thesandbucket.com » Service

Sweet Willow

admin — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:36:22 +0000

Sweet Willow was the winner of the Matilda Jane – Habitat for Humanity Auction. She is the sweetest little thing.

It was so much fun to spend the morning with her and her mother. A BIG thank you to them for supporting the Habitat for Humanity Auction.

This shoot is reminding me that Summer is coming up. For many of you, it is already here. For us in California, we are still in school and June is the busiest month of the year. I am so ready for Summer!

Matilda Jane just announced they will be doing another auction. I am sure it will be filled with wonderful findings!

I am trying to find some ways to get my kids to find the beauty in service this Summer. If you haven’t checked out S.O.S. yet, you should. I find it inspiring.

They just posted about this program. There are ways to get your family involved to help at www.nokidhungry.com

Another site I found is Craft Hope. Check it out. This seems like a fun way to make stuff with your kids at home and serve others.

Good luck to you in finding your path to serve others.

If you have any wonderful suggestions for service projects for families please share!

The Warm Fuzzy Revolution

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:59:21 +0000

Have you read about the Warm Fuzzy Revolution?

It is an organization dreaming up ways to do good and helping us teach our kids how to serve those in need.

We had an awesome article in the debut Issue of The Sandbucket and an intro here on the blog.

Dana Ohlsen is the mastermind, the dreamer, and the doer of this wonderful organization.

Here are some sobering facts that Dana has to share with us….

The need is great… putting things in perspective

According to Feeding America, one out of six Americans goes hungry in the United States. The non-profit organization, StandUp for Kids reports that 13 hungry kids die on the street everyday. While we’re thinking about what restaurant we want to eat at for the night, they are thinking about where their next meal is going to come from. While we’re thinking about feeding that Diet Coke or coffee addiction, they are worried about where they will lay their head. Instead of many of us keeping up with the Joneses, what if we kept our eyes up to notice more opportunities to help? Instead of filling our lives with busy work, what if we filled it with giving? I do not speak from a high horse, but from a deep and passionate place in my heart that is determined to make a change in my own life while making a difference in someone else’s. How you fill your day is your choice. Make the choice to make a little time.

Stand Up For Kids not only provides support to kids living on the streets, but also gives them someone who cares. On SUFK’s homepage I found a link to a Leann Rimes’ video for her song, “Give”, filmed on the streets of Chicago with a group of homeless youth. On her blog she writes about the experience, “My life is forever changed. One thing they said is no one looks them in the eye when they see them on the streets, so there’s a deep loneliness there and a feeling of almost not existing. I will now always look anyone who’s homeless in the eye and smile. That smile could make their whole day. It could make them feel like they are alive and a part of the world.” That thought struck a chord with me; as I think many of us avoid eye contact. Maybe we think they are going to ask us for handouts or we’re afraid. But what are we afraid of? Before Operation Warm Fuzzies, I could only imagine what LeeAnn was talking about. Now I know.

Go to the Facebook Page of The Warm Fuzzy Revolution and like it to get ideas on how to serve.

She is just getting started. There is no telling where this will go!

And for now we will leave you with a quick tip from Dana.

WARM FUZZY MINI TIP: Put together 5 mini care packages for your car so you are prepared for unexpected encounters. Gather a few non-perishable items, like small water bottles, granola bars, trail mix, peanut butter cracker sandwiches, Ensure, small tissue pouches, and gum. Put into grocery bags or brown craft bag with handle, place in small box or crate in trunk and you’re ready to spread some warm fuzzies!

Christmas Jars – Guest blog Tammy Mitchell

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:45:49 +0000

We are so excited to have Tammy Mitchell guest blogging today. Make sure you go and check out her blog. It is packed full of fun ideas. You will see lots of Tammy around here with some fun party planning ideas in our first magazine coming out in January!

Hi! My name is Tammy Mitchell and I am so excited to be a part of this new and exciting venture here at The Sand Bucket! Christmas is such a magical time of year. It is so fun to learn about what everyone else’s families do to make their season special. I wanted to share an idea with you that I came up with a year ago and has quickly become one of our favorite traditions: The Christmas Jar.

One of the things I struggle with around Christmas time is teaching my two little ones about the REAL meaning of the season. There are SO many fun things going on…visits with Santa, gingerbread houses, parades etc., that sometimes it’s hard get them to think about anything other than what’s on their own Christmas list. Each year we always adopt a family or two, do toys for tots, make treats for our neighborhood, give gifts to our friends etc…but I wanted them to start to understand the meaning of sacrificing to give a gift. In past years we’ve gone to Target, they’ve each picked out a gift for kids their age and then we’ve gone to the fire station to drop them off, but it really didn’t mean anything to them when I was the one whipping out the credit card and actually paying for the toys. So, one night while I was brainstorming, I came up with the idea for 12 days of Christmas with a little twist for the kiddos. I give each of my kids a jar and let them decorate and label it as their own. Each day (we start December 10^th) for 12 days there is a job or a service that they must complete, for example…

-take out the neighbor’s trash

-rake the leaves at someone’s house

-fold and put away the laundry

Some of the tasks are jobs around the house to help me, and others are services to help others. You can make them age appropriate for each of your children.

Once they complete each task they receive a dollar or two to put in their Christmas Jar. At the end of the 12 days, we take the Christmas Jars to Target or Walmart where they pick out a toy and then use the money they have earned to purchase the toy that they choose for the child in need.

I love it for two reasons. It keeps the spirit and real meaning of Christmas on their minds each day leading up to Christmas, and it really teaches them to sacrifice for others. For my kids earning money is a BIG deal, they don’t really earn an allowance yet, and when they do it is a small amount saved up over a long time. They get excited to go pick something out for themselves when they have a little saved up, so, when they have to turn it over to purchase something for someone else it is a true sacrifice. I have loved the way they anxiously ask for their job each day so they can add to their jar to help another. They have already started asking me what their jobs will be this year. It is very sweet to see.

Thanks for letting me share one of our traditions. I look forward to hearing yours and adding them to our list of favorites!! J

Thanks Tammy! And to all you new readers….please go to our facebook page and like us to insure you get all the updates of the fun stuff coming up!