One Dickens of a Holiday Giveaway

Now that I have the NaBloPoMo post out of the way, I can breathe a sigh of relief.

I am a very unrealistic person, and this becomes more evident during the holidays. I want Christmas to be a Dickens fairy tale complete with snow covered streets, children laughing, rich people throwing gold coins at us poor folk, and everyone thankful they received an orange for Christmas. But the general public ruins this fantasy for me every year by not playing along and sometimes being quite rude. For example, I took my children to the mall and had them both in the double stroller, which barely fits through the doors, and as I was struggling to push it through the door, a woman appears. I was relieved and thought she would help, instead she steps over the stroller and I wanted to scream, "Hey, thanks for ruining my holiday fantasy of people being kind."

There is a point to this, and it has to do with winning these items:

The giveaway contains Martha Stewart sugar cookie mix, sprinkles, and cute gingerbread houses to use if you want to give some of those cookies away. Also, the Martha Stewart Frosty Village Decoration Set, some Shinzi Katoh fabric, Frango Mints, handmade mini-tree that I copied from Molly Chicken and coronet that I will fill with some candy (I did not have the candy when I took this picture).

To enter this giveaway you have to do one kind thing for someone and post a comment when you have completed the mission. This should be something simple; you do not have to roof your neighbors house or spend any money; just hold the door for someone. Here are some ideas: let a mom with a screaming child go ahead of you in line, if you are at a coffee shop pay for the person behind you, bake your husband cookies, give yourself some time off, let your kids stay up late, shovel a neighbors driveway, decorate a tree on the side of the road, say "good morning" to someone, or call a friend who may be lonely. It's easy to forget to be kind this time of year when we feel so much pressure to get things done, but when I do something nice for someone, it makes me feel good, especially this time of year.

If you want to post a comment and then do something kind, that is fine. You can share what you did or just say "completed." I am not trying to make this complicated, just fun. You can sign up for the giveaway through Friday, December 7th, 7 pm. C.S.T., then I will pick one of your names out of a hat. I don't mind shipping to an international address, but would need your help on the best way to get it to you in time. Good Luck.

Comments

[Sarah Jackson]

Today I am bringing 2 large totes of boy clothes to a dear friend who can't afford to buy clothes for her sons.

[Ram in the Thicket]

I am having a giveaway on my blog starting today to celebrate my move from blogspot to typepad. Please stop by to enter at http://www.raminthethicket.typepad.com

P.S. I just let my son sleep late, does that count? ;o)

[Melanie]

I love your blog...Not sure where I linked from, but I read it often. Thanks for reminding us that it's fun to do unexpected things! Oh, and completed.

[Lina]

Anne, what a lovely sentiment. I don't think you're unrealistic - Christmas is absolutely magical and bah humbug to those who think otherwise! Well done on all your posts in November, I've enjoyed reading them all!

[Anne]

I think letting anyone sleep late counts!

[molly]

I LOVE your vision of Christmas, and I love your idea of performing good deeds (though it does remind me of the Friends episode where they try to prove there is no such thing as a selfless deed). I will definitely participate and let you know when my good deed is done.

[miguette]

Your post made me literally laugh out loud...which rarely happens. I'm much more of a 'laughing-on-the-inside' kinda gal. It was the - Rich people throwing coins to us poor folks - line. Too cute.

Okay, heres my good deed. As I shoveled out my driveway after our big snowfall last night, and the kids played in the snow piles, a woman in her honda civic became stuck on our yet-to-be-plowed road. I gave her a push to help get her on her way.

That's it! It's not much but my son noticed, and it gave me an opportunity to teach him about helping others in need.

[miss eliza]

what a lovely thing to do!! you inspired me to pay for the person behind me in the Starbucks drive-thru this morning. I didn't even stop to look at their expression - i hope it got their Monday off to a good start!

[Jenn]

I hear you when it comes to the holiday season, and rude people - it seems in this time of "giving" most people are more "out for themselves" than ever - at least some people - it's sad, though we all get rushed.

Anyway, I do things weekly for others, or try to - I have a blind neighbor with 2 kids, I often take him on errands, take the kids to there practices and all that kind of thing. Today I am going to take his oldest daughter to dance, which I do every monday...a little thing but it really does make a difference in all of there lives! :)

[Sarcastic Mom]

What a lovely idea. Kudos to you!

I'm trying to lose weight... so no cookies for me... but you've inspired me to look for ways to be kind, anyway.

That was the point, right. ;-)

[Jenny H.]

Hi! I'm new here. I've read your blog before, but just lurked! I am de-lurking to mention my good deed.

I bought two extra lottery tickets and stuck them under the windshield wipers of two random cars. I thought it would brighten up a dreary day here in the south.

[Dawn @ Coming to a Nursery Near You]

Completed :) I like doing random acts of kindness for people all the time - I share w/my neighbors whenever I Have an over abundance of milk, juice, cereal, cheese, peanut butter (are you sensing a theme?), gave them the fixing for their Thanksgiving dinner, etc. I let someone go ahead of me at 2 stores yesterday because they had less than me. Thanks for reminding people that it doesn't cost anything to be NICE.

[dee/otc]

Oh, I regularly experience your stroller/cruel stranger woes. I'm always amazed when I'm struggling to open a door while maneuvering the stroller and someone will tramp right past me. I try to just laugh it off.

I regularly freecycle.org things we no longer use at home and hope I'm helping out someone. And, I'm dropping off a load of recycling today...helping out mother nature, does that count? ;-)

Okay, okay, I'll also be especially nice to another person today. :-) Maybe greet my mate at the door with a smile versus the usual snarl.

[Cathy]

Completed. For today. I like to do at least one anonymous act of kindness daily during December. I like the idea of doing things that make people smile and wonder who at the same time.

[Michelle]

So sorry that you encountered such a mean spirited person. There are kind people in this world - this weekend my husband helped shovel an elderly women's driveway. I always hold the door open (especially for those with strollers and canes) and I give up my place in line if someone behind only has a few items. The other day, my neighbor's trash can flew into the street and garbage went everywhere (I picked it up and placed it back on the curb). And these acts occur on a daily basis - not just during the holiday season. It's the little things in life that sometimes make the biggest difference.

[Att]

To be honest, I got directed to this through NaBloPoMo e-mail. But I think any version of good-deed on the holidays means you'll have a brighter holiday yourself. I always try to spread the joy, even when Christmas bells aren't ringing.

Onto my good deed: On Friday, my son went over to his best friend's house. When my partner and I went over to drop off some soup (we had no water, and the soup didn't require water) for them, we found out that the poor boy had no food in his fridge, no snacks in his cupboard, and only a few cans of soda. So, while my partner heated up the soup for the boys, I filled a plastic bag with water bottles, cans of soup, Stir 'em Up Singles (Kool Aid) and some graham crackers. The poor boy's mother had left him at home with nothing to eat, he didn't know if he could use the toilet since it didn't flush, and he was starving. We bought him a pizza, in case his mother wasn't home by dinner time, but thankfully she was.

I think that this holiday, I will try to look after him, not just because he's my son's best friend, but because he's right there, and is starving for attention.

[SJ]

Just yesterday I let someone at Super Target go in front of me because I had a cart full of things to purchase, and they had just a few.

What a great sentiment. I will strive to do one nice thing each day since it is the season of giving.

[Marjorie]

Funny how things work out.... I read this post on Friday morning and then rushed out the door with my boys to check out the wedding site I was going to on Saturday. I was supposed to meet the bride and groom and they didn't show. During my hour stay at this beautiful site in the hills, I started talking to the man who was doing the yard work there. He got to the point of needing to bag his leaves and mentioned that his wife was supposed to come help him. I offered; my boys also helped and we had a great time. :)

[Jeanine]

You have a heart of gold. I too wish Christmas could be like in the olden days. I agree that the whole do it not for recognition but because it is the right thing to do has been lost. It is not an idea that should just be practiced during the holiday season but everyday. I always try to do random acts of kindness whenever I can.

I really don't like to boast about the things I do, I don't do them for pats on the back. But they do sometimes like what happened this morning end up in my blog.

[Kimberly]

Nice idea! Today I was running errands without my kids and I let a woman (with a very unhappy toddler) go ahead of me at CVS. I have so been in her shoes and know how that is when you just need to get out of the store NOW. Anyway, I'm going to keep this in mind and try to keep the kindness going (at least until Jan. 1). ;-)

[Kerith Collins]

I just found you and i luv u...i called a good friend who hurt her back...

[Meleah]

I love the great assortment for your giveaway as well as the simple yet meaningful criteria for entering. Mine is little, but yesterday during a very busy trip to Trader Joe's the lines were very long to check out and I let the gentleman behind me (who was only buying licorice) check out first since he had so much less than I did...nothing major I know, but he seemed very grateful. Happy Holidays to you and thank you for the generous giveaway.

[red pen mama]

first time reader, and I'm going to look around a while. Congrats on the NaBloPoMo'ing - me too!

Saturday night a boy passed out in church, and I called 911 for the paramedics (yes, I had my cell phone in church; it was on manner mode!). does that count? fortunately, he is fine -- just got light headed.

good observations here! I am very lucky in that people are usually very nice to me when I'm hauling around my two girls. I live in a nice town.

good luck with the holidays. me too on that, also.

ciao,
rpm

[Di]

What a lovely gesture!! And a great idea! I have done a few things this weekend that made me feel glad to be able to do something good. I let people out in traffic, I left a party early to take friends and their children home etc. But perhaps most of all I didn't talk to anyone yesterday - all my friends got peace and quiet for a day!!!!! (Heehee)

[Jade]

We are cleaning out the kids toys to donate to a charity before Christmas!