RACK - Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

My very first year of attending Education Week at BYU I took a great class on family traditions.  There were several that I immediately incorporated in my family - some have stuck and some have not.  One that has been a huge success and my kids always look forward to is the Bingo Basket at Christmas.  Another one that the kids enjoyed but was just too hard for me to keep up with 7 different/crazy schedules was the Advent Calendar.  Each day of December as the kids opened a drawer on the advent calendar, I was supposed to put a Christmas-oriented activity in there for us to do as a family.  Well, it seemed that all I was doing was looking at our family calendar, seeing what concert, recital or program one of the kids had that night and writing that in for our Christmas event that night.  This was because we didn't have time to do anything in addition to the already scheduled activities and we rarely got to do anything as a family due to all the kids sports and dance and school activities.  So that tradition has fizzled out a little over the last few years.  

But this year, I wanted to re-invent the Advent Calendar Tradition to something more service oriented and something that would be easier for us to do - whether as a family or individually.  So this year we started the RACK tradition.  Random Acts of Christmas Kindness.  Some days we were able to do it as a family and some days only I did it.  I loved that all our activities were simple and quick, yet helped us focus on others.  My goal was to do 25 random acts of service, one every day of December, until Christmas.  We didn't quite make it to 25 acts but we did do 23!  Not too bad for our first attempt!

December 1, 2012
Took the kids out to Applebees for dinner.  Let them pick a family there and on our way out of the restaurant, the boys dropped this on their table and said "Merry Christmas"! It was a gift card to Applebees to pay for their dinner that night.


December 2, 2012
Everyone in the family found 5 things in good use to donate to charity.


December 3, 2012
We went to Walmart's gigantic parking lot late at night and collected all the shopping carts left around the parking lot and parked them in the cart stalls.  We probably pulled in at least 80 shopping carts that night!  





December 4, 2012
We left a brand new pack of diapers in the diaper changing table in a public restroom.



December 5, 2012
Mailed out a Cold Stone gift card to a random address in the phone book




December 6, 2012
Took the kids to the bookstore to purchase books to donate to the local schools



December 7, 2012
Took a treat to a friend in need.  Just so happened to be my next-door neighbor who called me that day to let me know she had a heart attack a few days earlier!  Peppermint bark popcorn isn't the healthiest option for her but nothing says "I care" like some yummy sweet and salty!


December 8, 2012
This was turning out to be one crazy day!  I had no idea what we were doing for dinner or when I was going to cook it.  We don't usually do fast food for dinner but I decided today was a great day to give that gift of service to my kids!  Not only did I let them eat fast food for dinner, I went to TWO different restaurants to get their favorites!





December 9, 2012
Took cookies to the firestation.  
My cookies ran together and all came out square.  Oh, and I forgot to add chocolate chips. So I added them after they cooked.  They look like dominoes. They were still delish.  Don't judge.

December 10, 2012
Dropped off Christmas coloring books and crayons to the ER and Labor and Delivery waiting rooms at the hospital.



December 11, 2012
Left "Happy Notes" on people's windshields that were parked out front of Walmart.




December 12, 2012
Take donughts to the Police Station.  
Well, that was the goal.  Scott couldn't find any station open (Scary in case we really needed them!).  So he ended up taking them to another firestation.  We heart our Firemen!




December 13, 2012
Donate games and toys to Sleep Country for Foster Children



December 14, 2012
Hide $$$$$ around the Dollar Store.








December 15, 2012
Tape quarters to vending machines


December 16, 2012
Leave a treat in the mailbox for our mailman



December 17, 2012
Send a care package to a random soldier through "Angels for Soldiers"


December 18, 2012
Drove around some neighborhoods looking for homes with nativities in their yards.  Then we left them this package on their doorstep.  It was all the ingredients for smores and it said "We need s'more Christ in Christmas - Thank you for your Nativity!"

December 19, 2012
Handed out money to anyone begging in the street
December 20, 2012
Paid for part of the little old lady's bill at Target in front of me.  She was so cute.  She had just gone to the bank and had all her cash in that little bank envelope still.  She was just shy of what she needed.  It was so awesome to cover the little amount lacking.  



December 21, 2012
Go shopping for supplies needed to make our Homeless Kits the following day.


December 22, 2012
My wonderful friend, Heidi Parker, organized a big get-together to decorate bags to fill then take to the Share House to be distributed to the Homeless when they come in for their meals. 






December 23, 2012
Caroling at the Rest Home





















Comments

Grandma Bethany said…
Goodness, I really do need to read your blog more than every 4 months. I had no idea of all of these random acts of kindness. Now that is what we should all be doing. What a wonderful example you are setting for your children! You must have put many smiles on the faces of so many!
April 7, 2013 at 9:07 PM
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