Raising Grateful Kids Book Giveaway

Over the last couple of months, I had the opportunity to read a preview copy of Raising Grateful Kids by Kristen Welch. This is one of those books that I wish I had at the beginning of my parenting journey.

Ever since our family started sponsoring children through Compassion, we have had many discussions about 'wants' versus 'needs'. It is a tough conversation because we have been blessed to be born in this country with so many opportunities. And the opportunities to have so much stuff!

But when we give into to too many of our wants, we end up neglecting many of the needs around the world.

Kristen admits that she does not have all the answers. In fact, she is still right in the middle of her parenting journey. But...she has put together a book with many personal stories and practical tips to help families that are wanting to raise kids that are different. Kids that are okay with not having the latest and greatest thing so that child growing up in extreme poverty can have their basic needs met.

The end of each chapter is filled with 'Going Against the Flow' tips for multiple age groups. Even for parents...because this is where all of our families need to start. When we as parents start living more grateful lives, we can start raising more grateful kids.

Because I loved this book so much, I purchased two copies to giveaway.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below. Winners will be randomly drawn on Monday, February 8. (Open only to US citizens)

2/8/16 update: Congratulations to Missy and Mindy! Your names were drawn today by my daughter. Please send me your mailing address to kymk99 at yahoo dot com so I can mail your books. Thank you to all who commented and entered! 

My Week of Photos

What did I capture this week with my DSLR camera?

ISO 400, f/2.0, 1/80 sec with 50mm lens

I love an excuse to bake! One day last week was National Chocolate Cake Day, so I baked a batch of chocolate cupcakes and sold most of them for my Bake for Brazil fundraiser. Pretty excited that I was able to raise $50 last week for Compassion kids in Brazil!

ISO 400, f/2.0, 1/500 sec with 50mm lens

Took advantage of a break in the rain, set up one of my favorite childhood books in the backyard to capture this one. What children's book is your favorite?

ISO 100, f/10, 1/640 sec

After we got home from church on Sunday, my daughter and I drove around a bit, looking for the perfect spot to take photos of the clouds moving in. 

ISO 100, f/5.3, 1/400 sec

This is not a very exciting photo. And I really should have brought all these quart size canning jars in for the winter. But this just shows that we have been receiving a lot of much needed rain out here in California!

ISO 400, f/2.5, 1/80 sec with 50 mm lens

Hard to believe we are in the second month of this new year already! Time to put away the winter decorations and bring out the Valentine decorations. Pages from an old, used copy of Persuasion were used to make this craft which hangs in our windows in February.

ISO 800, f/2.5, 1/80 sec with 50mm lens

A few more handmade Valentine decorations are out. Add a bit of paint to some glue and paint the outside of a couple of canning jars. Attach a paper heart doily and tie it with a bit of ribbon or twine, and you have a cute new candle holder for your tealight candles on these dark winter nights.

What did you capture this week?

Compassion Bloggers in Ecuador

Can I admit something?

I am a tiny (well, actually a lot!) jealous right now...

Why?

There is a group of bloggers in Ecuador right now!!

Before I had gone on a Compassion trip of my own, I followed along with these bloggers trip, reading every detail, soaking it all in, 'knowing' that I would never be able to do what they were doing.

God had other plans though.

I have walked the streets of poverty in neighborhoods unlike any other. I have held the hand of my Compassion child. I have been in homes smaller than my kitchen. I have been loved by children who I may never see again here on earth.

If you already sponsor a Compassion child, these trips give you an opportunity to 'experience' what you may never have the opportunity to experience on your own. 

If you do not sponsor a child with Compassion, you will be amazed at the work the local church is able to do to provide for these children and their families. In fact, you might even feel the need to sponsor your own Compassion child!

I invite you to join in this week, follow the Compassion bloggers. And if you have a tender heart, you might want to have a box of kleenex handy...

Bake for Brazil

I love to bake. In middle school, I took a whole year of home ec and learned to bake so many things. And I am thankful to have a kitchen, many tools, and access to lots of ingredients that allow me the pleasure of baking pretty much any time I want to.

My love of baking allowed me to use that talent as one way to raise funds for both of my Compassion sponsor tours. I would bake cupcakes, pies, cream puffs, and people would buy them to help me realize a dream of meeting our sponsored children.

In Brazil, there is a little boy who has a dream of being a pilot. His name is Jesus Gabriel. He lives with his single mother and seven siblings in one small brick home in a community where a large percentage of the population lives on less than $35 per month.

$35 per month.

We spend more than that when all four of us go out for dinner.

I want to help Jesus Gabriel and other children like him be able to realize their dreams.

And I am asking 20 of my friends to partner with me.

Do you like to bake?

Yes?

Here is how you can help...host a bake sale and donate the earnings to my Bake for Brazil fundraising campaign.

I have a goal, and it is a big one.

20 bake sales at $50 each equals $1000 

20 bake sales by March 20th

20 bake sales that will help more children be encouraged to dream

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." - Lady Bird Johnson

Can I count on you to Bake for Brazil?

Compassion Share & Tell

A while back, here on my blog, I started sharing monthly what I was mailing to my Compassion kids. Then life just started getting a bit busy, and my little ole blog here was sorely neglected. 

So, here is to a new year and a new start to my Compassion Share & Tell posts!

This month, since I have been going through Kathi's Kickstart to Clutter Free eCourse, I found I have quite a few (okay, a lot!) of the stationary we receive from Compassion when they send us a letter from one of our kids. Rather than throw them all in the recycle bin, I want to make good use of this resource that Compassion has invested in and mailed to us.

Here is what I mailed to my kids this month:

• a simple letter answering some of their most recent questions
• the most recent photo of our family
• nativity stickers I found half off after Christmas

This year, I want to do a better job of responding to letters as I receive them. Then sending a more generic letter with stickers and other things I find which meet the mailing guidelines once a month.

Have you mailed a letter to your Compassion child this month? I would love to hear what you are mailing to them!