1 Making a Difference™
1 Making a Difference ™ shows how easy it is for one person to make a difference through daily giving of gifts. It is my goal to make people feel happy or moved when they read the gift giving stories and ideas and are motivated to give and get involved. I want to stop being focused on self and strive to make serving others needs a priority. I challenge you to do the same. I believe 1 person can make a difference!
An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. "Why do you bother?" the old man scofted. "You're not saving enough to make a difference." The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. "Made a difference to that one," he said.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
I've Moved!
Hello faithful followers. I have moved! Please follow me over at www.GivingGal.com
If you want to follow me on social media check out:
www.facebook.com/givinggal
Instagram and Twitter: @Giving_Gal
Thanks so much for your support over the years.
Blessings,
Stephanie
If you want to follow me on social media check out:
www.facebook.com/givinggal
Instagram and Twitter: @Giving_Gal
Thanks so much for your support over the years.
Blessings,
Stephanie
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Do Birds Have Baby Showers?
Yesterday as I was standing in the kitchen, I look out the
window and see, no joke, 15-20 pregnant Robins scattered around a tree in our
backyard. I’m in NW IN and the weather
has been crazy. First we have 60 degree weather and this week we get snow and
back down below freezing. As the birds
were pecking around I started to feel sorry for them. Was there supposed to be
food and now there wasn't? Did they
migrate back to soon? When my hubby entered the kitchen he asked what I was
staring at and I said, “All those birds outside. Do you think they are hungry?”
Without me asking, he went out to the garage, grabbed a bag
of birdseed, slipped on his shoes and headed outside. Gazing out the window, I
smile as he scattered food around.
He came back in the house shivering, chuckling and says, “I
think they were having a women’s convention out there. No probably a baby
shower.”
We both found ourselves standing in the kitchen laugh
hysterically over the thought of birds having a baby shower. I don’t know if it strikes you as funny, but
it did us.
Most of my writings are about gifts for people, but
yesterday my hubby gave a gift to our flying friends and I had to share.
Have a blessed evening!
Stephanie
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Snowed In and Prepping for a Week of Giving
I’m not sure where you live, but I’m in Northwest Indiana
and we are getting hammered with snow.
Since I stocked up on a food yesterday and I work from home, I actually
enjoy the snow and don’t mind the inches and inches Linus, I guess they name
snowstorms, is bringing to my backyard.
Since I’m stuck I the house and won’t be venturing out
anytime soon I thought I would spend time getting organized for the week, going
through mail, paying bills, meal planning, laundry and yes prepping for my
daily gifts. Many days I don’t have a
plan for my gifts, but projects are starting to pile up and I need to get them
moving out of my house and helping others!
I love the fact that everywhere I look a gift is sitting, waiting to be
given. It is my hope that one day your
gift giving journey starts to constantly overflow with abundance to others, if
it isn't already.
So what kinds of gifts am I working on for the week?
1.
My Godson’s birthday was back in October and I
totally forgot to get him a gift. I
think I was out of town the weekend of his birthday and it just slipped my
mind. He doesn't need any toys so he’ll
be getting money for his college fund.
2.
I've spent time writing thank you cards to
clients for their business and friends who have helped us through the difficult
time of losing our beloved dog Boss.
Always remember to say thanks!
3.
Wrote a card that I’ll be sending to a client.
It’s a note of encouragement with a positive quote. A little something to brighten his week!
4.
Set bags of towels, linens and blankets out for
the animal shelter. Over Christmas break
I cleaned out my linen closet and found a ton of stuff we weren't using. I knew the local animal shelters uses these
types of items so I bagged them up and loaded them in my car. Then I posted
about this on Facebook and one of my friends commented that her friend’s son
was collecting these items to donate to the shelter on Valentine ’s Day. This
is a win win for me. I don’t have to make a trip to the shelter, but I can help
this little boy in his giving journey.
5.
Wrote my annual check to Public Library Friends
so I can renew my membership to the Friends of the Porter County Library
System. Last year the Friends provided
almost $40,000 to the libraries to help with the purchase of new materials, pay
for summer reading programs, purchase magazines and software, and provide
scholarships to staff working on their library degree. I love the library and can’t help but
support!
Are you working on any gifts for today? If so, please share! I love getting ideas from others.
I’m taking a break and going to go play in the snow!
Blessings,
Stephanie
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Chocolate covered...
I have a confession to make. I was a party pooper last
night. I have been dealing with a cold for about a week and couldn't muster the
strength to stay up past 10:00p.m. My bed and sleep were calling my name. Before
my head hit the pillow, my husband and I did enjoy a nice evening out with
friends. During dinner, my husband and
our friend started discussing their plans to go to a friend’s house today for
the Blackhawks game and football. My
husband mentioned he needed to bring a snack and I volunteer to whip something
up. They were both razzing me that I
wouldn't be in the mood to get up and have something ready by 11:30, the time
when my husband would be leaving for the party.
Not that I wanted to prove them wrong, okay I did, but I
also saw the opportunity as my gift for the day. I decided to make chocolate covered pretzels
and Ritz crackers with peanut butter.
Not only did I make enough for the party, but I have some left for a
neighbor and a friend I wanted to mail cookies to at Christmas, but didn't.
When my husband came downstairs, I think he was a bit
shocked to see wax paper laid out on the counter, a pile of crackers and peanut
butter ready to be dipped, a bowl full of pretzels waiting for chocolate to be
drizzled and stirred and chocolate melting on the stove. What I love, but I also find annoying about
my hubby, is he jumped right in and started helping. I often joke with him that he jumps in to
help so he can take claim for my gifts!
The main job he took on was sprinkles. He dug in our cabinet for maize and blue
sprinkles so he could have Michigan University themed pretzels! Even though they didn't
make it to a bowl
game, he has been super excited about the announcement of their new head
football coach. He also wanted to make
the chocolate red for the Blackhawks, but unfortunately the coloring I had made
the chocolate clumpy so we had to nix that idea.
After the pretzels and crackers were dipped and dried I
found several leftover tin dishes from Christmas and packaged the treats up
beautifully so he could take them to the party.
Today’s gift was one I could have totally ignored and my
husband would have been perfectly fine swinging by the store and buying something
prepackaged for the party. I like giving
gifts that are not expected, but appreciated. Sure there were a hundred other
things I could have been doing in that hour, but in this new year, I’m focusing
on being intentional with my time, especially as it relates to giving back and
making a difference.
Blessing for 2015,
Stephanie
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