MommyCoddle

a busted-up binder

*Thanks to all of you that jumped in on my "guerilla goodness" idea. I just have to buy myself some fresh postage this morning and cards will be going out to all of you. I'm so looking forward to it!*

I don't know when it started exactly, college maybe? But I signed up for a subscription from Martha Stewart–but this one was a little different. This subscription was for "Good Things" cards–they came ever few weeks, in different categories from giving to homekeeping to entertaining. I'm suspicious I signed on solely for the linen-wrapped binder that came with your first set. Or for the "good mail", which doesn't come so often when you're in college. But those little bundles of cards kept coming and coming and coming….

Eventually, I wised up and realized there was no end to Martha's Good Things and that if I wasnt' careful I was going to be bankrupt over this little collecting hobby. But the binder morphed into a place where I collected pages torn out of magazines–recipes, pictures of inspiration for my dream home, crafts, things I wanted to sew…

The binder was overflowing at this point. Bursting at the seams. D-rings bent, barely holding anything together. It got tucked away, tied up, boxed and forgotten. A year or so ago, I uncovered it again when my husband threated to throw it out. Shocked by his suggestion, I grabbed it from his hands, clutching it to my chest.

As I flipped through it contents, I had to smile at my unmarried, no children, living in a college-apartment self. More often than not I asked myself, "What in the WORLD did I like on this torn out page?"

But there still remained a few gems here and there. For some reason, these three got scanned and dumped on my desktop months ago. By no means the best of the bunch, but there are still little things about these images I love. I'm sorry I don't have a source, but you can probably guarantee it's either Martha Stewart or Country Home (a sadly defunct mag now.)

I have to admit I like my old-fashioned binder. Like holding the pages in my hands. Flipping through. Spreading them out. It was my Pinterest. Pinterest, which has been getting a lot of flack these days. I have to be honest to say that I haven't taken time to really read and understand all that's going on. Privacy. Copyright. Rights. sigh…

Makes me cling to my busted-up binder a little more….

9 Comments

good finds / LIVING WELL

Let’s do something good together

**MommyCoddle has been nominated for a Homie for Best Family Blog over at ApartmentTherapy. I hate to ask, but would you take a moment to cast a vote? Only takes a moment. Thanks, friends.**

Around the Christmas holidays this year, the CoolMomTech ladies asked me to review a new app from BoomBoom! The whole thing was new to me, but apparently they were already big fans of the BoomBoom! cards–a deck of cards where on each one was written a challenge to do something good. They call them acts of "guerilla goodness". Things like picking up the toll for the car behind you, slipping a handwritten note in the mail, or being sure to sayi hi to the person you've been silently passing on your morning walk each day.

I was really inspired by this idea and as I wrote the post, I knew I wanted to do something with it. I immediately ordered myself a set of cards and tucked them away in a drawer until I figured out what I wanted to do.

A few weeks ago, I figured it out.

This is what I know:

Kindness is contagious.

My children learn goodness and love and respect for other people by seeing it reflected in me.

It doesn't take a grand gesture to encourage or uplift a person. Simple things are effective things.

So here's my idea.

My deck of "guerilla goodness" includes 26 cards. On each card is a challenge, a way to do something good for someone or something that's part of your every day life. Put money in a parking meter, give five geniune compliments….(I don't want to give them all away….)

Since goodness is contagious, I thought how cool would it be if I gave out the cards to 26 of you! You complete your "act of goodness", write about it and report it back here. I'll post your story–however big or small, a picture, if you have one and hopefully, our collection of goodness and kindness will inspire others.

So what do you think? Want to join me? Do it by yourself. Do it with your kids. You don't have to have a blog. Or take great pictures. Or be an amazing writer. Just you. Or your family. And real-life good deeds.

If you want to jump in and join me, send me an email and be sure to include your mailing address in the email so I know where to send your card. (US addresses only, please. Sorry.) I'll send them out next week, and give you two weeks. I will start sharing them here on the week of March 26th. (I'll include all the little details in your envelope.) YAY! All the cards are spoken for! Thanks for joining in, friends!

I'm writing this post in the fog of sick kids and now sick mama. I'm hoping in my sleep-deprived state I'm able to share just an ounce of the inspiration that I feel about this idea.

I hope you'll join in.

xo.

molly

**MommyCoddle has been nominated for a Homie for Best Family Blog over at ApartmentTherapy. I hate to ask, but would you take a moment to cast a vote? Only takes a moment. Thanks, friends.**

A few weeks ago, I figured it out.

This is what I know:

Kindness is contagious.

My children learn goodness and love and respect for other people by seeing it reflected in me.

It doesn't take a grand gesture to encourage or uplift a person. Simple things are effective things.

So here's my idea.

I'm writing this post in the fog of sick kids and now sick mama. I'm hoping in my sleep-deprived state I'm able to share just an ounce of the inspiration that I feel about this idea.

I hope you'll join in.

xo.

molly

13 Comments

celebrations / children and nature / DAILY FARM LIFE / FAITH / family / good finds / holidays / home / knitting / out and about

7 lovely things

Good morning and Happy Valentine's my friends. Oh, I missed this place. I'm completely procrastinating on things like laundry and school work and showers and a huge mess in the kitchen from pink chocolate chips pancakes. But, it's been too long. So, hello. How about a list this morning, shall we?

1. I cashed in on my Christmas present this past weekend. A girls weekend away with two of my bestest cousins. We had grand plans of doing important things like historical tours and traditional working-farm visits–but it happily and comfortably turned into lounging and knitting in hotel rooms, long dinners out and antique shopping. It was perfect. And while, you know, I fought that mama-guilt about being away, it was such a good weekend. So so good. I have made it official that my husband can give me the same gift every year.

2. Do you see this aisle of goodness I stumbled upon in the very back of one shop? I may have had trembling hands when I took this picture.

3. First tractor-driving lessons with her great uncle. The report is that she's a pro and only stalled it out once. Learning to drive a tractor is on my to-do list. I think she just beat me to it. When asked if she wanted to trade in her pony for a tractor, we only got a roll of the pre-teen eyeballs.

4. My new favorite and also perfect Valentine's listening: Us & Our Daughters (with a hat tip to my music soulmate. You know who you are.) On their site they share that last year was a tough year for them and their love. But they took to songwriting as their therapy. It pulled them through and this album is the fruit of that time. It's beautiful.

5. Some love of the 4-hooved variety.

6. This knitted lovely is going in the queue.

7. Some love it's good to remember.

xo.

Molly

2. Do you see this aisle of goodness I stumbled upon in the very back of one shop? I may have had trembling hands when I took this picture.

5. Some love of the 4-hooved variety.

6. This knitted lovely is going in the queue.

7. Some love it's good to remember.

xo.

Molly

16 Comments