Category Archives: Serve

30 Day Giving Challenge : Superstorm Sandy

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We’ve all seen the footage on the television and Internet. I’ll admit it. It’s so upsetting, I can’t really even watch anymore. All of those people affected by such a crazy, freakish storm. So many without electricity. So many without water. So many without so much.

The question that comes is of course, “What can I do?” I know there are people heading up north from Atlanta to physically lend a hand. I TOTALLY admire them. However, I don’t feel called to leave my family. And, let’s be real…40 year old short lady with bad knees would not be much help.

Fortunately, I can donate money from our “give fund,” and we plan to do that.

In addition, I plan to collect items at my Operation Christmas Child party on Tuesday that can be sent up to those in need. If you are coming to the party and want to help, please bring:

  • Feminine products
  • Bottles
  • First Aid Kits
  • Cough Drops
  • Cough Medicine

I will box up everything contributed and pay for the shipping to get it to those who need it. I’m getting an address from this blogger who is in the thick of it.

Are you looking for a way to give? Check out some of these possibilities.

I know there are MANY other organizations out there helping out. If you have one you want to share, please leave a link in the comments.

My heart hurts for the people in the Northeast. I’m praying for them each and every day. But, I feel I’ve got to DO something. So I am!

Have you ever felt that way?

Follow the 30 Day Giving Challenge on Twitter and Facebook.

30 Day Giving Challenge Day 3 2012

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The House of Hills is once again participating in the

30 DAY GIVING CHALLENGE!

Our goal is to give something EVERY day of the month. Big or small, every give is a gift to someone! Join the giving with us. We’d love to hear what you’re doing.

Day 3 brought yet another opportunity to share some yummies with those we love.

Don’t those look good? I will admit I ate a couple. I love me some chocolate chip cookies. Before you ask for the recipe, please know that I use the recipe on the back of the Nestle bag of chocolate chips. Always have. The only modification I make is that I use butter-flavor Crisco in place of actual butter. And, I might add a little bit more vanilla. I don’t really measure things like vanilla.

Where were these delightful cookies going? To retreat with my drama girl, Mags.

She and her troupe (aren’t they the cutest group of kids) headed up to the mountains for some bonding time. They are all going to sleep together in one room. Well, let’s admit it. They’re not going to get much sleep.

Doesn’t that look like fun? Craziness I say. Mags did get there early enough go grab a bunk. She was pretty excited about that.

One of the coolest things they do at retreat is pick their buddy for the year. This year, they’re calling them “Bubble Buddies.”

That’s my girl with her Bubble Buddy. I’m not sure what they’re doing. But, it sure looks like they’re having fun!!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all the drama mamas (and dads) that help organize this weekend every year. It is an AMAZING experience for all the kids. I mean seriously, I wish I could share every picture that has been uploaded to Shutterfly already, and they’re not even home yet. The moms in charge are AWESOME!

I sent cookies. It was the least I could do.

Follow the 30 Day Giving Challenge on Twitter and Facebook.

 

30 Day Giving Challenge Day Two 2012

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The House of Hills is once again participating in the

30 DAY GIVING CHALLENGE!

Our goal is to give something EVERY day of the month. Big or small, every give is a gift to someone! Join the giving with us. We’d love to hear what you’re doing.

Day two’s give was once again a cooking one. Do you see a theme here? I truly do LOVE to cook and bake for others. I really enjoy baking, and I’m trying not to eat what I bake, so I just give it away. Win, win for everyone I say!

Our customer service folks were heading out on a retreat today, so I did a little baking to send along with them. All calories consumed on vacation/retreat are null and void, so I thought I’d send two yummies.

I made Scotcheroos, which are a personal favorite of mine, and my homemade brownies. (The recipe is coming soon. I promise! I took pictures while baking this batch.)

Don’t those look delightful!

I know my co-workers will enjoy them.

What’s your favorite thing to bake for others?

 

Follow the 30 Day Giving Challenge on Twitter and Facebook.

 

30 Day Giving Challenge Day One 2012

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The House of Hills is once again participating in the

30 DAY GIVING CHALLENGE!

Our goal is to give something EVERY day of the month. Big or small, every give is a gift to someone! Join the giving with us. We’d love to hear what you’re doing.

Day one was an easy one for us. I already had a writers’ meeting scheduled for November 1st, and I always make lunch for my writing team.

About a year ago, we realized we we were outgrowing my office space for our monthly meeting so we moved it to my house. Now, my writing team arrives to a warm breakfast casserole made by the queen of breakfast casseroles, Deb, and I usually have something going in the slow cooker for lunch. The house smells of whatever dessert I just pulled from the oven, and it makes for an awesome meeting environment.

Because of the cold snap that accompanied Superstorm Sandy, I decided to make chili for the ladies. I made taco soup last month and didn’t want to repeat myself. I felt chili was far enough away but still easy to get started that morning.

I searched my Main Dishes Pinterest Board and found this chili recipe from my friend Mary. She claimed it was awesome.

My team would agree with her. It was was SO YUMMY… just the right balance of spicy and hearty. I highly recommend the recipe.

I also threw a quick batch of brownies (from a box – ack!) in the oven that morning. They didn’t seem to mind that they weren’t my usual homemade ones.

The team LOVES that Deb and I cook for them each month. And, we LOVE to do it for them. Nothing says I love and appreciate you more than a nice, home-cooked meal (in my humble opinion).

What are your favorite recipes to give?

Follow the 30 Day Giving Challenge on Twitter and Facebook.

 

30 Day Giving Challenge 2012

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It’s November 1st. What does that mean in your house?

Well, I mean besides that fact that you’re trying to figure out what you’re going to do with all your kids’ Halloween candy. I mean a person can only eat so many Butterfingers before they explode. Don’t ask me how I know this.

But really, what does November mean for you and your family? For most of us here in the U.S., it means being thankful, listing our blessings, family time, turkey.

At the House of Hills, November means GIVING. For the last two years, we’ve participated in the 30 Day Giving Challenge. I tried to document every day in 2010 and in 2011, but I always seem to slack off once we get past our BIG GIVE, my Operation Christmas Child Birthday Party. I’m having that earlier in the month this year. Hopefully, that will give me enough energy to make it to the end sharing with you each day how we gave at the House of Hills.

The thing is we are a giving group at our house. It’s the way we are wired. We all get excited when we’re able to give a small gift, help someone, or just give our time in some way. Because it’s not that hard for us, we sometimes aren’t intentional about it. Then, it can fall by the wayside. We love the 30 Day Giving Challenge because it recalibrates our giving senses. It makes us look for ways we can help others—ways we might have missed if we weren’t being intentional.

There are so many ways to give and love others, but sometimes we need help thinking of them. When I posted last month that I never went into a teacher conference empty-handed, I got amazing responses that basically said, “I’ve never thought of that. Thanks for the idea!”

We want to share our giving ideas with you this month! So check in each day to see what we did to give. And, you can check out the 30 Day Giving Challenge Pinterest Board that several bloggers are working on together.

Whether you’re able to give every day of November or maybe just one, I challenge you to play along with us. You’ll be thankful that you did.

What’s the best “give” you’ve ever received?

 

Thank You Pinterest : Waffle Cinnamon Rolls

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This awesomeness just happened in my office.

Well it didn’t just happen like it came out of nowhere.
It started like this. (Thank you Kim)

And this. (Thank you Kristie.)

Then it was this.

And, finally, this was my plate.

Doesn’t that make you just smile? It made my entire office smile. (Well, those that were here. If you worked from home today or were running late, you MISSED OUT!) You should have seen us! EVERYONE that was here was milling around in the kitchen in excitement.

Was it going to work just like on Pinterest?
Were they going to taste good?

The answer to both – OH YEAH!

So, thank you Pinterest for giving my co-workers the idea. And THANK YOU to my co-workers for bringing in the waffle maker and cinnamon rolls. You rock!

What Pinterest find have you tried and been excited about?

Top Ten Tuesday : OCC Party

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For the last two years I’ve thrown Operation Christmas Child box packing parties.

In 2010, we packed 89 boxes.

In 2011, we packed 110 boxes.

The 2012 party is coming up, and we are in full prep mode for this year’s fun!

We’re making lists and doing some online ordering and getting the word out about the party.

As I prepare for the big day, I wanted to share the Top Ten things I’ve learned about throwing an OCC Party.

1. Determine what type of party you want to have. Are you having a birthday party for one of your kids and letting friends pack boxes? Or, are you having a birthday party for yourself (like I do)? Then, you’re going to want a birthday party theme, with party balloons and cupcakes. Are you just having a OCC party? Then, you’ll want a Christmas theme. I always have Christmas music playing, apple cider in the crock pot, and red and green balloons.

2. Be clear on your instructions for what guests are supposed to bring. If you’ve already got the boxes, then they don’t need to bring them! You can order party supplies easily through Samaritans Purse. If you are providing some of the things to go in the boxes, let them know. I try to get some things donated by friends and family each year. They’re my birthday presents. I let my friends know that they don’t need to bring certain items, because I already have 100 of them.

3. Provide a way for your guests to pay for the shipping. It costs $7 per box to ship an Operation Christmas Child box. That $7 either needs to be in the box or you need to pay online and print a label. I provide envelopes and cash for my guests. Then, they can write me a check for $21 and we can put $7 in each box. Or, they can go on my computer (or theirs if they plan ahead) and pay the shipping online. They print out a label to put on their box that allows them to know where it is delivered. How fun is that?

4. Know where you are going to drop off the boxes. Once you’ve packed all the boxes, you’ll need to get them to Samaritan’s Purse. There are drop-off locations all over the country, just visit their website to find one near you.

5. Collect things for boxes all year around. As soon as my Operation Christmas Child party is over, I start collecting for the next one. I now have two big tubs in the garage full of things we’ll use for this years party. Shop clearance sales after holidays. Hit the Dollar Spots at Target and Walmart.

7. Have a note writing station. Can you imagine being able to talk to someone half-way around the world and telling them that God loves them? You can, through a shoebox. Be sure to have a place where your guests can write personal notes to put in each box. And, don’t worry about translation. Somebody on the other side of the world will help with that.

8. Make sure the box is REALLY full. It should be about to burst. In fact, you’ll want some rubber bands available to hold boxes closed. Make sure you box doesn’t have extra packaging in it. Take those matchbox cars and Barbies out of their boxes! You will find that some people are exceptionally good at packing a box. It’s like a big puzzle. Those people that are good at it… keep them around for the whole party.

8. Have a basket of supplies. You’ll need baggies for soap, rubber bands to hold boxes closed, tape to adhere the girl and boy labels, scissors for opening packages, pens and more. Think through everything your guests might need and make sure it is available to them. You’re also going to need more trash bags than you can imagine.

9. Food! Make sure you’ve have munchies for your guests. I usually go with Christmas party favorites like sausage balls, meatballs, veggies and some Christmas cookies. If you are going to have little people, be sure to have some Goldfish and pretzels. And, don’t forget the drinks.

10. Have fun! It’s a party! Make sure everyone is having a great time.

My Operation Christmas Child party has become one of my favorite days of the year. I look forward to it all year around. I smile from ear to ear the entire day. There is nothing better than sending Christmas to a child to experience it for the very first time.

Update: I started an Operation Christmas Child Pinboard to help you get other ideas. And, there is an Operation Christmas Child Virtual Box Packing Party going on!

Have you ever packed a shoebox?

 Linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Many Little Blessings.

Operation Christmas Child Party 2012

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This box came in the mail this week! I’m so excited. Do you know why?

IT MEANS IT’S ALMOST MY BIRTHDAY!

Wait? What does Operation Christmas Child have to do with my birthday you say? If you’ve been around the House of Hills for a few years, then you know.

WE THROW AN OCC PARTY FOR MY BIRTHDAY!

Two years ago, I began participating in the 30 Day Give during the month of November. I wanted to do something special for my birthday, and since National Collection Week for OCC is always right after my birthday, I thought, “That’s perfect!”

In 2010, we had the party at our temporary house. We packed 89 boxes that day! It was so much fun!

In 2011, for my 40th birthday, our goal was to hit 120 boxes… 3 for every year of my life. We almost made it. We dropped off 110 boxes. I was so pleased.

This year, we’re changing it up and doing the party a bit earlier, on November 6th. Yes, that’s election day. And, because of schools being polling places, there is no school for the kids. I thought “Why not give the kids something to do!” We’re having it at my house this year. Sweet Hubby is taking the day off to help, and we’re going to use every inch of our tiny space.

If you’re a local friend, you’ve probably been invited to my OCC Birthday Party Facebook page. If not and you want to be, let me know!

Here’s what I’m providing this year at my OCC party:

  • The box
  • Bouncy balls
  • Small stuffed animals
  • Wash cloths
  • Crayons
  • Stickers
  • Candy
  • Miscellaneous extras
  • Snacks and drinks

Here’s what you need to bring to the OCC party:

  • Age specific toys
  • Age specific clothing (optional)
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Bar of soap double baggied
  • $7 cash or check per box (have to put in each box) – or you can print labels to track your box online before you come by visiting here.

For more information about what to pack in an Operation Christmas Child shoebox, visit Samaritan’s Purse.

This party has become one of my favorite days of the years. I can’t wait to have fun with all my friends. My goal this year is to do another 100 boxes (that’s all I’ve got to pack). I think we can do it!

Update: I started an Operation Christmas Child Pinboard to help you get ideas!

Do you pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child? Do you give in a different way?

***UPDATE***

If you are coming to the party and want to help victims of Superstorm Sandy, please bring:

  • Feminine products
  • Bottles
  • First Aid Kits
  • Cough Drops
  • Cough Medicine

I will box up everything contributed and pay for the shipping to get it to those who need it. I’m getting an address from this blogger who is in the thick of it.

Contents on this site are ©2012 HouseofHills. All Rights Reserved. Please contact me through this blog if you would like to publish this content somewhere.

Never enter a parent/teacher conference empty handed!

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I had Mags’ parent/teacher conference today. I didn’t NEED to have one. She’s doing fine. But, it’s conference time, and I always like to take my allotted ten minutes to sit across from the women that spend more hours a day interacting with my kid than I do.

Take a minute. Have you thought about that? If your kid sleeps ten hours a night like mine does, and they’re at school for about seven hours, that leaves all of seven hours hours to spend with me. And during MY time she’s bathing, getting ready for school, doing her homework and quiet reading. Ya, I don’t get much face time.

So, those women who see her all day. They are IMPORTANT. I need to appreciate them. I need to thank them for the time they are investing in my kid.

So, I NEVER enter a parent/teacher conference empty handed. Never. Ever.

Today, I tweeted this picture:

It caused quite a stir on my Instagram (kathill29), Twitter (kathill) and Facebook pages. Tons of moms telling me it was a good idea. Tons of moms scrambling to see what Starbucks drink is their teacher’s favorite. (Hint: I emailed mine a week ago to ask. I’ll now keep it in my phone so I have it for future reference.)

But, what if you don’t have a local coffee shop near you?

How about walking into the conference with:

  • Flowers
  • Gift card
  • Chocolate
  • Hand-written thank you note
  • Candle
  • Freshly baked cookies
  • Yummy smelling hand sanitizer
  • Fun pens
  • Lunch from a local deli
  • Post-its
  • Cute notepad

You get the idea. There’s really no perfect gift for a teacher. It’s the thought that counts.

By walking in with a small gift, you are saying “You matter to me and my family. We value your contribution.” And, THAT is what every teacher needs to know.

Isn’t it what we all need to know?

What have you taken into a parent/teacher conference?

30 Day Give : Day 14

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Today we almost forgot to give.

The girl has bronchitis. This is NOT FUN!

However, even in her misery the girl reminded me that we needed to do a give today while we were in the checkout at the grocery store.

So, we gave money to the food drive.

Proud of my girl. Very proud.