I Got a Visit from The Fairy Hobmother!
The Fairy Hobmother is at it again. This time on my blog! YAY!
I was very surprised by The Fairy Hobmothers visit. It is nice to wake up to an unexpected surprise that brings joy to your heart. It also got me to thinking about ways that I can give back to others and help bring joy to the hearts of others just like The Fairy Hobmother did for me.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill
1. Look someone in the eye and smile. This may seem like a little thing. But when I make eye contact with a stranger I always give a smile. Who knows what things they may be feeling or going through that day. I know a simple smile from someone always makes my day a little brighter.
2. Volunteering – This may seem a little harder to do for some. Maybe you don’t think you have the time or you don’t know where to go or how to get started. Just a simple phone call to your local library, animal shelter, hospital or nursing home is all it takes. Recently I have been helping the youth at my church with some service projects. One of them came up with the idea to help an animal shelter. All she had to do was make a quick phone call to learn that they were in need of cat beds. The young girl (around age 10) decided that this would be a great way to give back and came up with the idea of stuffing pillow cases with shredded cloth to make a cat bed. This volunteering project was very simple and all it took was a phone call to be able to help.
3. Gifts out of the blue are always nice. I remember an idea that I had about 8 years ago with some women at my church. We were planning activities for February and since it is the month of love we decided to pass out baskets. Each woman had a name of another sister in the church as well as a basket to “fill with goodies” the baskets could contain anything but did have a $5 limit. The women of the church were then told to fill the baskets and leave them on the doorstep of the person whom they had the name of. These baskets were so much fun because they were all a big secret as to who each sister got a gift from. It was also fun to knock on the door and run and since they had the whole month to do it the sisters never knew when theirs would arrive and loved the anticipation. There was so much thought and love that was put into each basket and it made everyone feel special.
4. Donate – Spring is in the air and with that comes spring cleaning. It is time to go through those clothes, shoes, toys, cupboards, closets, sheds and garages! There are many people in need of the things you may not need anymore. You can always donate to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, Red-cross, and local shelters for homeless, women’s abuse shelters, or foster kids.
5. Tutoring – There are many kids struggling in this world today. They are having a hard time making friends, keeping their grades up and just being educated on life. There are so many children living with only one parent in the home and they are in need of what the other parent could teach them. For example some of the boys with single mothers might need to learn how to change a tire, play football or fish. Some girls with single dads might need help learning how to braid their hair or bake a cake. There are so many ways to help local kids. Call the schools in your area. See if you can tutor any of the children. See if your local town has a buddy program to help kids. These kids are our future. They need us!
Are there ways that you like to give back? I would love to hear your ideas on how you can better your community!
– Would you like The Fairy Hobmother to visit you? Leave a comment and you just might wake up to an exciting surprise like I did!
**I was provided with an Amazon Gift Card as payment for this post. However all thoughts and opinions used were my own and I was not influenced in any way. Thank you Fairy Hobmother!
OK. That is pretty cool. He does seem a bit magical
What a lot of great things to do. I can remember I was shopping once and feeling low and these twin boys just walked by me and said hi and both gave me the biggest smiles. I can still remember their faces and smiles and that was a few years ago. A smile can go a long way.
Congrats on the visit! And, I love your post!
Giving back is incredibly important to us and we’ve worked to instill the same in our children. We donate clothing, food and books on a regular basis. Toys to holiday toy drives and time, a lot of time. I volunteer at the school at least once per week, working for multiple teachers, helping with reading groups and supervising kindergarten lunch. I knit and crochet hats and booties for the hospital. Right now, I am trying to help a friend raise money for a much needed surgery for a rescued boston terrier.
Even if we are not in a position to give a lot financially, time, support and positive thoughts are always in abundance. I love your post, thank you for sharing ideas on how to give back for those who may be uncertain as to how to help.
I would love a visit from the Hobmother. I love seeing the consistent paying it forward!
Well I am very pleased to say that I do all of that so I am headed in the right direction. I am a giver and I love to give and do for others just to make their day. It warms my heart and in return I feel blessed that I could do something great for someone else. I am teaching my kids to do the same, my only concern is the tutoring…lol. As time goes on kids these days will be learning in kindergarten what we learned in college…lol
l so I might be stalking the Fairy Hobmother, but I appreciate this post!
I like him – he’s very generous!
Those are great ways to give back to your community! Every few months we go through our house and see waht we can donate to our local Family Crisis Center. They are always appreciative and I love including my kids to show them how easy it is to help others.
I volunteer every week at school for my kids and for special school programs. I always try to smile and be positive with others too Goes a long way.
Love the fairy hobmother! I donate toys to the pediatrics hematology/oncology unit regularly.
I was recently visited by the Fairy Hobmother, too! How cool is that?
I like to give back to the community through donation. We are fortunate in that we have more than enough. The least we could do is pass some of our good fortune along to those who don’t.
Dawn
I try to give back whenever possible- We put together donation bags and keep them in the car for the homeless. IT breaks my heart to see people on the street, and there are many here.
http://www.mommatoldmeblog.com
He is definitely magical!!
I love that you wrote about paying it forward. One of my groups is strictly focused on paying it forward. Great too that you were visited by the fairy hobmother! Congrats. I’d love a visit from the fairy hobmother too!
Love the Fairy Hobmother! Giving back makes you feel so good. These are all wonderful ideas to make someone else feel special, which in turn makes you feel good! Sometimes just a smile makes all the difference in the world
I love pay it forward post! maybe my time is coming for a visit soon!
Congrats!! I know you deserve this visit!
Awesome! I would love that! How special 🙂
I have to say that the Fairy Hobmother is the linking buiding genius of the world. Lol. Thanks for the tips 🙂
The fairy hobmother is definitely a marketing genius! 🙂 Great post!
i think i need to do the first one more!!
Such great advice! Simple acts of kindness can mean so much. I will never forget a compliment a stranger gave me one day. It meant so much to me because I knew it was genuine.
I am involved in m church, and that is where I mainly serve. I also do give online to various causes.
I DO BELIEVE, I DO BELIEVE, I DO, I DO, I DO!!!!!!
I have chased the elusive Fairy Hobmother for about a year now… He can pop on over to see me anytime! I’ll have some welcome party waiting… then, maybe we’ll work on fixing him up with Tinkerbell… 🙂
I am a strong believer in giving back and paying it forward. Recently started volunteering at an animal shelter… they have nothing to give me except unconditional love…. pretty good payment if you ask me.
Hooray, what a lucky little visitor you had! Feel free to come visit me, Fairy Hobmother- I have a comfy cozy blog post that you can curl up in!
Shaping Up To Be A Mom
Love your ideas on helping out a community and making it better. I am active within my community and volunteer organizations. One group I belong to just finished our annual fundraising auction where we raised over $10,000 for a local group that does wonderful things for our community but doesn’t have access to a lot of funding.
The Fairy Hobmother sounds wonderful!