was so lucky to have won a $20 gift certificate to Syrendell on Etsy, donated by Zoie of Touchstone Z!

What I chose to buy with the card were two Silk Streamer Sticks for Little Guy. We head off to our free community outdoor concerts every week all summer long and I am envisioning Little Guy dancing and twirling his streamers! When they arrived, we were having a gorgeous spring day, so we took them outside to give them a "whirl", so to speak. He loves them!

And, as always, here is a bit about Syrendell from their Etsy profile:

"Syrendell is the collaboration of love, abundance, peace, health and happiness in the Tan Family. We share our knowledge and talents with others through our arts, crafts, writing, and music in order to help others have an enriched, holistic, joyful life!"

In addition to these fun Silk Streamers, Syrendell offers an abundance of other items. I ordered myself enough of their handspun Alpaca Yarn to make my sister a scarf for next winter (shh... don't tell her!) It is dyed beautifully and so soft... I've often wondered if it might just be me who's wearing that scarf when it starts snowing again! Also, there are a ton of eBooks and patterns that show you how to do things like naturally dye eggs, create felted slippers (remember this if you win my Merino Wool Batts giveaway!), and even how to incorporate aromatherapy into holistic healing and daily routine - for children!

Well, on to the giveaway: I am going to give one of you a Silk Streamer of your very own! My little guy has so much fun with his that I feel that this is the perfect, no-voltage toy for any child - girl, boy, very young, older... if they like to play, they'll love this!

Use this as a fun toy, or a beautiful decoration. Stick is about 6-8 inches in length, made from hard wood, sanded, carved, and then sealed with a coat of organic beeswax. 6 ribbons that are .5 inches in width cascade down approximately a half a yard (18 in.) each in either yellow, orange, red, green, blue, tan, burgundy, pink, gold or lavender silk, naturally dyed by hand. Colors will vary with each order.
Habotai silk ribbon edges will gently fray over time. Beautiful!

Now, in addition to their Etsy items and eBooks, Syrendell has a few of blogs. At the Syrendell Blog, you will find all kinds of posts about home learning, music, art, and nature. There are posts about craft ideas, books, and general fun here. This is MY kind of blog! And I love their tag-line and acronym: "Learn and LAPHHwith us!"

                                                                       L = Love

A = Abundance
P = Peace        
H = Health       
 H = Happiness  

Then, you can head on over to their blog, The Waldorf Way, which focuses on tips, ideas, and thoughts about the Waldorf method of learning. I really like how this blog is written. I am a homeschool advocate to my very bones, but I tend to stay with the unschooling theory. Yet, after reading quite a few of the posts here, I am learning just how closely Waldorf and unschooling are. I will definitely be following their posts closely from now on - learning doesn't begin when a child is six and my little guy is just sucking up all the information that floats past his little head right now. Any tips on how to help him find, process, retain, and use that information are right up my alley!

And their third blog, Syrendell Academy, is their site for learning! Syrendell offers private lessons, teleseminars, eBooks, and video tutorials on a variety of subjects.Painting, fiber arts (knitting, felting, spinning, etc.), aromatherapy, and drawing are just a few of their lesson offerings. 

THERE'S MORE!!!

You can get yourself a great discount at Syrendell's Etsy shop! They are offering my readers a 15% discount if you use THE coolest code ever: KARMA1 (Yeah, I told you it was cool!)

ENTER TO WIN!

The winner of this giveaway will receive one Silk Streamer Stick.  Open to US and Canada!

Mandatory Entry:
Go to Syrendell and have a look around. Comment with one product that you would like to try most. **Leave you email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:
For each extra entry, leave a separate comment. (If it says +2, leave two comments, etc.)

• +1 entry- Follow the Syrendell Blog on GFC
• +1 entry - Head over to Syrendell Academy and let me know which class sounds most interesting to you!
• +1 entry - Like Syrendell on Facebook
• +5 entries - Make a purchase from Syrendell. Just let me know you did so and the First name, Last initial you used to order. (Don't forget the coolest coupon code for 15% off - KARMA1)
• +1 entry - Follow me on GFC - right sidebar
• +1 entry - Like me on Facebook - or right sidebar
• +1 entry - Follow me on Twitter
• +3 entries - Subscribe (& confirm) to my emails - right sidebar under Networked Blogs
• +3 entries – Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc. Just leave me a direct link in the comments. ONE TIME ONLY!

This giveaway will end on May 28, 2011, at 11:59 PM EDT. Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Winner will be chosen by the Random.org widget I have embedded at the bottom of this page. GOOD LUCK!

*I have NOT been compensated for this review or giveaway. I won an item from this business on another blog giveaway and liked it so much that I wanted to get the word out to my readers about this business.

WINNER of John Holt's - How Children Learn

I absolutely loved some of the answers you guys gave to my weird questions! Here are a few of my favorites:

• Jenny said, "If I could be any age for a week, I don't think I'd change my age. I'm emotionally and spiritually healthier than I've ever been and I'm just loving my life!"

• Domestic Diva said, "My favorite quote: All you need is love -- from The Beatles, of course."
• Cheri said, "If I could be any age again, I think I would want to be 39! At that age it seems you are finally 'all grown up' but not yet 'old.'"  (This was a good one for me since I'm coming up on 37. I was feeling old until I read this!)

And I feel that, since I aksed you to answer all of those silly questions, maybe I should give you my answers. Here they are:

1. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose? I'd love to be in Good Eats. I LOVE Alton Brown! He has a way of explaining things so I completely understand them. And, hey, a man who can tell you how to make yogurt with a crock and a heating pad is pretty darn awesome in my book!
2. If you could be any age again for a week, what age would you choose and why? I really loved my 20's. I'd probably choose 24 - I still had a ton of energy, had just started to self-educate myself with books from the library, and was learning about organic foods and changing my and my family's diet. I also jumped right into art projects without thinking. Now, I think about them too much and rarely get going on one. :(
3. Were you a sneaky child or teen? (Share a good story if you want!) I was a terribly sneaky child! I remember when I first learned I could do something and my mom didn't necessarily know about it. It is my very first memory - ever. I must have been right around two years old and my mom was babysitting a 4 year old girl. My mom had put the gate up in the kitchen so we wouldn't get into the cookies she had just made. That little girl boosted mt into the kitchen and had me grab a cookies for each of us. I remember her saying, "Your mom won't even know!" I had my doubts, but she was right! From then on, my parents had Trouble on their hands!
4. Share your favorite quote! (Don't forget to say who said it!) My very favorite quote is from John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy" : "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." How perfect is that?!
5.  What vegetable do you most resemble? I'm going to have to say corn (even though it's really a legume!) I've got really long hair that can be pretty annoying at times, you really have to work at peeling back the layers to get to the good stuff inside, and when you do get in there you'll find I'm kinda sweet.

 AND THE WINNER IS #7!!!

Kelly from Becoming Crunchy

Kelly said...

My favorite quote is: "But if I knew everything, there would be no wonder, because what I believe in is far more than what I know." - Madeleine L'Engle

March 24, 2011 10:00 AM

 Congrats, Kelly! Please let me know how you like the book.

Random Acts of Kindness {March of Kindness 3/25-3/30}

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Well, I think this is going to be my final post for the March of Kindness meme hosted by Code Name: Mama. I plan to continue performing these RAOK's everyday, though. So, if I have a story that might be inspiring or even just interesting to readers, I'll share in a post. Just remember - you don't have to be trying to participate in a special Random Acts of Kindness group-thing to do this stuff. It should be part of who we are. I participated this month in the hope that it would become a habit to look for ways that I could be of help to others - and it did!!!

This past week was somewhat uneventful in terms of how many RAOK's I performed. They were all simple things. I made cookies with my kids (post coming up), picked up some trash here and there... simple things. There are, however, two events that I want to share in a little more detail.

First, my oldest needed his hair to be fixed. I'll have the whole story in an upcoming post, so here are the basics: He's been asking me to cut his hair for a couple of weeks. At 9pm, right before bedtime.... as I'm finishing the dishes and getting ready to make dinner.... in the middle of one of Little Guy's tantrums as I'm trying to calm him down. Get the idea? So, he went to my dad's and step-mom's on Sunday for a combined birthday party with his cousin, who turned 2 yesterday. While there, he asked my step-mom to cut his hair for him. Now, she's cut his hair before and it's never turned out very well. When he came home, he begged me to fix it - as I was putting Little Guy into the tub before bed. He had to go to school on Monday looking like Helmet-Head The Bowl-Cut Boy. So, Monday night, even though I threatened to let his hair stay that way (he was explicitly told not to let her cut his hair - and he went so far as to ASK her!), I fixed it for him. He's now a happy 13 year-old boy who is hoping to live down that one day in middle school when everyone noticed him!

The second RAOK is really important to me. I don't know if you remember that, on Sunday, Code Name: Mama had posed a question on her Facebook wall about: What would you do if you saw another parent spanking or harshly punishing their child in front of you? (You can see the full post with comments HERE.) I really didn't have an answer! Call the authorities? Get the hell out of the area? Get in between the parent and child???? I read each and every comment. My favorite was from Pat R. Here are a few excerpts from her answer (it's really long - go check it out with that link, up there!)

 I try to offer empathy for both parent and child. Sometimes, just redirecting the adult to having an adult conversation changes the energy, because they no longer feel isolated and socially challenged by the child's behavior. Out of probably 30-35 times that I have initiated contact in a heated parental exchange, only once did I encounter an unwelcomed response. I just listened and was sad and cried later. But, I had spoken up for the child's experience, which I trust at least validated the child's feelings.

EVERYONE has *thanked me* for "helping" prior to this, when the family was obviously overwhelmed and feeling out of control, even those who had been threatening, or had just hit, their children in public. But, I listen to folks nearby, if I hear things escalating in a store, I can intervene. I've walked up to folks and "commiserated" and offered "helpful book suggestions" on many occasions. I have a forte for intervening in these types of situations. I do it all the time. It gets easier with practice and with no mal-intent.

My goal is to neutralize the anger, not confront it. And I wish to share tools when someone is open to it. I trust that parents mean well, but people do what they know. And sometimes they have never had models of effective communication and conflict resolution. We are all learning all the time. The book suggestions
"Kids, Parents and Power Struggles" and "How To Talk So Kids Will Listen" are well received, although the titles belie their messages of gentle parenting.
[...]

So, saying something neutral and empathetic like, 'Gosh you both are having a rough day! I know sometimes it just is such a struggle to keep up with all our activities! We get exhausted running from activity to activity and just want to stay home sometimes!'

or, with concerned interest 'Sounds like she is having a tough day? Do you think she is coming down with a cold? I know our son is out of sorts when he is getting sick.'

or, 'Are you just exhausted from the struggle of it all?! I know I we just need a 'stay home day' when we've had too many activities going on for days in a row!'

or, squat down and talk to the little child and say, 'Gosh, you sound so sad. Are you too tired to play today? I know our son gets too tired to come to gymnastics sometimes. I hope you feel better next time.'

OK, how great was that for an answer?! But, after reading, I had to wonder if I would have the guts to actually say something. I mean, I am NOT the confrontational type and I like to think of myself as a "do whatever you think is right" kind of person who does not judge others for their choices. BUT, this was a hypothetical situation in which and innocent, unable to advocate for him- or her-self, was being hurt! I thought about this topic and Pat's answer on and off until yesterday afternoon.

We went to the library to return out late books (yeah, I know!) Whenever I take Little Guy, we always walk way out of our way to get there - I've found that this gets rid of some of his energy and usually keeps him from running through the stacks and yelling. When we got there, we found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, some little guys between the ages of 2 and 6 might even describe it as "nirvana" - A Thomas and Friend Wooden Train Set (every one of the sets AND all of the trains, cars, even Henry the Helicopter!) Of course, he ran right to it and began playing in earnest.

Soon, he had a new friend, I'll call him 'Kevin', join him. Those guys played together famously. They shared, discussed their favorite engines, sang Thomas songs... it was pretty cool to see two kids under the age of three playing like this! Not once did I have to mention sharing or taking turns.

Something was missing, though. Where was Kevin's mom? He had been playing with Little Guy for a good 20 minutes and I didn't see anyone peek into the kids section. I didn't have to wait long to find out. Within 5 minutes, she came to get him. Here's how it went down (my little one standing there ready to lose it at the end):
"You ready to go home now?"
"Not yet, Mommy."
"Well, it's time to go. Say 'bye'."
"I'm not ready."
(Grabbing his arm.) "I said it's time to go. Come on."
"But Mommy I want to play!"
(Dragging him by the arm.) "I said we're leaving - right now! Walk!!!"
(Crying.) "No! I want to play! Please! No!"
"That's it, we're going to the bathroom and you're getting spanked if you don't get moving RIGHT NOW!"

By now the kid was in full-swing, inconsolable, snot and tears everywhere blubbering. You know the kind - where they can't even get a good breath of air? He had crumpled to the floor in a heap. Everyone in the library was looking while trying to pretend nothing was going on. Just as she started to pick him up, I took a deep breath and intervened (Yeah - ME!)

"Um... sure does suck having a toddler with a tantrum in the middle of the library, doesn't it? heh-heh"
I was ready to be told to mind my own F*****G business and wasn't quite sure what my next move would be. But, of all the responses and facial expressions I expected to be confronted with I was completely taken by surprise - she had a look of fear on her face and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. This poor girl was about 17 years old and looked like she was ready to run for the hills and never look back. OK, I could handle this, I just knew I could help!

I told her how I used to always have trouble getting Little Guy to leave wherever we were when he was having a great time. I gave her a few ideas that worked for me: 1) Tell him you have to leave in five minutes, that way he knows what's going to happen and can adjust to it. 2) Tell him why you have to leave - "We need to go home to cook dinner." 3) Remind him again when he has one minute left. 4) List a bunch of things you're going to do next, so he has something to look forward to "First we will cook dinner, then we'll eat, then it's bath time, and then we can get ready for bed and read this great Thomas book I got you from the library!"

Now, there's one more trick that I keep up my sleeve that is unique to our library. There are train track right across the street from the library. I keep my ears open and, when I hear that train whistle way off in the distance, I get ready to pounce. "Oh! Do you hear THAT?! I hear a train! Hurry! We have to get our coats on! The train is coming, maybe they engineer will honk to you again! Etc..." My little guy will be barreling toward the door when he thinks he might miss the train!

Not only did I manage to stop the inevitable spanking, but I made a new friend. She asked me for my phone number and even told me she wanted to get together so she could see how I deal with Little Guy on certain issues! OMG... I am completely, 100% flattered! I only hope that I can help her. It's not like I'm Super Mom. My toddler has his tantrum moments where I just don't know what to do. I've certainly wanted to completely disappear from quite a few of those situations, you know? But this time, I managed to have the right answers.

And, just as they were leaving, I heard the train. Kevin was so excited that he dropped his Percy train and asked for his coat! And I took that as our exit, too, and Kevin and Little Guy got to see the train together - talking about the names of all the different cars (they even saw a rare caboose!) I can't wait to meet up at the library next week and the park as soon as it gets warm out.

***PLEASE - don't forget about my RAOK for YOU Giveaway! It ends on Sunday (4/3) night at 11:59 pm EDT. I also have a quick giveaway ending on Saturday (4/2) night at 11:59 EDT for a $5 gift card.

My Random Act of Kindness for YOU - A GIVEAWAY!!! {March of Kindness 3/24}

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Please - only enter this giveaway if you really, truly want this book!Thanks.

When my oldest was about 2 1/2 years old, we began making bi-weekly trips to the library. One trip to our local library in North Hollywood, and one trip to the "big, fancy library" in downtown Los Angeles. Since he was so little at the time, library trips were usually composed of him running through the stacks, stopping every once in a while to look at a book that he deemed interesting just by looking at its spine. I didn't have time to browse for just the right book. So, I learned the Dewey Decimal System by heart and would steer him toward the section I was interested in the most on that particular visit. I began choosing MY books the same way he did - which spine looked most interesting. Hey - I found a lot of really great books that way!

See why we went to this library? THIS is the inside!!!

Los Angeles Central Library

On one trip, I decided to hit the downtown library's basement where they kept all of the books on teaching and learning. As I was trying to keep up with my zooming little one, I saw a book with a bright yellow spine. I grabbed it without even looking at the title. After we had left the library and were on the subway heading toward the San Fernando Valley, Mr. Zoomy fell asleep. I pulled the book out from the bag filled with Dr. Seuss and Richard Scarry books and read the title, How Children Learn by John Caldwell Holt. "Hmm..." I thought to myself, "Sounds interesting." By the time we got off the train, I was hooked!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with John Holt, here's a very short explanation: John Holt was a teacher and a researcher. He was a fifth grade teacher in private schools for many years. Since he had friends and relatives with very young children, he began to notice the huge difference in attitude toward learning between his 10 year old students and the toddlers he was around. The young children were bold and never seemed to mind making mistakes - they just tried again. They were eager to learn by observing the people and the world around them. Conversely, the fifth graders were withdrawn and self-conscious of the possible errors they might make. Holt decided to study how and why children went from being bold explorers to timid and self-protecting pre-adolescents in an attempt to find a better way to educate. He and another teacher, Bill Hull took on a project where one would teach while the other observed - day in and day out - to see what teaching strategies worked and, when they failed, why. Holt ended up writing three books with his 11 years of observation: How Children Fail, How Children Learn, and Learning All the Time.

My RAOK to you, my readers, is a giveaway of How Children Learn. I LOVE this book! I think that, rather than putting some "just-in-case" formula samples in those free diaper bags they send new parents home from the hospital with, they should put a copy of this book. Every new teaching student needs a copy, too, along with anyone who works with children or has any say in education policies. In this book, Hold described his observations of children learning naturally. He explains his theories behind the tantrums of two-year-olds,why we should let children decide what they need to learn, and the importance of fantasy play and games for children. John Holt was a huge advocate for unschooling - some say he was the father of the homeschooling/unschooling movement. He founded "Growing Without Schooling",a homeschooling magazine.

To learn more about John Holt, start HERE.

Oh, geez... I just can't explain it well! This guy is my hero!!! As a mom and a student teacher, his writings hold special meaning to me. He just plain makes sense. Here are a few excerpts from the book:

"...All I am saying in this book can be summed up in two words - Trust Children. Nothing could be more simple - or more difficult. Difficult, because to trust children we must trust ourselves - and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted."

"...It is only in the presence of loving, respectful, trusting adults like Millicent Shinn or Glenda Bissex that children will learn all they are capable of learning, or reveal to us what they are learning ... Of two ways of looking at children now growing in fashion - seeing them as monsters of evil who must be beaten into submission, or as little two-legged walking computers whom we can program into geniuses, it is hard to know which is worse, and will do more harm. I write this book to oppose them both."

"... This book did not change, as I hoped it might, the way schools deal with children. I said, trust them to learn. The schools would not trust them, and even if they had wanted to, the great majority of the public would not have let them. Their reasons boil down to these: (1) Children are no good; they won't learn unless we make them. (2) The world is no good; children must be broken to it. (3) I had to put up with it; why shouldn't they? To people who think this way, I don't know what to say. Telling them about the real learning of real children only makes them cling to their theories about the badness and stupidity of children more stubbornly and angrily than ever. Why do they do this? Because it gives them a license to act like tyrants and to feel like saints."

And finally,

"...In this chapter I will say something very simple, that may not often have been said before. Children use fantasy not to get out of, but to get into, the real world."

*** Edit: I wrote this post at 3am, so I forgot to add something very important about this book. It's a very easy read! This is not full of technical mumbo-jumbo and theories. It's just a guy writing about what he's observed and his reflections of those observations. You could open this book at any page, read for 5 minutes, and take something away from it to think about. It goes kind of like this: "Today I was watching a two-year-old do _____. First she tried this way, then she tried that way. When she got frustrated and near tear, I thought I could help her out by doing ____." Then, after the story, he will explain why what he did (or didn't do) was the right or wrong thing and why he thinks so. He never tells you what you should or shouldn't do - only suggests!

The book will be used. I am sorry about that, but I have some very good reasons. First and foremost - this is reusing at its best! I could never understand why someone would insist on a brand new book when you could get one that was almost-new and not cut down trees or spend an arm and a leg. Second, The company I buy from, Better World Books, gives a major portion of their profits to literacy initiatives. And, finally, you may be wondering about whether my choosing used books to save a tree vs. using trucks, etc. to transport said books halfway across the country, right? Well, Better World Books works with a consulting company to actually make sure that the carbon imprint of shipping is the lowest possible. Check it out here. **Being a used book store, I may not be able to get it through them. Right now, they only have one copy. So, if you're the winner, don't be disappointed if the book doesn't come from them. I'll find another store with similar interests as Better World Books.

So, how do you enter? I'm not going to ask that you follow, like, subscribe to, or share my blog. If you like what I write, I hope you will. But, this is a random act of kindness and I want nothing in return except the knowledge that I've been able to share this book with someone else.

WIN: One slightly used copy (see above paragraph if you skipped down to the bottom!) of John Caldwell Holt's How Children Learn. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway ends Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 11:59 pm, EDT. Winner will be notified via a blog post and email and will have 48 hours from the time the notification email has been sent to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.

Mandatory Entry:

Promise that, when you're through reading this book, you'll pass it on to someone else (a new parent, a teacher, anyone who might benefit from its message.) Just leave me a comment with your promise and a way to contact you.

Extra entries (these will be fun - I promise!)

Answer any or all of these questions. There are no right or wrong answers. PLEASE - keep your answers nice. There's no need to get nasty! I will delete any comments/entries that have a "them's fightin' words" ring to them. 

Please leave the number of the question you're answering in the comment, too, along with a way to contact you.

1. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose?
2. If you could be any age again for a week, what age would you choose and why?
3. Were you a sneaky child or teen? (Share a good story if you want!)
4. Share your favorite quote! (Don't forget to say who said it!)
5.  What vegetable do you most resemble?

The fine print: This is a giveaway that I am hosting on my own. I accept no liability. You enter at your own risk - reading this book may alter your opinions on raising children ans education You've been warned!

Newest Random Acts of Kindness {March of Kindness - March 18-23}

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It's been almost a week since my last March of Kindness post, so I figured I had better get caught up! I could have written an entire post for each of these, but things have been pretty busy around here. I'm trying to keep up with my Educational Psychology course (it is SO interesting!), my oldest has been caught lying about his homework (again) and I found out he's missing a whopping 21 assignments, and the great weather had gotten us outside quite a bit. Well, my homework is done for today, my oldest is sitting at the kitchen table (his new home) doing his homework, and the weather has turned cold and yucky again. I think I have time now!

#1 - Clean Up the Neighborhood
We live approximately 100 yards from "the wrong side of the tracks" - literally. Around here, it is not a stereotype, but a reality, about the amount of trash floating around low income neighborhoods. People just don't have any pride about their surroundings when their homes are so run-down looking. So, when the snow melted a little over a week ago, all of the trash that had been strewn about all winter surfaced. It looked terrible! Everything from potato chip bags to empty pop bottles to broken fifths of vodka littered our neighborhood.

This is our side yard. The "wrong side of the tracks" is just beyond that train.

When we went on our neighborhood walks, the boys and I took along two trash bags each time. One was for the trash, the other for recyclables. We always came home with both bags completely filled. It was hard trying to teach Little Guy which things he could pick up and which I wanted him to leave for me to touch. Broken glass seems to be a huge draw for him with it's sparkly, shiny qualities! On each of three walks, we came home with two completely filled yard size trash bags. My oldest got to keep all of the cans and bottles we found (worth 10 cents each in Michigan!) and ended up with $20! We found a book shelf that only needed a little cleaning, a few Hot Wheels cars for the little guy, and even a $2 Canadian coin. We got weird looks from passers by for the first day, then we noticed a few people walking around with trash bags on our second day out. And THEN, we saw FIVE other groups of people out cleaning up on our third day!!! Yes, there is a ripple effect for random acts of kindness - I just can't believe that it's turned into a tsunami in our neighborhood!


#2 - Help an Evicted Neighbor
Last weekend, our downstairs neighbor was evicted. In our area, the eviction process lasts a mere 2 weeks from the time the tenants are served until the sheriff's department comes to escort them out of their homes. This leaves little time for securing a new place to live and for packing belongings and getting them moved out. Our neighbor went through this and had only managed to move half of her things out before the locks were changed. She managed to get her large items into storage - furniture, appliances, etc. but she had none of her other things like dishes, bathroom items, and even most of her clothes.

This is how it's supposed to go. But, in our county, they've changed the times around and you can be out within 10 days of the start of this process.

I called the landlord. He came over the next day and let me go into her former apartment to get the rest of her things out. It took forever and I had no place to put her stuff. The four of us live in a tiny, 625 sq. ft., one-bedroom apartment - there's no room for our stuff! But, we stacked everything up wherever we could find the room. Our house looked like those pictures you see of hoarders' homes! She was so happy when, a couple of days later, she was able to come for her things. It felt good to know that I was able to help someone like this. I have been evicted a long time ago and lost everything but the overnight bag I had packed - it was so hard to start over! I know how she was feeling and I am glad that I had the ability to take some of the stress off of her shoulders.

#3 - Helping Out Other Bloggers
This was an easy one and I'm kind of embarrassed to even mention it, but maybe it'll give someone else an idea to do the same and get that ripple effect going online. I spent the past week blog hopping like crazy. I tried to leave comments of every blog I visited. I followed those blogs on GFC, Facebook, or Twitter (or all three, in some cases). I added buttons in my sidebar for the blogs I really enjoyed and want to share. I entered lots of low-entry giveaways and often shared those giveaways on Facebook or Twitter to help the blogger and sponsor out. (Hey, if I can't use the prizes, I know people who can!)

I also joined a new hop hosted by Real Mom Reviews designed to lower Alexa ratings and hopped around as much as possible. I'll keep on doing this Monday hop because it helps me find new blogs to follow, lowers their Alexa ratings, and improves their stats all around.









LOL - I know, not a great hint, but it's all you're going to get!

Where Are My Random Acts of Kindness Posts??? {March of Kindness 3/5 - 3/17}

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"So, what happened to your March of Kindness project?"

Well, it's like this. After my last posing for this meme about being kind to myself, everything fell apart. My computer crashed (again), my little guy had a round of the Terrible Twos that was deafening, dinner was burnt, my oldest came home with a note from his teachers sayiong that he hadn't turned in one bit of homework for a minth, and my husband decided he needed to take a nap in the midst of it all! I went to bed that night wishing I had skipped my little bit of luxury - it wasn't worth what came after! Guess karma had it out for me that day.

Things slowly got worse for a few days, then got better. I wanted to jump back into the March of Kindness, but I feel like a hypocrite. I look at the great list of ideas posted on Code Name: Mama's site and feel as if these are things I should strive to do everyday, anyway. A few years ago, I had a complete change occurr within myself. I no longer looked out fo me and only me. I regained the empathy and compassion I had back when I was a child. It was around that time that I decided to try to be "good" to others at all times. I began trying to look for little ways to make others' lives easier, whether it was helping someone carry heavy bags of groceries to their car or finding that lost dog's home.

I feel weird posting about these little things that I do every day. It's like tooting my own horn and that's not me at all. I get embarrassed about it. I don't want to feel proud when I do these things, I just want them to be a part of who I am. So, if I don't post every day about these thing, now you know why. When I do post, it will be to share an experience that, perhaps, one of my readers may be inspired to try out, too.

With that said, here is one thing I did last week that helped me, my family, some homeless in my area, the local library, and some pregnant teens and their little ones.

I have a huge collection of books. I love browsing our local used bookstore's shelves for interesting titles and very old first editions. When these books are only a dime a dozen - literally! - I end up coming home with stacks each time I visit the store. Most of these books are the kind that I intend to read but just don't have the time. The rest are books that I think I may need someday. They line all of my walls. They collect big, thick layers of dust. About 90% of them have never been opened by me or anyone else in my family. So, I decided to swallow big and get rid of all but the essentials. It was a huge job. Since there was so much dust, and I'm highly allergic, I had to carefully remove each book from its place, vacuum it off, then wipe it with a wet rag. I made four piles: Keepers, Donate to Salvation Army's Homeless Shelter, Donate to Teen Pregnancy Charity, Donate to Library.

We live a block away from a Salvation Army homeless shelter. This is a refuge for families who have been evicted. The shelter offers private rooms for each family, meals, and help finding jobs. I put all of my "how to save money" and "how to fix your home" books into that pile along with all of my novels and the children's books my kids don't read anymore. Those kids have lost everything. And, when you're being evicted and have no place to keep your stuff, the last thing most people are going to pack up and take along are their book - they're heavy and take up a lot of space!

I have a ton of natural childbirth, breastfeeding, and attachment parenting books. I don't need them anymore. I'm not having anymore children, I'm a pro at breastfeeding and little guy is close to self-weaning, and I really don't need to study attachment parenting - I'm living it! I don't think that teen mothers are prepared for any of these things. They are told how to eat right. They might be taught how to make formula and change a diaper. That's it. What they learn is about from friend is how to ask for epidurals to make the "excruciating" pain of labor disappear, and that breastfeeding is "gross", and they're often on their own when it comes to caring for their little ones. So, hopefully I will be able to help educate some new moms and make their lives a little easier.

Finally, all of the random books I had that didn't fit the other two categories went to our public library. They have a book shelf in their foyer that hold donated books. You can buy anything you want for whatever you think it's worth. The money goes to fund after school programs in that particular library. We live in a poor area of town and our library always gets the short end of the stick when they're handing out the funds each year. It's nice to know that my books will be used to help the librarians buy craft supplies, etc. to use for their after school programs!

The few books that I kept are either used often or special to me. I managed to give away a whopping 300 books and kept about 75! My house is dust-free (for now) and I have all of this extra shelf space. So, if oyu're looking to get rid of a few books, keep local charities in mind - they don't often get book donations because it's not something we think of giving.

What's That Smell?! {March of Kindness: March 4}

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So, today I have chosen to do something so totally random that my husband first laughed, then walked around the house with this weird look on his face for a while after I told him: I'm taking a nice, long bath. Not a bubble bath with Little Guy dumping water on the floor and I'm freezing my butt off because his small two-year-old frame has managed to fill the entire tub. Nope. I'm taking a very hot, very long, VERY QUIET bath - all by myself. Yep - my random act of kindness is going to benefit me today!

Now, I know that I'm not the only one out there who rarely takes time to do something nice for herself. (Did I just hear an "Amen" and a "Right On"???) I wear the same old clothes year in and year out. Yeah, I call it "being green" and all, but every once in a while I'd like to have a brand new top, bought with actual tags from a store on it (as opposed to the little thrift-store tags that a senior volunteer has written $0.25 on, ya know what I mean?) And I'd like to buy one of those frozen family meals that you just have to pour into a casserole dish and toss into the oven for 40 minutes. I'd love to go to the library sans toddler and find a nice, comfy chair to read a poetry or short story book in. And I pine for those care-free days when I took long showers and baths, never once suspecting that they'd be swept out from under me the second my littlest guy was born.

I could put my oldest in the middle of the living room floor when he was a toddler with a few toys and a Blues Clues video tape playing and tell him to stay put until I was done taking my shower. Never once did I expect him to get into trouble - and he didn't! Well, if you've read anything about Little Guy, you know that he's one of those curious-types, always testing the boundaries. The second he thinks I'm not looking at him, even when I'm two feet away, he's into something. And hubby, I love him, but he totally underestimates the little one. This just leads to huge messes, owies, and tantrums - for both of them! So, I've been forced to perfect the 7-minute-shower. Not an easy task when you have hair down to your waist. Oh, and I may as well air my dirty laundry right now - I'm lucky to get three showers a week. SO...

From: Sodahead Slideshows

That's why, today, I took the kind of bath you only see in movies. Scented candles everywhere, tons of bubbles, I got out my deep-pore cleansing mud mask and even treated my hair to some badly-needed deep conditioning. I thought ahead and brought my MP3 player with me so I could tune out the inevitable tantrum-like screaming that could possibly drive me from the tub. As the bath cooled, I drained it a little and added more hot water. I fogged the mirrors and window completely. I shaved my legs (the top part, too!) I got out a brush and gave my feet The Treatment. And, as the water drained from the tub, I kept those headphones on and used the sandalwood lotion I bought myself last summer and has yet to open.

Two hours. Two amazing hours!

When I finally emerged from my little spa, I felt like a woman. Not some asexual being whose purpose is to keep everyone else healthy, safe, and happy. Now, the frustrated husband and toddler didn't upset me. I quietly took over - sending hubby into the kitchen for a break and hugging Little Guy until he could tell me why he was crying (turns out Daddy didn't understand him correctly when he asked for the Monster Truck Show and he put in the Hard-Workin' Truck Show.) I even enjoyed cleaning up and sorting the gigantic pile of toys in the center of the living room. I wiped the chocolate from my toddler's hands, face, ear canals, etc., and didn't nag at hubby for giving it to him. He'd have responded with, "Well, he asked for it. What was I supposed to do?!" Uh... not give it to him? Anyway, I skipped that whole argument and cleaned up my baby, hoping he'd take his nap. 

I am not even kidding - THIS is what it looked like after I had cleaned for 10 minutes and thought to grab the camera.

I don't know when I'll get another bath like that. I'd like to say that I'll make time for me and set a goal of squeezing it in once a month for sanity's sake, if nothing else. But I know better. It's going to be a long time. I just hope that I can stretch that 7-minute-shower into 10 minutes, then 20 minutes someday. For now, I'm just glad I chose to perform a random act of kindness for myself!

Cleaning with a Toddler {March of Kindness: March 3}

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Cleaning with a toddler can be fun or aggravating. I think that it has to do with whether you really need to clean and how much of the "cleaning" is going to require you cleaning up an even bigger mess later. My random act of kindness today is to clean the kitchen with my toddler. "What? You're making your kid help you clean and calling it an 'act of kindness?!" Yep.

At nearly 2 1/2 years old, the little guy is big into what he considers "helping." He loves "helping" me clean up his toys, feed the cats, make pizza or cookies, fold the clothes, etc. The thing is, all of these "helps" end up taking three times as long and twice as much work as they would if I just did them on my own. But, the pride he takes in doing a good job is really worth it, in the end.

One job he has become increasingly interested in is cleaning the kitchen. This involves a bucket of water, vinegar, baking soda, and my NEW Skoy cloths. He usually stands at the baby gate that leads from the kitchen to the living room intently watching me dip the cloth into that bucket of water, then wiping the floor and cupboards. His gaze never leaves that cloth - he's mesmerized. I know what having him "help" me is going to involve:

ME: OK, first we put the cloth into the bucket, then we swish it around. (Insert demo here.) Then we very carefully get it out and squeeze it. Do you want to try. (Major head-nodding.) No, no. We don't splash, we have to be gentle. Yeah, stir it very gently. Now get it out---No! Stop! Oh, no! Don't take it all the way out! Stop swinging it around. Wait! Here, give it to me. Let me show you again.

...And again... and again... and again. Until I finally put the bucket on the stove because he hasn't washed a single thing, but the cloth has been dipped, swung around, and "squozed" a zillion times. My floor has more water on it than the bucket has in it. So, I shift gears. I give him the cloth and show him how to mop up the water with it I've now got two cloths out and I'm using one of them to soak up the pond that has formed before it heads under the refrigerator. Meanwhile, I have a toddler running through the puddle, stomping (of course) to make big splashes.

OK, the puddle is cleaned up and, in the process, my floor is semi-clean. I decide to just ignore all of the corners, under the table, etc. It's clean in the middle (and under the fridge.) Now it's time to wipe down the cupboard doors. I live with pigs, really. We have white cupboards covered with drips from coffee, juice, ice cream, etc. It's nasty and no one ever bothers to grab a sponge and just quickly wipe up the mess. I've tried everytrhing from yelling to going on strike. I'll never do the strike thing again - when I broke down and cleaned the mess after a month, it took me two hours to scrub the crud off of three cupboard doors, three drawer faces, the refrigerator, and the oven door - TWO HOURS!

I figured that my little guy would get the biggest kick out of wiping them down. It's at his level and, with one swipe, you can actually see it getting clean. I give him a quick tutorial in cleaning the cupboards and he tries it out. He loves this job! He's happily going at it, chattering about getting things "All CLEAN!" and helping. I encourage him by gregariously thanking him and telling him what a great job he's doing and how he's such a big boy. He exudes PRIDE! So, I start cleaning the stovetop and the wall above the counters.

Now, when I clean, I get into "the zone" and don't notice much. So, when little guy decided to open the cupboard that I keep the canned goods in, I didn't really notice. Maybe it's because that's where he plays "groceries" at when I cook dinner. Well, when the tower of cans taller than him got knocked down, I came back to reality (and the downstairs neighbor probably choked on her coffee - I hope she was awake!) Now I had to stop cleaning and get him to put the "groceries" away. Well, he had to clean them. Uh, OK. Well, you don't know where they were before you put them in your cart, maybe they do need some cleaning. So, I sat down on the litchen floor and washed cans of soup and veggies.  Not the cleaning I had envisioned, but little guy was happy and productive. I gave up on doing anymore cleaning, I'd just have to live with nasty cupboards one more day.

Now, I can't tell you just how much I didn't want to let him "help" me. The thought just sent shivers down my spine and gave me waves of nausea. But I was rewarded for my act of kindness today. Before his nap, all he could do was run to the gate every five minutes or so and peer into the kitchen for a second. Then he'd come, with his chest all puffed out, and tell me one of these:

• I clean that mess!
• All clean now!
• I'm big boy, clean mess.
• Oh, no! Daddy and Brubber make mess - I cleaned!

Yeah, I can go on, but it all boiled down to the fact that HE cleaned a big mess, that Daddy and "Brubber" made, all by himself because he's a big boy.I know that when he wakes up, he's going to be talking about it still. He'll tell anyone who will listen, including the cats. And, if he's listen to me enough, I'll have a new recruit in my battle to get my husband and oldest to clean up after themselves! He's already told one of the cats, who was sauntering through the kitchen and minding his own business, "No, Kee! You don't make mess! You clean mess up!"

So, my random act of kindness today was to ask my toddler to help me clean the kitchen. I didn't complain when I had to clean up a puddle in the kitchen, I even smiled a little when I saw the look on his face as he splashed through said puddle. My little one has gained more self-esteem than I could have imagined. He learned that he can do something that big people usually do. And, hey, I have a cupboard full of the shiniest canned goods in Michigan!

Proud as a Peacock by Mark Melnick

Doggie Express {March of Kindness: March 2}

Today, my random act of kindness is very random for me. I donated money to a good cause. Now, I'm not stingy. We just live on a very tight budget. I'm a SAHM and going to school full-time online. My hubby is unable to work due to lots of pain and a little thing called manic-depression. We live in a 628 square foot apartment with our almost-13 year old son and a toddler. We're living hand-to-mouth. So, whenever I see great causes that really need money, all I can do is hope they'll get the money they need from somewhere.

Not this time! I saw this and had to help:

ON MARCH 5 - I WILL BE TAKING A VAN FULL OF UNWANTED DOGS THAT CAME FROM THE MIAMI-DADE SHELTER IN FLORIDA - MOST OF THESE DOGS WERE DEATH ROW DOGS AND WOULD BE DEAD BY NOW

I HAVE OVER A DOZEN DOGS GOING NORTH TO RESCUES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA AND BOSTON - THESE RESCUES ARE GREAT RESCUES GROUPS AND ARE NO KILL - THESE RESCUES WANT TO TAKE MORE DOGS IN THE FUTURE! RIGHT NOW I HAVE THE DOGS IN VARIOUS FOSTERS AND KENNELS ALL OVER THE MIAMI AREA.

I HAVE A PAID SHELTER WORKER GOING ALONG TO TAKE CARE OF THE DOGS - WE HAVE EMERGENCY CONTACTS ON THE ROUTE IN SC, NC, VA, MD, PA

ALL DOGS WILL BE CRATED ON THE TRIP WITH VARIOUS STOPS ALONG THE WAY FOR POTTY BREAKS AND EXCERCISE

I AM RAISING MONIES TO COVER THE PULL FEES, KENNELING, VAN RENTAL, GAS, FOOD AND MISC. TRAVEL COSTS

I HAVE INVESTED HUNDREDS OF HOURS AND A LOT OF MY OWN MONIES TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN - I AM ASKING YOU TO HELP ME OUT WITH THESE COSTS

 When I lived in Los Angeles, I was really big on the cat rescue circuit. People really do go to shelters, bail the animals out, and then take them hundreds of miles to no-kill shelters. It takes a lot of time and costs a lot of money. The people who do this sort of thing are usually pretty darn poor, yet they choose to spend their time and money helping helpless animals rather than going out to eat or buying a new dress.

I have a PalPal account for the survey sites I belong to to deposit the dollor or two I wearn here and there into. I use the money to buy little luxuries when I see a great deal. Things like super-discounted toys, magazine subscriptions, household items. You know, stuff I really don't need, but they're nice to have. I also save up and buy gifts for holidays and birthdays. Well, when I saw the above plea for help, I opted to skip the new frying pan I had my eye on and help this poor woman get those pups somewhere safe.

That's my random act of kindness for today. I would love it if you could help out, too. It doesn't have to be much - even just a dollar or two. It all adds up!

You can donate HERE with PayPal. If you would like to deduct your contribution, you can send a check or money order (this is a 501c3 rescue organization):

Make payable to: "ARNNE" (Animal Rescue Network of New England)

Send check/M.O. to rescue address:

Ladydog Productions/Rescues

P.O. Box 1843

Broken Arrow, OK 74013

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS - CALL 202-465-6861 OR EMAIL: revivaljoe@usa.net

Today We Celebrate Our Anniversary! {March of Kindness: March 1}

If you'll notice, I have a short explanation of what the March of Kindness is all about in my sidebar. Read it, click on a link (they're in red), and check it out!

So, today hubby and I celebrate our anniversary. Our real anniversary is February 29th. We figured that, since each year is 365 1/4 days long, we can celebrate for 6 hours on March 1. Make sense? OK.

I'll do the regular things I do on our anniversary this year: make a special dinner, plan some extra time together, be extra nice and not nag about stuff, etc. But, to fit in with the March of Kindness meme, I want to do something extra special, too. After looking over the list of ideas for random acts of kindness that Code Name: Mama put together, I have decided to do #5 - "Give them a full body massage" and #12 - "Read an article about something your partner is interested in and have a fun conversation about it."

Now, I'm usually the one on the receiving end of those lovely massages. I hang out with Little Guy all day long, picking him up and dealing with tantrums. I cook, clean, and do all of the other things that go along with being a SAHM. I am getting old. The weather sucks. I hurt all of the time, all over my body. On those rare occasions where hubby and I are both awake and can spend some, um..., quality time with each other, he often gives me a nice massage. It's very rare but, when it happens, I am always the one getting the lotion rubbed on. Hubby never complains, never asks for his turn, nothing. It's a little freaky how he never even acts like he wants one. Anyway, it's his turn.

The reading an article about something he's interested in is going to be tough - and a huge surprise to him. He loves history. And debating. While I tatally see the need for learning about history (and learning from our mistakes), I'm not "into" it. And I hate debating with him. He's one of those people who gets so excited about a conversation that he'll talk over, around, and through you to make his point and show you how you're thinking is incorrect. OK. Deep breath... I'm going to do it. And if I'm going to do it, why not do it big, right? He loves, in particular, history that deals with the criminal justice system. "So-and-so was put to death for such-and-such a reason - but there was NO EVIDENCE!!!" He loves debating these things so much that he'll take up either side of the argument, he's not choosy. There have been times when he's argued for BOTH sides at the same time... in the same sentence... in   the   same   breath... UGH.

So, you see how both of these acts of kindness will be completely random to him? They are extra-special because neither ever happens. I prefer the massages. He's getting one - and a good one, too. Not a five-minute shoulder rub. I really don't want to think about a country where someone can be put to death with little or no evidence. I'll learn the ins and outs of a few cases. I can't stand arguing debating. I'll give him a full-on conversation that'll have him thinking for weeks.

So there you have it. My first random act of kindness goes to my husband on out anniversary.