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

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

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

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

Gifts of a Garden

Several weeks ago my friend sent me a text asking me if I wanted to go on a garden walk.  I immediately said yes as I had never been on a garden walk, surprisingly I had nothing planned and it would be great way to spend time with my friend and Godson.

Before the event, she gave me a booklet which was my ticket. It had stories about each of the gardens we were going to visit.  When I offered to pay for my ticket, she said it was on her.  An unexpected gift!

This past weekend we went on the garden walk and had a great time.  The gardens were beautiful and it gave me many great ideas for my own gardens.  But besides the event the day was filled with unexpected gifts:

   1.   My friend and I spent three hours laughing as we drove around trying to find locations; getting lost and watching my hair continue to expand as the humidity increased. 

   2.      We went to a community garden and I saw two signs that made my heart smile:

a.       Produce Donation Box Here-Thank You For Your Donation To Local Food Pantries

b.      Veggies for Food Pantry-By Master Gardeners

The first unexpected gift was that we laughed and laughed some more with no worries of time or the multiple mistakes we made on finding the locations. The laughing shouldn’t have been so unexpected but I think sometimes as adults we get too serious and don’t spend enough time laughing. 

The next two unexpected gifts were not gifts to me but were gifts community members are doing for those in need.   

I had never thought about donating food from my garden to local food pantries. What a great idea! But then my friend Toni at Food Just Sayin  introduced me to The Food is Free Project. 

The Food is Free Project grows community and food, while helping gain independence from a broken agricultural system.  The Food is Free Project is a community building and gardening movement that launched in January of 2012. They teach you how to connect with your neighbors and line your street with front yard community gardens which provide free harvests to anyone.

The gardens are built and offered for free using salvaged resources that would otherwise be headed to the landfill. By using drought-tolerant, wicking bed gardens, these low maintenance gardens only need to be watered every 2-4 weeks. This simple tool introduces people to a very easy method of growing organic food with very little work. A wide variety of vegetables along the block promote neighbors to interact and connect, strengthening our communities while empowering them to grow their own food.

I love the quote on the The Food is Free website: “Never underestimate your power to inspire and affect your community around you. Even the smallest of acts can really ripple out.” - John VanDeusen Edwards, Founder of The Food is Free Project

The garden walk was organized by ThePorter County Master Gardeners Association (PCMGA) which is a not-for-profit corporation promoting the art, science, education and pleasure of gardening in cooperation with, and under the auspices of, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service in Porter County, Indiana. I loved to see that they not only hosted events for the community but they are giving back with time, energy and veggies from a garden that they nurture throughout the summer.  Our local food pantries are so lucky to have organizations like PCMGA to support with healthy food.

After the day was over I came home and walked around my yard and looked at the beautiful gifts of vibrant colored flowers God gives to us. My flowers are one of my favorite things in life.  Even though I hate weeding, I love waiting for all of the seasons that produce tulips and daffodils in the spring, lilies and daisies in the summer and mums in the fall. Who knew gardens could be filled with so many gifts?

Do you have a garden?  Are there gifts you can give others from your garden?  If so, I challenge you to see how you can share the fruits of your garden with others. I know I will be sharing some squash!

Blessings,

Stephanie