St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt (Round 2)

While growing up, leprechauns always visited our house on St. Patrick's Day. I can still vividly remember spending hours searching for them and convinced I saw at least one or two every year. They would often leave clues hidden around the house with a big bowl filled with green items at the end. I was convinced that one day I would a big pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

Now with kids of my own, I've kept up the tradition. A couple years ago I was leaving for St. Patrick's Day and made up a scavenger hunt in advance for my husband to use. I ended up sharing it online. It was such a big hit that I decided to share an updated version! This one is a little bit longer and a whole lot of fun. 

Freebie: St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt

For the prize, you can put anything at the end! I often fill a big bowl with gold chocolate coins and a few green items. I pretty much just walk up and down the isles at the grocery store and grab anything green, but here are a few ideas. 

• Green apples
• Chocolate gold coins
• A box of lucky charms
• A green can of Pringles chips
• Green Kool-Aid
• Green bag of skittles
• Gum
• Sunflower seeds
• Pop rocks
• Bubbles
• Box of Mike and Ike's
• Small cans of 7-up or sprite

I hope this helps to create a little fun in your home! Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Years ago, we asked our readers to leave random acts of kindness cards in their community for Preslee's 4th Birthday. It was a big hit and something our family was so grateful for. Read about it here. 

Did you know that February 17th is RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY?

We want to celebrate, and hope you'll join in with us!

To celebrate, we are offering you a freebie.  You can download these cards and when you do an act of kindness, leave one of these cards with it. Please tag us in your acts of kindness to be entered into a giveaway with #presentleerakd for a chance to win $25 store credit to Presentlee!

Here's to spreading kindness all over the world!

And if you need some ideas on how and where to leave your cards, here are a few.

• Pay for someone's food at a restaurant or drive-thru.
• Tape some money on a toy in a store.
• Leave a card with a treat or gift on someone's doorstep.
• Complete a chore for someone else in your home.
• Leave laundry soap in bag at the laundromat.
• Drop a treat off at the local police or fire station.
• Leave a coloring book/crayons in your hospital's emergency room.
• Leave $1.07 taped by the hot wheels section. 
• Leave a generous tip.
• Write an encouraging note to someone.
• Run a treat out to your garbage man.
• Leave a gift card in someone's mailbox or doorstep.
• Pay for someone's popcorn at a movie theater.
• Leave a treat for your UPS/FED EX delivery person.
• Leave a gift card or funny note in a book at the library.
• Leave a nice note on someone's car.
• Leave a package of wipes at a diaper changing station.
• Send a treat through to a bank teller.
• Buy flowers for a friend or stranger.
• Leave a gift or treat for your mailman.
• Leave a gift for a teacher in the school's office.
• Hide free bubbles in the park.
• Leave popcorn taped to a Red Box machine.
• Leave enough money to cover an item at the grocery store.
• Leave dollar bills all around the dollar store.
• Donate diapers to a women's shelter.
• Donate food to the homeless. 
• Leave tennis balls at a dog park.
• Tape change to a vending machine.
• Leave an anonymous note for someone.

What's your favorite way to serve? Let us know below!

Valentine's Printable Lunch Tags

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I wanted to do something fun for the kids that didn't cost a lot. I usually send something fun in their lunch every year and thought it would be fun to send some lunch box printables all week long. A few were left with some extra space to add a little note to make it more meaningful. 

Click here to download the Free Lunch Box Tags.

I also pack Patrick lunches throughout the week and wanted to include him in on the fun. So here's some fun cards to add to your special someone's lunch all next week. Enjoy!

Click here to download the free printable tags below.

Made with Love

With the start of a new year, a new decade even, I've made it a goal to be more present with the people I care about. As a stay at home mom who uses Walmart pick-up to grocery shop, I can go days without seeing anyone outside of my home. I've made it a goal to check in on friends and neighbors a little more often and I tend to dislike showing up empty handed. I've learned that an inexpensive gift to give is a baked treat. Whether you enjoy baking, or swinging by the grocery store,  my tip is to bake or buy a little extra for someone else to enjoy. 

It's an easy way to brighten someone's day.

This week my favorite zucchini bread (I add chocolate chips to mine) was on the menu. I doubled the batch and had two extra loaves to deliver. I wrapped them in butcher paper, added these custom - made with love tags, and tied them on with bakers twine. I love how they turned out!

Click here to download the free printable.

Click here to download an all black and white version as well.

Remember, serving and helping others doesn't have to be a lot of work. Finding ways to make it fit into your lifestyle is key. What works for you? I'd love to know in the comments below.  

Be Present Service Challenge–Week 5

Neighbors!

Week 5 is all about loving our neighbors!

Download the free printable here. It will give you ideas on how to serve.

1. Get to know them – Last summer we moved into a new house, and I’m embarrassed to say there are a couple neighbors I still haven’t met! I’ve waited to see them outside, but I haven’t. So this week I plan on knocking on their door with a some goodies in hand and introducing myself.

Let’s make an effort to meet somebody new this week.

2. Serve your neighbor – It’s easy to serve those we know, but what about those we don’t know? I feel like serving neighbors can make a huge impact in their life. But remember it doesn’t have to be big! Even shoveling their walkway or taking in their garbage can is a great place to start.

I have three incredible neighbors who make a big difference in my family’s life and it pushes me to be better at recognizing other neighbor’s needs. One older neighbor watches my daughter every single week while I take my boys to speech! I am so grateful! This week I not only want to give back to them, but to other neighbors I haven’t met.

Here’s a FREE PRINTABLE to help you serve your neighbors. I always feel it’s easier to show up with something in hand when introducing myself.

3. Invite them over – Here is one to stretch all of us! Invite your neighbors over! Spending a little time with them will help build a better relationship and will help you enjoy where you live even more. Invite a neighbor (or two) over for dinner, dessert, or even a game night. There’s more ideas listed on the printable as well. The goal with this option is to really form a long lasting relationship.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes. I’ll be sharing some ideas on social media, so stay tuned!

St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt

Growing up, I’m pretty sure I believed in Leprechauns longer than I did Santa. My mom always created a fun little scavenger hunt on St. Patrick’s Day and a bowl filled with green snacks and gold chocolate coins were always waiting for us at the end. I have the best memories running around the house with my brothers hunting for treasure and even receiving a call from the Leprechauns giving us our first clue!

This year I’ll be out of town on St. Patrick’s Day (More on this later) and Pat will be home alone with the kids and I couldn’t bare the thought of leprechauns not coming this year, so we created a St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt in advance to make it easy for him. And I thought I would share! Enjoy!

P.S. Just make sure to throw in some shamrock sugar cookies in at the end, they are my very favorite :)

Download the St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt here.

Be Present Service Challenge

It’s no secret that service flooded my life after losing Preslee. Countless people served me and it wasn’t until I began serving others that I was lifted out of the deep dark hole I found myself in. I still depend on service years later when I feel grief creeping back in. I have learned so much over the years, from not only my own experiences, but from many of the experiences you’ve shared with me.

A little less than a year ago, I posted a survey asking what readers wanted to read on the blog. I was hoping for a few suggestions, but I was BLOWN AWAY with the number of responses!  (Hundreds! Thank you! )Two of the topics that kept arising were:

• How to find happiness during trying times?
• How to help others experiencing difficult times?

I’ve thought about these two questions and have come to realize the answers are both very intertwined. I’ve had an idea swimming around in my head for quite some time and after brainstorming with my team over at Presentlee, we got to work creating a solution that will help people understand these topics a little better.

We’ve created a six week service challenge. Yes, six weeks, but don’t freak out! I promise it isn’t as overwhelming as it may sound. I’m a busy mom (just like many of you) and don’t have time for anything drastic, but I’ve learned it’s the little changes that make the biggest difference.

So we’ve made the challenge easy and you can pick how involved YOU want to be. We’ve selected topics each week to help anyone participating slowly think outside themselves a little more.

The topics each week are:

Week 1 – Love Yourself
Week 2 –  Love Your Spouse // Loved one
Week 3 – Love Your Kids
Week 4 – Love Your Friends
Week 5 – Love Your Neighbors
Week 6 – Love Your Community

For each topic we will give you a printable to guide you through the week that looks like this.

In preparation, I recently asked people to share their concerns of what holds them back when it comes to serving others. Whether it be confidence, money, or ideas, over the next six weeks we will be giving you tips, tricks, and ideas to help you support the people YOU LOVE. Because let’s be honest, it can be difficult to show up on somebody's doorstep and not know exactly what to do or say.

HOW TO START

Every Sunday the next week’s topic will be posted here on the blog which allow you to prepare for the next week. All six printables are linked above if you want to look ahead. Each printable gives three options of service ideas and the supplies needed for that week. You can do as many of the options as you’d like, or adapt it to fit your needs.

We hope you’ll join us for the challenge. To be honest, the reason I serve is often just as much for myself as it is to help the people I’m serving. I’ll expound more on this in my next post, but if you have questions, please let me know!

So grab friend to do this challenge with (It’s always more fun with a friend, and they help keep you on track) and follow along on Instagram @give.presentlee where I’ll be incredibly active, sharing personal experiences, tips/tricks and giving away prizes.

Let’s make a goal to Be More Present and spread hope to those who need it most. I can’t wait for all of us to make a difference – together.

Ready to start? Click here to take a look at Week 1.

We Can Do Hard Things: Tessie Friedli

Meet Dakota and his mom, Tessie.

Dakota was born healthy and active. When he was 2 years and 3 months old, a fence panel fell on top of him which left him unable to breathe. No one was next to him when it happened and due to the lack of oxygen, he couldn't breathe or cry for help. By the time he was found, they estimate it took about 20 minutes, he was left with an anoxic brain injury. In an instant he went from a healthy, busy, talkative, active 2 year old boy, to a boy that could no longer walk, talk, eat, or even breathe on his own. He should have passed away, but miraculously, he chose to live. Dakota has progressed over the last 5 years since his accident, but he is still very limited by his body. He cannot use any part of his body as he would like and his only form of communication is through his facial expressions and eyes. He has a g-tube for feedings and a trach for breathing and suctioning. We are so blessed to have Dakota in our lives.

Q: You and your husband experienced so much that first year, what did you find most helpful during your stay at the hospital?

A: “Some of the best things that were done for us were gift baskets that were either dropped off or mailed. Baskets with snacks, blankets, thank you cards, journal, chapstick, tissue, slippers, comfy clothes, etc were SOOOO helpful because we were literally living at the hospital for 6 weeks. Those little tokens were so helpful and made being in a hospital a tiny but more bearable. Our son's nursery class in church sent him coloring pages from all the kids and teachers which we were able to put up in the hospital room to feel it with cheer. TONS of Toy Story toys were either brought by or mailed because that was Dakota's FAVORITE thing! It was comforting having little reminders of things he loved around him although we realized he had no idea they were there. Our parents and siblings printed off poster size pictures of Dakota that we hung all around the room. This was probably my MOST favorite thing because it allowed the nurses and doctors who were working on him to get a glimpse of who this little boy underneath all the hoses really was, what he looked like, what he loved, and how much he was loved.”

 (Dakota, before his accident) 

Q: After spending six weeks in the hospital, what was most helpful after returning home?

A: “The first few months home were extremely overwhelming to say the least. Dakota was very unstable and needed around the clock care. We hardly slept and we were literally in survival mode. Nothing at all was the same as it once was. Our days were filled with tons of meds, g-tube feedings, therapy, suctioning, mourning, and adjusting. It was a very hard time for my husband and I. We still weren't ready to face the world—our  friends and neighbors who wanted to see us and Dakota. Luckily for us our friends and family understood and were patient with us as we focused on adjusting to our new life. Instead of stopping by, they would text thoughtful messages, leave notes at our door or send them in the mail to let us know they were there for us. (Some people might love a visit, everyone is different.) Our parents were the most helpful during this difficult and dark time. They came up weekly to let us get out and go on a date, which gave us a much needed break. We needed that time alone and together and away from all the chaos. That was literally our saving grace.”

“We also had amazing church members that brought us meals for not just a few days or weeks, but literally a few months! I realize that was probably a difficult task for all of them and how much they sacrificed for us...but those meals were lifesaving. The last thing on my mind or that I even had time for was wondering what to make for dinner. Their kindness and compassion in bringing us those meals gave me a little bit more strength and energy to get through the day. We had random friends and neighbors outside pulling our weeds. The help with those mundane, time consuming tasks was THE BEST thing that anyone could have done for us!! The kind notes, messages, and money that came in the mail also continued...not just for days, weeks, or months but for a couple years, although they got fewer and fewer. I think so often people forget about someone's struggle after the newness and freshness of it all fades away...but it was those lingering notes of kind and encouraging words that gave us the strength to keep going and allowed us to see and feel that our Heavenly Father was still aware of us...sending his earthly angels to continue to strengthen and encourage us to not give up.”



Q: What are helpful things that people do now, five years later?

A:  “Dakota has progressed into a happy, sweet, INCREDIBLE little boy who radiates a little piece of heaven everywhere he goes. It took a couple years to be able to accept this new Dakota, trust in God's plan for Him, and move forward with faith, hope, and PURE happiness! I no longer look at this trial with devastation and heartache as I once did although my heart still misses that 2 year old boy I once knew. I have been able to see and feel through the grace of God what a blessing this trial has been for me, my family, and ALL those that know Dakota. I now can say with complete certainty that Dakota chose this plan to be a light for all the world to see. His eyes sparkle with a light only heaven can give. He has done more good in his short 7 years then most can do in a lifetime. Saying all of this...it doesn't take away that my daily load is still heavy. He still needs help to do everything! I still have times where I feel overwhelmed or just tired. Luckily for us we have amazing parents who step in and babysit for Dakota since only those who are trained with a trach can watch him. He goes to school and it melts my heart to see the kindness and friendship from the kids at his school. I think as a parent if you can teach your children how special and amazing the kids with special needs are it will make them more comfortable around them and will in turn allow them to be kind and loving towards them. That means the very most to parents of special needs kid. I will never forget when a mom from Dakota's preschool called to see if Dakota could have a playdate. She had no idea that Dakota had any special needs. Her kid just loved him and wanted to play with him!”

 
Website: http://zachandtessie.blogspot.com/
Tessie has also guest posted {here}

Gift Idea: 

Tessie mentioned dinner being delivered for months. Here’s a fun twist. I purchased the ingredients to make spaghetti, printed the adorable free printable designed by Miss Audrey Sue, and threw it all together in an adorable colander. (You can download the printable below)  After purchasing everything, I literally put the basket together in less than 10 minutes, including a note on the backside of the printable. This is a great alternative to delivering dinner when just wanting to drop by unexpectedly. Therefore if they already have dinner planned, they can use it for another night.

Basket includes:

• Colander (Found {here}, or a smilar one from Amazon {here})
• Spaghetti sauce
• Spaghetti
• 1 bag of salad
• Ranch dressing
• Parmesan cheese
• Cookie mix
• French bread (not pictured)
• Free printable (sign up below)
• optional: meat to add to the spaghetti sauce.

Note: We thought we would make it easier and deliver the free printable right to your inbox. Don't worry, we won't sell or give your e-mail address to anyone. If this is your first time subscribing, watch and make sure our e-mail isn't delivered to your junk folder :)

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We Can Do Hard Things: Avery McGuire- Divorce

Meet Avery.

After being married for 9.5 years, Avery decided that divorcing her husband was the best thing for her to do. She had contemplated it many times over the course of her marriage, but was always too worried about leaving. She didn't realize while she was in the marriage there were actions that were breaking her down and tearing her apart. Though the past nine months living as a single parent has been difficult, Avery has become an inspiration as she’s found herself and took flight. 

(Avery and her daughter, Avah)

Q: I’ve struggled knowing what to say to friends who have experienced a divorce, are there any comments that you’ve found helpful?

• "It will eventually get easier."
• "Things will settle, you will look back and see how far you've come."
• "I'm here for you!"
• "You are enough."
• "Someday you are going to find a guy who is going to show you the love you deserve."
• "Kids are strong, they bounce back quickly."

Q: I truly believe people mean well, but are there any comments that came across as hurtful?

• Who's fault was it? “It doesn’t matter who caused the divorce or who decided to initiate it. A family was just broken apart.”
• At least you get a break from being a mom..... “I don’t want a break, I love being a mom! Yes, sometimes it is exhausting but its different choosing to be away from your children and being told you can't be with them.”

Q: What are some helpful things people did for you after your divorce? 

• “I appreciated when people wrote me a note and let me know they were thinking of me. It helped realize I wasn’t alone.”
• “Friends showed up with a funny movie to watch, LOTS of twizzle berry was eaten in the first few months because friends would take me out to yogurt, and Girls weekend with my Best Friends from High School.”
• “People bringing me dinner or inviting me over for dinner, in the beginning when I was alone, I wouldn't eat or I would eat cereal for dinner most nights.”
• “I don’t like asking for help, so people who stopped by and brought me things. Like groceries, home decor, and new bedding meant the world to me! I loved when I could get rid of the stuff I had with my ex. I still don't have a knife block and you don't realize how many things you need once you don't have them.”

Gift Idea: Avery mentioned how much a note meant to her. Whether you want to send a card in the mail, or drop off dinner and attach a note to let them know you’re thinking of them, Miss Audrey Sue created this inspiring printable card. It prints off to be a 5x7 card.

We Can Do Hard Things: Thinking Of You: Valentines Day

Once a year I make up a batch of these beauties.
That’s right, every February 14th,
I consume more of these cupcakes than I would like to admit.

There’s nothing quite like these cupcakes, you get a taste of brownie, strawberry cake, and cream cheese frosting, all in one bite. It’s heavenly.

And don’t let the different layers fool you, they are incredibly easy. All it takes is a box of brownie mix, a box of strawberry cake mix, and a little frosting.

Every year I bake some of these cupcakes for our family and deliver the rest to friends and neighbors. My favorite delivery usually takes place on Valentine’s day, I love to stop by with a couple cupcakes to give to the widows in our neighborhood. Their reactions are always so sweet!

As I was preparing a few cupcakes to deliver this week, I realized how cute the plate would be with a festive card. So I reached out to the amazing Miss Audrey Sue for help and can I just say she never disappoints?
I was thrilled when she sent over not only one,
but FOUR adorable Printable Valentines Day Cards!

Can you believe these? Audrey always exceeds my expectations! Just print any of these 4x6 cards onto a piece of card stock, pair it with some cupcakes (or any treat) and you have yourself one adorable gift.
You can download the cupcake recipe and four printables below.
Happy Valentines Day!

We Can Do Hard Things: Michelle Mower

 

 When Michelle was 21 weeks pregnant with their first child, her dad was involved in a hunting accident.  After being pinned under a four wheeler for nearly 32 hours, her father passed away a week later from complications from the accident. For four years now Michelle has been trying to make sense of what it means to live in this world without her dad. 

Q: What were some of the most helpful things friends or family did for you?

A: “When someone dies, not only does school, work, church, and friends go on the back burner, but you are so overwhelmed with emotion and uncertainty that you forget that most basic level of functioning, to eat.  I found it helpful when people brought meals so that I could focus my energy on other things.  That being said, I do feel like a lot of food was wasted because of the outpouring of meals brought to us in such a concentrated amount of time.  To avoid this, when I bring someone a meal, I bring it in one of those gray oven/freezer safe containers.  If it is not needed that day, they can freeze it and have it a month later when the reality of their loss has sunk in. Another good idea was a gift card to a restaurant. We didn't use it for quite a while, but when we did it was because we needed a change and to get out of the house.”    

“Another one of my friends invited me to come to the gym with her each day.  At the end, we would sit in the ab area pretending to workout and she would ask questions and help me process what I was experiencing.  Looking back, there were few times that I allowed us to talk in depth. I would always end up crying and tell her I wanted to change the subject.  She always made me feel like that was okay, and then wasn’t scared to ask me about it later, which I did want.  I was able to discover my limits in a safe environment, without feeling like I was burdening my family.”    

“A friend of my husband gave me and my siblings journals to dedicate only thoughts and impressions we had related to our dad.  In the front, she glued in the following Poem by Leah Hendrie, This journal gave me a positive place to write my emotions.  Because I lost my dad in such a traumatic way, there are often things I think about but feel I can’t say because if my family is not already thinking it, I don’t want to make them sad.  Writing down those thoughts in a journal allowed me to have a release from those emotions.  I knew they were there if I needed to refer to them, but for the time being, I could let them go.”

(Poem available to download below)

Q: Though people usually have good intentions, is there anything people say that is more hurtful than helpful?

A: “To this day, only my three siblings and my mother are able to say, “your dad would have wanted…” without me turning into Hulk in two seconds flat.  About a month ago my husband jokingly made a comment about how the reason my dad didn’t like us to drive his truck was because of how messy my car was.  Although he was joking, I burst into tears and told him he had no right to tell me what my dad may have thought.  Portraying what you think someone's deceased parent may have thought is not only confusing, but it is a reminder that their parent isn’t there to speak for themselves.  It can also cause conflicting emotions.  I was already overwhelmed trying to do everything I thought my dad would have wanted, trying to manage conflicting input from others only made it worse.  I felt I couldn’t ignore the advice, "just in case,” after all, I wanted to honor my dad.”

 Q: After we lost our daughter, many of our relationships with friends and family changed. Did you experience anything similar?

A: “I watched people crawl out of hidden places to express their love for me and my dad.  Previous to my dad’s accident, if you had asked me to identify my support system, it would have looked completely different than it did after his funeral.  Stand up and be accounted for.  If you want to be part of that person's support system, tell them.  EVERY SINGLE relationship that I had before I lost my dad changed in a week.  Meer acquaintances became best friends, father figures shriveled up and hid, and best friends became family.  Remember that by not doing anything, you are doing something.”

“I will live the remainder of my life without a father, and I can’t change that.  What I can do is help others in similar situations.  With each person I help I feel my dads spirit grow stronger in my life.  If I can help with your situation, please feel free to contact me at bryansdaughter.com.  My family took on the motto: "Love, Service, and Endurance." As we love and serve one another, we will have the strength to endure with grace the trials that come our way.”

Website: Michelle blogs {here}

Gift Ideas:

• Freezer meals. (It’s awesome if it can be delivered in a pan that doesn’t need to be returned!)
• Journal, you can buy one {here}. Print the poem below. Click the arrow in top right corner to download. Once the document is open, resize printable to fit inside the journal cover. Glue the poem inside the front cover.

*Note: This person’s experience is their own, and doesn’t always represent someone in a similar situation. Please be kind.

Wondering what this post is all about? Click {here} for the intro post.

Thankful For Sweet Friends Like You!

I recently arranged to drop by a friend’s house who has went above and beyond for our family after we lost our daughter, Preslee. With November being a month people seem to focus on things which they are thankful for, I wanted to let my friend know she is indeed someone I’m grateful for.

 After eating a caramel apple at our neighbors house, I went with an easier version and put this simple little gift together. I loved that it only took me about ten minutes to do so, (No dipping apples!) It was quick and easy, and I felt the gift tag, “I’m thankful for sweet friends like you!” finished it off perfectly.

Before I delivered it, my kids helped me test it. Let’s just say the caramel was a hit in our home. And I personally liked this version more than a standard caramel apple. I could control how much caramel I wanted with each slice…which was usually a lot :)  

And the best part about the printable is you can pair it with any sweet treat.
Which makes creating a gift incredibly easy.

   Happy gifting!

Gift Idea:
Apple + Caramel Dip

• Click {here} to download the easy caramel recipe.
• I found my jars in the dollar section at Target, but these {here} or {here} are similar.
• Baker's Twine
• Download the free printable below.