Not So #RandomActsofKindness & Giving That Lasts All Year #GivingBack

Extending the Season:

Giving Back All Year Long

In November I wrote a post about easy inexpensive or free ways to give, or pay it forward during the Holiday season. For most of us the holidays are a time of giving, or "Tis the Season" and we are looking for ways to give, and give back. 

Lately I've been thinking a lot about why the season isn't all year round. 

I'm wondering what small not so random acts of kindness can be done on a regular basis throughout the year. It's been my experience that the giver, gets as much if not more in return than the receiver, and wouldn't it be nice to feel the joy of giving all year long. I'm not talking about huge life altering actions, but rather a plan to include and schedule small acts of charity and kindness into our busy everyday lives. Like everything else (eg. exercise, projects, appointments) it is much more likely we will actually do an activity, follow up, and follow through if it is scheduled into our plans, and not left to chance. 

Why not schedule in a few of these ideas into your life, and make the "Season" of giving last all year long. 

• Donate gently used clothing to a local shelter or mission so it can be distributed to the homeless and those in need. In the colder months jackets, hats, gloves, socks, boots, blankets, sleeping bags,  knapsacks, and dufflebags are so appreciated. 

• Donate gently used clothes, toys and books to a women's shelter. The coffee and the tea from the hotel room and hotel toiletries are also perfect for someone that is in temporary accommodations.

• Baby clothes and items can be donated to teen mother organizations and homes. They are always very much appreciated. Remember certain items like car seats have expiry dates and are generally not accepted.

• Donate gently used work clothes to an organization like Dress For Success.  http://www.dressforsuccess.org/

• Donate gently used children's snowsuits, hats, mitts, and boots to a Snowsuit Fund or Snowsuit collection in your area. Canadian winters are cold, and no child should go without a warm jacket.

• Donate gently used sports equipment to organizations that help to ensure all kids have access to participating in sports. The Star: Where you can donate used sporting equipment

• Donate prescription glasses you no longer use to  https://www.lenscrafters.ca/onesight or  http://www.clerc.ca/?page_id=77

• Collect the small bottles of shampoo, soap and toiletries from hotel stays, and/or the toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss you get from your dentist. Donate them to a shelter or to a food bank. Sort the items into into small ziplock bags for easy distribution.

• Children's book your kids no longer use can be donated to a school library. School libraries get very little by way of budgets to buy new or to replace books. Your donations can go a long way. Same goes for magazine subscriptions; Chirp, Chickadee, Skateboarding and Snowboarding Magazines, Popular Science and Mechanic and Canadian Geographic are all popular with students even if they are a year or two old. 

• Adult novels can be donated to nursing homes or shelters. Or if you know someone who can't get out, drop a box of books to them. Reading helps to combat loneliness, as does the act of kindness.

• If you are donating canned foods to a food drive or food bank, make a list, watch for sales and, use coupons to increase your donation. You can often double the donation by smart purchasing, and who doesn't love a deal! 

• Donate blood. It costs nothing but is always in need.  http://www.blood.ca/centreapps/internet/uw_v502_mainengine.nsf/page/Home

• Give the gift of time. Volunteer in your neighbourhood, a local school, church, seniors home, or charity.  http://volunteer.ca/

• Sign up to drive someone to their cancer treatment. Isn't fighting the disease enough, without worrying about how to get to your treatments, or taking the bus.  http://www.cancer.ca/en/get-involved/volunteering/ways-to-volunteer/drive-people-ab/?region=ab

• Offer to put up or take down Christmas lights up for a senior, or if they no longer drive offer to take them grocery shopping, or to an appointment.

• Bake some cookies or treats and deliver them to someone who has mobility issues and doesn't get out.

• Shovel the snow for someone! Especially a senior, or a Mom with small kids or baby that can't easily get out.

• In the Spring, offer to take someone to buy some flowers for their garden, and help them plant them. For someone with mobility problems, making their home special is special!

• Mentor someone: share your skills, talents, and expertise. Help with a resume. Practice interview skills. Tutor a student. Teach a senior to use the Internet, Email, or Skype. Being connected can make all the difference in ones life.

• Babysit or Seniorsit and give a tired, overworked caregiver a break. A couple of hours can be so important to managing stress and coping.

There you go! A bunch of ideas for giving that cost so little but mean so much. 
If you have ideas that might be added to the list, or experiences of your small "not so" random acts of kindness, please share them with me in the comment season. I would love to hear about it!

Yep, just Cathy thinking out loud about not so random acts of kindness.

TAKE THE #BLOGCHALLENGEDONE CHALLENGE! EASY WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR FAVOURITE BLOGGERS WRITING EFFORTS

#BLOGCHALLENGEDONE....what the heck is that? Before I explain, I would like to give you some of insight into my reasoning for starting this challenge. 

Ask any blogger why they started blogging and I think most will tell you they started a blog to write. It may have started as a journal, or to educate and inform, and for others to share something they are passionate about like travel, or food. The focus might be different, but the motivation is generally the same, they blog to write. 

I think the majority of bloggers will also tell you that writing, and researching, and maintaining a blog takes time, a lot of time. As the saying goes time is money, and if you are spending hours of your day writing, then you are probably not making money from it. So in order to continue to be able to write, and finance this time, many need to "monetise" their blog. It may be by brand ambassadorships, giveaways, product reviews, ads, or hosting twitter parties. This is a compromise of sorts, meaning no matter the way you monetise a blog, it generally means at least some of the focus will move from the writing to the monetising efforts. Sometimes the very necessary process of making an income, and supporting the blog crowds the posts that motivated one to start the blog in the first place. 

Hey, no judgement here, it is a necessary evil, and the events, twitter parties, conferences, and giveaways can be a lot of fun. I'm just saying it would be nice if readers read and commented on the posts that are personal, and meaningful, and reveal to the reader something about the blogger as well. Won't it be great if people commented not because it was a requirement for an entry into a contest, but because they enjoyed the post and they want to acknowledge the time and effort required to write and publish a regular stream of posts. 

So in that spirit I have started something I am calling BlogChallengeDone. The challenge is to read and comment on at least one NON-GIVEAWAY blog post everyday. Ideally from a blog you haven't visited in a while, and then tweet the link of the post, tagging the blogger, using the hashtag 

#BLOGCHALLENGEDONE.

EG: 

"I just read a fantastic post by @cantoncathy about travel  http://cathythinkingoutloud.blogspot.ca/2014/01/travel-tips-tidbits-tuesday-post-1.html?spref=tw #blogchallengedone "

I hope you will join in this daily challenge to support the writing efforts of bloggers, and in return I hope someone else will take the time to read and comment on yours. I ask that if someone shares your post in the #blogchallengedone hashtag, don't just say thanks, return the favour. Pay it forward and read, comment, and share someone else's post. Maybe we can get a movement going.

HAPPY BLOGGING AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about blogging.

SURPRISE! JOIN THE PAY-IT-FORWARD FUN!

SURPRISE! 

Yesterday two of my Facebook friends posted a Pay-It-Forward message on Facebook! (see below). They were Paying It Forward from posts they had seen or were inspired by! I hear this has been happening all over Facebook in the past few days! 

What a lovely idea! Why not share some of the items you have been lucky enough to win, or have extra of. What about investing $25 to buy 5 assorted Gift Cards and another $5 in postage and make 5 lucky people's day when they receive it in the mail! I am planning my Pay-It-Forward surprises now and I can't wait to surprise and add a bit of fun to someone's day! 

Go ahead Pay-It-Forward. 

I bet you get as much out of giving as receiving! 

Happy New Year! and here is to the best 2014 ever! 

(via Tammy D Facebook - Jan.3rd)

"It's that time again!! Pay-It-Forward 2014: The 1st five friends to comment on this status that they want to play will receive from me, sometime in this calendar year, a random gift... It will be a total surprise! Maybe it will be a candle, jewelry, gift card, movie, collectable figurine, food, kitchen stuff, home decor, who knows?? There will be NO warning and it will be sent whenever the mood strikes! So, what's the catch? If you decide to participate you MUST make this same offer on YOUR page and get five people to randomly gift too.

If you're one of my five, I will confirm by liking your comment and asking for your mailing address in a PM. No double-ups though, aka spouses

So, please if you're not going to follow through, don't commit to it!!
This is supposed to be fun and give us a treat in the mailbox vs bills bills bills and junk mail!! Haha! Sure this will go fast!"