UsedEverywhere.com

Messy Projects Your Kids Will Love

What is it about a mess that is so irresistible to kids? We all have seen kids up to their elbows in paint, mud, bubbles, water, playdough and occasionally, dinner. We don’t seem to have the same urges they do, so what is it that drives them to splash, spill, slop and swirl when given the chance?

Freedom to play, use their creativity, and explore are all good reasons to let kids get messy from time to time. Allowing them the chance to get messy in a controlled setting might also control the number of times they decide to get creative with their pasta sauce or soup!

We went looking for some great ways to let your kids get messy – with your blessing, of course. These are great rainy day projects, or alternatively, consider letting them play outside so you can limit the mess indoors. Young children can make messes in their highchairs, or in the tub, with your close supervision.

Most of the following can be made in your kitchen with a few simple ingredients:

Bubble dough: mold it, cut it, let it drip – great sensory material

Summer snow: fluffy and icy cold, almost like the real thing

Soap clouds: who knew you could create THIS in your kitchen?

Frozen fun: especially great outside on a hot day

Sparkly snow playdough: this simple, sparkly dough will charm your little ones

Homemade flarp or gak: this slippery, sloppy putty is everything kids love

DIY playdough: this recipe has a secret ingredient – can you guess?

Homemade finger paints: easy peasy recipe for brightly coloured homemade paints

What else might your kids enjoy? Try paints, chalk, sidewalk chalk, or letting them play in the kitchen sink with water and bubbles. Anything that offers them a chance to get their hands dirty, to feel the paint or dough or other substance and to manipulate it in whatever way they choose.

Do your kids love to make a mess? What on this list would you try?

Community Angel Car Seat Recycling Project

Working as a community angel with UsedVancouver.com is very rewarding because environmental and human stewardship is the focus. My favourite project is the car seat recycling initiative that includes our amazing community partners Bellies to Babies Celebration and Gibsons Recycling Depot. On May 5th, UsedVancouver.com collected a total of 83 car seats and boosters and then transported them over to the recycling depot to be deconstructed and recycled. The plastic base and metal clips are the main pieces of the seats that are recycled.

The buzz for this car seat recycling project was amazing and parents within the Lower Mainland kept repeating the same comment: “Thank you for giving us a convenient way to dispose of this piece of baby gear that we’ve been saving to keep out of the landfill.” Even parents who learned about the initiative through social media loved the idea from afar.

For anyone interested in hosting a car seat recycling campaign or finding a place to dispose of a car seat, I recommend calling nearby recycling depots to start. Once you find a location that will recycle the plastic and metal from the seats, if a recycling depot receives enough interest from parents, it might see the value in testing several seats to find a common thread of plastic to continue the campaign. Our hope is for future campaigns to include more baby items once they’ve expired or been passed down many times, so they have a place to go and will be recycled. If you think of large baby items, they are usually comprised of several different materials, which makes things difficult for a recycling depot. Once common materials and types of plastics are defined, a broader scope of strollers, highchairs and saucers can be included.

Hosting this initiatives show the importance of grassroots UsedEverywhere.com movements and it’s wonderful to work with a company that so environmentally focused to reduce landfill waste.

Highlights of the collection this year include: most unique drop-off transportation. Check out our favourite two drop-off people that we’ve been calling Scooter Guy and Bicycle Mama. Both were super cool to chat with and we had to take a picture of the unique ways these car seats ended up for collection at Bellies to Babies Celebration:

Scooter Guy

Bicycle Mama

The collection was very successful and we doubled our efforts from last September. The van that was used to transport the seats was packed from floor to roof once we made our way to Gibsons Recycling Depot the following day.

It was an amazing day to tour the Gibsons Recycling Depot (GRD). I highly recommend anyone with children to find a local recycling depot and arrange a tour or field trip. Every time I go to GRD I learn something new. The most amazing part of the depot is learning if personal waste actually reaches a depot, there isn’t much they can’t recycle. Items that prove tough for the depot always go back to mixed plastics, dirty or contaminated plastics and Styrofoam. An example of this is Styrofoam meat trays. Normally Styrofoam can be depleted of it’s air and packed down into small flats that is actually sold to be reused. But this can only be done with clean Styrofoam (from packing boxes of appliances, etc.). When GRD receives contaminated meat trays they can’t recycle them. So do you know what they do? Make planters (pictured below) for people to take/buy from the Depot. Amazing things can happen with waste if it just gets to the right place.

Other sources that are tough to dispose of are mixed plastics where a recycling code isn’t shared. Plastic pots from plants, mixed plastic shopping bags, baby items discussed at the beginning of this article, and many toys cause problems with waste management. The key message I always leave GRD with is to strengthen my resolve to manage my family’s personal waste. Biggest problem being plastic – buy it second hand! Plastic is such a durable material which is why it’s so difficult to recycle. Put that durability to use by listing and buying plastic online. Try hard to not bring new plastics into your life. When we do need to purchase plastic it would be great to have a clear vision of where these plastics will end up at the end of their life. If they are mixed, try to curb the original purchase unless buying used and encourage manufacturers to use a recyclable material. Hopefully car seat manufacturers will understand this problem and change policies to accept car seats back after they’ve expired to reuse the plastic and metal at their own manufacturing plants. But until this happens, UsedVancouver.com is proud to be offering this service to local parents. Grassroots efforts do make a difference and we thank all the people that brought us seats and our community partners for another great campaign!

Share your thoughts with us in the comments area below or visit our UsedVancouver.com Facebook page to chat with us and find out what we’re up to next in the Lower Mainland.

Attracting Birds to Your Yard

The return of migratory birds to our yards and gardens can be a welcome sign that winter has passed us by and spring has finally returned. Some of us wait for robins, while others wait for geese and ducks to return to ponds and waterways. We hear them in the trees through our open windows, and we see them as we start to spend more time outside. It doesn’t take us long to realize how welcome they are once they are back, and to wonder how we can attract more birds to our yard – or perhaps coax the ones we have to stay, and nest.

What birds need:

• natural habitat and shelter (birdhouses or boxes, plus an abundance of trees, shrubs and plants for shelter)
• water (for drinking and bathing)
• nesting material (twigs, sticks, grass, dried leaves, feathers, pet hair, etc.)
• food (natural sources and supplements you might want to provide)

What to feed birds in your yard: 

Birdseed, sunflower seeds, suet (which you can purchase mixed with seeds and/or berries), millet, cracked corn, nectar for hummingbirds (sugar water, without red food colouring, please). Larger birds might like peanuts, popped popcorn, fruit, soaked raisins, or other larger items. Be creative, do a little research, and if you have kids, don’t hesitate to try preparing your own bird food at home. It can be a great project to share with little ones.

Be sure to do a little research to find out what the birds in your area are eating, and ensure if you decide to offer food that you are keeping the feeders clean and dry, that the suet isn’t left out to go rancid and other health considerations. It doesn’t help to offer food that won’t be healthy or safe.

Most birds get what they need from nature, but the more we clear trees and develop our cities, the less there is for birds to eat. If you want to attract them into your yard to stay, it would be a good idea to think about food sources. Well-fed birds will often stick around, and if they do, many will likely nest.

Benefits of welcoming birds to your yard:

Extending a welcome to birds in your yard is good for everyone. Our communities are bettered when we find ways to coexist with the species we are displacing as our urban areas spread. It’s also good for kids to stay in touch with nature, and to foster their interest and respect from a young age. Birds help us and our yards by eating insects that are considered pests in most yards – think of how many mosquitoes some species eat! And finally, our love for our outdoor spaces increases when we engage, connect, and find ways to increase our enjoyment. Kids also tend to love projects that get them into nature, so keep them busy preparing bird food, cleaning bird feeders, building nesting houses and feeders, and gathering nesting material to leave out for the birds.

Birds common in Canada :

Birds native to Canada can vary from province to province. It can be a great family project to track what bird species you have seen with your kids – does it change year to year? Does it vary from home to perhaps your favourite greenspace or camping spot?

Here is a list of all the birds commonly found in Canada, but you could do your own research to find ones common in your specific area. This could be good research for kids who show an interest

Ask your kids to look over your list as the year progresses – which birds are migrating?  Which are staying?

Do you get a lot of birds in your yard? How do you attract them? Do they stay and nest? We’d love to know if you have tips or tricks to share!

Bubble Blowing: Spring Activity for Kids

Most of us remember blowing bubbles as kids. Our memories are full of images of brightly-coloured wands dripping soapy water all over our front steps or back porches and bubbles sailing off in the wind. We competed to see who could blow the largest bubbles, and whose bubbles would last longest before popping. Any of us who grew up to have kids are sure to pass this activity along to them…it’s too much fun to miss out on. It’s also a great early spring activity, when the kids want to play outside and would love some water play but it’s too cold for hoses and water guns.

Tips and tricks:

Ask anyone who takes their bubble blowing seriously and they will tell you that making your own solution at home is the trick that will make all the difference. You’ll get bigger, longer lasting bubbles – and isn’t that the point?

Here is a homemade bubble solution recipe that I’m dying to try.

As simple as bubble blowing can be, there are a few other tips and tricks that can make the whole process more fun for you and the kids. Give kids small amounts of liquid if they want to play independently, and keep a larger container out of reach so adults can assist with refills. If it’s cool out, put your kids in rubber boots as they likely will drip. In warm weather, let them go barefoot. Shop for different types of bubble blowers – small to start, large wands, different shapes or try making your own. Remember bubbles can also be blown in the bathtub in inclement weather or to help very young children enjoy bathtime.

Unique ideas to shake up your bubble time:

A make-your-own bubble blowing station 

Water bottle bubble fun for small kids who struggle to blow bubbles

Can you freeze a bubble?

Beaded bubble wand craft perfect for older kids or a party activity

Reminders:

Bubble or soapy solutions can make surfaces slippery so use caution with young kids standing on wooden decks, steps or other smooth surfaces. I like to let my kids blow bubbles on the grass so there is no risk of falling.

Warn your kids that getting bubbles or soap in their eyes can sting and encourage them to keep their hands away from their eyes and faces. A bucket of clean water nearby or even a towel or clean cloth can be handy if someone crosses paths with a wayward bubble.

Don’t forget to take pictures! Blowing bubbles can make for some great candid shots as kids concentrate on blowing, then break into laughter or chase and reach for bubbles.

Bubbles can be a great, easy party theme for a young child. Their simple but appealing shape can be repeated throughout the decorations, the blowing itself can be an activity for any young children present, and guests can take home bubble blowing supplies as their take away treat or loot bag.

Do your kids love to blow bubbles?  Any tips or fun ideas to share with us?

Expired Car Seat Recycling Program

It’s back! This Sunday, May 5, the UsedVancouver.com crew will be collecting expired car seats and boosters at Bellies to Babies Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We hope to triple the collections from last September when we collected and recycled 44 car seats.

As many parents in the Lower Mainland will tell you, it’s very difficult to find a recycling depot that takes back expired seats without an organized initiative in place. It’s also unique for parents to be able to simply drop-off expired car seats without having to disassemble them first. This weekend disassembly is not necessary because Gibsons Recycling Depot is looking after this potentially toxic task and they will be taking apart the seats and then recycling the plastic and metal components. Gibsons Depot experts agree that when disassembling car seats, masks should be worn in a well ventilated area to avoid inhaling flame retardant chemicals found in the interior foam of all car seats. We thank them for looking after this for Lower Mainland parents!

Many of the newer car seats have longer expiration dates, but typically they still expire within six years. If your car seat has not expired but you have finished using it, before you think of passing it to a friend or selling it at a yard sale or online please call the manufacturer and check that the model number adheres to the new regulations set forth by Health Canada announced in January 2012. This removes liability from you if the car seat is involved in an accident.

Local initiatives like this are what set UsedEverywhere.com apart – with its strong community involvement and commitment to the core mission of keeping our landfill clear of items that can be reused or disposed of with a recycling focus. Also partnering with an amazing trade show like Bellies to Babies Celebration and Gibsons Recycling Depot makes all the difference with offering the education piece of why it’s important to be aware off the personal waste we bring into our lives and pushing to find solutions on how to dispose of them responsibly.

Gibsons Recycling Depot is a great place to visit because their message of holding people accountable for waste is important. Most things brought to the depot can be recycled, anything else that isn’t broken goes into a walk-in locker to be sold. For the campaign on May 5th they determined there are enough similarities between booster seat materials and car seats to now include booster seats in the recycling program this year (last September they were only able to accept car seats). Hooray for progress!

After receiving feedback from green-minded parents still holding onto broken high chairs and strollers, knowing they will go to the landfill when disposed, we are also working with Gibsons to find a common thread to these items so in future campaigns they can be recycled too. Wouldn’t it be great to have these campaigns include a broader scope of baby items that after being reused multiple times, can be disassembled and disposed of by recycling the components instead of sitting in a landfill forever?

We are inviting a small group of parents to bring broken baby items comprised of metal and plastic (highchairs, strollers, saucers, etc.) to the trade show on May 5th and we’ll include these in our delivery to Gibsons Recycling Depot so they can analyze the components to see if any of these products can be included in our next campaign. **Important** if you are planning on bringing any other baby items besides car seats for disposal on May 5th, please comment on this article and let us know the number and type of items so we can be prepared. And remember, if you have baby items that are not broken and safe to be handed down to another family, please create a listing on UsedVancouver.com - let’s also reduce our consumption.

To checkout Bellies to Babies Celebration vendors that will be at the show this Sunday, access the full list here.

To read more about the great work Gibsons Recycling Depot does for the Province of B.C., click here.

To read more about how to tell if your car seat has expired, click here.

All Lower Mainland parents are encouraged to share the image included in this article so their friends and family are aware of this excellent service being offered. Free up some room in your garage, Spring Clean, and feel proud to be taking responsibility for managing your personal waste!

Find UsedVancouver.com on Facebook now to join the conversation.

3 Ways To Make Your Community Beautiful

Have you heard the quote “Magic is everywhere…you just need to look for it”? Discovering magic can happen in your own neighbourhood when a person spies something unique and unexpected nestled in nature. Memories are created and a sense of community pride is increased. The following three projects will not only make your neighbourhood more beautiful, but the lasting effects on how the community felt will remain for years. The projects are also low budget and mostly created from upcycled materials making them great for families to plan this spring.

Fairy Doors

Have you ever seen a tree knob created by nature on the outside of tree bark and instantly checked twice to see if it was real? That feeling of wonder can easily be handcrafted by a child and placed at the bottom of a special tree by making your own fairy door. It doesn’t matter if the cut around the door is made by a first-timer with a jig saw or the polished design of someone more professional – fairy doors evoke a strong emotion and always bring a squeal of delight when discovered. And when I say there is a little Peter Pan syndrome inside all of us, this video that was shared via George Stroumboulopoulos, will prove even grown-ups and teens see the magic.

This spring, select a few lucky trees along your favourite trail or yard and create fairy doors to live at the bottom. Measure out a perfect size that can be secured without too much difficulty in the nook of a tree, have your family decorate the door with weather resistant paint, and add a doorknob for the perfect finishing touch. Unless the fairy doors are going into a person’s yard, don’t invest too much money in the project because the chance of vandalism is high. But when a child wonders where the door has gone – you can reassure them that the magic of the fairy or gnome moved the door to a new home. Notes can be left for the fairies inside the tree or if the door doesn’t open, offerings from nature can be left outside for fairies to find; pinecones, flowers, feathers, acorns, etc.

Yarn Bombing

This activity is for the inner grandma in all of us; unless of course you know that knitting and crochet has become hip this year thanks to Pinterest inspiration and handmade love! Knitting is also a great activity to teach children and what could be more magical than making a sleeve for a tree in your yard, fence post, or pole. Yarn bombing is extremely beautiful – something about the bright, knit colours resting against nature that is very memorable. This photo and yarn bomb project was completed by Knitta.

Working with your city’s Art Council or Museum is a great idea if you want to expand yarn bombing into the community with kids. It will help ensure your project lasts since a pair of scissors can quickly bring this project down – but that is the key reason why it’s considered to be a harmless method of graffiti. A breathtaking example of yarn bombing actually happened in Vancouver March 2011 when the cherry tree behind Joy Kogawa’s (Vancouver author and poet) childhood home no longer blossomed. 50 crafters gathered together to change that and yarn bombed her tree with stunning knit bark and garlands of knit blossoms. The effect was stunning and I encourage you to read the entire article shared via Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Blog. Below is a picture from that article – notice how beautiful the knit blossoms look in nature?

Little Free Library

With so many parents trying to detach their children from electronics and re-introduce them to the love of reading, the time to build or use a Little Free Library is now. And with the growth of thousands more of these libraries popping up around the world, their popularity is easily understood. The concept is to approach a Girl and Boy Scout troop, carpenter, or artists and see if they would be willing to build some Libraries as a community service project. Ask neighbours and friends to contribute books. Keep them informed about what they can bring by leaving a note in your Library asking for a certain type of books. Real people sharing their love for special books is the best part of building a Free Library and I love this quote from the Little Free Library site “These aren’t just any old books, this is a carefully curated collection and the Library itself is a piece of neighborhood art!”

Check out the examples of finished community libraries from the Little Free Library Facebook page and you’ll see why they are so special and would really enhance community spirit!

From being involved in community projects with my family, I know the people creating projects get just as much fun and joy out of the planning, building, and crafting. Harness your own imagination and bring together a team of people committed to creating magic this spring.

Get Your Bikes Ready for Spring!

Biking is a great way to get active and enjoy the outdoors come spring. It’s something the whole family can enjoy, and can be planned ahead or done spur-of-the-moment. Maybe your spring weather has hit already, maybe it hasn’t, but there’s no denying that now is the time to be checking your bikes over and shopping for new ones if needed.  Looking early means more choice and more selection.

But of course, there’s a better way than just heading off to the nearest store! Before you ever buy a brand new bike, have a look at your local UsedEverywhere.com listings to see if you can find what you need there. Kids outgrow bikes, people upgrade to a new style – there can be many reasons why bikes hit the used listings, but they all benefit you!  You can also find bike parts and accessories like locks, racks and mudguards.  If you have very young children, watch for trailers that can be pulled behind a bike so you can bring your little ones along for a ride until they can pedal their own bike.

There are a few things you need to do before you hit the road this spring:

Sizing:

First, check sizing on everyone’s bikes at the beginning of each season. Make sure everyone has the proper bike for their size and ability.  This will help you decide if you need to be looking for anything new. Check to be sure everyone has a helmet and other safety gear and try everything on to check for fit.

Cleaning and prep:

Give the bike a good cleaning, check for damage or loose parts, tighten the seat, add air to tires, test brakes and add lubricant as needed to hold off the rust all season.  Here’s a great resource on tuning up your bike for spring and basic repairs.

Safety reminders:

When it comes to bicycle safety, make certain things non-negotiable.  Kids need to learn that they wear helmets or they don’t ride, period. You can decide if you want them wearing elbow and knee pads, and when they are first learning it’s best they wear long pants and even long sleeves to help protect them in the event of a fall.

Bicycle safety training is so important – your kids can’t be safe if they don’t learn the rules of the road. This goes for adults too. Sign kids up for a neighbourhood safety camp or afternoon, be careful where you allow them to bike and let them earn their freedom through safe and careful biking.

Here are some great resources for bike safety for families: Safe Kids Canada, Canada Safety Council and CAA Bike Safety.

Where to bike?

Start with your own street, nearby parks, green spaces in your city, and look for bike paths along rivers and other attractions. Do a search online to find routes in your city – you may find a list of popular paths. When I searched for “bike routes in Calgary” I found links leading me to our own city site, to bikecalgary.ca, to bikeyyc.ca, a family site with routes broken down by city area and a local cycling club. Try it in your own city and see what resources you find!

Do you cycle alone? Bike with your family? Any tips for families just starting out?

Canadian Voices Rise Up to the Sky

National news can be learned directly from children, which was the case in my household regarding a new song my kids are learning at school. The song I.S.S. Is Somebody Singing was collaborated together by Astronaut Chris Hadfield and Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson and with how interactive Hadfield has been from space – the kids rate this partnership as something very cool! Officially commissioned by CBC Music, the goal is to bring attention to the importance of music education in Canada. The debut of the song Is Somebody Singing happened in February with the glee choir of Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts and not only is it a great song (and Chris Hadfield can really sing!) but it’s a coalition spreading a great message of unification through music across Canada. Music history was made when the song was recorded both on Earth and Space while Hadfield is in orbit on the International Space Station. Have a listen below!

Astronaut Hadfield helped co-write the song and I love the line “You can’t make out borders from up here.” Ed Robertson from Bare Naked Ladies has a wonderful quote about how we can all feel connected, even the wonder of what Chris Hadfield experiences in Space. Robertson’s quote is here:

“I wanted it to be a celebration not about the remoteness of space, but about the connectedness of a human being on the I.S.S. who looks down and sees the whole planet in a way that, from our perspective, we don’t have the opportunity to.”

I love listening to music that my kids enjoy and the goal for May 6 is to have the entire country united in song across the different time zones and have Hadfield hear the voices while still in space. It is the official song for Music Monday to promote and celebrate music education in schools. Share this message so that children that are home schooled, school music departments, and music makers of all backgrounds learn the song together and lend their voice in May.

Access free downloads and lyrics through the Coalition’s Music Monday website, and join the coalition to fill the skies with music. There are some great Music Monday ideas for getting started:

• Music Monday in a field
• Joint School Event – organized with multiple schools
• Community Wide Event – community partner with a senior music group, local choir, etc.

Play the video, learn the lyrics and help bring awareness for music education in your communities with this special song. Champion children to believe that anything is possible – whether it be travelling to space or hearing a song there.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Have you heard the good news? If baked goods and desserts are made from scratch in your kitchen they are not considered unhealthy. It’s actually a great rule to follow when trying to eat a clean food diet; eliminating store bought baked goods is a great step in that direction. Here is an awesome recipe that kids and adults love that includes chocolate chips and cocoa but the secret ingredient to the moist muffins is zucchini. And this green veggie is undetectable so anyone with fussy eaters – just don’t mention the fact they contain zucchini and it’s a win/win for the entire family!

Ingredients:

Tip – Canadian company Camino keeps baking organic, fair trade and tasty! I use their cocoa powder and whole brown sugar in my recipes.

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
1 3/4 cups sugar (I use whole sugar)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (*tip* Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk to make your own buttermilk)

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves

2 cups fine grated zucchini
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Beat together butter, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Combine dry ingredients and then add to creamed mix. Add zucchini and chocolate chips and stir into mix. Add to muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

These muffins are our household favourite. The zucchini keeps the muffins moist and I like hiding veggies in my baking especially to balance the chocolate chips added. We made chocolate cupcakes last month for a birthday and the kids all commented they liked these muffins better than the cupcakes, so they’ll be a birthday party treat for future celebrations. Easy, homemade, and clean ingredients!

Random Acts of Kindness With Kids!

It’s been a few months since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary where 26 children and teachers lost their lives in a senseless shooting. This tragedy could engulf a parent in sorrow, but a movement rose from the darkness and has helped create a beautiful legacy for the victims. The movement called “26 Acts of Kindness” began with the thought that random acts of kindness could help celebrate the lives of the victims with light, rather than surrounding ourselves in darkness.

In December, one BC family started their journey of 26 random acts of kindness after mom Crystal wanted to ease her own sadness over the tragedy. And since most of the victims were children, she decided to include her daughter, 4-year-old Dallace on her mission. How many times have we as parents searched for ways to increase our own children’s appreciation for their healthy, happy lives? Random acts of kindness are a fun way to introduce kids to helping others. Children notice the ripple effect of how one small act can inspire greater things and gain appreciation for the difficulties others are facing. It can be as simple as Act 2 of Crystal’s journey of treating a man in line at Starbucks to a coffee – children learn how acts of kindness have the power to create joy.

For Crystal and Dallace, each of their 20 acts of kindness have been documented with a photo so that Crystal can create a memory book of the journey. The latest act photographed (above) included taking pre-orders from friends and family and baking cupcakes. The goal was to raise $500 for the BC SPCA for National Cupcake Day, which took place February 25th. Crystal and Dallace ended up raising $550 and this is just one act!  Look at the adorable cupcakes that Dallace helped bake and deliver to family and friends. The variation in acts has kept the activities fun, ranging from surprising strangers to helping the food bank, animal shelter and transition houses.  Number 10 was probably 4-year-old Dallace’s favorite act of kindness which included bringing toys and treats to the local Coquitlam animal shelter. She loves animals and got to have some snuggles with kitties – smart idea to keep the acts relatable to organizations close to the family’s heart. Crystal is starting to plan larger acts of kindness and hopes to cook meals for families staying at Ronald McDonald House while their children are being treated at Children’s Hospital.

Feeling inspired to start random of acts of kindness in your community? To start, remember that random acts of kindness can be a spontaneous gesture. Simply become aware of circumstances when someone needs help and act. It’s that easy. Opening a door for someone that is struggling, playing peek a boo with a baby getting impatient in a lineup, helping carry heavy bags for an older person or busy mom. These small acts start to build up into something larger. Crystal is the perfect example of this!

Stuck for ideas? UsedEverywhere has started a Pinterest Board for Random Acts of Kindness. There are lots of inspiring stories and pins to help get you started. A wonderful act that will be at the top of my list is creating a blessing bag. This is a bag filled with basic necessities that can be kept in your car for that moment when a homeless person that you’d love to help in some way approaches you. By collecting personal care products, coins, warm socks, packaged food items, coffee card, all sealed in a bag, these blessing bags can be stowed away for that perfect moment when you see the opportunity to help. It’s a way to have children hands-on with coordinating a project to help the homeless and understanding the ripple connection. It also removes the awkwardness of wanting to help a person standing outside in the cold, but not having time to react quickly enough to have a lasting effect. Children would love to assemble Blessing Bags and could recruit little friends to help gather and collect supplies. Thank you to Kids With A Vision for sharing this wonderful idea. Photo Credit: Joy’s Hope.

Our thanks to Crystal and her family for inspiring change and sharing her journey with the UsedEverywhere blog. You truly embody the proverb “little by little, a little becomes a lot” and we are lucky to have you in our community!