Soul Searching

in the wake of the Haiti devastation, soles4souls is collecting shoes to send to those in desperate need. infants, children, teens and adults with nothing left are going without so much, we can easily help by getting them some SHOES to get back up on their feet. soles4souls started after the 2004 tsunami, this nashville-based company has been collecting shoes for people all over the world and in the last 6 years have given away almost 6 million pairs to those who desperately need them.

this is an easy class/ school activity and we encourage kids to go out into the community and get as many shoes donated as they can!

here is a link to find a donation drop near you.

the lesson: same one it usually is - IT IS SO EASY TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT.

***added bonus: an excuse to replace of those chuck taylors your kid practically sleeps in.

Acme Library - All the World

this beautiful new book by liz garton scanlon and illustrated by marla frazee is a must for every family library. it celebrates humankind by following families in everyday activities just BEING together. it feels timeless without being too sappy and i will buy it for everyone i know (so if you know me and your child's birthday is coming, sorry, there are no surprises!)

to buy this book, see ACME LIBRARY on the right.

(this only works if you are on the acme sharing website)

Acme holiday - MLK day 2010

"life's most persistent and urgent question is, "what are you doing for others?" Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

this week marks the 2 year anniversary of the acme sharing company, this is the 112th post for your enjoyment. i think the timing is quite poetic as this weekend is also the kick off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day which has now, thanks to the OBAMAS, become a day of national service.

please use this holiday as an excuse to finally do the acme sharing projects you have been reading about here, but never found the time to execute.

there is a lot of stuff for your family to do at this blog; arts and crafts, field trips and building. i've represented activities for homelessness, global warming, animals and illnesses (to name a few). whatever your cause, whatever your methods, the only value is if you do them.

if you still can't find the time for anything extra (and i get it, believe me) then the suggested reading on the right side of the website is a great place to share a moral message with your child.

happy 2nd birthday to us and happy MLK day to you.

Project COZY

ok, it is COOOOOLD out there. and in other parts of the country it is even colder. here is an easy and helpful activity to do this weekend to help those who need something to snuggle up with and get warm. there are 2 easy ways to do this one:

1.) with you kids, clean out your linen closet and bring all unused blankets to your local homeless shelter.

or

2.) with your kids, go to the fabric store, pick out some fleece, take it home and use the "project linus" guidelines to turn it into a no-sew blanket to be donated to their local chapter (see website www.projectlinus.org for locations)

here is the link for the blanket PDF

project linus, a nationwide nonprofit says, "it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”

the lesson: it is too easy to take for granted something as obvious as a warm blanket. talk to you children about helping when and where we can. can they even imagine what it would be like to not have a blanket? a blanket is not only for getting cozy and good for fort building, but also for keeping us healthy and warm with a good night's sleep.

***added bonus: testing out the above lesson by getting under the covers and snuggling together!