Give Your Mom Something to Smile About

A recent survey by NBC found that 98% of Mom's prefer hugs, kisses and time with their family over expensive gifts for Mother's Day. Another alternative would be to give a gift that helps others in need. The World of Children organization is the only global recognition and funding program that exclusively focuses on a broad range of children's only issues – health (including hunger and nutrition), education, safety, and human rights. They have given away $4.3 million to 97 worthy organizations that help vulnerable children in 148 countries. 

If you are unsure of how to recognize your Mom, consider saying “Thank You” with a special e-card from World of Children for $15. Cards are delivered automatically on Mother's Day, and 100% of proceeds go directly to a program of your choice supporting children in need. 

Solitude Matters

"I prefer listening to talking, reading to socializing … I like to think before I speak (softly)." - Susan Cain

I came across Susan Cain's TED talk on Stephanie Ryan's blog, and as a quiet girl -- I adore her speech. She explains she explains why introverts are capable of great love and great achievement, not in spite of their temperaments -- but because of them.

Hidden Memories

When my husband and I remodeled our first home, we found little treasures from the previous owners in the process. There was a pocket door that we re-finished and when it was pulled from the wall there were children's playing cards and crayons stuffed in there. I know my sister and I also left our mark on houses from our childhood -- like "little girl graffiti" on a basement wall.

We are nearly finished with my art room / office, and decided to leave a hidden memento -- if many moons from now someone lives in our home and decides to remodel. I have a bunch of doodles of floor plans, of how my office layout was going to look. All of them included a spot for my Farley's dog bed. Since he left us so suddenly and we still miss him so dearly, I decided to leave a photo under the new floorboards -- in the exact spot his bed was supposed to be.

I wrote a love letter on the back so whomever finds it one day, will know his story and what he meant to us.

A Lesson in Gratitude

I came across Leah Dieterich's website, via A Lady's Findings. Leah hand writes a thank you note every day. Not necessarily to people, but to the beautiful little gifts from the universe that she pauses to appreciate. It is such a sweet and perfect way to be grateful. She has a book of her writings called,thxthxthx: Thank Goodness for Everything

 

Caine's Cardboard Arcade

Thank you Karma Tube for sharing this video today. As Karma Tube describes, Caine Monroy is a 9-year old boy who spent his summer vacation building an elaborate cardboard arcade in his dad's used auto parts store. He spent months perfecting the game designs, making displays for the prizes, designing elaborate security systems, and hand labeling paper-lunch-gift-bags. Unfortunately, his dad's store is in an industrial part of East L.A. and gets almost no foot traffic, so Caine had exactly zero customers... until a random filmmaker, Nirvan Mullick, stops in for a used door handle and buys a Fun Pass.

A Sunny Smile

Anti-Woe Wednesday

Be sure to wait for the kazoo :)