You
can feel the crisp chill in the air here on the East Coast of Canada. As I put
on my mittens, you can almost hear the jingle bells in the distance. Honestly,
it makes me a little bit giddy inside. I truly feel the magic every single
year. Like every year, I vow to get organized early. Typically one of the first
items on my agenda is to get our advent calendars ready. The tradition in our family is to select a
wrapped holiday book every evening as well as a Lego Advent calendar for each
child in the mornings. However, this year my kids are now seven and five. It’s a great age to begin some Random Acts of
Kindness. This Holiday List works the same way as a typical countdown to
Christmas where my children will select a note each day.
The
Trim Your Stocking Thinlets Dies
(144682) is a perfect product to hold the twenty-four pieces of rolled up
paper containing the Random Act of Kindness.
To
begin this project, I cut out 25 stockings using the Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper (144621) and the Merry Little Christmas 12x12 cardstock pack
(144622). Carefully I pieced each holiday stocking together and placed a
number made out of Real Red Cardstock
(102482) and the Large Numbers
Framelits (140622). Finally, I attached each stock with Real Red 1/8” Solid Ribbon (144631) and
hung it on a large decorative frame using the Jute Twine (144625). If you don’t have a large frame, you could
use a three foot Christmas Tree to hang these stockings quite easily.
The
Trim Your Stocking Thinlets Dies
(144682) also comes with a pillow box shaped die, which fits a gift card
perfectly. It allowed me to have a
pocket on each holiday stocking where I could place a rolled up Random Act of
Kindness. Since my children are young, I
selected some Random Acts of Kindness that did not take a great deal of time
and would not be a financial burden. While I researched online for some ideas,
it was easy to select twenty-four acts. I encourage you to tailor your own
family’s Random Acts of Kindness list to what best works for you.
Here’s
the Caines Family Holiday Random Acts of Kindness List:
1. Send a card to a stranger such as a
service man or woman overseas.
2. Donate new toys to the Happy Tree.
3. “Sock” a friend by putting a treat in a
holiday stocking on someone’s doorknob with a special note.
4. Make 5 sticky note messages and place
them on a mirror or a door. A drawing or a note like “you are beautiful” would
be perfect.
5. Bring a joke to school to read to your
class.
6. Donate food to the food bank.
7. Help Nanny put away the dirty dishes.
8. Draw a picture for your teachers along
with a treat.
9. Shovel for a neighbour or clear off
their cars before they wake up.
10. Donate 10 books you no longer need.
11. Help clean the neighbourhood on a walk.
Be sure to wear your gloves and bring a garbage bag.
12. Go through our old towels and blankets to
donate to the animal shelter.
13. Drop by to the senior’s home and bring
them a poinsettia. Be sure to say hello!
14. Donate some cards to Ronald McDonald
House.
15. Write a list of 5 things you are thankful
for.
16. Pay for someone’s coffee.
17. Donate some money to a charity.
18. Leave candy canes on someone’s
windshield.
19. Put a treat in the mailbox for the Post
Man.
20. Call both your Grandmas just to say
Hello.
21. Bring coloring books to the doctor’s
waiting room and the gymnastics viewing room.
22. Decorate rocks using paint and place them
around the neighborhood for strangers to
find (Kindness rocks).
23. Be a helper by picking up 10 things off
the floor each.
24. Give 5 people a compliment. Or more!
25. Merry Christmas!
I
am so excited to share these adventures with my children and I truly believe
that these little gestures will make a big difference in our small community.
I
am wishing you all the best in your holiday preparations!
Cathy
Caines
2017
Stampin’ Up! Artisan Design Team
