2015...My Year of 50 Random Acts of Kindness by Holly Kennedy

Happy New Year !!

 In honor of my 50th birthday this month I have decided to do 50 Random Acts of Kindness this year. I have some ideas and will probably have to duplicate some of them but need more...give me some ideas...what do you have? 

I have no budget for this so most of these will be accomplished utilizing mostly my time and energy with some monetary ones thrown in here and there like buying someone's coffee, bringing purchased desserts to a nurses station at a hospital, or purchasing small products to donate like small toys for kids  being cared for at an interim shelter or warm socks for the homeless (which I actually did in December), etc. 

Throughout the year I will update this post with my RAK and I will use hashtag #HK50RAK on my social media sites.

What would make me happier than anything is if this post made you smile AND inspired you to do random acts of kindness in your community, as well.  

As I have posted this adventure on a couple of local community sites to gather ideas, I will be sharing at the bottom of this post ideas presented by the community to give you some ideas too if you get inspired! 

I am very grateful that through my "adventures" of 2014 that I have been inspired to do this adventure in 2015! 

 HK50RAK 2015 to date:

1. Jan 2nd Decided to grab bread at Hopelink per their rare surplus announcement for people that couldn't make it/didn't have car and deliver to two of them and hand out the rest to others in the community. (Rare situation and opportunity!)  
2. Jan 5th Bought myself a Coke at McD's then paid for the order belonging to the car behind me. 
3. Jan 5th picked up and dropped off a new little girl's coat that was gifted from one person to another.
4. January 7th Signed up to help pack kids lunches for the weekend program at LWSD. Pics below of volunteers (at least 30% of which were kids!), Little Guy and Me and the organized packaging line!
   
   
    
5. January 30th/31st - In honor of Blue Friday, Seahawks and the 12th Man - gifting in a FB gifting group and in a community FB group a brand new, limited, special edition, Seahawks 12th Man Starbucks card loaded with $20 each. 
6. February 5th I decided to fill someone's #iso for a baby by buying what they needed on 425 Shop and Swap. I will be picking the item up on Monday from seller and gonna drop it later in the week to the requester. 
7. Bought 25+ new t-shirts in different sizes from one person to give to someone else that serves food and brings clothes, etc. every single Sunday to the homeless at an organized event. (Love her and her generosity... She inspires all of us!)
8. February and March: buying new in package toys via Amazon and people with duplicates to give to a children in need's charity this Christmas! (So excited for this one!)
9. Someone was in need of a couch on one site so I coordinated a free one (plus a matching chair) for them from another site! They asked "our you friends with the gifter?" and I said nope, just doing a random act of kindness. ;-)
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Random Acts of Kindness ideas as suggested by the community: 

• Hand written thank you letters to people who have made a positive difference in your life.
• Pay for coffee of the person behind you
• Put a gift card in someone's mailbox
• Buy flowers for someone at a retirement home who doesn't get visitors
• Make dinner or dessert for a neighbor
• Gunner (age 4) says he would draw someone a picture - I <3 this!
• 
  

There are lots so updating shortly....

"Girls Can Do" event with 9 Female Speakers from different industries including Science, TV, Sports, Arts and more at Benaroya Hall in Seattle - Saturday, May 17th 2014 from 11:30am-5pm - Free Tickets Available!

How cool is this?!

" FREE EVENT: SAT MAY 17 at Benaroya Hall, Seattle

MISSION: To inspire a generation of possibility thinkers.

To encourage young women to have big dreams and pursue them.

After all, what you want to do in life is always your best option, and anything is possible if you expect it.

DETAILS: Bring all your friends. Better yet, start a movement and bring your whole school!

Saturday, May 17th at Benaroya Hall, in downtown Seattle. 11:30 - 5pm

Listen to and ask questions of nine amazing women who are living their dreams and want to share their stories and secrets for success so you can too.

Our speakers include a NASA scientist, TV news anchor, High tech CEO, Professional skier, Artist, Lawyer, Musician and Human rights activist.

Dads, brothers, grandpas, husbands, uncles and friends are welcome to come and share the inspiration!

All ages welcome!

Refreshements will be available for sale during the first hour. "

For more info. and to get FREE tickets go here.

"Create a Group Storybook" at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center in Seattle - Saturday, June 29th 2013 at 11am

Image courtesy of GFVC

 Another free, inspirational event geared toward kids!

" Join us for a fun and interactive group storytelling activity. Gather with visitors of all ages and build a story about creating positive change. "

For more info. go here.

 

Baby Dolls for boys, trucks for girls - ABSOLUTELY! and why...(plus the inspiration for this post)...

When I was a kid, the only time I would play with Barbies was if I was bored out of my mind. No offense Barbie! I would play banker using my toy chest with the slats in it as the bank window, etc. Although I loved pink and purple (lavender was my favorite!), I also loved sports and more complex games, other than tea parties and baby dolls. I guess I was a bit of a tomboy. I was thrilled when I got a race car set as a child. I believe traditional "girly" things are important, but I also wished they had more intricate, complex and building type toys available for girls back then.

I try to raise my son with non-gender specific toys. Let me make that all gender specific toys. He has his train set, firetrucks, construction trucks, workbench, and all kinds of sports equipment, but he also has a play stove, a grocery cart, a small baby, etc. He likes to put on mardi gras beads, who wouldn't...they are fun. And when he goes to a friend's house that is a girl, I have no problem letting him play with the baby dolls. I love watching him play with the doll, feeding it, taking it to the pretend doctor and putting it down for naps, just like his friend does. Just like his dad IS, it teaches him to be a good daddy in the future. And, of course, he will learn the most from his role models but I think these little things will also help in his overall development.

I have no problem with him playing with traditionally "girly" type toys. His favorite things to do are wrestle, play chase, play in the dirt, climb, etc. But, he also likes to do these other things, as well. I try to encourage all sides of his personality, his rough and tumble side and his gentle and caring side, so he can grow into a well rounded individual.

I have to admit when he was one and received the espresso colored stove from his grandparents, my husband was not happy about it at first. I told him..."Why?, he has to learn how to cook at some point and YOU love to cook"...after I said that, he was on board.

I then bought him a little doll, those little 6 inch soft bodied ones you can get at Target. This one had blue eyes just like my son and I told him it was his baby. My husband said "Really??!" And I said "Hey, he needs to learn how to be gentle with little ones." And with that he let it go.

When a little friend of his comes to visit, her favorite toy of my son's to play with is the colorful, plastic gear set. Yes, she loves all her "girly" stuff like purses, jewelry, her princess chapsticks in various colors, and her favorite pink stuffed animal that she carries with her everywhere, but she also loves building the gears from scratch, connecting the base together, putting the gears on then being able to turn all of them at once by turning the crank. She gets to create it by putting it together however she wants then gets to see her achievement in action by turning the gears. It teaches her cause and effect, spacial relationship, and a sense of accomplishment.

I am not on a mission, I just believe kids should have all kinds of opportunities and be exposed to all kinds of things to learn and develop. So, when I saw today this new toy that will be available for little girls I was thrilled. It was the inspiration for this post today. I would have LOVED something like this when I was young.

Image courtesy of GoldieBlox

And while I do appreciate the toy companies like LEGO, etc. trying to appeal to girls by making everything pink, I do love that this new one, created by a female engineer, combines reading, steps that illuminate cause and effect and spacial/building qualities.

This is the new toy that inspired today's post: 

(make sure to go to the links and see it in action!)

Image courtesy of GoldieBlox

Originally discovered this here. (Due to friend Tori and her continuous, selfless research on all things children and her beautiful generosity of spirit to share it!!)


For more info. go here. (FYI - toy is in pre-order phase with estimated delivery of February 2013)

Free Inspiration on Children's Crafts, Design, Education and More!

Want some free inspiration for all things kiddo?! Check out Modern Parents Messy Kids - a kids' crafts and so much more blog by a local mom!

  Modern Parents Messy Kids is just under a year old and has already been featured on Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, BabyCenter and more. As a Seattle area "neighbor" she discovered my blog and was even kind enough to feature FreePlay Kids on an outings with kids post titled "Top 3 Resources for Getting Out and About with Young Kids!  That was a nice surprise. 

So, if you haven't checked out this beautiful, informative and very nicely written blog all about kids, please do so. I think you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Also, FYI - she is currently a nominee and in the lead in the ~Craft for Kids Blog~ category of the 2011 Parents Best Blog Awards! The contest ends soon and I would love to see her win it for all her efforts and much deserved blog! 

Vote for Modern Parents Messy Kids - It only takes a second!

To vote click on the pink button above or go here.

To check out the Modern Parents Messy Kids blog go here.  

Now go get some inspiration!