New Year's Resolution - Be More Charitable

Maybe 2017 is the year you give back.  There is so much personal satisfaction in helping others and making the world a better place.  (I know that sounds corny, but it is true.)  But how do you start?  It's all about time, talent and treasure.

Time

While financial contributions are important, time may be the greatest gift you can give.  If you don't have disposable income or if you just want to give in a more personal way, there are plenty of shelters, food banks, Boys & Girls Clubs and other institutions that are grateful for volunteers.  Your donation of time can be a one-time event or a continuing relationship with an organization that will put your time to a worthy purpose.  Don't limit yourself to the obvious volunteer opportunities!  Don't forget nursing homes, animal shelters, libraries and neighborhood clean up events.  While it might not give you a tax deduction, the personal pride in knowing you have given from your most precious resource might just change your outlook on life.

Talent
You might be thinking you should skip this type of charity because you don't have any special talents, but you are most certainly wrong.  While you may not have artistic abilities (although you can volunteer those too), you might have untapped talents that are even more useful.  I have a friend who has a great speaking voice and an understanding of science and math terms.  She volunteers reading and recording text books for the blind.  Perhaps you have some untapped skills that might help others.  Are you an accountant, hair stylist, attorney or outdoor enthusiast?  You can help seniors with taxes, provide salon services at homeless shelters, offer free legal services or volunteer at local parks.  Maybe you could be a Scout leader, train service dogs or teach English as a second language.  If you have a hobby like knitting or sewing, you can use those talents to make things for the needy.  It may take a little more effort to find your talent, but everyone has a talent they can offer to others.

Treasure
This term might be a little unfamiliar to you, but it's the most common form of charity - giving money.  If you want to contribute to a specific cause, it's easy to find an organization that will accept your donation, whether your passion is animal welfare, disease research, environmental protection or international child relief.  You can also donate to umbrella organizations, such as the United Way, that will spread your money around.  If you belong to a church, your denomination may have a charitable arm that provides humanitarian services worldwide.  There is no limit to the number of organizations that will accept your money.

If you are looking for less traditional opportunities, check out GoFundMe and similar sites that offer unique causes to support.  In doing the research for this post, I visited GoFundMe and was overwhelmed by the sheer number or worthy causes.  What was even more amazing to me was to see the amount of money people contributed to creative grass root causes.  Very cool.

Please remember a couple of points about monetary giving.  If more than 8% of your donation is going to a charity's administrative expenses, you might want to find a more efficient organization.  Also, beware of telephone solicitations, regardless of the worthiness of the cause.  The solicitors frequently take a percentage of your donation as payment.  Finally, don't give out your credit card or bank account information over the phone.  Ask them to send you something in the mail or through email so you can see the website and check to see if it's legit.

Regardless of how you do it, you can make a big difference in the world, one cause at a time.  There is no amount too small, no time too limited or no person who lacks talent to do something special.  Be that person who practices charity and change your life in 2017!

cindy

I Am God's Hands

That's the name of a blog written by a 9 year old boy (he only identifies himself as "G" which is probably the wisdom of his parents).  The exact blog address is www.iamgodshands.blogspot.com.  G makes duck tape wallets and billfolds.  Great, you're saying, him and thousands of other 9 year olds make duck tape wallets and billfolds.  This 9 year old is a little different.

G makes and sells wallets and billfolds with 100% of the proceeds (not profits) going to two organizations:  Divine Mercy Care and Arlington Missions.  Divine Mercy Care provides health care to crisis pregnancy centers and poor women and children.  The other website supports the Pontifical Missions, which provide assistance to the poor and hungry worldwide.  G makes wallets for Life - those born and the most vulnerable unborn.  He only charges $1 (or $2 for a billfold).  He takes his cue from Matthew 25: 34-46:

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'  

Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'  

And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'  Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'  

Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?  

He will answer them 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'  And these will go off to eternal punishment, the righteous to eternal life.

G started his blog in January and the last entry was on Easter Sunday.  I'm not sure why G hasn't posted lately (that's not an uncommon problem for bloggers), but I'm going to leave a comment on his last post to ask how he's doing with his project.  I did notice that in the last post he mentions that his entire inventory was purchased, so maybe he's working on more duck tape wallets and billfolds.

I hope so - I hope G is still God's Hands.

cindy

Tragedy: Don't Say, Just Do

It's been a wild, dizzy week that feels more like a month.  Boston. West, Texas.  Ricin.  The crazy weather in our Midwest hometowns.  Personally, I'm also trying to wrap my head around the sudden death on Monday of a former coworker who was one year younger than me and left two young children and a distraught wife.

What to say?  Nothing.  There are no words to convey the enormity of each situation.  It's best to focus on the phrase "Actions speak louder than words."  Don't talk - do.  Here's what you can do:

1. Pray, pray, pray.  This is great for every situation.  No matter what your faith background is, you can call out each of these tragedies by name.  It's the most powerful tool you have.

2.  Give financially.  The injured in Boston are in for a very long ordeal, especially if they have lost a limb (as so many have).  Prosthetics are very expensive and not always covered by insurance.  Modifying a home is seldom covered by insurance, nor is modifying a car.  There are two established "crowdraising" websites designed to raise money for various causes - Give Forward and Go Fund Me.  On Go Fund Me, Boston victim funds are categorized under Believe in Boston and on Give Forward you can find the individual funds on the Boston Marathon Support Page.  These are legitimate funds - you can read on each site the respective safeguards.  Officials in Massachusetts have also set up a fund - The One Fund.   Thankfully, all of the efforts are proving successful, but there are plenty of costs to cover.

Likewise, the folks in West are in for the long haul.  As of the time this was written, the death toll stands at 14.  The people who lived in the apartment complex probably lost everything and don't have insurance.  There are over 50 homes to rebuild.  Saddest of all, many people will have to bury their loved ones, many who were volunteers but also the main income for their families.  Although God cannot be outdone in generosity, folks in Texas are the first in line.  I found so many places all over Texas that are finding ways to support little West.  It took a while to find information that could be used for people outside of Texas, but I finally found a great list on a local news page.  You can find the list here.  Get your kids involved and do a little fundraising.

3.  Support the Red Cross. They provide disaster relief whenever it is needed, including in Boston and Texas.  The Red Cross does not provide long term medical or housing assistance, but it's great to know they are there, ready at all times to respond immediately.  You can find more information about how you can help the Red Cross in a number of different ways by visiting their website.  Have you ever thought about giving blood?  While the victims in Boston and West don't directly benefit at this point, the local blood banks and Red Cross are somewhat depleted.  You can help even if you are not close by.  If you've never given, it's not that hard - give it a try!

4. Send your best.  Write notes and letters, online and in person.  This is also a great activity for children who might feel powerless (don't we all?).  I heard a volunteer EMT in West say he received so many calls from around the world and it meant so much to him to know even strangers care.

Send a card or note to:  United States Post Office, 301 West Columbus Street, West, Texas 76691-1440
or
One Fund Boston, Inc., 800 Boylston Street #990009, Boston MA  02199

It's always so heartbreaking when tragedy strikes.  We feel so powerless.  Our children are confused.  Our perception of goodness in the world might even be shaken.  Don't wait for someone to ask you directly.  To quote the advertising slogan, "Just do it."

cindy

Christmas Is Approaching

Like you don't know?  I'm trying to stay stress free, but it's not so easy. I'm using this time to teach my children about the preparation for Christ's second coming by helping our neighbors who are in need. There have been so many opportunities through angel trees, Toys for Tots, etc, but it can be exhausting. I've given up some of my time, especially with my blog. I can say, though, that it's been rewarding.

Now comes the hard part-convincing the kids that they can do with a little less this year. I've told them that with so much charitable giving, there is less available for them. No problem, Mom, Santa Claus will still come through with the big stuff. (sigh) It's not so easy, but I have a little time to figure it out.

So, for those of you who continue to read my blog, please bear with me. I promise to have some new projects and other interesting things to say soon. In the meantime, enjoy your Christmas preparations even more by buying or making a few extra things for those who might not feel the love through a gift or kindness just for them. Isn't that what Christmas is about anyway?

cindy

Share the Gift

Santa was good this year.  No matter what your religious persuasion, during this holiday season it is likely that you gave or received a gift from someone who cares about you.  Last night my wonderful sister-in-law and I thought of a novel idea - what if every person who received a gift this season gave 1 penny ($0.01) to a children's charity?  It's a simple idea - but imagine how powerful it could be!

We're calling this "Share the Gift" and I would love my readers and Facebook friends to get in on the "ground floor".  Go to your family, church, school or community and start a small "Share the Gift" drive.  Collect a penny from anyone (adult or child) who received a gift.  When you finish your drive, pick a children's charity (Ronald McDonald House, UNICEF, Heifer International, Boy's and Girl's Clubs, etc) and DONATE.  Better yet, PASS ON THE WORD!  Tell your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, church members and anyone else who will listen about Share the Gift.  Tweet!  Post!  Blog!  Let's put social media to work.  I would like to see this year how well this idea is received and if it is, perhaps make it even bigger for next year.

Please note - I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO SEND ME MONEY.  I would prefer you put together your own little collection.  What I am asking is that you SHARE YOUR RESULTS!  Send me a comment here or post on the Facebook page "Share the Gift".  Tell us how you raised the money, what you raised and what charity received it.  If you don't want to organize a full blown campaign, you can contact me and I will give you information where you can send your donation (no matter how small).  Remember, it's just a penny.  "LIKE" the Facebook page so you can see the updates.

Let's see if we can Share the Gift.

cindy

Pinterest Challenge

I recently saw a blog where someone tried to replicate some of their pins from Pinterest.  It does make sense - isn't that why so many of us like Pinterest for DIY?  I want to take the challenge to make a few items that I've seen on Pinterest.  I'm not challenging myself to make them exactly as they appear in the pin, and I'm not setting a time limit.  (This is supposed to be a challenge, not a chore).  Here's the pins I want to do:

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

This button idea looks labor intensive, but might be cool in my office.

Source: wearyourbaby.org via Cindy on Pinterest

I don't have a baby, but I think this would be great to make for a group of unwed mothers.

Source: marthastewart.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I know mine definitely won't look like these, but I do have a pattern for a pincushion I want to try!

Source: sweet-verbena.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

This would be great for a holiday meal!

OK, I think that's as many as I dare to take on!  Again, no promises as to when I will get this challenge going, but now that I've put myself out there, I have to try.  By the way, all of the pictures above go back to my Pinterest boards and ultimately back to the websites of origin.  I did not take any of these pictures and claim no attributes, but leave that with the original sources which you can see yourself.

Wish me luck!

cindy

I LOVE Craftsy!

I recently saw the funniest (yet very accurate) saying on Pinterest:

I definitely agree with this, but perhaps a place that makes me feel even more creative (and gives me directions on how to do it) is Craftsy.  It's like an online craft class where all the best crafters are playing Show and Tell.  Craftsy has experts who will teach you how to do pretty much any craft through a video class.  There is a fee involved, but the videos are on demand and very detailed.  You can watch them repeatedly too.  I haven't taken any classes, but there are several that look very interesting.

For me the more interesting part of Craftsy is under the Projects tab.  There you will find crafts (sewing, knitting, crochet, jewelry, gardening, embroidery, quilting, paper crafts, cake decorating and home decor) submitted by other users, frequently with free patterns or tutorials.  There are over 9,500 projects to see!  I get lost and could spend hours looking at all the beautiful creative things other people are making all over the country.  Although I love to see handmade things on selling sites such as Etsy, I prefer looking at Craftsy projects because in many cases the artist is telling me how to make it myself.  You also have the opportunity to post your own projects.  I have posted less than 10 projects, but have been able to drive great traffic back to this blog with tutorial links.  It's also nice to get encouragement and compliments from other crafters.

Craftsy also features its own blog which has tips for using Craftsy, descriptions of new class offerings, instructions on particular techniques and projects for charity.  One great charitable project they are doing right now is to collect and donate 1000 blankets to Project Linus and 1000 hats to Kaps for Kendall by December 15, 2011.  To see more about this project, check it out here.  They're getting a nice response so far and it's a great outlet for people like me who love to make things and just don't have any siblings, parents, children, aunts & uncles, cousins, close friends to give them to :)  (Plus these are awesome charities)

Just for the record, like my post about Pinterest, I was not asked, nor will I receive any renumeration/credit/acknowledgement from Craftsy for the contents of this blog post.  I just genuinely like the site.  If you would like to see my projects or follow me on Craftsy, my crafter name is ccisme.

Happy crafting!

cindy

DIY - Rag Quilt

I've wanted to learn to quilt for a while, so when I found rag quilts I knew this was something I could teach myself.  Rag quilts are so soft and cuddly, especially when they are made from flannel.  The beauty of rag quilts is that the seam allowances are on the outside and you don't have to worry so much about the squares matching up perfectly.  The quilting part is easy too.

First, pick out your fabrics.  I'm going to give instructions based on flannel.  Flannel is not fleece.  Snuggle flannels are thin, fleece is that thick blanket stuff.  On traditional quilts, you usually have multi-design fabrics on one side and a single design/single fabric used on the other side.  You can do the single fabric design on one site, but on a rag quilt each square is quilted through as opposed to making a “quilt top” of multiple fabrics pieced together and quilting it to a single piece of fabric on the back.  In addition to your flannel fabrics, you need batting for the middle.  This is easy for a flannel rag quilt too, as you can use a thin muslin (or even another piece of flannel) instead of that white fluffy stuff.

I've seen debates online about whether to wash the flannel before you quilt.  I was taught to always wash fabrics before sewing and I have noticed that some flannels come with lots of sizing (think starch).  I wash mine first, but I'm sure it's not fatal whether you wash or not.

Cut your fabrics into squares.  I cut mine approximately 5” square.  That allows for 1” seam allowances on each side.  You can cut your muslin batting about 4" square, especially if you don't want the muslin fabric to show in your "rags".  Create a "sandwich" with three fabrics - the back, the batting and the top.

I think it's easier if you just assemble all of the "sandwiches" for your quilt all at once.  Now you're ready to quilt.  You are going to sew an X across each sandwich.  I recently saw a quilt where the quilter used one of the decorative stitches on her sewing machine.  She used the "leaf" stitch which is probably on even the most basic sewing machine.  Make sure you are using a heavier needle for this project, because as you start sewing the squares together, it can be tough on your machine if you aren't using a heavy needle by then.

Here's a great trick I picked up online.  As you are sewing one side of the X, take the opportunity to sew more than one square.  As you sew from corner to corner, have the next sandwich ready to pick up a corner as you finish the diagonal on the other.  This will make a "flag" or "banner" effect where your squares are linked together.  That way, you don't have to stop and cut the thread every time you sew a single square.

If you're using this "flag" technique to sew, you will do one half of the X on all the squares.  Cut the threads between the squares and repeat the process to stitch the other diagonal making the X.

Once all of your squares with Xs are made, you are ready to sew them together.  This is the fun part.  In rag quilting, the seam allowance is toward the "right" side of the fabric.  If you are using a single design of fabric on one side of your quilt, the seam allowance would go to the side with the multiple fabric designs.  Use a 5/8" or 1" seam allowance between the squares (the deeper the seam, the more "ragging" effect you will have).

See now why you need a heavy needle sewing these together?  You are sewing through six layers of flannel.  Watch for lint buildup in your sewing machine, as flannel does shed lots of lint.  Once you sew the squares together, sew a 1" seam all the way around the quilt.  Now it's time to "rag".  This is where I highly recommend you invest in a snipper.  It's not like scissors because it is spring loaded and very sharp on the point and blade.  You will thank me because ragging goes a lot quicker and your hands won't permanently cramp (although they will hurt).

Ragging is the kind of thing you want to do on the couch in front of the TV.  You just cut little slits into the seam allowance, being careful not to cut the seam itself.  The thinner you cut, the fuzzier it will be after washing.  Make sure to rag around the outside edges of the quilt too.  To get the rag effect, wash and wash.  The more it gets washed, the softer and fluffier it gets.  (Watch out for that lint in your washing machine).

There you have it!  You can make these quilts in "lovey" size, baby or even full size quilts.  They are easy and fun too!  I made a bunch for Christmas presents last year, so now's a great time to get started.  You can also join Craftsy in a project to collect 1000 blankets and hats for winter by making a few quilts for them.  Have a great time!

cindy