Project 30/30 Days 26-30. A dream come true.
It seems like I started this project a long time ago and yet it went by so quickly. Project 30/30 was amazing, it was a challenge, it was in the paper, it made me new friends, but most importantly- it kept me outside of myself. I hope it has inspired you to pay it forward because you never know the far reaching effects it will have, and that's the greatest thing. You really reap what you sow, sometimes exactly! For example, one of my first acts was to pass out gift cards to people in line at Starbucks. I spent $50 on 5 $10 cards because I wanted it to be worth it for the person receiving it. They could actually use it more than once. Well, for my birthday I got two $25 Starbucks cards from two separate people. It's a very black and white example of how things come full circle, but it really made me laugh when I basically got my money back.
There are so many people in need and so many ways to give. Don't just think about the homeless guy on the corner, of course he's in need, but so are people close to you- just in different ways. It's amazing to think of how far sphere of influence can reach. Go do something selfless today.
Project 30/30 days 26-30. The beginning of a new journey.
Day 26: Laundry detergent and some cash for the next customer.
There are not nearly as many laundromats here in Charleston as there are in NYC, not even close, so I had to dig a little to find this one. It was pretty dated and I'm sure the lady thought I was crazy when I walked in, put these things on the counter, then drove away. I wonder who found it:)
Day 27: Bath salts for a hard working mama.
My next door neighbor has 3 kids (including a new baby) and probably no time for a bath, but I thought a little encouraging would help. Baths are a gift, especially for moms.
Day 28: Home made organic Ribollita for the neighbors.
I saw this amazing recipe on the Food Network and wanted to try it. Of course I made enough for an army and was dying to share some. As luck would have it our neighbors were out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday and coming home soon. They were pretty happy to have a nice meal waiting for them. Here is the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ribollita-recipe/index.html. I definitely did NOT soak beans overnight and I did not add the bread at the end. Too squishy.
Day 29: Little treats for two sweet little girls on our block.
Gosh my neighbors cashed in on this project! Haha:) We have two of the cutest little girls on our street and Liam has already claimed one as his girlfriend. I thought this was a cute holiday gift.
Day 30: Christmas in a jar.
This was one of my favorite gifts! I sliced orange, lemon, and apple, then added some cloves and cinnamon sticks to a mason jar. You put all these ingredients together in a pot of water and simmer on the stove. It fills your home with an amazing holiday scent.
My birthday present: The Joy Project
At the beginning of this project I was interviewed by someone at the local paper about the launching of this year long idea to nominate a member of the community for their philanthropy. They are calling it The Joy Project. Every month a person will win money for a charity of their choice and they kicked it off with my Project 30/30! I was beaming when I saw the huge article exactly on my birthday. It was the greatest feeling in the world and a perfect way to close out the project.
Thank you for taking this journey with me. Start your own:)
Here is a link to the article: http://www.thedanielislandnews.com/artman2/publish/Top_Stories_69/The_Joy_Project_be_kind_be_grateful_be_Joy-Yes.php
Jean's Bridal winter ballet session
I have to say that I really love these stylized shoots that my girl Mikaela orchestrates. She came up with this ballet-themed shoot for their winter ad campaign and I was super excited from the start. The light was amazing on this gorgeous day and I could not be happier with how they turned out. Mikaela is looking FIERCE.
Check out her phenomenal hand-made furniture work HERE.
Jean's Bridal Winter 2013 : Ballet Wonderland
Project 30/30 Day 16-25. Baking, donations, the Police Department, teacher appreciation!
Wow, I am such a blogging slacker! I could never be the person who blogs every, single day. I can barely get dinner on the table every night (which, honestly, I don't... shhhh) let alone sit down and spill my guts out. The past week and a half have been a whirlwind of Project 30/30 acts of kindness and it's time to catch up and reflect.
As I said before, this project just as difficult as I expected it to be. Recently, a woman from the Daniel Island Newspaper asked what I have learned from this experience. I could certainly fill a page with hundreds of thoughts but here are the top things I've learned:
1. A hand-drawn card from a 3-year-old may as well be magic itself. People love getting artwork from kids! I had Liam make cards for his teachers, his school Chef, our mail carrier, and the Mount Pleasant Police Department this week.
2. You will have to spend a little money. Starbucks isn't free, and sticking money in diaper boxes is really fun, try it!
3. Some people will want nothing to do with your charity. One woman sitting in the Drive-Thru at Starbucks barely rolled her window down for me and didn't want a gift card. That's cool. Another time, moms at Barnes and Nobel almost looked at me cross-eyed when I offered to read to their kids. No problem, others enjoyed it.
4. Baking and giving people coffee really do warm the soul. Coffee is a universal symbol of comfort and warmth. Baking requires more time and is definitely more personal, and people on the receiving end know this. Don't underestimate a good banana bread.
Project 30/30 Day 16-25
Day 16: Thank you to our mail carrier!
Talk about being under appreciated! I have noticed that people down south tend to be more outwardly friendly that in other places- and I've definitely seen neighbors wave to our mail lady, but since mail boxes are lining the street rather than next to the front door there is a bit more distance now. How cool to open someone's mail box for a delivery and see something especially for you. I hope she was thrilled:)
Day 17: Home baked zucchini bread for Mikaela.
Mikaela has done so much for me personally, and our family in the past year and a half that this is the least I can do. Not only has she hand-built custom furniture and decorations for our home, but she has also sent me thousands of dollars worth of business from working at a local bridal store. Mikaela, I love all of your work and think you are amazing! You are a bon fire in this world and we appreciate you so much!
Day 18: Thanksgiving donations to the Lowcountry Food Bank.
Grocery stores are ALWAYS offering 'buy one get one' deals so take advantage! Donating all these food items cost me about $7 extra. Anyone can do it.
Day 19: Picking up trash at the park.
We live within walking distance of some amazing parks here on Daniel Island. Center Park is only a three minute walk from our home, which is such a blessing. This neighborhood does a really good job of keeping up the grounds, but once in a while there is some garbage. We did not have a big job this day, but I thought it was a good opportunity to make Liam aware of taking care of your surroundings and throwing trash way properly.
Day 20: One bag of food for less than $5!
Thanksgiving is a great holiday for so many reasons, but it definitely surrounds food and family. I am constantly grateful that I am able to go to the grocery store whenever I need to and can easily fill my pantry and refrigerator. It's easy to overlook the fact that millions of people are hungry every day, and it's hard to believe that it really is a big issue in our own country. This is one act of kindness that I will make a regular focus.
Day 21: Surprise flowers on Thanksgiving!
For Thanksgiving this year Timothy, Liam, and I will be traveling to Philadelphia for a wedding and will be having dinner with the Falzone Family! My mom and sisters will be celebrating in Syracuse so I decided to have this centerpiece delivered as a surprise. It's the simple things that say a lot:)
Day 22: Hiding money in diaper boxes. Sometimes good things DO come in diapers:)
Having a newborn baby is the most wonderful thing in the entire world! It's also the most emotionally exhausting thing you could ever imagine. These little tiny creatures also need a TON of things, especially diapers. I had no idea that newborns could go through 20+ diapers in a day and man, they are not cheap. How cool would it be to schlep to the store simply expecting to stock up on some diapers, then BOOM- $10 just for the heck of it. The chances that this money will be spent on coffee are pretty high!
Day 23: Teacher appreciation for Miss Lina and Miss Jenny.
I've said it before, teachers are superheroes and that is an understatement. Liam has been having a wonderful year with Miss Lina and Miss Jenny. The fact that he tells me he is excited to go to school in the morning and wants to stay longer in the afternoon is music to my ears! Liam is excelling in Spanish with Miss Lina, working on his handwriting, drawing Mat Man, counting all the days in the month, singing songs about the months of the year, and even explaining new vocabulary words to me. I thought a little holiday gift was in order. Thank you teachers!
Day 24: Coffee, bagels, and artwork for the Mount Pleasant Police Department.
This one almost didn't happen at all! I went to Dunkin Donuts and they were practically sold out of everything. I definitely emptied the shelf of bagels and drained the remaining coffee for these police officers, and it was worth it. The were more than excited when I arrived at the front desk with some good coffee and food, and even more so when I showed them the picture Liam drew for them. I told you, kid's art is magic.
Day 25: A little gift for Chef Michelle at Daniel Island Academy.
Chef Michelle is the school chef at Daniel Island Academy. All the food served in the school is made in the kitchen. They are very careful about food allergies and making sure the kids have super healthy snacks and meals throughout the day. I often see Chef Michelle in the hallway with juice and muffins and she always has a smile on her face. She recently compiled a cook book of her most popular recipes and I, of course, bought one for home. Liam gets excited to read what the afternoon snack is, hoping it's muffins or bread. Chef Michelle is my inspiration!
Project 30/30: Day 12, 13, 14, 15. Coffee, Free Babysitting, Letters to the Troops, Carwash
I promise I'm not slacking on my commitment to my 30 Acts of Kindness! Just slacking on the blogging side of it. This is truly a challenge, but I am still enjoying coming up with helpful, unselfish ideas as well as ways to include Liam.
Day 12: Surprise coffees to two hard working women in my life
Do not underestimate the power of a Pumpkin Spice Latte. My sister, Chloe loves them and has been raving about them since the beginning of fall. I only recently tried one and I'm sold. Chloe was in between soccer games and could certainly use the boost, and my friend Chantal was tirelessly planning an amazing birthday party for her son Avery. I got nothing but hugs and smiles for this act:)
Day 13: Free babysitting
Liam and I were out walking around the neighborhood and we came across little Frankie and her cousin Sophia. Liam was dying for a play date and it just so happened that Sophia's mom had to run out to chauffeur her son between practices. I was more than happy to sit with the girls as they made jewelry out of grass and twigs:) It's pretty interesting to see Liam interact with girls, especially girls who are a little older- and very pretty.
Day 14: Letters to the troops
There really is no amount of thanks that could express our gratitude to the men and women who serve our country. This is not a place for politics, and whether or not you support the war efforts you cannot deny giving thanks to troops overseas. These people miss holidays, birthdays, weddings, soccer games, and family dinners. I cannot imagine the sadness many of them must feel as the holidays approach. A few drawings and a warm note of thanks are the least we can do. Liam was pretty awesome at drawing snow men and decorating trees with markers. I think he enjoyed this one.
Day 15: Bringing Chloe's car for some serious cleaning
My sister's car was FULL of grass. Grass from soccer games AND kick ball. Yes, she is on a kick ball team. And we love her for it! Chloe's birthday was just a few days ago and I thought this would be a nice gift as well. Nothing like driving a super clean car.
Taren, Brent and Cohen take to the beach! Family session 2013.
We were so lucky to have met this wonderful family when we first moved to Daniel Island last year. Little Cohen is one of the most gorgeous and striking kids I have ever had the pleasure to photograph. His eyes look like the entire world, I swear. Taren and Brent are two very funny, very warm people we are happy to call friends.
Our family beach session was awesome! Cohen kept running toward the chilly water like a madman but I was able to capture some great moments with this family.
The Ginsberg Family. Sullivan's Island 2013
