Birthday Gifting - I think we'll call it GIFT 6

I'm poor.  I don't plan on always being poor.  But, for the moment, I am poor.

That being said, all the fabulous gifts I would love to bestow upon those I love will have to wait until my ship comes in.  Until then, I have to make do with what I've got.

I've got horses!

Today was my nephew Benny's birthday party (which was total awesome, by the way!) He got lots of lego, and cool toys, but we gave him some quality time, on horseback.  His present is to have a riding lesson, and then go for a trail ride with me and his mom.  I like giving this, because I find it hard to go out and ride as often as I like, so an excuse to do it is something I can live with.  Can't wait to party with my favourite nine year old!

Day something or other

Does bringing the snack to nursery count as a gift?  The kids really loved the yogurt. 

How about not going to the family party so as not to infect all with my sinus/ear infection?  Okay, that may be a lousy excuse, seeing as I did go to nursery, but I did feel like crap, and so I didn't go.

Tomorrow we are going to a birthday party, so the giving should be easy.

Gifting gone downhill

Honestly, I have not fallen off the earth with this project.  I have given many gifts over the past few weeks that I wouldn't otherwise have thought to do. But man, a gift a day is harder than you might think.  As I've been on this journey I have really wanted to make sure I wasn't counting the every day things that I would do anyway, I wanted this to be something that stretches me.  So, as each day comes and goes I have tried to find moments that inspire me to give.  Unfortunately I have not done a great job of doing this every single day. I should be on day 22 today, and I really don't think I have given 22 gifts.  Sad.  I know.

But I have done some things.  Let's recap, and hopefully jump back on track. 

At Chapters I donated to the Love of Reading Foundation, which I have thought is really cool so many times, but never bothered to contribute to.  It's a fund that promotes literacy by donating good books to school libraries.  It always made me sad to see how few new books school libraries were able to purchase. Back in the day when I had money and bought way too many books, I would often donate them to my school library after I had read them.  I'm not sure if the junior high schools of Calgary would appreciate the birth, breastfeeding and parenting books that I invest in these days, so donating to this foundation seemed like a good thing to do.

I love my big sister Alice, who does so much for me.  As a small (really small) gesture of that love, I bought her a Booster Juice and brought it to her.  I love Booster Juice and think that would pretty much make any day for me, so I'm just assuming that it probably made her day too!

I took one of my best friends in the whole world, Nicole, horse back riding.  In a past life this would have been no big deal, but as I'm realizing, it is getting harder and harder to do things without my kids, and I can't really go galloping through a field with Silas on my back now can I?

I made two aprons to send to two different people for a gift exchange I am part of.  I don't really feel I can count this, because I will get gifts in return, but still, I made them myself, and think if I could count them as two different gifts it would make me feel a little less guilty.

My dear friend Sarah just had her third baby, a sweet little boy. More than anything in the world I wished I could be there with her.  But alas, I couldn't.  So, in an effort to send her some sunshine, I sent her a bouquet of beautiful sunflowers.  I've never sent flowers to anyone.  I hope she loved them.  I love her.

I sent out two hats that I knit to Utah.  I ran a blog giveaway, but still, I made them and gave them... right?  Does that count as two as well?

I'm sure there is more. I hate to think that in the last 22 days that is all I have given to the world.  Do Father's Day presents count?  If I count the hats and aprons that means I have done 13 of the 22 days.  Pathetic, I know. I'm sure I could count way more than 22 ways that others have helped me in the last 22 days. 

I will persevere.  I will not start over, but I will move on from here.  Let's pretend that all the time between then and now did not happen, and tomorrow is Day 6.  And please, if you need anything, let me know, because I'm looking for ways to give!

Day 5

We had a great day today.  My cousin Eli came in from BC, and got to spend the entire day with him and his family. Perhaps I can count my Eli's absolute adoration of Big Eli as a gift - though I'm not sure  if he would consider it such.  After they left, my Eli couldn't stop talking about "the other Eli". He thought they should go hang out, just the two of them, and I think his suggestion was that they go get hair cuts together - apparently that's what real men do together.

The gift I'm actually going to count for today is the Le Leche League meeting that I attended tonight.  I am a LLL Leader, and was able to go to my sister's meeting tonight.   With four other leaders there that seemed far more capable than I, I'm not sure that I was very helpful with breastfeeding knowledge, but I do believe that just being there to offer support and encouragement is worth more than information any day.  I know it was when I was starting out my breastfeeding journey.  I really do believe that breastfeeding is one of the most important things we can give our children, and so being able to support other mothers to do that successfully is one gift I feel is so important to give.

Day 4

The anti-gift giving ogres were out to get us today.  Seriously.  Wanting to get Eli involved, we went out this afternoon with a pocket full of change to fill parking meters down town.  I figured we could top up all the empty and almost empty meters we could until we were out of change.  Well, in the three years I've been gone from Calgary parking meters have apparently gone out of style, because all I could find were "Park Plus" kiosks, where you pay for your parking stall.  I had no way of knowing how much people had paid... it was oh so frustrating! 
So, we had to change our plans.  Instead we went home and made balancing butterflies as a thank you for our friends we stayed with in the East.  It was Eli's first watercolor experience, and I believe he did just fine!  The gifts won't be received for a week or two, when the postman delivers them, but it was given today!

Honestly, four days into this, I am a little surprised at how difficult it is to deliberately gift something every single day.  I mean, there are lots of things I can call gifts, like cleaning up around the house for my mom, or mowing the lawn, but I'm really trying to do things I wouldn't necessarily do otherwise.  Four days in and I feel this is going to be much harder than I thought.  And, while most days I think I am going to have to plan the gift, I really hope that I will find some opportunities to give where I didn't plan.  The great thing is, because of this challenge, I've got my eyes open.

Flutter by, Butterfly

Today for my 29-Day Giving Challenge we made the most beautiful craft.  And, the greatest part about it was that Eli could do most of it himself! We made these balancing butterflies for our friends out East that let us stay with them while we were visiting.  I cut out and traced the butterlies, Eli painted them, and I cut them out again.  Then Eli applied the pennies (which was a lot trickier than I thought it would be - next time I will tape them on first just to make sure they are in the perfect position.)  Now I'm on the prowl for more water color crafts, because they were so amazingly beautiful, and they were all Eli's work!

When Ali and her boys came over we tried them on.  Noses were the obvious favourite!   What a blast!

Day 3

Today Eli and I made a hand print bouquet for Adrienne.  She is so good to us, and we had to go visit her at work, so we figured we would bring her something special.  She loved it!

And, for the record, I did find another gift to give to make up for yesterday.  It was one of those gifts that doesn't need to be shared online, but I did find someone to give to.

Day 2

Today was not a good day for giving.  I spent the entire day in the kitchen, until we ran out the door for Eli's birthday party at the Wiebe's.  Jared leaves tomorrow for Washington for 5 weeks, and he wanted "fried dough" for breakfast, and since my mom doesn't have a bread maker, I had to make that bread dough the old fashioned way: with elbow grease.  Then I had to make Eli a birthday cake.  I've decided to only buy and eat fair trade chocolate, and wanted to make something remotely healthy, so I made the most delicious carrot cake EVER!  I love cream cheese icing!  Then we made home made ice cream, and fruit sorbet.  By the time that was all done, we were just about late for the party, so out the door we ran. At the Wiebe's I did start on Jared's Father's Day present, but that will be a gift for another day.

So, I guess I spent the day "giving," but since I used Eli's birthday yesterday as my gift, I don't think I can use it again.  Tomorrow I will give twice, I guess.

Day 1

Day one was an easy one for me. Today we celebrated Eli's third birthday, so I was able to shower gifts upon him.  And I couldn't have asked for a more grateful recipient!  We gave him a play tent, a camping chair and, best of all, his very own Ergo Baby DOLL carrier!  He loved it all, but he was really thrilled with the Ergo.  He put it on and ran around the house and yard screaming, "My very own Ergo.  I am so happy about this!"

Day one: success!

Hands Full of Giving

I have just committed to a worldwide giving movement called 29 Gifts.  Along with 10000 other people worldwide, I am going to try over the next 29 days to awaken the giving spirit in myself, and hopefully the world around me. 

"The Challenge is so simple. Just sign up at http://www.29Gifts.org and commit to give away 29 gifts in 29 days. Your 29 Gifts can be anything given to anyone... money, food, old sweaters, smiles, your time, kind words, positive thoughts, prayers...

WHY SHOULD YOU DO THIS? To inspire more generosity on our planet. Because to see our world change, we have to do something to change our world. Plus, the best way to attract abundance into your own life is to be in a perpetual state of giving and gratitude."

I am so excited about doing this.  Track my progress here.

29 Day Giving Challenge

Sometimes I feel that all I do is give.  With two sons it is hard not to feel that way, sometimes.  I gave birth.   I give milk.  I give love, cuddles, lullabies.  I read books.  I make breakfast, lunch, dinner...  You get the picture.

Yet, when I really sit back and evaluate my life I can't help but see just how fortunate I am.  I have two, amazing, wonderful, sweet little boys.  I have an incredible husband who bends over backwards to make me happy.  I have parents who are willing to house my small family when we have no job and no place to live.  I have friends who forgive that my brain is sometimes not what it used to be, and sometimes I am late, and sometimes I forget, and sometimes I just can't be the person I was before this was my life.  I have faith in Jesus Christ, which carries me through life's trials when nothing else can.  I am truly living the life I have always wanted to live, and who can ask for more?

I have a friend, Rachel, who has joined the 29-Day Giving Challenge.  Basically, all you have to do is give a gift, be it an actual physical gift, your time, money, etc., every day for 29 days.  What a wonderful way to make the world a better place.  Despite the fact that I feel I give so much to my boys, teaching my boys to be Christlike, the one who gave his life for each of us, is the greatest thing I can do.

So, here I go.  29 days.  I've signed up, and I'm committed.  While I can't imagine that I will disclose every gift, I will try to document my experiences here.  Feel free to join me.  The world could use a few more gift givers!