making a difference!
10 Ways to Brighten Someone’s Day
This week’s Summer of Service challenge, sponsored by Crayola, is to brighten someone’s day by doing one or more of the following creative things. If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments!
- Run up to a loved one and give him or her an enthusiastic bear hug.
- Smile to those you pass on the street.
- Ask someone how they are doing, listen to the answer, and comment on it.
- Give others heartfelt compliments.
- Give someone a bouquet of flowers just because.
- Together as a family, identify another family whose day needs brightening, prepare some artwork (each person preparing something that is special to him or her)—even something as simple as coloring a page from a coloring book—and deliver it to the family together.
- For a date night with just you and your spouse, get some butcher paper and finger paint a picture for your children, hang it on the wall, and let them see it when they wake up.
- Kiss everyone in your family at least five times in a day!
- Gather your family together, turn on some upbeat music, and start dancing. Dance with each of your children, even if you have to do it while holding them.
- Give each member of your family a gift that relates to their favorite color (this can be store bought or homemade).
How Will You Give to Others This Week?
What other ideas do you have for brightening someone’s day this week?- What are things that get in the way of brightening someone’s day?
- What are ways to overcome these challenges?
- How has brightening someone’s day made a meaningful difference for you? For others?
How Else Can You Make a Difference This Summer?
Make a meaningful difference this summer by taking the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how you can participate:
- Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week’s challenge.
- Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
- Grab the SOS button in the sidebar and put it on your blog or social networking site.
- Enter to win each week’s giveaway. Click here to check out this week’s prize from Crayola.
- Click here to join #gno this Tuesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.
Only 5 times? I think I kiss my boys all day long – until they push me away.
I am a photog wanna-be and we recently purchased the making of a studio. One thing we use for seamless backgrounds is rolls of white and blue paper.
When we’re done with it, I turn the kids loose. It’s 5′ wide and usually at least 10′ long. What I wouldn’t have done for such a thing as a kid…
who am I kidding?! It’s fun when you’re *cough*30something*cough.
I kissed my family wayyy more than 5 times today!
My son and his family just moved out of our house. Let Sarah, my daughter-in-law choose 2 flower baskets for herself and 2 for her neighbor. Giving flowers as a gift to her new neighbor would hopefully help them bond and break the new neighbor ice! And it spreads color which is right up Crayolas alley!
Run up to a loved one and give him or her an enthusiastic bear hug.
I just did this to my husband and to my sweet doggy!
I love this idea. I complimented a woman on the elevator today because her dress was such a pretty color. She seemed to really appreciate it. I was happy to make her happy.
I asked how someone was doing and actually listened to the answer! Great suggestions. Sometimes the simple things mean so much!
I did 3 of the things listed tonight actually, both with my 3 year old son
1. Run up to a loved one and give him or her an enthusiastic bear hug.
8. Kiss everyone in your family at least five times in a day!
9. Gather your family together, turn on some upbeat music, and start dancing. Dance with each of your children, even if you have to do it while holding them.
I also sat back and smiled as he actually read a whole Dr Suess Book TO ME! Smart kid…and he loves hugs and kisses..and especially dancing!
We give plenty of hugs and kisses in our home! My youngest gets a big hug everyday after nap time, followed by plenty of cuddles.
lots of hugs and kisses, compliments and listening
the bear hug, req. #1
I smiled to people on the street.
My daughters (6,4,and 2) drew some pictures on plain typing paper, and we delivered them to a local nursing home for the residents. They loved them!
I smile to those I pass on the street every day.
Ask someone how they are doing, listen to the answer, and comment on it.:
while in the ER with a complication from a recent surgery, i asked the RN sincerely how her night was going, if it had been busy, when her shift was over, how she was holding up. We talked about how she was doing and how her night was going for almost 10 minutes. it was nice to see the smile it put on her face, and i felt good inside knowing that sometimes we all just need a verbal outlet for our built up stressors.
became a fan on FB
I gave both my kids big bear hugs. I’ve been smiling more then ever at strangers while out. I’m going to keep up smiling at strangers & loving on my family!
my daughters and grand daughters live in different states but I make sure everyday to tell them I love you and I am soooo very proud of you whether its on the phone text or twitter