Squash Volunteers

Starting this year off right by taking my kiddos to the food pantry to volunteer.  We were there for about an hour and a half and I am so impressed with my kids.  It got tiring and boring for them but we finished all the boxes of squash.  

 Loading the train with bags of squash

 Look at all those boxes that we bagged 6 squashes to a bag

Super strong kiddos

Exciting Discovery

This holiday season I really REALLY wanted to help out and volunteer at a soup kitchen and food pantry and truthfully I want to volunteer anywhere I can.  I never was able to get a hold of the soup kitchen but I did go into our local food pantry to ask them what the rules are about volunteering.  We can pretty much go in during working hours and help  out where ever they need help.  It is even more exciting that our kids can come as long as there is an adult present.  SCORE!!

My husband has seen my excitement to volunteer so he has been asking places about their volunteer policies.  We have found that it is mostly for non profit organizations but anywhere will take volunteers.  Some have a little more paper work than the next but there are still many good causes to help out with.

If you google you city and volunteer options you will get a ginormous mother load of options to pursue. One site I found was Volunteer Match where you can put in your city and what cause you are interested in and it will magically bring one up.

Check it out!!  Make someone SMILE today!! :)

Room Mom. . . .

The funniest thing. . . . while away for a weekend with the girls I got a call from a friend who I used to work with at an elementary school.  She called and said she had the most amazing idea and she wanted to run it by me.  I didn't quite know what to expect but I said, "Lay it on me."  She ended up asking me if a wanted to be a room mom of sorts and come in to do different activities with her class.  Now is a normal situation I would of said 'NO'.  I don't like committing myself and having to worry about coming up with creative nice things to do.  It is an overwhelming thought and something I feel uncomfortable putting myself in.  But given that it wasn't a normal situation and I was feeling the excitement of life on this get away I said, "Of course, let's do it"

Not to drive the point but I get completely overwhelmed in these types of actions as well as am  a complete procrastinator until the day of.  I came home and couldn't believe what I have agreed to, especially since I have no kid in this class. hahahaha On top of that I VOLUNTEERED to do something in my three kids classrooms; might as well since I am already doing something in one class.  That is FOUR classes that I am contributing to.  Shaking my head in disbelief.  I am really going outside of my bubble.  WAY OUTSIDE!

I want to give a BIG shout out to Pinterest because I would never have considered being a room mom.

I ended up making a different dessert for each class and doing a simple and small craft.

 Found this treat here and here.  Shortbread cookies turned upside down, reese's peanut butter cup, yellow frosting and an orange tic tac.  Super easy.

I chose to do this activity because it brought the real meaning of Thanksgiving which is being grateful for all of our blessings.  The kids really enjoyed it!!  find it here

Oreo Turkeys

Rice Krispie Turkey

last but not least

Pilgrim Popcorn

(which I liked for the preschoolers)

You should of seen all the kids smiles!!!  

They liked the activity but they lived for the treats.

The wildest ride. . . .

The excitement began when I started looking at pictures of a friend.  It seems no matter who it but we always know someone that takes pictures or does photography.  This person was actually being made-up and photographed by her daughter and as I was looking at her photography site she gave a link to her sister site which is The S.I.P. Project(Service is Painless).

Reading this site and the idea behind it, giving service for photos, just clicked for me.  Not necessarily the pictures done which would always be cool to do but the 'Service is Painless' part .  On the site is gives different ideas of how to give service and how you can tailor it to your own likes and own family passions.

Going to my thinking spot, (my bathroom), I came up with different ideas that I thought would be awesome and fun for our family to pursue.

In order to get my family on board I wanted to do a service for them to get them excited for giving service.  More to come on this adventure. . . . . . .