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29 Gifts: Making It Count

March 24, 2011 at 9:08 am Leave a Comment  

The 29 Gifts movement has been a fascinating project for me. I find myself constantly looking for ways to give to those around me. Yet, I’m also struggling to figure out what counts. Does it “count” if I would have done it eventually anyway? Does it “count” if I used a coupon? Does it “count” if it’s something little? In the end, I decided anything I give with intent counts as a gift.

I won’t count anything after the fact, but if I go into it—however small—with the purpose of giving, I have fulfilled the day’s mission. Anytime I go out of my way to do something for someone—even if it costs me nothing—it will be a part of my 29 Gifts. Most of this week’s gifts cost little to nothing at all, but that’s always been my point with Giving Inexpensively. It doesn’t have to cost a lot to have an impact on someone’s life.

Day 8: Today I give with inspiration.
When I learned about Mamavation, the one requirement that tripped me up was the 5K. Graduates must complete a 5K within 6 months of completing the program. So, I chose one I thought I could enjoy before I ever applied to be the next Mamavation Mom. Outrun the Sun is a night race in the Indianapolis area, to benefit melanoma research. I’m not a morning person so this seemed perfect for me. Then, I put it out there that I’d be doing it and several area bloggers offered to join me! So, last week, I established a team, made my contribution and set goals for our fundraising efforts. If you want to run (or walk!) with us, you can join my Mamavation Support Team or make a donation to the cause.

Day 9: Today I give in friendship.
When I saw the Groupon for the Lincoln Lawyer, I called MFJ to see if she’d like to see it with me that weekend. Girls Night was officially planned. Then, I forgot to actually purchase the deal—ugh! Since we’d both been looking forward to it, I hit the movie theater on Friday afternoon to buy tickets at full price. I used a leftover Christmas gift card for a portion of it, paid for the rest myself and looked forward to treating my best friend to a movie that night. I even brought coupons so we could both get free popcorn!

Day 10: Today I give with love.
It’s been a rough couple of years with our oldest—and an especially rough couple weeks. Last week was pretty much a teen parenting nightmare! She is beyond grounded right now, but on Saturday the hubby took her out for some alone time. While they were gone, I delivered my gift to her bed. We gave her a fun notebook & gel pen (because her teacher thinks it could help) along with a “just because I love you” card from Hallmark. It was one of the freebies from my Blissdom swag, but was completely perfect for the occasion. The night ended with tears & hugs so I know I need to do things like that a little more often for her.

Day 11: Today I give in hospitality.
Recently, I was selected to host a Nutella breakfast bar for moms. I had planned to serve mimosas with our gluten free treats. When the time came for the date we had selected, I was on a no alcohol injunction, courtesy of Bookie Boo, along with the rest of the Mamavation Mom applicants. Serving a favorite drink to all my friends when I can’t have it myself? That’s a sacrificial gift if I ever heard one!

I had such a fun time planning & preparing our breakfast bar—we had waffles, pancakes, tortillas, toast, homemade cinnamon chips & fruit. And, Nutella is yummy! I really enjoyed the time with my friends and realized it was fairly easy to put together. The hubby and I are planning to host more frequently. I’ve already invited my sister & her new hubby for dinner—I hope we can put our schedules together soon.

Day 12: Today I give with love.
The other day when we were cleaning, I stumbled on a freebie I’d picked up somewhere—Lunchbox Love. It’s a collection of cards to tuck into lunchboxes with affirmations & notes of love on one side and silly trivia on the other. In light of how successful our gift to Stacia was, I tucked them into the girls’ lunchboxes on Monday morning.

Then, I found a coupon code (EASTER) to save 20% and discovered they ship free when you order 4 packages. So, I ordered several more sets—including one specifically for teens &amp tweens. I won’t use this for 29 Gifts again, but I do plan to use them on a regular basis to sprinkle a little love on my girls.

Day 13: Today I give with gratitude.
Several months ago, I found a package on my front porch with a note from a neighbor saying it had been delivered to his house by mistake. We share a street number, though we live a few blocks apart. I saved the note, intending to drop him a quick thank you. That, of course, never happened. Last week, he stopped by with another package for me, and I knew I had to take the time to properly thank him. There’s just something about a hand-written note, though the hubby finds it ironic that I mailed it to him! We’ll see if it comes back to me next.

Day 14: Today I give with abundance.
A few weeks ago, Lorelai’s teacher sent home a note asking for donations of bubble wrap. They have been using it as a reward in the classroom—the preschoolers can earn some time on the bubble wrap and have a blast jumping up & down to pop the bubbles! A package I opened earlier this week had a sheet of bubble wrap in it, so I tucked it into her backpack for the school. That wouldn’t have been enough to count, for me, but I decided to do some digging and ended up putting together a grocery bag full of wrap I had saved for shipping & storage. I hope the little ones have a ton of fun with my gift!

Filed Under: Sharing Tagged With: 29 gifts, Giving Inexpensively, mamavation

About Heather Sokol

Heather Sokol is the founder of Inexpensively. She has been married to Spencer for many, many years. Together, they have five kids, fourteen pets, seven fish, and a web development company. What they lack is sanity.

More from Inexpensively

  • 29 Gifts: Being Generous With Family
  • Sharing29 Gifts: Spreading the Love
  • Sharing29 Gifts: Giving With Purpose
  • Big Gifts From Small Packages

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