Mom it Forward » SOS

Breathing: A Gift of Service

Jamie Moesser — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:00:45 +0000

Whew. The holidays are over. A new year has begun, and with it come new opportunities for growth, change, and happiness. Take time to center yourself, to clear your body and mind, before you dive into new resolutions. Think about breathing. Think about how just breathing is a blessing in and of itself. Think about helping others “breathe.”

10 Tips for Serving, and Breathing, Easier

Here are 10 bite-size ideas, for this week’s Season of Service challenge, sponsored by Tara Stiles, yoga expert and author of Slim Calm Sexy:

Blow up a few balloons and play impromptu “hot potato” or “keep-blowing-the-balloons-so-they-don’t-touch-the-ground” kinds of games with your kids.
If you live near the mountains, take your kids up into the cleaner air for an afternoon drive or a bit of sledding.
Plant or prune a tree in your yard or neighborhood. Trees clean the air, making it easier to breathe. Go to ArborDay.org for tips on what and how to plant.
Exercise for just 5 minutes with your husband and/or kids before everyone leaves for work or school.
Be able to give the gift of breathing by learning CPR at home in under a half-hour by purchasing an Anytime CPR Kit from the American Heart Association.
Find out the birthday of a neighbor you don’t talk to often, then take them a cupcake or cookie with a candle in it for them to blow out.
Invite a friend to do yoga or take a brisk half-hour walk around the neighborhood with you.
Go to LungUSA.org to add your name to a pre-written message urging the FDA to adopt the strongest possible warning labels on all cigarette advertisements and packs sold in the United States.
Next time you have an errand to run within a mile of your house, consider walking or riding your bike there. It’s better for your health and lowers, even if by only a little, the amount of gunk in the air.
Know your state’s requirements for vehicle smog checks by going to DMV.org. Make sure your vehicle is running as clean as possible.

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

What ideas do you have for helping others to breathe?
How has giving to others made a meaningful difference for you this week?
How have others helped you breathe this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Make a meaningful difference this season by taking the Season 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.
Enter to win each week’s giveaway. Check out this week’s prizes from Tara Stiles by clicking here.
Join #gno this Tuesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.

Going the Distance: Season of Service Challenge 2

Jamie Moesser — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:13 +0000

When planning for a family vacation, one of the most important parts of the vacation is making sure everyone arrives at and returns from their destination safely. You may be wondering what that has to do with service, but as Safety 1st reminds us, taking care of our families and ensuring their safety is one way, as parents, we can give back.

Consider making your next long holiday road trip better by easing the difficulties of car seat travel for your children and others. The list below identifies 10 possible ways to go the distance during this season’s family holiday travels.

Go to your state’s DMV website (in Utah, it’s DMV.org/ut-utah) to find out what your state’s laws actually are regarding car seat safety.
Visit a child passenger seat inspection station to ensure your child’s/children’s seat(s) actually meet the requirements.
Make those seats as comfortable as possible for your children, since we all know that long hours in them can make them cranky. Try layering a thin blanket over your older child’s booster seat, or wrap a small pillow case around the seat belt where it rubs his or her neck. Buy a travel pillow so your booster-seat-aged child can nap comfortably.
Make those seats as fun as possible. For your older children in booster seats, you might let them decorate theirs with stickers or markers. For your babies in car seats, buy a new rattle or hanging toy.
Move your child’s car seat to a different spot. Although we all know that the back seat is the safest place, there is some leeway in exactly where that car seat is. If your son’s car seat is normally on the passenger side, move it to the driver side.
Make frequent stops to get the wiggles out. For me, the best part of any road trip is the gas station food!
Play I Spy With My Little Eye, see who can find all the letters of the alphabet first, or listen to a book on tape together. For more activity ideas, as well as car seat reviews, visit www.travelingmom.com.
Make sure all of your nieces and nephews have car seats of their own.
Keep your eyes open for a needy family in your area, and give them a new or used infant or toddler car seat, either directly or anonymously.
Donate a new or used infant or toddler car seat to your local women’s shelter or YWCA. Used seats must have been purchased in the last 5 years.

How Will You Go The Distance This Week?

What other ideas do you have for going the distance regarding your family’s and other’s safety?
How has giving your best made a meaningful difference this week?
How have others given to you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Make a meaningful difference this season by taking the Season 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. Check out this week’s prizes from Dorel/Safety 1st by clicking here.
Join #gno this Tuesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.

Make a Difference at Home by Focusing on Your Family This Week!

Jyl Johnson Pattee — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Make a meaningful difference this summer by taking the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how:

Commit to do one act of kindness each week 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 at the bottom of this post and put it on your blog or social networking site.

Enter to win each week’s giveaway. Check out this week’s family focused giveaway by clicking here.

Join #gno to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge. (Note: 10 lucky winners will receive popcorn gift packs during #gno!)

10 Ways to Make a Difference This Week

Here are 10 ideas to help you Focus on Family that will make a meaningful difference this week!

Choose your favorite games and set aside an hour to play them together as a family.
Enjoy mealtime together, having each person take a turn sharing about his or her favorite part of the day.
Have a talent show where each person in the family is encouraged to participate. Talents can include simple things like doing a karate kick, juggling, or telling a story to more complex things like playing a musical instrument, reciting a poem, or performing a dance number.
As a family, write a letter or send a package to a family member that lives far away, expressing your love and gratitude for that person.
Decide on your favorite at-home family activity and plan some time this week to do it. For one extra step, assign each family member a day of the week and allow him or her to choose which family activity to do. Set aside an hour to Focus on Family each day this week.
Make a treat together as a family and share it with a neighbor or other relative.
Create a CD with all your favorite family songs. Listen, sing, and dance to them together.
Choose a favorite family movie and set a time this week to have a family movie night. Don’t forget your Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn! Mmmmm!
Come up with a family mission statement. Identify your family goals and short- and long-term goals. Remember to include fun stuff in your plans like vacations, at-home family activities, etc.
Make time every day this week to spend one-on-one time with each of your children, telling them how much you love them. Do the same with your spouse!

This week’s SOS Challenge is sponsored by Orville Redenbacher’s. What other ideas do you have for Focusing on Family? Please share a comment here, letting us know how Focusing on Family has made a meaningful difference for you and your family this week.

Photo used with permission from Flickr.