Kindness Monday- Time To Get Back To Health

Apparently I am still struggling to get back to blogging regularly with the kids being home. But I will keep trying. So this week the Healthy Living Enrichment Group is kicking off and I am so looking forward to it. I have really struggled with eating right and exercising lately. Being put in charge of this group is just what I needed to focus on my health again. So this week I am being kind to me by spending the time I need to be healthy for my family. Why don't you join me!

Kindness Monday- Free For All

O.K. so life has been majorly hectic lately so I am sorry I have not posted regularly. I am hoping that with school now over I will be able to get back on schedule.

So for the challenge this week I am calling it a Kindness Free For All. In essence do as much kindness as possible. In home evening last night we talked about how we fill each others jars with either rocks (mean words) or marbles (kind words) and the challenge was to fill each others jars all week with marbles. So join me in filling others jars positively this week.

Kindness Monday- Sending Love

Well I didn't do very well last week, but it is a new week and a new challenge! So for this week it is my goal to send a e-mail or letter to some family members who don't live close. I am awful about keeping in touch with people, so I am going to work on this this week. How about you, is there someone out there you want to reconnect with this week?

Kindness Monday- Be Kind To Me

So this week I have decided to take a different take on Kindness Monday. As mothers we so often put ourselves last. Over the past year I have lost 70 pounds. Since Christmas I have been at a stand still though and have gained back a few pounds. The month of April was the worst on me food wise where I just kind of gave up eating right. My goal for this week is to get back to taking care of myself and taking the time I need each day to exercise, eat right, destress, etc. so that I can be healthy. How about you, what ways can you be kind to yourself this week?

Kindness Monday- Dinner on Me

So I finally got something made for Jesse's teacher (didn't come up with anything for jr. high teachers yet). Remember this idea that I found for making a picture for a teacher, well I decided to make it. I had an extra box of crayons in our school supply box. SO I grabbed them, some cardstock, stickers, and started cutting and gluing. It turned out pretty cute and I will be making sure she gets it this week. I can't decide if I want to trust sending it to school or if I need to drop by to make sure it arrives intact.

This week's challenge is to take a meal to someone that needs it. Maybe it is a new mom, a friend in need, a neighbor, a visiting/home teaching family, etc. I will figure it out today so that I can try to help someone this week. I will get better at completing my own challenges! Why don't you join me!

Kindness Monday- Take 2

OK so I am a slacker and didn't even attempt anything last week. I will be better! So this week is a do over week. The challenge will remain the same as last in an attempt to allow myself the opportunity to actually do it. I hope you all were better than I was last week. If you didn't get a chance do do anything, try it again with me this week and appreciate a teacher in your life.

Kindness Monday- Teacher Appreciation

Well I accomplished my goals for last week. It feels like it has been awhile since I have been able to fully complete one of these challenges.

This week I decided to do a teacher appreciation for the challenge. I know Teacher Appreciation Day is in the spring, but I don't remember the day. So I figured now is as good as any. It is pretty easy to acknowledge teachers in elementary school since there is only one main teacher. However in junior high with multiple teachers it is more difficult. So I will try to figure out something for the different teachers of my kids. What about you, do you have someone you want to appreciate this week?

Kindness Monday- Easter Sweets

Well I didn't do so good last week with giving Robert extra attention. I started out good, but as the week went on and we kept having things pile up on us, it got pushed to the back burner. It is amazing how that happens.

This week is a two fold challenge. First as part of Easter week our family has a challenge to pray daily asking who they can serve that day. I will be working on this as well as our family LOA (love one another) board that we also do Easter week. The second part of the challenge is to make a gift for a few special ladies I know. What is something you can do special for Easter time?

Kindness Monday- Hubby Love

Well in my Family Friday post I shared how we worked at creating memories for the family over spring break so I won't dwell on that. This weeks challenge is to give extra attention to Robert. Our time together is so limited and it really bothers him when he can't be home. So I want to show him how much he is appreciated by doing extra things for him throughout the week. I am not sure what all I'll do, but here goes! What can you do for your hubby this week?

Kindness Monday- The Gift of Fun!

This week is spring break for the kids. When I was teaching we took a vacation over spring break and would head to one of the Worldmark resorts. It was always great fun, but without me working we haven't been able to do this. So my goal this week is to provide the kids with a memorable week at home. I hope to be able to help everyone get their chores done in the morning and then go somewhere for the afternoon. I am not sure where some free/inexpensive places to go so if you have any suggestions, let me know. So what fun thing are you up to doing this week?

Kindness Monday- Peacemaker

Well it was chaotic, but I got lunch to Robert last week. I was late leaving home, didn't get a lunch prepare ahead of time so ended up picking up something, and it seemed all traffic was working against me, but we made it just a few minutes late. It was great to sit with Robert and enjoy a little extra time together. Faith loved taking lunch to dad and was sad when he had to go back to work.

After yesterday's Relief Society lesson and Robert's followup FHE on living in peace and harmony, I decided this week s challenge was going to be about being a peacemaker. I plan of focusing my efforts on speaking in a soft voice with my children, staying calm in the face of frustration, using kind words, and helping to resolve conflict in ways that are respectful to all. I know this will be a challenging challenge, but a very important one. How about you, can you be a peacemaker this week?

Kindness Monday- Lunch

So this week my goal is to take lunch to Robert at work one day this week. This will be a challenge since his lunch is at noon. I will have to prepare something before preschool and then leave as soon as possible after preschool one day. I know how much he appreciates it though since I used to do it every once in a while. Go ahead and try this with me and give someone you love a little lunch break.

Also don't forget my giveaway. There are still four more people who could win something fun!

Kindness Monday- Prayer

Well last week I did OK, I did someones chores most day but I did miss a few. I plan on continuing to work on this so I can get better at it. I completely deep cleaned the boys room (although you couldn't tell now) and will try to do the girls room soon.

This weeks challenge is to pray for someone of my choice to see how Heavenly Father can use me to influence their life. I haven't decided if this will be a friend, neighbor, or family member yet, but I want to work to help in the way Heavenly Father needs me to. Go ahead and join with in this one.

Kindness Monday-Joyous Chores

This has been such a crazy week that I did not get around to forgiveness, but I am not giving up. I will continue to work on forgiving the family member that I need to. I know it is going to be a long road on this one, but it will be well worth it.

For this weeks challenge, I plan to do a family members chore each day of the week. I will probably do a different persons each day so that they can get equal help from mom. I hope this will bring some encouragement to our home and set the example of helping each other out just because instead of when we are asked to.

Kindness Monday- Forgiveness

Well I am a slacker this week. Things have been so busy that I did not get bread made last week so I will get it done this week and take the bread to my friend that has been on my mind all week.

This weeks challenge is to work on forgiving some in your life. This can be a hard one and will probably take longer than a week. However, forgiveness is so essential to our eternal happiness that this is something I want to work on this week. The passing of my uncle has helped to facilitate this challenge. As I have watched others struggling with his death because of forgiveness issues, I realized how important it is not wait to let someone know you forgive them but to work through the process now. Go ahead and try this with me. It can be a spouse, a child, a friend, a family member, etc. It can be forgiving a small thing or something that has greatly impacted you.

Kindness Monday- Baked Goodness

I had a hard time deciding who to offer babysitting to this week. I wanted it to be someone who might not have the opportunity all the time or the support system in place already. Having been the mom many times that doesn't have any family close by to call on, I know how hard it is to get out without the children. The friend I offered this to is taking a rain check for in a couple of weeks when they were wanting to go out anyways.

For this week my goal is to bake some bread and take it to a friend. I think the hardest part of these challenges is deciding who to do them to. I am trying not to use the same people and trying to think of people outside of who typically pops to mind. There are just so many deserving people out there that it is hard to narrow it down. Anyways, why not try this one with me and bake up some yummy treats to give to a friend.

Kindness Monday- The Gift of Time

It was so fun to write notes this last week for my family. I left messages on Mon., Wed, and Fri. to get my three notes in for the week. Each of those days I made a quick little card for each person with a personalized note in them. It was interesting how the different personalities treated the notes. Tyler would thank me and even said that she wanted to save all the notes I give her and scrapbook them (I guess I need to keep this one up.), Britain didn't say anything, Jesse asked why I left him a note, when I put Faith to bed and asked her what it was she just said that it was hers, and Robert gave me a big smile and hug. I hope it brightened each of their days in some way. Here are some pictures of the cards I made one of the days.

For this week I want to give a friend the gift of time by offering to watch their child/children for them while they go do whatever their heart desires. Whether it is a date, some alone time, a trip to the temple, whatever. There are so many deserving moms out there so I do know who I will pick. Go ahead and try this with me by giving a deserving mom a few hours of time.

Kindness Monday- Notes of Love

So I tried to I do this for lunch on Friday as I took Jesse to lunch after his doctor's appointment, but there were no cars behind me. So I tried again for dinner that night as a treat for the kids. I was so nervous! I think just because I haave never done something like this and I just wanted it to work out. It did and it was such a fun thing to do!

This week I want to focus on my family so my goal this week is to leave notes for each member of the family on their bed at least three times this week. I hope I can remember! Go ahead try this with me and brighten your families day!

Kindness Monday- Stranger Compassion

Well I gave out five different thank you notes last week, and could have given away many more for all the wonderful things people do for our family. I hope everyone knows how much we appreciate the kindness they show our family.

This weeks challenge is focusing on strangers. If we eat fast food this week my goal is to pay for the car behind us as well as our own. If we don't eat out this week (like I hope) I will try to pay a portion of someones bill at the store. Care to join me in this weeks challenge? Do something kind for a stranger!

Kindness Monday- Saying Thanks

So it is time for a new challenge. I have thought about this one and decided it was time to show some gratitude. So this week I plan to either make or buy some thank you cards and give them to a few people who have helped me out at some point. Do you want to join me? Go ahead and tell someone you love thanks!

Photo from http://www.cssnz.org/flowers.php