I don't know why, but that made me laugh lol I figure some weeks it might be as basic as letting people in front of you in traffic or on a line somewhere, or putting quarters in a meter right before you pull away from it, or picking up litter simewhere, or whatever- it doesn't have to be something major every week! Word!!! :)

That's a great story! Awesome, thanks for the links! I know I will need help coming up with 52 ideas! :D Welcome! :)

Of course! :) Glad to have a group of interested people already! I have made a notation on my calendar for 11/20 that week 1 of "random acts of kindness" begins so that I don't "forget" to start! I'm not sure how active this thread will be between now and then, but please look for a post from me on 11/20 which will get us started, and you can post to that thread anytime that week to let us know what you're doing, how it went, to see what other people did and so on. Don't feel like this has to be any big, overwhelming thing- any little thing we can do to make a positive difference will be great! I'm looking forward to involving my family and getting started! :)

Love the idea! And you've inspired me to start this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=319340

So, Kathleen in VA posted a link to a great blog from a woman who decided to perform 35 random acts of kindness on her 35th birthday. Kathleen said she wanted to do that on her birthday. I know a lot of us think that's a wonderful idea. So, what if a bunch of us decide to do something like the "52 Books In 52 Weeks" challenge...but instead of that, it's A Random Act of Kindness A Week For 52 Weeks kind of thing? We could start the week of Thanksgiving (with the first week running Sunday, November 20-Saturday November 26) and continue through NEXT Thanksgiving? Each week, we can each plan and execute some sort of random act of kindness, charity, or whatever- something nice for someone else. It doesn't matter if it's a small act or a big one, if it benefits one person or multiple people, if it's within your community or outside of it- it just has to be something that brightens somebody else's day in some way that week. I think it would be a great thing to involve our kids with, and think how much positive energy we can put out there collectively! :) And then we can have a weekly thread about it here, sharing what we did that week to give each other ideas and share reactions and so on. Is anyone interested...? If so, post here, make a notation somewhere to yourself to start the week of Thanksgiving, and let's see what we can do!

We love when our next door neighbor gives us homemade treats and when people in our Homeschool group make them for parties, but a stranger? No, we would toss them.

Great post! And I think you're exactly right.

Not expecting to change anyone's mind- this is obviously a subject some people like to pass judgment on (or feel entitled to pass judgment on because of "tax dollars")- but just wanted to say that I think it's ridiculous to begrudge someone a cake just because they are on food stamps, and that it's really nobody else's business what food items someone chooses to buy at a grocery store, regardless of how they are paying for it.

Some families use the "Switch Witch"- she comes and switches out halloween candy for some sort of toy or such. I hear some dentists will "buy" the candy. One year, my kids picked out a bunch of their candy and we mailed it to deployed troops. My mother was very active on a troop support message board and was always exchanging letters and sending care packages. So we mailed a bunch of candy to some of them (and boy were they happy to get it, and the kids felt proud to do it, so it was a win all around)!

If I were inviting someone over to dinner, if I were you, I'd say something like: "Are you a fan of deer/wild game, or would you prefer something else?" If they say they like it, problem solved. If they say "Oh, we're not really big on it" then you can present an alternative: "No problem...is chicken or beef ok?" and take it from there. If they told you they don't eat meat you can do a pasta dish. But this way, there's no awkwardness when they arrive, no wasted food, and you can wait to shop/prepare until you know what they like.

What they all said. A day of relaxing, playing and pampering is definitely in order.

I have an 11 year old girl and a blog (see sig) but it also covers my younger son's fingerpainting afternoons lol. My daughter likes to read, draw, do arts and crafts, collect rocks, ride her bike, listen to music, play on the computer, play video games, write in a journal, watch tv, hang out with friends and does extra curricular activities (scouts, judo, guitar, book club, bowling).

It's their backyard. They should be able to put things wherever they want to in it. Maybe they want it off to one side so they can still have a wide open space instead of slapping it in the middle of their yard or something. Could it have been a few more feet away? I guess, but, really, would it having been a few more feet away make a difference to you when it comes to not liking the "kid noise?" I doubt it. The only solution for THAT problem is moving to where there ARE no neighbors/kids. Honestly, living around the kind of person who would "report" somebody for putting a playset for their kids on the edge of their property would annoy me more than living around someone with loud kids.

:iagree:

If I wasn't SURE my guests liked that kind of meat, I wouldn't serve it at all to guests. People who didn't grow up with hunters in the family may not like the gamy taste of wild animals like deer. I know, because I didn't grow up with it and I can't stand the taste lol. We have friends who love it and we've tried it (more than once) at their house. I can always tell it's not "regular" beef/pork etc, and I just don't like it. So yes I'd tell them- in advance of them coming over!

He's my favorite character, too. Love him. And I love the nicknames that show comes up with. Not just for Astrid but "Walternate" and "Faux Livia" haha. Love!

:iagree: Further, if he DID need help, I would expect he was capable of stopping one of the adults passing by and asking for help.

Pretty much every day with some degree or other of sciatica.

dd11 is taking guitar lessons, she only started like maybe 6 weeks ago.

Your job is to maintain a trusting relationship with your daughter and keep her AND other kids safe to the best of your ability (i.e. having to report danger to other children, etc). Your job is not to play nanny for someone else's nearly adult child by "reporting" to her parents every little non-illegal and non-dangerous things she does that they might not approve of. If they expect that of you, they have unrealistic expectations. If they don't like it, too bad. :)

haha yeah. I loved that line. Although I also love when he calls her Asterisk.

Can you Name That Show? :D

That is not the kind of thing I would mention.

That's what I was thinking. I don't think he was rude or snippy, sounds like he was saying "Let me know what sizes you want and then I'll give you a price based on size- don't worry, it'll be a great deal" kind of thing.

I've heard this saying as: something you want, something you need, something I want for you, something to read. In that version "need" could cover clothes, boots, pjs, new underwear, a piece of bedroom furniture, a new blanket, or whatever would be considered "useful," and "something I want for you" could be some toy or game I'm excited about buying for my child but may not have been specifically asked for.