It feels like the perfect time of year to talk about serving others and thinking of other people. There's lots to be thankful for and I know I enjoy my days more when I'm doing things to serve others. It doesn't have to involve spending tons of money or tons of time either. I'm happy to share some simple things we've been doing to put a smile on their face.
1. Teachers // Babysitters // Daycare Workers
I challenge you to do sweet things for the teachers and care takers in your life because the work they do is amazing. They spend their days surrounded by little people and working so hard. I try to send in something thoughtful for Olive's teachers once a month.
I've baked cookies, written thoughtful note, sent in a box of truffles from Aldi for each teacher and sent in these cute Thanksgiving gifts this week. The tea towels and spatulas are under $2 at Walmart and the scarecrows were under $3 at Meijer. I think her teachers will love them! We also wrote notes to go with their gifts telling them something we were thankful for about them. Olive at first said nothing because she was ready to be done, but after talking about it she came up with several cute things to say for each teacher.
2. Delivering a Favorite Drink
Memorize your spouse's favorite drink order or your BFFs and then surprise them with one. Last winter my kids were so sick and we'd been stuck in the house for days. A super sweet friend dropped off my favorite drink and popsicles for the kids on my porch. She texted and said to open the door for a sweet surprise. It made my day!
3. Snap a Picture
There are tons of holiday events and gatherings going on this time of year. If you are at an event snap a picture for a mom who can't be there. Text it to them and tell them their child is having a blast. A cute friend sent me this picture of Olive from a Halloween party that I couldn't attend. It made me feel so happy to know she was having a blast and wasn't phased that I was stuck at an appointment.
4. Rake Leaves for Neighbors
My neighborhood has so many trees and a mix of older and younger neighbors. The yard work is a lot to keep up with so it's nice to help out neighbors that need it. I saw one neighbor send her lawn crew over to do the leaves of an elderly neighbor. I know it made their day! Plus, if you have teenagers this would be such a great way to involve the whole family.
5. Give Grace
Go out of your way to be kind to others this holiday season. I took Olive to her favorite Duplo class last week. Fletcher was being a handful - teething, loud, not wanting to sit and mostly wanting to knock down all the Duplos. The sweet teacher that we know well went above and beyond to be kind to us that day. She played with him while I built with Olive, she smiled when he was knocking over Duplo towers and then she got him a popsicle when he'd had enough. She didn't have to do any of that, but I'm so glad she did. It really helped me out and I appreciated the grace she showed me.
6. Donations
So many places are accepting donations of warm clothes, coats, socks, meals, etc. this time of year. A local place published a list of Thanksgiving items to donate so we went to the store to purchase one of each item on their list. I explained to Olive that some people need extra help around the holidays and this was one, small way that we could help brighten their day. She was thrilled to hunt for the items in the store and was happy to give.
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Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam, & Dylan Too | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
