Season of Thanks - Veterans Day

Some people call it the Season of Giving, but I have decided to call it the Season of Thanks.

I believe in giving every single month, week, day. I am grateful every day for the people in my life; my family, friends, coworkers, the complete stranger I meet. And I want to say thanks to all the people in my life for making my life so full. They all impact our lives in some way or another.

BUT, there is one group that impacts us that we may never meet or have an opportunity to thank. There is one group of people I am most thankful for and that is our Veterans.

I don’t believe there is enough that can be said or done to thank the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe and free.

We are the land of the free because of the brave. Thank you, Veterans!

I truly believe this sentiment so every year I save my change and dollars and this year my fives so that I can give back and say thank you to the service men and women. There are two things I do this time of year.

1.     On Veterans’ Day I go to a local business (Just Naturals (https://www.justnaturals.com/) in Bedford, NH) owned by a friend of mine who puts up a Veteran’s gift tree. On that tree are tags with the first name of a retired Veteran in a home. It lists his or her first name, age, and branch of service. It also has a list of what that Veteran would like for Christmas. I take anywhere from 5 to 10 tags and then I get to play Santa Claus…or in my case, Denise Claus.

I shop! I find everything they want on their list, and let me tell you, those lists are pretty simple. Usually they ask for modest items like Gold Bond Powder, candy and cookies, books, winter hat and gloves, and last year there was a demand for sweatshirts. Oh, and last year several gentlemen wanted after shave. Who knew guys still use that. After the shopping is done then all my friends who also go pull from the Christmas tree come to my house and we wrap. We make it all pretty and put in gigantic gift bags that I get at Home Goods. Then we deliver back to Just Naturals for them to give to the Veteran’s homes and our retired heroes.

2.     Also at this time of year, I pull together (with the help of my friends) items for our At-Risk Veterans. These are the Veterans who are either homeless or just getting off the streets and need an extra boost. For this, I go to local Veterans shelter and check their wish list or I can also choose from the other tree that Karen puts out at Just Naturals, which is a list of items a local shelter is in need of for our Veterans. Or, hey, be like me do both!!

Again, time to shop! Here is the thing about this list, while some of the items like rain jacket, backpacks, and even socks, especially warm socks can add up there are other items on the wish list; toiletries, food products like Ramen Noodles, Peanut Butter, Mac and Cheese, Granola and Protein Bars that don’t break the bank. Any of those items make a difference.

Last year we pulled together 25 waterproof backpacks filled with toiletries, food, fleece blanket, scarf, flannel shirts and socks. According to Karen, the man from the Veterans’ shelter who picked everything up was filled with so much joy that his eyes overfilled with tears. We made a difference by saying thanks with backpacks of warmth.

We delivered another 30 pull string packs filled with toiletries, food, and socks to the Liberty House (http://libertyhousenh.org/) in Manchester, NH; a local Veterans shelter.

What will this cost you? Time. But isn’t it time well spent when you are buying something for someone who is so deserving. Money. A few pennies really. Let’s face it folks, you can buy a bottle of shampoo, bar of soap, a box of Mac and Cheese, or even a pair of socks for less than $1 each.

Now you know why I save all my change and my dollars. It goes a long way and benefits the greatest group of people.

Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Makes you want to get up and do something to say thank you to all our Veteran heroes! Great because we have a lot of work today and an even bigger goal this year, but I know if we pull together, we can do this.

This year I would like to see us give 100 bags to the Veterans.

Why 100? Because I found this amazing group of people I reached out to called Warmth for Warriors (http://warmthforwarriors.com/). I was searching for hats for our Veterans and found their site. What’s special about this organization? Well, they hand knit every one of their hats to send to our active military. I found that to be completely amazing! I also wondered, well, if they would do that for active military would they do that for our Veterans? Why not ask. This is key, folks. You never know if you don’t ask.

I asked and I swear to you in 15 minutes I had a response. They were intrigued because no one had reached out to them before, but hey, why not support our service men and women at home as well as abroad. Ten days later I had two boxes of HANDMADE hats! I thanked them for their generosity and decided that if they could give me 100 hats then we could put together 100 bags for our Veterans.

Ready to help? Here’s how:

Run to the bank and cash in all your loose change or the next time you are standing in line at the grocery store or drugstore, or clothing store take whatever money you have in your pocket and trade it in for any of the following.

Toiletries:                                                                           Food:                                                   

Shampoo                                                                            Peanut Butter                                                   
Conditioner                                                                        Mac and Cheese                                                  
Toothpaste                                                                         Ramen Noodles
Toothbrush                                                                         Canned Tuna or Chicken
Shaving Cream                                                                   Canned Soup
Disposable Razors                                                             Pasta and Sauce
Deodorant                                                                          Granola Bars
Body Wash                                                                         Protein Bars
                                                                                             Canned Vegetables
                                                                                             Fruit Cups
                                                                                             Beans

** HINT – for toiletries and food items I have found the best deals at Walmart or my local grocery store.

Clothing:                                                                             Other:

Warm Socks                                                                       Backpacks
Rain Jacket                                                                         Sleeping Bags
Fleece Jacket                                                                      Blankets
Gloves/Hats/Scarves                                                        Can Openers
Winter Clothing/Outerwear                                           Tarps
Thermal Underwear                                                        Hand Warmers
Sneakers (all sizes)                                                           Dunkin Donuts Gift Cards
Thermal shirts (all sizes)
Men’s Boxers (all sizes)
Winter or Work Boots (all sizes)

** HINT – I just discovered a place that has all kinds of socks and they are MADE IN THE USA. Checkout this place: https://usamadesocks.weebly.com/

You’d be amazed how many businesses will give a little extra discount if you tell them it’s for the Veterans. Last year when shopping two different cashiers at my local Macy’s gave me an extra 20% off.

The owner of one of the local restaurants, Nancy's Marshview Cafe donated bags of coffee. Not the single pot bags, but pounds of coffee. We'll have some wired Veterans. :-)

Also, look for the buy one - get one type deals.

If you are like me and want to do as much as possible for as many as possible then search the web for wholesale deals.

Last year for toothbrushes I found a company called Vitality Medical https://www.vitalitymedical.com/.

For the drawstring bags and backpacks I discovered a website called 24 Hour Wristbands (https://24hourwristbands.com/).  

Check with your local shoe store if they have any leftover, last season (NEW) shoes they would be willing to donate or give a deep discount. Remind them that they are just sucking up space anyway so why not give them as a way to say thanks to a local hero.

These are just some of the things I’ve learned and discovered. Have fun with it and let me know when you have something you want to add to the bags or if you have a bag you want to give.

Say thanks to a Veteran!

Four friends, a group of Veterans, and a day to remember

Words cannot express today. Today, on the anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, 2001 we celebrated and thanked the women and men who served our country and protected our freedoms; we being three amazing friends and myself.

Nancy Wallace, Renee Hoyt, Lauren Wallace, and I all showed up at the New England Center and Home for Veterans in Boston for the opportunity and pleasure to serve lunch to approximately 118 Veterans.



Nancy, Lauren, Renee

We not only served the meal to the Veterans, but we had the honor of thanking every single one of them for their service.

One gentleman not only thanked me (which surprised me) for the special meal and told me how much us being their made their day, but he came back after eating his lunch, shook my hand, and told me that our support put a smile on his face. I have to tell you his man brought tears to my eyes.

It wasn’t all tears. There were hair nets, and gloves, aprons, and grins. There were a lot of laughs, and, handshakes, a lot of getting trays so a Veteran could pile on the dessert (cupcakes from http://nancysmarshview.com/) or carrying trays to a table if someone needed help. 

Cupcakes for dessert


It was tugging chocolate lollipops from their stands or handing a Veteran extra sodas so he could stick them in his toiletry bag and take back to his room for later.

There were discussions of football…thanks to all of us girls wearing New England Patriots’ T-shirts. Quite the icebreaker.

Ice cream line

At one point when I was handing out ice cream, CJ Beck, the Philanthropic Officer at New England Center and Home for Veterans (community.support@nechv.org) and organizer of the hosted meals program and I were chatting and he asked me what I thought. With no thought necessary, I responded, “Who wouldn’t want to do this every day.”

You will walk in nervous, excited, and not knowing what to expect. You will walk out feeling as if you just spent the best few hours of your life with the most amazing men and women you will ever have the privilege to meet.



New England Patriots' shirts

If you are tempted to do this and I hope you are, you will find it an amazing experience for yourself and the Veterans you will be serving. These folks are deserving and thankful knowing that someone really cares.

Honestly, there are no words to express this experience other than maybe honor, respect, humbling, emotional, and the best thing I have ever done.

I cannot wait to do it again! And we will, in December. If you would like to contribute to that event and be a part of thanking our Veterans, please go here and make a donation: https://www.youcaring.com/new-england-center-and-home-for-veterans-578096



Packing for the event

Just because!



New Year's Resolution of Kindness

Happy New Year! and Welcome to 2016!

How many of you make a New Year’s Resolution? I’m guessing there is a large show of hands. And of course you have every intention of keeping them. I can tell you the first week of the New Year and sometimes even the first month is packed at the gym. But then it dwindles.

The dreaded New Year’s Resolution.

How many of you keep your New Year’s Resolutions? I’ll bet there are a lot less hands in the air. Or maybe you keep some but not others. Hey, some is better than none, right?

Me? I like New Year’s Resolutions for the opportunity to take on a challenge. Do I stick with them? Yes. Why? A resolution to me means growth, personal growth.

Each year I like to learn or try something new, something to take me out of my comfort zone and expose me to new people and new adventures.

This year I’m doing something different. This year it’s not just about my own personal growth, it’s about giving back, paying it forward. It’s about random acts of kindness. It's a New Year's Resolution of Kindness!

Yes, this year my plan is to do at least one random act of kindness a week. That’s 52 random acts of kindness in 2016. If you are afraid you can’t do it every week then pick one month and do one random act each day of that month.

On my birthday I will perform one random act of kindness for each year in my age. Nope, do not ask. I will not tell you my age. Let’s just say it will be a very busy day giving.

I would love for this idea to spread and see more of you do this so please pass the word and let’s make 2016 a year of giving.

Below is a list of some ideas to help you get started. Please share your own ideas or acts of kindness.

 Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness:

1. Start a piggy bank for a cause
2. Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train, bus, or in a coffee shop
3. Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café or restaurant
4. Call a grandparent
5. Thank a police officer or firefighter
6. Share your umbrella
7. Pick up groceries for a neighbor
8. Bring co-workers a special treat
9. Help someone load groceries into vehicle
10. Bring flowers to someone
11. Pay the toll for the car behind you
12. Leave a generous tip for a server
13. Help someone with yard work
14. Thank a volunteer
15. Adopt a soldier: http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/
16. Adopt a platoon: http://adoptaplatoon.org/site/
17. Read to the elderly or a child
18. Return a shopping cart
19. Volunteer at a food bank
20. Leave change in a vending machine or parking meter
21. Use your vacation days
22. Hold the door open for someone
23. Let the person behind you go ahead of you in line
24. Donate clothing
25. Leave quarters at the laundromat
26. Buy a lottery ticket for someone else
27. Buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you
28. Write a thank you note to a co-worker
29. Give up your seat for a stranger
30. Say “please” and “thank you” … a lot
31. Send a gift anonymously
32. Compliment a waiter/waitress/server
33. Give another driver your parking spot
34. Give a landscaper a bottle of water
35. Treat a friend to the movies
36. Pick up rubbish in the road and put in a trash receptacle
37. Tell your family how much you appreciate them
38. Leave warm clothing on a bench with a note letting the finder know that it’s theirs to use or giveaway
39. Donate to your favorite charity or donate to my site for Team RWB, which supports our Veterans.   Denise's Team RWB donation site
40. Tweet a compliment about a vendor
41. Put your cell phone away
42. Give chocolate…generously and often
43. Stop to have a conversation with a homeless person
44. Write a positive review for a book or a product
45. Adopt a rescue pet
46. Leave a bag of microwave popcorn at your local Red Box movie rental stop
47. Listen to the person sitting across the table from you
48. Donate a race entry fee to the next random person
49. Plant a tree or flower
50. Make two lunches and give one away
51. Give directions to someone lost
52. Donate canned goods to a food shelter or at your local grocery store
53. Buy lemonade from a kid’s lemonade stand
54. Leave a nice comment on a blog
55. Wash your neighbor’s car
56. Keep a pen on hand – lend it to people when needed
57. Call your mom
58. Give someone a hug
59. Smile. . .a lot

 

 

Christmas spirit, running style

Following our Twelve Days of Christmas Challenge, I thought of another way we might be able to give. I call it Christmas Spirit, Running Style.

Give a gift from a runner or to a runner.

As a runner, I know I have lots of shoes and T-shirts. At one time or another a runner buys shoes when they are on sale because he/she thinks, "Oh my gosh! I have to get them while they are cheap!" If the word cheap can actually be applied to running shoes. And then he or she falls in love with a totally different pair of shoes and the ones they bought are sitting in their closet in a box never opened, never worn. Aww. Very sad.

Sound familiar? Are you guilty of this? I know I am. As a matter of fact, I have at least three pair of running shoes sitting in boxes in my closet never opened, never worn.

Hmmm...what should or could I do with these? Last year I held on to them and donated them at the Vermont City Marathon. This year, however, I am going to do something similar to the Christmas in Books. I am going to leave a pair of unused shoes in a box with a note inside, wishing the new runner a Merry Christmas!

Did it cost me anything? Not really. I had already spent the money and it was sitting wasted in my closet. Will it make someone's day? I hope so. Could I be contributing to the insanity of a future runner or walker. That would be fabulous! Even better, I would be giving the gift of health. A pair of running shoes that could spur on someone to meet their New Year's resolution to walk every day, or run their first 5K or better yet, get healthy.

There is more. As a runner who regularly participates in races, I have T-shirts. Lots of them! Where are they? In my closet, under my bed, in a chair, or anywhere else I can find space for them.

Here we have two options. If you have a runner in the family and you know where they store all those unworn T-shirts, why not upcycle them into something useful like a quilt or a handbag or duffle bag. Heck, why not placemats for the truly obsessed runner in the family.

If you're a runner and don't wear your race T-shirts and want to see them put to good use then give them away. Wrap them up and drop them off at a homeless shelter or a women's shelter. Or, if you are feeling energetic then take a handful on your next run and tie a few to various telephone poles with a Christmas ribbon and a note wishing the future wearer a Merry Christmas!

Christmas in Books

Last night I visited a local bookstore. This is a regular occurrence for me as I am a HUGE reader and lover of books, not to mention an author.

I was on a mission for a couple of Christmas themed books.

I picked up two books by a couple of my favorite authors: "A Knights Bridge Christmas" by Carla Neggers and "Christmas in Mustang Creek" by Linda Lael Miller.

I will probably have them both read by the weekend and will need others. What can I say? I love to read!

When you think of Christmas gifts for kids or teenagers or even adults, what do you think of?

Most people think of electronics or clothes, or jewelry, and everything else in between.

What about BOOKS?!

In this day of electronics, we have Kindle and Nook and even phones to read a book. Yes, you could buy someone a giftcard to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Better yet, you could share a book you loved. Share your joy!

This year I'm giving all of my relatives a book. (Oops! I hope none of them are reading this.) I shared with each of them a copy of a book I enjoyed or an author I love to read. Some of the books are even autographed by the authors. How fun is that?!

Anyway, as I was standing in the checkout line at the bookstore I noticed this bin of books just looking for a home. It was a bin of books that needed a buyer so they could be donated to a child. How can you not give a book to a child? You are not only offering them a Christmas gift, but you're offering them a chance at literacy.

Books make great gifts, super stocking stuffers, and open a new world for a child or adult to see and experience.

Can't afford to buy another book? Got any books on a bookshelf? Then take one off the shelf and to your local coffee shop and leave an already read book behind.

Yes, you read that right. Take a book you've read, add a little note on the inside telling the reader that you left this book so someone else could enjoy it and wish them a Merry Christmas and leave the book.

I do this all the time! If you ever visit Panera in Bedford, NH then you may have spotted a book next to the fireplace at one time or another. As a matter of fact...look for more this weekend.

And as my Twelve Days of Christmas Spirit blog says, let's give ALL YEAR. Share your love of books with others, with total strangers, with someone who maybe can't afford to buy a book. Read and share!

Remember our Troops and Veterans this holiday season

Many of you know I am a runner. Actually, in the past year I have become an ultra runner. What is an ultra runner? Someone who runs or in my case run/walks more than a marathon (26.2 miles).

You also know I am a huge supporter of our Veterans and giving back. Every Christmas I make it my mission to make as many Veterans Christmas special. But, as my earlier post Twelve Days of Christmas Spirit Challenge mentioned, we want the spirit of giving to continue throughout the year.

In that hope, I have combined my love of running with the goal of giving throughout the year by registering for the Rock the Ridge 50-miler with the goal of raising money for Team RWB whose mission it is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.

This is the second year I am running for Team RWB and the Veterans and as it is the season of love and charity, I am hoping you all will help me in supporting this wonderful organization and the people who have served our country to keep us safe. Let's show our Veterans our love and thanks by giving back.

If you have it in your heart and have money in your pocket you can spare, please help click this link to my crowdfunding page and donate at Denise's Rock the Ridge for Team RWB funding site.

If you're not ready to donate at my site then please, thank an active Service Member or Veteran this Christmas. Thank him or her for their service, offer a hug, a handshake of gratitude, or buy a member of our military a cup of coffee.

Happy holidays and a big thank you to our Troops and our Veterans. Merry Christmas!