My Cup Overflows...

 

Last month I started a Pin Pal Exchange program, and received my gift from my pal Stephanie. We were complete strangers, but she knew exactly what kinds of things would brighten up my day. I honestly think she went beyond what was expected, and I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't go all out with her items. Stephanie sent me items that she crocheted, handmade Chai Tea Soap (she sells soap at a Farmer's Market), a jeweled bookmark, a really cool flower made out of recycled material, a pretty postcard with a written note on the back,a rice pack that you warm up to soothe an aching body, and my FAVORITE is the Terrarium jar that has pebbles and soil in it. I'm supposed to plant something in it and watch it grow. I really enjoyed getting to know Stephanie during the month and sharing our stories of our 2 year old toddlers. 

So, if you are impressed by this like I am, you should join the next Exchange in June! 

Click here to check out more info about the Pin Pal Exchange. Dates will change for the next month, but most rules will stay the same. 

If you are already wanting to join for June, feel free to email me at EHermesch@gmail.com or comment below with your name, email, and state you live in. I will mail out Pin Pal info to you the first week of June!

An ad with a secret...

While perusing Facebook today, I came across an article that peeked my interest. A company called  ANAR has created an ad that changes at different angles. It is an anti-abuse ad for children. At an adult level, they can only see a general advertisement for it. At a child's level, the child see's a picture of a bruised boy and there is a phone number to call for help if they are ever in a situation of abuse. 

During my first year as a teacher, I came across many children who were coming to school with bruises and would tell me personal things that shocked me. There were a few times I had to go to authorities to report what a child or parent had informed me of. Dealing with that as a teacher was probably the worst aspect of my career. Of course, I would help out any student if they were in trouble, but it was sad and shocking to be aware of how much crap there is in this world.

I love the idea of how the anti-abuse ad is a cool way to grab your attention. An adult sees a completely different message on the screen and the child sees something else. Such an unique feature!  The article about the anti-abuse also asked, "How long before we see this feature on toys to hawk a child's interest?" I am not sure if I would like it in that aspect, but really admire the large ads featuring this concept when promoting safety, anti-bullying, and anti-abuse. Kudos to this company!

Here is the article, "This Ad has a Secret That Only Kids Can See" : click here

::RAKS Challenge::

RAKS = Random Acts of Kindness

Recently, I posted about doing a RAKS Challenge. Click on the highlighted link for the blog post: Random Acts of Kindness blog post
 
Every month, I will do at least one nice thing for somebody else, and I hope you will join the challenge as well. If you want to participate in this fun, inspiring blog experience please read the details below.

Here's the deal:

-If you would like to participate, I challenge you to do a Random Act of Kindness for a family member, a friend, or even better--a stranger.

-Post about what you did and your experience on the blog. If you made an item and took a photo, please email me so I can share it on the blog! ehermesch@gmail.com

-My goal is to do a RAKS by the 14th of every month (easy for me to remember because Valentine's Day is the 14th...day of love. So it reminds me to do something out of love on the 14th of every month). So please share your RAKS stories by the 14th of every month on my blog!

-All stories or photos you share may end up on a future blog post!

-Every RAKS item I give will also include a tag with my blog site info and email so the stranger can leave input about their experience for us.  Feel free to include my info or your blog info so they can share their thoughts. This is optional for you, but would really be a great addition to your experience.

*I had a blogger say that they love to do things anonymously.  Normally, I would do this anonymously but love the idea of sharing both sides of the story with my readers. There has never been a time when I didn't hear a sweet story about a RAKS that someone did without feeling inspired. That's the reason for doing this:  To feel inspired. To love others. To live a life of purpose. To make someone's day.

If you are going to take on this challenge, please comment below that you are taking the plunge! 

Fashion: Frugal Finds

"One Man's Junk is Another Man's Treasure"

Some of my favorite outfits have come from thrift store purchases.  When you are on a tight budget, frugal shopping is the way to go. Plus, it has become a hobby of mine to come across great finds.  Most of the items I come across are even name brand!  Filling up my cart with 20 items and getting them about 90% off retail value is a thrill!  One of the items I came across still had the original tag from the store Fossil and was originally $40. I bought it for $2.50! Booya!

One of my favorite finds this weekend was a gorgeous, turquoise skirt (pictured on the right).  Right now I am really into vintage looks. At first I put this baby back on the clothing rack.  It kept coming across my mind as I shopped, so I had to turn back around and snag it.  Really happy that I did. The skirt has rouging on both sides and gives it a unique look.  Unfortunately there was no tag on it for me to know the brand. Part of me thinks it was homemade, which is even more awesome in my book.

Since I am new to all this fashion stuff, I had NO idea what blouse to wear.  Keeping it simple, I put on a purplish/blue tank top.  Plus, here in Arizona it's already a whopping 95 degrees! Too hot to wear much in this weather.

My shoes also came from the thrift store a few months back.  They are a tan, rustic look and are super comfortable heels.

My goal was to really focus on the turquoise color so I paired up the outfit with this necklace.  My friend, Annalee, just started a jewelry business and made this beautiful piece. When I saw this necklace, I had to have it!  All of the items on the necklace really represent my life:  photography, "live" dangle is to remind me to be purposeful everyday, an angel wing to remind me of God's presence, and I just love the color turquoise so the beads fit perfectly. Even if it didn't remind me of meaningful things, I just like the look of it. 


Shoes: Charlotte Russe
Necklace: Annalee and Kerry Jewelry


For the next few Fridays, I will be sharing some of the Frugal Finds I have found at the thrift store. This is a fun way to show that you do not need to walk into a store and pay regular retail price.  Thrift store shopping is fun and is friendly on the budget.

Beautiful Things

The song "Beautiful Things" by Gungor is one of my favorites. I first came across this song in 2010 at my Grandmother's funeral when my cousins sang it in memory of her.  Since that time, I have only heard it randomly about three times and it always makes me cry....but it's a good thing.  This song not only makes me think of my Grandma but the simple lyrics are so powerful. The lyrics always remind me of why I am alive and that we were created to do beautiful things.

"Beautiful Things"

By Gungor

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us...

The other day I was trying to remember what this song was called or who wrote it.  Later that night, a friend posted this photo on Pinterest out of nowhere:  Thank you! It jogged my memory of what song I was trying to remember.

I do not think of that as a coincidence. I got my "Heart Taps" (that's what I call it when I think God is nudging me or trying to get my attention) that night.  I was reminded that life is good and even from the beginning, God has a plan and created us to be better than what we ever dreamed or imagined. 

GIVEAWAY: Random Acts of Kindness

I posted about a Random Acts of Kindness challenge that I wanted others to participate in.  My first attempt at this challenge is to do a Giveaway for my readers.  The catch is that YOU will actually have to do a Random Act of Kindness for somebody first :) 

Prize:

$20 Origami Owl gift certificate & "Life is a Gift" dangle

 

 How to enter:

Follow all direction on the rafflecopter.  Winner will be announced on May 16th. Winner will be able to use their $20 gift certificate towards an item(s) I carry in my personal inventory. Winner will be notified via email.

The last request on the Rafflecopter says to do a Random Act of Kindness for someone. It can be as simple as wrapping a candy bar with a note, giving a drive-thru cashier cash to pay for the person behind you, or whatever speaks to your heart. Be creative!

Origami Owl website: www.GlamByLiz.origamiowl.com
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

::Random Acts of Kindness::

 

My heart is telling me to do something worthwhile, to make a change, to do something that is bigger than  myself.  In the midst of trying to come up with ideas to fulfill these heart taps (that is what I call them when God is trying to get my attention), grandiose ideas started floating through my head. Then I realized that usually the smallest gestures go a long way....

When people have gone out of their way to do something nice for me it really makes me feel loved and appreciated. Moments like these are cherished and unexpected.  My entire family was sick recently and a friend came to the rescue to help.  That will always be noteworthy to me because it is rare for people to go out of their way when we are sick.

Stories of strangers helping each other out always make me get mushy and teary-eyed.  In a past post I shared a story about a homeless man, Billy Ray Harris, sticking to his morals. He returned an item that meant the world to a stranger.  Like I said, it's the little things that count. Check out the blog post here: Made for More

The great thing that came out of this story was that the Pay It Forward spirit came into play. The homeless man did something totally unexpected to cheer someone up.  Then the receiver did something incredible in return.  She raised $172,000 for Billy Ray Harris and he is not living on the streets anymore.  Lots of people took part in raising the funds for this man, and I am sure this man will forever be grateful for the love strangers showed him.

So I am sure you are wondering what the main point of this post is... Yes, it is about realizing the kindness of others, but it goes deeper than that. It's about helping others and finding joy along the way.

I am making a pact to PAY IT FORWARD!

As often as I can, I will make an effort to do random acts of kindness--for friends, for family, for strangers.  It brings me so much joy to put a smile on someone's face. It's priceless. I may not have a lot of money to give. I  may not be a social butterfly to start a pep rally for this. I may not have all the resources available to make a huge difference.  But one little act of kindness will be remembered forever.

Another idea for this is to include my blog info on the Random Acts of Kindness gift, in hopes that the recipient will find their way to my blog to share their experience.  What a wonderful way to hear encouraging stories and hear how it made them feel. 

Whose joining me in this challenge?

Please feel free to be motivated by this quest, and I hope you will take the challenge as well. I will share this journey with you as I try to cheer up others along the way.  If you decide to tag along, please share your stories with me and how you paid it forward. 

I would love if you included my blog address on your Random Acts of Kindness gift, telling the recipient to share their experience on the blog. What a great way to see how it impacted someone and to share sweet stories together.  

Also, you can email your own stories and/or photos about your Random Acts of Kindness and I would love to do a follow-up post about how we are sharing happiness with others! You can also share your stories in the comment section below :) Whatever works for you.

Email: EHermesch@gmail.com