Slowly but surely we're making progress toward being ready for our departure date. Nothing monumental happened this week but a lot of little cogs were set in motion. I made calls to contractors for gutter cleaning, bathroom counter measurements, yard work, and so on. These little things will add up to make all the difference in how our house functions while we're gone, and hopefully, how it will look when we return. The goal is to list the house for rent soon, so we'll be starting the "Quick! Someone is coming by to look at the house- pick that up!" mantra. I'm sure our kids will love it and be completely on board.....yeah right. ;-)
Volunteering with our oldest son at the Food and Clothing Bank last weekend was fun. It's good for him to see how these organizations work and he totally stepped up. When I was a child, I was one of the people standing in line- so I'm especially thankful for the opportunity to help now. As an adult, I can appreciate the impact places like this make for families who are just trying to make ends meet and stay together. When I was younger, though, I was ashamed and embarrassed because I thought my friends would make fun of me. If you've never known what it is to struggle, then it can be hard to empathize with those who are struggling. I can honestly say that I'm thankful for that experience because it taught me that no one is "better" than anyone else and you can learn something from every situation. I now have the drive to serve others, knowing that we are the same.
Once we were given the tour, several of us were assigned to the clothing area, which was perfect for me and my affinity for order. There is a door in the side of the building where people can donate bags of clothing and other items. The pile can get pretty big, so it needs regular sorting. The nicer items were hung on racks so people can look through them easily. All the clothes with holes, stains, pet hair, or smells (yes, smells...) were either donated to the Salvation Army or thrown away. For the most part, people donated really nice things and only a few items needed to be thrown away. I'm not sure why anyone would donate their old, slobbery, stained, ripped pillow- but there it was. Thank goodness for gloves! I can't give the Food and Clothing Bank enough credit. They really do care for the people in our community and work hard to make a difference- and they do!
Coming up: Girl Scout cookie site sales and more house projects... It's going to be a busy week!
- Jen
Showing posts with label Volunteer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Volunteer. Show all posts
Friday, March 11, 2016
Friday, March 4, 2016
The Fun in Functional
Do you remember my shameless plug for my online Thirty-One Gifts party? Well, I'm thrilled to say that it went even better than I anticipated. Because of the enthusiasm of my friends, I was able to check off quite a few items from my wish list- FOR FREE!! Hooray!! In case you aren't familiar with this company, they sell products that include storage solutions, bags, and fashion accessories. I absolutely love their mission statement, ethics, and quality. You can find their site here: http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/catalog/ I'd be happy to put you in touch with a few consultants I know if you're interested in something.
Well, the fact is that I'm quite addicted. A friend hosted a party a few years ago and I didn't want to buy anything because I didn't like the fabric pattern choices at the time. I'm a quilter so design is a serious thing for me. Plus the products seemed too pricey. After all, I've never been one to care about expensive purses and bags. BUT my friends' consultant (Hi Kate! ;-)) wouldn't let me off that easy and convinced me to buy the hostess gift that my friend didn't want. It was a pink gym tote that had a handy zipper compartment for shoes at the bottom. I felt a little guilty shelling out $35 (normally $80-ish) for a bag when I could have bought something at the local big brand store for less. Let me tell you, that bag changed my whole perspective! The quality was so good that I ended up using it for EVERYTHING- airport carry-on, overnights, the beach, paperwork, and much more. It's still going strong, whereas anything I would have bought at the big brand store would have been long gone by now. So the price has meant spending less and wasting less in the long run and I still love my tote. That's how the addiction started. Recently, my sister-in-law became a consultant. Even though I'm pretty loyal to my original consultant I still want to support my sister, so I hosted the aforementioned online party.
Here are a few of the items I was able to get for free. These products will be helpful for just about every aspect of our upcoming trip. The trailer will need to be carefully organized and we'll have to be mindful of what and how we pack clothes-wise. After all, we'll be participating in a wide range of activities over the course of the year. Since we'll be visiting local scout troops, my son's and daughter will need to keep their uniforms handy. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, in particular, have several small, easy-to-lose items. For example, my boys are forever searching for their neckerchief slides and books. To solve this problem, Thirty-One offers this little gem called the "Hang-It-Up Pocket."
In case you were wondering what our family has been up to this week, we've had a whirlwind of scouting activities. My daughters' Girl Scout troop participated in a service project with Mountains To Sound Greenway http://mtsgreenway.org/ where they planted trees at Lake Sammamish State Park. It was a muddy-wonderful mess! My youngest sons' Cub Scout pack put on a carnival for the younger scouts and did a great job. Tomorrow my oldest son and I will be volunteering at our local food bank as part of his Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge and then he has an igloo-building outing. It's an exciting time in our home and I'm so thankful I get to be a part of the lives of these kids. Who knows what amazing changes they may bring to the world we live in?
Well, the fact is that I'm quite addicted. A friend hosted a party a few years ago and I didn't want to buy anything because I didn't like the fabric pattern choices at the time. I'm a quilter so design is a serious thing for me. Plus the products seemed too pricey. After all, I've never been one to care about expensive purses and bags. BUT my friends' consultant (Hi Kate! ;-)) wouldn't let me off that easy and convinced me to buy the hostess gift that my friend didn't want. It was a pink gym tote that had a handy zipper compartment for shoes at the bottom. I felt a little guilty shelling out $35 (normally $80-ish) for a bag when I could have bought something at the local big brand store for less. Let me tell you, that bag changed my whole perspective! The quality was so good that I ended up using it for EVERYTHING- airport carry-on, overnights, the beach, paperwork, and much more. It's still going strong, whereas anything I would have bought at the big brand store would have been long gone by now. So the price has meant spending less and wasting less in the long run and I still love my tote. That's how the addiction started. Recently, my sister-in-law became a consultant. Even though I'm pretty loyal to my original consultant I still want to support my sister, so I hosted the aforementioned online party.
Here are a few of the items I was able to get for free. These products will be helpful for just about every aspect of our upcoming trip. The trailer will need to be carefully organized and we'll have to be mindful of what and how we pack clothes-wise. After all, we'll be participating in a wide range of activities over the course of the year. Since we'll be visiting local scout troops, my son's and daughter will need to keep their uniforms handy. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, in particular, have several small, easy-to-lose items. For example, my boys are forever searching for their neckerchief slides and books. To solve this problem, Thirty-One offers this little gem called the "Hang-It-Up Pocket."
It's a zipper pocket that goes over your hanger. I had ours personalized and like the neutrality of the gray striped fabric, but they have other options too. As you can see, the pocket is pretty big, so it holds all the accessories for each uniform. It also has that little loop at the bottom in case you need to hang pants or something. On the back are two large loops that could hold ties, scarves, or anything, really. I normally hang the boys' shirts directly over the pocket, but displayed it like this for the picture so you could see how it works. Here's how it will look during the trip. Handy, no?
Another item that will come in handy are these "Your Way Cubes". They fold down flat and have chalkboard fabric on the front. This is perfect for us because we can take them with us wherever we go and change the writing as needed. At the moment, they are being used in our pantry. A LONG overdue addition. I was about to go insane because of the snack food avalanche that attacked me every time I went to get out a box of cereal. Now we can remove whatever we want without trying to catch something else. I've discovered a few added bonuses, too. Because we can't see everything, we aren't "boredom eating" as much. Also, we are eating a larger variety of items because when we want something, we have access to everything- not just whatever's on top. Win-Win!
I have many more items that I was able to get for our trip, which would have cost a fortune if I hadn't hosted a party. There are still things I need to save up for but I can honestly say that they are worth the cost. I really do use Thirty-One products every. single. day. and they're all well made and useful. Plus, I love the fabrics and personalization choices that have come out in the past few years. No, I don't work for them. This is just a review of something I've come to love. :-)
In case you were wondering what our family has been up to this week, we've had a whirlwind of scouting activities. My daughters' Girl Scout troop participated in a service project with Mountains To Sound Greenway http://mtsgreenway.org/ where they planted trees at Lake Sammamish State Park. It was a muddy-wonderful mess! My youngest sons' Cub Scout pack put on a carnival for the younger scouts and did a great job. Tomorrow my oldest son and I will be volunteering at our local food bank as part of his Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge and then he has an igloo-building outing. It's an exciting time in our home and I'm so thankful I get to be a part of the lives of these kids. Who knows what amazing changes they may bring to the world we live in?
- Jen
Friday, February 19, 2016
Being Productive and Dying of Boredom
Today is the last day of "Second Winter Break" and I'm happy to report that everyone is FINALLY fever free! Believe me, after two weeks on the couch, the kids are eager for a change of scenery. Our youngest came down with the fever last week, a few days after we celebrated his half-birthday. He has a summer birthday and since he's the only one who will be celebrating two birthdays away from home, we said he could have a half-birthday party. He had a great time and felt special with so many friends helping him commemorate his upcoming transition to double-digits. One friend even gave him a Lego travel trailer set. How fun is that?!
Last weekend we also received the call that the tile was ready, so we braved the rain and picked it up even though my husband still felt crummy (he's not one to sit around unless he's on death's doorstep). We went with a porcelain tile that looks like natural stone for the floor. I'm excited to show you when it's finished! Once the floor is in, we'll be ready for the shower tile and cabinets. It's amazing, and a little scary, how fast the time is going and how much we have left to do.
In anticipation for our trip I've also been stepping back from various volunteer roles. One role, as Washington State Junior Membership Chairman for the DAR, will be finished in May. That's D.A.R., not dar. It stands for the Daughters of the American Revolution. My final state report was due to the National Chairman this week, so I finished that and was able to send it in on time (phew!). In case you are wondering, a Junior is a member between the ages of 18 and 35. These women are involved in all sorts of wonderful activities serving their communities. If you're not familiar with the DAR, you can check out our website at www.dar.org
Overall, it's been a productive but "booooooooooring" break from school (according to the kids). I hope you've all managed to avoid the yuck and are doing well. Back in the saddle again next week!
- Jen
Last weekend we also received the call that the tile was ready, so we braved the rain and picked it up even though my husband still felt crummy (he's not one to sit around unless he's on death's doorstep). We went with a porcelain tile that looks like natural stone for the floor. I'm excited to show you when it's finished! Once the floor is in, we'll be ready for the shower tile and cabinets. It's amazing, and a little scary, how fast the time is going and how much we have left to do.
In anticipation for our trip I've also been stepping back from various volunteer roles. One role, as Washington State Junior Membership Chairman for the DAR, will be finished in May. That's D.A.R., not dar. It stands for the Daughters of the American Revolution. My final state report was due to the National Chairman this week, so I finished that and was able to send it in on time (phew!). In case you are wondering, a Junior is a member between the ages of 18 and 35. These women are involved in all sorts of wonderful activities serving their communities. If you're not familiar with the DAR, you can check out our website at www.dar.org
Overall, it's been a productive but "booooooooooring" break from school (according to the kids). I hope you've all managed to avoid the yuck and are doing well. Back in the saddle again next week!
- Jen
Friday, January 29, 2016
Trailer Secured!
This past weekend we visited the RV show (yes, again) to
make sure we felt good about our trailer model choice. After all, we’ll be
toting it all over North America for more than a year. We’ve decided on the
2016 Viking 17BH. It’s small, lightweight, and features bunk beds so our family of
five will be able to sleep comfortably when the need arises. Of course, we all
had fun looking at the mammoth RV’s that boasted separate rooms full of storage,
entertainment centers, kitchens with islands, and expanding walls- but that
isn’t what we need for this trip. It was
still fun to look, though! We are happy to announce that the deposit has officially
been paid and we pick it up in April! This will give us enough time to prep it
for the trip but we won’t have to store it longer than necessary.
Scouting activities sprinkle our schedule over the next few weeks. We’re planning on meeting up with local troops wherever we stay so the kids can participate in outdoor activities and service projects with kids their own age. This will allow them to make new friends but will also help us to contribute to the local community and meet all kinds of people while we’re there. We want to learn about different cultures and places, so this affords us a more personal opportunity to do that. So far, I’ve reached out to a troop in Alaska. They’ve been kind enough to respond that they’ll be happy to receive us when we arrive. Meanwhile, less than five months till launch!
- Jen
Scouting activities sprinkle our schedule over the next few weeks. We’re planning on meeting up with local troops wherever we stay so the kids can participate in outdoor activities and service projects with kids their own age. This will allow them to make new friends but will also help us to contribute to the local community and meet all kinds of people while we’re there. We want to learn about different cultures and places, so this affords us a more personal opportunity to do that. So far, I’ve reached out to a troop in Alaska. They’ve been kind enough to respond that they’ll be happy to receive us when we arrive. Meanwhile, less than five months till launch!
- Jen
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