Charity Starts at Home

Good Wednesday morning!

The Gallery Pic is just a repeat of one my favorite puppy pictures and another Mystery Bag Party pic. I'm going to be snapping some of The Boy tomorrow when I meet him for lunch, so I'll have some new photos to share then.

NOTE TO JOAN, ROBIN, LEANNA and LORI - Hi, girls. I've left more messages for you in yesterday's Comment Section. Check them out if you get a minute, please.

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST!

The rules are as follows:

1. Pick one or two of the following things you DO like about the blog: Parties, Recipes, Seasonal Traditions, Dates, Books, TV Reviews, Wednesday Wisdom, Weekend Happenings, Weekend Family Fun, Contests.

2. Okay. Now that you've picked one or two, leave me a comment, an e-mail or a note on Facebook (it doesn't matter which one) telling me what you DO like. Be sure and leave your name.

3. When you've given me your input, I'll put your name in a bowl and a name will be drawn out of the bowl on Friday, October 16... the one-year anniversary of "A Simple Life."

4. If you win, you will have a choice between three different $20 prizes. The prizes you will pick from will be "tailor-made" for you and your personality. (If I pick your name, but I don't know you personally, I will send you a $20 gift card to your favorite store or restaurant.) Oh, and just so you know... that $20 gift card is an option for ANYONE who might win.

5. You have until midnight, Thursday, October 15 to leave a comment, e-mail or Facebook message, so there is plenty of time. Get busy. I'll post the rules every two to three days as a reminder.

Wednesday Wisdom - Today's Wisdom is taken from Helen Keller. "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." What a way to live your life. It's kind of an all or nothing philosophy. I would love to look at my day-to-day life as a daring adventure, but once I park the big gold van in the driveway after taking the kids to school, things are pretty sedate around here. Unless there's an ironing mishap, I don't think daring adventure accurately describes me during this season of life. On the other hand, just being here another day with family and friends is a huge blessing, if not the daring adventure I sometimes long for. I'll take the ordinary and mundane with the occasional adventure... and be very happy to have that, thank you very much!

5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!"

11. Plant orange, lemon or avocado seeds in potting soil. Cut a half-inch off the top of a carrot, place it in a shallow dish of water, then watch the top sprout. You can also plant the top of a pineapple in soil. (Again, I did the carrot in the shallow dish of water before with the kids. It grows really quickly, so it is a fun way for them to watch something grow.)

12. Play a listening game. Ask your child to close his or her eyes and guess the sounds you make. Blow a whistle, drop a spoon, jingle money, snap your fingers or click your tongue.

13. Make a mystery bag by placing familiar objects in a pillow case. Ask your child to close his or her eyes, feel the objects in the bag and pick out the item you name.

14. Wait for the mail carrier and sanitation workers and offer them homemade cookies you and your kids made that morning.

15. Make a reading hideout. Add lots of pillows and a "Do Not Disturb" sign. Have a basket of favorite books nearby. Be sure to join the kids in your reading hideout at least once a day, if not more.

Charity Starts at Home

I'm sure most, if not all, of you know about the shoeboxes and Operation Christmas Child. Our church is very active in this charity each year. Our deadline this year is mid-November. For years, we would use the charity money we had saved during the year and make as many shoeboxes as we possibly could, and we thoroughly enjoyed doing this activity together as a family.

However, a few years ago we received a catalog which listed dozens of things you could purchase for needy families and villages in third world countries and it was headed by Samaritan's Purse, Franklin Graham's organization which is over Operation Christmas Child.

After counting our charity money, we looked through the catalog and we purchased a Bible, two soccer balls and two sets of chicks to be given to families in a poor village in one of the countries Samaritan's Purse sponsors. I loved we were giving families chickens which would supply food for their family for a reasonably long time.

The next year when we received the catalog, we again looked through the pages and we purchased a Bible, two soccer balls and part of a donkey. (That's the best part of this catalog. If you can't purchase one of the more expensive items for the village, you can still put a partial payment down and another family's money will be used to purchase the remaining part of the item... like the donkey.)

We did this for several years, and it was such a blessing. This would be a WONDERFUL Seasonal Tradition for you and your family.

Last November, I told you about a family date we had by going through the house and collecting ALL the loose change we could and taking it to one of those money machines for cash. We had $98.50. If you and your family have not been saving charity money all year, you could go on a change hunt throughout the house, the cars, purses, drawers, etc. and see how much money you could come up with to purchase something from this wonderful catalog.

Now you are able to make your purchases online. Go to www.samaritanspurse.org and click on "Ways to Help." Under "Ways to Help," you will see the heading "Gift Catalog." Click on "Gift Catalog" and you will be able to make your purchases. Check it out today!

Have a wondrous Wednesday. It should be totally wet all day Wednesday according to the forecast predictions, but this weekend is looking marvelous. We'll have some Weekend Family Fun tomorrow, along with 5 more things for bored children to do. Oh, and it will be the LAST DAY to sign up for the Contest. I've gotten some good input regarding the blog, and next week I'll be sharing the changes which will be taking place on A Simple Life. (As I said before, it stays green!)

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda