Archive for February, 2011

Newer Entries »

7 ways to increase charity.

Monday, February 7th, 2011

In light of the fact that we’re one week away from Valentines Day, love is on my mind.

But … not so much the Valentines kind of love. More of a charity kind of love.

You’ll notice what it says on my homepage: Cultivate a good life and record it. That’s going to mean different things to different people. For me it means, in part, that we try to love unconditionally and treat others with kindness. (It also means a hundred other things to me.) Are any of us perfectly loving and perfectly kind? Of course not. But that’s another part of cultivating a good life — to just do our best. Always.

Here are 7 suggestions of what we can strive to do to increase charity in our life. If even just one of these points might prompt you to do something this week, it was worth the quick stop here on my blog today.

1. Tell someone. You likely have someone on your mind that has had a positive affect on your life. Don’t keep that to yourself. Write an email or letter (the old-fashioned kind that actually goes through the mail system is even better!) and tell that person how they have been a blessing to you or your family. Be specific. You have no idea what that will do to brighten their life.

2. Kick gossip to the curb. We’re human. It happens. But we have complete control in stopping it. First of all, don’t be the one that gossips. It doesn’t look good on anyone. Being critical of others does not benefit anyone. Ever. If you’re in a situation when the gossiping begins, find a way to change the topic and focus on something more uplifting. What an admirable quality.

3. Recognize your blessings. Being proactive in actually talking about the tender mercies in your life or writing down the specific blessings you receive will naturally bring about more awareness of how rich your life is. Cultivate a good life … and record it. Your children will be blessed for reading your words at a later time. You will be blessed for reading your own words. Trust me on this one.

4. Cultivate the potential in others. Quick anecdote to illustrate: Several siblings in a family had a natural singing talent. Except for one of the brothers. As a young boy, they went through instructor after instructor but he just didn’t seem to have the gift. It didn’t seem like there was hope. His parents tried one last instructor and when this boy first sung for the instructor, he stopped the boy singing and said, “Where did you get this voice? That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard!” The boy’s confidence soared, he completely blossomed, and he became known for his singing talent with full vibrato at a young age. True story.

5. Study. If you are religious and consider scripture to be a valuable and truthful resource (I certainly do), carve time out of your day to read scriptures on the topic of love, charity, service, etc.

6. Don’t judge. This is especially applicable to those who you do not yet know very well. When we catch ourselves beginning to make assumptions about someone, chances are we do not truly understand what’s really going on. Mother Teresa spoke this profound truth: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

7. Stop. If you’re the type that seems to be in go-go-go mode all the time (whether you thrive on that lifestyle or you’re just forced into that kind of schedule right now) … how will you ever be able to truly show charity to those who mean the most to you if you’re always so busy? Stop once in a while. Get on the floor with your kids. Look your husband in the eyes as he talks about his day. Listen to your child’s ramblings about whatever they want to talk about. Be engaged. Nurturing any relationship means carving out time to just BE with that person.

I sooo don’t want any of this to sound preachy. I just have these things on my mind and a blog is for sharing, after all. These are just a few gentle reminders of simple things we can all do, that can in turn make life happier — for you, for me, for those around us, and especially for those we care about the most.

Tags:
Posted in giving | 56 Comments »

document what they say

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

There is a plethora of ways to document what your child says. Today I’m touching on two of those ways.

And by the way, this isn’t just for kids. Of course the ideas are applicable to adults just as well. Perhaps to David’s dismay, I have been known to document his exact words once in a while, particularly in those years before our children came along. I may or may not have made him answer a full list of interview questions once or twice. In the name of personal & family history of course. (He must love me?)

{ interview style }

First I’m going to pass along an idea from reader Meggan in Sequim, Washington. Perhaps you’ll relate.

Meggan wrote, I was trying to recall the last time I actually sat down with my kids and just had a conversation with them. Well to be honest, it’s been a while. I’ve been so busy with errands, taking kids to school, meetings, etc. that I haven’t spent that one-on-one time that each kid deserves with his/her parent. So, I put a hold on our morning activities, and sat my kids down & talked.

Meggan’s creative twist on the activity was to treat her child like a star and she was their fan and they set up an interview. The key is to write down their answers exactly as the words come out of their mouth. That’s what makes it so precious, so real, so accurate. For example, her 4-year old stated that he likes candy as his favorite food, and it came out “Can-knee” so she wrote it down just as that.

Meggan added, It was such an amazing moment with each of them. I enjoyed hearing their cute little voices & mispronunciations. To tie it in with my POTD, I set my camera up across from us, set it on “self-timer” and took a picture of us conversing.

Meggan is adding this interview page to her Project Life book. She continues, I am truly enjoying the POTD idea– it’s allowed me to look at my life more in depth rather than just scratching the surface. If you’re interested in seeing how she set up her document to include, here it is:

……….

{ capture the quote }

It’s as simple as that. Your child says something you don’t want to forget because it is so precious, so funny, so witty. Write it down immediately while it’s fresh & as accurate as possible. Same principle applies when someone (a friend, a sibling, a teacher) tells you something your child said or did. W R I T E   I T   D O W N .

For those of you doing a picture-a-day with Project Life, including a funny quote or story is always a great idea. You can accompany the story with a picture of that child or something related to the story. Or not.

Example. This is a POTD from one day last week:

The journaling for that day reads: Got the following email from our friend/neighbor Steph: “So today after school Claire saw Shane and I walking and asked if she could come over to play. After I explained to her that Shelby was home under the weather, she finally cut to the chase. “Well, could you bring your dog over then?” This is Classic Claire. It’s all about the dog for her. Another Classic Claire thing right now is how she signs her name with a flower or a heart or both. Such a girly girl.

I was able to take a little anecdote, as shared by a friend … and a picture of Claire’s current way of signing her name … and blend them together in a “Classic Claire” entry for that day.

Posted in family & children, organization, scrapbooking | 24 Comments »

website updates

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Our homepage just got a little update. If you’re not seeing this as the homepage, be sure to refresh.

Why the change? Mostly because [2] new sections have been added: Videos and Support.

Yes, VIDEOS! As in … they’re all in one snuggly place on my website now. Yay for convenience and organization. I kinda hear a small Hallelujah chorus in my head about this new section. Just a little.

The Support section actually isn’t new at all. But now it is easier to find as it’s been added to our main navigation. So if you have a burning question, or you’re just wondering about something, or perhaps you have an issue with one of our products … head on over to Support.

Oh, and … what’s that you say? I’ve been neglecting what?? Oh, right! The beloved Recipes section. I know. Kinda sad that the last thing I posted was a Breakfast Burrito recipe in October. But I’m making it up to you today with a classic and a favorite: Fettuccine Alfredo.

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

photo challenge: work

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

We’re kicking off the month of February with none other than a PHOTO CHALLENGE!

For those of you who are new around here, you should know that I like to offer a photo challenge once in a while …. because sometimes it takes a challenge to help us step outside our box, think of a new angle, or do something with our camera that perhaps we haven’t considered before. A few recent photo challenges: Reflection in November, Look Down in October, Table Top and From the Ground in September.

This time we’re taking on a theme. And that theme is WORK.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks, get a few pictures of a loved one or co-worker doing their thing at work. Try interesting angles. Pay attention to details that make that workplace what it is. I recently snuck around in my friend Karolyn’s classroom. Each image tells part of the story that is her life as a school teacher (and she’s a pretty awesome one at that, if I may say so myself).

If this inspires you to head to the workplace and take a few pictures for your spouse, your friend, your co-worker, your parent, your child, your neighbor, your boss … great. If you feel inclined to take it a step further and submit a picture or two, cool.

I’ll choose my top 10 favorites to share on my blog. My favorites are chosen based on really strict and specific criteria. Not. It’s more like the Oooh-That’s-such-a-great-shot! feeling I have when I see the picture. Because I’m technical like that. Note: Sometimes my picks are based on the idea, not necessarily the amazingness or quality of the actual image. However, if the photograph is a really fantastic image, that is certainly in your favor.

Email your picture(s) to submissions@beckyhiggins.com.

Deadline for submissions: Saturday, Feb. 12th.

Maximum images per person please: 3.

Include: Your name, where you call home, who the person is/how you know them, and what’s the job? (Keep it short & sweet.)  : )

Tags: ,
Posted in photography | 19 Comments »

Newer Entries »