Sustainable September Day Twenty Eight kindness

Hello my wonderful friends!

Did you know yesterday was the 150th post for this blog? Well you do now! 

Did you know that yesterday also saw the Facebook page reach it's 200th follower? Well you know that now too! ;)

To mark the two milestones yesterday... 200 Facebook followers and 150 blog posts I wanted to do a little give away!

Recently My sister, Vandra, and I have been giving little cards (3"x3") to strangers! For example: to amazingly friendly waiters, to the lady who sold me her old Thermomix, the lady at the cemetery who helped us finalise dads plaque and placement, someone looking sad on the bus, etc.

And so I decided that to mark the milestones I would like to give away 4 sets (of 8) of the little hand made cards. They are for you to use, as a way to do a kind deed for strangers or friends! I made them for you myself! :) They all, also, come with envelopes that my awesome mum helped me make!!!:) thanks Mum!!!!

So I'm going to post the 4 sets (pictures of them) in the next few hours on Facebook. And if you like them and want them, Like the page, comment and like the picture and I will chose someone at random from the list of people who want that set! And I will send them to you after that! :)

Sound fair? I hope so! It's the first time I've ever done a give away like this! but it's my way to say thank you for all your support over the years!!!!

SET ONE is here on the link to Facebook. Let me know what you think! 

 

Anyway, back to Sustainable September. Today's kindness was one asked for by mum. About turning old wool into blankets for people who need them. I have talked about blankets for Wheelchairs for Kids many times before in posts. But we have just started making blankets for people who live on the streets. Of course kids need smaller blankets... and so the bigger ones are taking longer, but we know that they (either one) will be appreciated greatly! :)

These are the Blankets mum did for Wheel Chairs for Kids in January. (most of the other photos are on her camera... these ones just happened to be on mine!).

And on to tomorrows Sustainable September Kindness idea.

Sunday – 28 September – Borrow books from your local library instead of buying them. You not only save yourself a lot of money but you also help the environment by reducing shipping and transport impacts (and you are saving trees from paper production) because several people read the same copy of the book .

Photo taken from Local Government Website

 

 

You can also donate books to the library and local schools if you no longer need or want them. This is a photo of my local Library. I have only recently discovered the benefits of this particular library! :) Its like Daena Heaven!!!! SO MANY BOOKS!!!!! hehehhe!

Anyways, I hope this finds you all well! 

So much love & Kindness, 

Daena Xx

May Kindnesses... Again spoilt! :)

Hey everyone,
I just wanted to share these because I just typed them into the computer and figured that you cant really overdose on kindness... two months worth of kindnesses in two days wont hurt any of us!
so hopefully this will mean that I am only a few months off being up to date! I don't know what I would do if I was up to date! I have never been there with this blog! lol

Okay so here is the Kindnesses for

MAY 2012 -

May 1: I made a few cups of tea for some ladies and helped do the washing up. I also helped put away the comfy but heavy chairs.

May 2: I completed my first Crocheted tea towel to give to a friend who is building a house.

May 3: Took mum out for a coffee after she got some “depressing” news. It worked well because we tan into someone who had been through a similar situation and was able to support mum in a way that I couldn’t ...with experience.

May 4: Sent a message of congratulations to a friend who had completed his apprenticeship

May 5 (RELAY FOR LIFE): Sent congratulations messages to friends on the birth of their first child. I also made the effort to thank those people I came across who were in roles of service today – particularly “Val” our cleaner for Relay for Life because she went to extra efforts to help us out and to make the even a smooth one.

May 6 (RELAY FOR LIFE): I volunteered all weekend for the Relay for Life raising money for Cancer Research. $750,000 was raised over the weekend. I also got food for some of the the other volunteers who didn’t have the chance to get it themselves, So they didn’t have to.

(See blog about Relay for Life here).

May 7: Cleaned some of the house ready for a rent inspection. Mum couldn’t do it and was quite distressed about it... so I had a friend come and help me and we did it so that mum didn’t have to!

May 8: I bought a small cake for a small birthday gathering for one of mums craft buddies.

May 9: I delivered some fabric to a friend to make charity quilts. I also help up 8 quilts to be photographed before they were donated.

May 10: I bought wool for mum to turn into charity blankets. I also took mum out to lunch at a local pub, with a voucher I had won at poker. I also bought a friend a drink at a Mexican restaurant.

May 11: I baked six batches of cookies in preparation for mothers day. I also went out of my comfort zone and cooked Prawn Pad Thai something I have never done before! And it was delicious!!!!

May 12: I took bunches of cookies around to all the mothers who live in the set of units. I also took food and wine to our party.

May 13 (MOTHERS DAY): I gave all the mothers at a mothers day brunch some of my cookies. I also helped clean up the brunch.

May 14: Made the conscious choice and effort to meet the eye of our waitress and say “thank you for your service”.

May 15: Took cupcakes into the craft group mum goes to, to share. I also bought a drink for a fellow poker player, on his behalf, because the bar was unusually empty and he was acting as the tables dealer for that round.

May 16: I made a “Minion” for a friends birthday and learned new skills to do it

The Minion i crocheted for a friend... these characters are from the movie "Despicable Me".

 May 17: I worked for a few hours in our communal garden.

May 18: I made dinner for mum and her friend, giving them back a fraction of what they have given me over the years.

May 19: I went searching for the “perfect card” for my nephew and had to go to 7 different shops to find it. I also helped out at my nephews birthday party by keeping kids away from fires, acting as a chaperone, and pushing kids on the swing set.

May 20: Took roses to my dad from the communal garden. Gave some left over fluffy wool to a neighbour.

May 21: Supported mum “Above and beyond the call of duty” and looked after her whilst she was really sick.

May 22: drove mum to a hair appointment and waited with her until it was done.

May 23: Thanked a person working at a fast food restaurant for taking our dished from our table.

May 24: Paid for and subsidized lunch for my mum and sister so that we could ALL afford to enjoy lunch out!

May 25: I did some gardening with a neighbour and planted some more roses in the garden.

May 26: I took my dad out to birthday lunch with the rest of the family (on the weekend so everyone could be there). Looked after him and drove him home when he got too tired. I also baby sat my neice and nephew after lunch.

May 27: Bought breakfast for a friend who was carpooling with us (she was driving)

May 28: Took dad out for a SAVORY muffin for his actual birthday, because his blood sugar levels were very high.

My dad out from his nursing home on his actual birthday! He was hilarious because he decided to wear my sunglasses over his own glasses! He said "I look pretty good! Don't I?"

May 29: Took 12 blankets to the church for Wheelchairs for kids.

May 30: I helped distract a small child so her mum could participate in a church service and enjoy it.

May 31: Drove my sister to and from an event, where she was working. I helped her set up and pack up. I also baby sat my niece during the event!

 I hope you enjoy these. Still collating the June ones, so don't be surprised if it takes me a while to find out what I did! :)

Hope you are having a wonderful day! 

Luv Daena x

I AM ALIVE... just incase you were wondering! April kindnesses

Hey everyone,
I bet you were starting to wonder if i had fallen off my perch... but no i haven't! :) For the last few weeks i have had some work in the big city and so have been busy with that, and very tired. Mum was looked after by friends and family alike (kind of a mummy sized pass-the-parcel) so that i could be available for the "work".

Anyways, I am actually excited to tell you that i am sharing APRIL 2012's kindnesses.
Finally! ...You might say! I agree with you. May shouldn't be too far behind! :) Hooray!!! June is the month that I'm missing a chunk of ... so I am still tracking down that... I might have to miss a few days here and there... which is devastating... but we shall see... I may find miraculous writings of my own somewhere that has more information. Rest assured that July, August and September (or the half of September that I have already done, have good records! Hooray! :) I have given up completely on the whole recording in digital form (unless its just to transfer it to this blog) but I have good paper records now!

Here they are...

APRIL 2012

April 1: I went through my many books/ bookcases and created a box of books to give away, which I eventually did! (See Blog here).

April 2: Whilst Driving, I let a stranger trying to cut across into my lane and gave them enough space to do so safely, where I didn’t have to.

April 3: I acted as a chauffeur for mum, driving her to bible-study and craft. And whilst she was at craft I did the washing up for the craft ladies.

April 4: I watered a friends plants and played with their lonely cat and bought in the mail, whilst they were on holiday.

April 5: Sent Birthday wishes to my aunt and made a special trip to picked up mums medication from the chemist.

April 6: Made batches of cupcakes for a friend to take to a hens day.

April 7: Made Easter Chocolate slice and cookies to take for Easter Sunday. Did 8 hours of gardening.

April 8: Took a sick mum to the emergency room after the Easter celebrations (See blog here.)

April 9: I took both of my disabled parents out for lunch.

April 10: Took mum to the doctors and to an emergency CT scan

April 11: Took mum back to the doctor and then took her out to lunch

April 12: Made a new friend and encouraged and laughed with them.

April 13: Did gardening down the side of the house (see blog here.)

April 14: Paid for snack and dinner for some friends

April 15: Drove back from a trip to a town down south, so that a tired friend didn't have to (2 hour drive).

April 16: Recorded a video message fro a favorite & famous person to make them (and all who saw it) laugh!

April 17: Acted as a Chauffeur for mum, did the grocery shopping and picked up some rubbish in Kings Park Botanic Gardens.

April 18:Visited a friend who had just returned from New Zealand. I also showed one of my out of town cousins around IKEA and acted as a tour guide (As they only had limited time).

April 19: Visited my dad and got him to sign a card for a friends wedding.

April 20: Helped clean up after the wedding and shared my pop-tarts with mum (HUGE KINDNESS! lol!)

April 21:Acted as a photographer for a family friends 1^st birthday!

April 22: Was extra cautious on the road whilst driving

April 23: Mum had a bone-scan and I drove her to and from it plus I took her out for breakfast (It was very early in the morning!!!)

April 24: Bought and planted new roses in our communal rose garden for my set of units

April 25 (ANZAC DAY): Educated others about ANZAC day and did backing fro a friends birthday (see Blog here.)

April 26: Went and saw a friend play in a band at a pub and cheered him on! (This is my friends band : http://www.facebook.com/BlatjangMusic )

April 27: Picked my niece and nephew up from school and took them with us to help some friends move house.

April 28: Helped some friends move house by packing, cleaning, sorting and moving their stuff.

April 29: Again helped friends move house. Finished and cleaned 5 rooms on my own.

April 30: Acted as a chauffeur for mums doctors appointments. I was also able to give the surplus stuff (from the couple moving house) to charities to be used for blankets for “Wheelchairs for kids” and for other good causes. (See blog here.)

Hope you enjoyed these kindnesses... like I said before... I am hoping May isn't too far behind! :)

Have a wonderful day - remember "Be the change you want to see in the world"

Luv Daena x

p.s. don't forget about the Facebook 365 Days Of Kindness Page :http://www.facebook.com/365daysOfKindness

The things that we do...

Hey everyone,
This is just a quick catch up on whats been happening around here.

This weekend I helped a few friends move house. I spent over 25 hours helping them sort, clean up and get rid of masses of amounts of "Stuff" from the house. Just an example, I took a car load of stuff from the house to the Charity Bins as it was mostly old clothes/sheets/hats/shoes/tupperware etc.etc. The most amazing part was that this was not the only car load of stuff to make it to Charities.

My mum was able to take from the move several large bags of wool to be made into blankets for charities, such as a charity that gives blankets to kids in wheelchairs (http://wheelchairs4kids.org/) and some other local charities too! I was pretty excited to have also just finished MY first crocheted blanket for charity too! We often refer to them as "scrap blankets". And just so you know what I mean... I took some photos to show you of the ones still in our house, waiting to be passed to the right people.

 THIS IS MINE ----->

They are not perfect but that makes them really exciting. Some kid will love the colours in these blankets for their wheelchairs. And we are just using the left overs or scraps left from other projects/people to make them!

I have also been helping my mums craft group who run a book stall in the local church! They have this awesome project where you bring in your old books and pay $2 to buy a new one. Then you can always bring it back and get more books! This is a fundraiser for the "greening" projects in the church, eg. Solar Panels for the roof, Water tanks, worm farm and organic garden. I have been helping sort books, carry heavy boxes, check out CDs and DVDs for appropriate content (because somehow the book stall has had people bring in these mediums too... not just books).

This weekend promises to be very exciting too. I am helping one of my best friends run the Relay for Life which supports cancer research. Its a 24 hour event and it usually is really funny! I helped out last year, and this year I am taking on a larger role! Hopefully I can upload some photos next week for you to see what we did! :)

Anyways, I have to go and take mum to another doctors appointment! Again please keep our family (mum in particular) in your thoughts/prayers!

Cheers,
Daena Guest