Archives for December 2011

RACK Recap

December 29, 2011 by Marissa 2 Comments

Our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness project is over for 2011, but my kids are still talking about it, pointing out ATM machines as we drive around town. Our Christmas by December 1 effort really made the Random Acts of Christmas Kindness project possible, because I was relaxed and able to put the time into it. Next year I’d like to plan ahead for the RACK project and have bags decorated and labeled for each day of December, like an Advent calendar, with cards inside to let the kids know what we are doing that day. (See my friend Karen’s blog for photos of her bags.)

If you have never tried finishing your Christmas preparations early or Random Acts of Christmas Kindness, I would encourage you to consider it for 2012. Just make a mental note or a note on your calendar to start planning for Christmas after you finish with back-to-school madness. You won’t need to start shopping in September, but if you at least sit down then and map out what you need to do and when you are going to do it, you will be on the right track.

I’ve had a few people ask about our RACK cards. Here is a PDF of the RACK cards I printed and taped to construction paper.

Here is a recap of what we did for RACK 2011. I’m also labeling those that are easy to do with little kids (assuming you are in those places already, such as eating out or running errands), and those that can be done inexpensively. You don’t have to get kids in and out of the car in the cold or leave large amounts of cash all over town to make a difference!

1. Left money to pay for people behind us in line at a coffee shop (EASY)

2. Left a huge tip for our waiter at a restaurant (EASY)

3. Left money to pay for the person behind us taking photos with Santa (EASY)

4. Left money for to pay for people behind us at the mall food court (EASY)

5. Handed out candy canes to people in line on a busy day at the post office (SUPER FUN FOR KIDS, INEXPENSIVE)

6. Delivered Starbucks and coffee cake to our pastor and church secretary . . . would be easier with kids if our church office had a drive-thru–ha!

7. Sang Christmas carols in the chemotherapy room at the oncology clinic (ADVANCE PLANNING NEEDED BUT TOTALLY FREE–although we did hand out candy canes around the clinic, it was still inexpensive)

8. Delivered Christmas treats to neighbors (INEXPENSIVE)

9. Left Shell gift cards on gas pumps (EASY)

10. Handed out candy canes to bell ringers while we ran errands (EASY, INEXPENSIVE)

11. Taped candy canes to ATM machines (EASY, INEXPENSIVE)

12. Took a plate of cookies to ER workers on Christmas Eve with a basket of candy canes for them to hand out to patients or other hospital employees (INEXPENSIVE)

Here are some other ideas we might try next year:

1. Make cards to mail to military personnel overseas (ADVANCE PLANNING NECESSARY, BUT EASY AND INEXPENSIVE)

2. Buy a candy bar for your cashier at the grocery store (EASY, INEXPENSIVE)

3. Hand out balloons to kids at Target or Wal-mart–it’s a birthday party for Jesus!

4. Pay for another table at a restaurant or someone behind you in a drive-thru line (EASY)

5. Leave a gift for your mail carrier (EASY)

6. Take flowers to residents at a nursing home

7. Take baby supplies to the crisis pregnancy center

8. Take coffee to the kids’ teachers in the morning

What other RACK are you planning for next year?

RACK Update ~ Carols, coffee, and candy canes!

December 23, 2011 by Marissa Leave a Comment

We have been having a blast with our RACK projects in the last few days. On Tuesday, we called our church office and got Starbucks orders from our pastor and church secretary and took them coffee and coffeecake. It was so fun to see them and chat for awhile! The boys are both very enamored with Pastor Chris, so I think they were thrilled to do something for him.

On Wednesday was my FAVORITE of all our RACK projects. We went with some friends to sing Christmas carols in the chemotherapy treatment room at the oncology clinic. Last December, when I was there receiving chemo, some nurses got together and sang carols for us. I decided then that if I was able, I would bring my kids to sing the next Christmas. So it was very meaningful to me to be able to go and spread joy to the nurses and patients there this year. After the kids sang, I handed out candy canes to the patients and nurses and chatted with a few, then went around the clinic handing out candy canes to all my old friends. Everyone was so excited to see my hair! 🙂

On Thursday, we got a Shell gift card and taped it to a gas pump. Then we had a stake-out to see if it would get used. I put it on the last pump so no one would see me, but as it turns out, the last pump doesn’t get used very often. Despite all our cheering from inside our van for cars to pull up to “our” pump, no one did. After about 20 minutes, we left and went to the grocery store and came back later. The gift card was still there! So I got out, moved it one pump over, and we resumed our stake-out. About two minutes later, someone pulled up to the pump where the card USED to be. We couldn’t believe it! We waited another 20 minutes, but still no action on our pump. We gave up and trust that the Lord brought just the right person along eventually! We also enjoyed handing out candy canes to Salvation Army bell ringers as we ran errands that day.

Are you looking for a RACK project that only costs $1 and doesn’t even involve getting your kids out of the car? Today we drove around taping our RACK cards and candy canes to ATM machines. We also tried our Shell gas card trick again, this time putting them on busier gas pumps. We got to see people get both of our cards . . . in both cases, they went ahead and paid for their gas, and then stood looking at the pump for awhile, looked around, and then took the Shell card for next time. I guess when you encounter something that unexpected, it’s hard to know what to do at first! We had a blast and felt like secret agents!

Our RACK 2011 project is almost done! Tomorrow night we are hoping to take a plate of cookies to the people working at the desk in the emergency room. Last year, I spent several hours on December 24 at the hospital receiving a blood transfusion, and I’m sure it’s no fun to work in the ER on Christmas Eve. We’re looking forward to spreading some joy there, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

RACK Update ~ Six days until Christmas!

December 19, 2011 by Marissa Leave a Comment

We have really been enjoying our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness project! Last Thursday we went out to eat with our friend Tara, who was visiting from out of town. I wanted to pay for someone else, but the check process at the restaurant where we were made that a little complicated. So Tara suggested giving our server a huge tip. It was a great idea! We paid on our way out, and I gave the green RACK card to the cashier and asked her to give it to our server. Once she realized what was happening, she was happy to be part of it. Here’s a photo of Tara and the kids at the restaurant . . .

The next day, we went to the mall to double-up on RACK projects since I didn’t think we’d have time to do something over the weekend. We went to see Santa, and I bought a picture just so I could have time at the cash register. I handed the cashier cash to pay for the person behind me in line, along with one of our RACK cards. When she read the card, she had tears in her eyes. Then we hurried away as she turned her attention to the person behind us, who was prepared with a baby in a Santa dress. 🙂

Next we headed to the food court for lunch. At Chick-fil-a, I gave the cashier two $10 bills and two of our RACK cards and asked him to treat a couple of people to lunch. Apparently they do this at the Chick-fil-a drive-thru quite a bit, but the counter can be a little more difficult. But I realized at this point in our RACK project that I was bringing joy to all my accomplices as they got to pass along good news and surprise the recipients of our RACK. I love that part of it!

Today was one of our most fun RACK projects so far. We met friends at the post office and handed out candy canes to the people standing in line. The first woman that Will handed a candy cane to was so excited that she gave him a huge hug. We even saw Nana there! (She strategically planned her post office trip when she heard candy canes were being handed out at 11:30. 🙂 ) The kids seemed to have a lot of fun handing them out, and I like to think we improved the mood of that long line just a little bit. This project took about 15 minutes and only a few dollars worth of candy canes–it will definitely become a family tradition!

Finally, my RACK for my kids in celebration of Christmas break . . . Christmas Crunch!

Now get out there and spread some Christmas joy! More updates to come . . .

Random Acts of Christmas Kindness 2011

December 15, 2011 by Marissa 3 Comments

I have a friend from college who has amazing ideas. (She will tell you she gets them from other people, but she herself is pretty amazing.) She is the one who inspired my Christmas by December 1 project. And now she has inspired my what-to-do-in-December-when-you’re-done-shopping-and-wrapping-gifts project. I’ve wanted to be like her when I grow up ever since freshman year. So I am excited to tell you about what I’ve learned from her this time . . . now that I’ve sufficiently embarrassed her . . . it’s Random Acts of Christmas Kindness (RACK) 2011!

My friend has done a great job explaining it on her blog. The idea is that each day of December leading up to Christmas, you do something kind for someone else. She has adorable little bags with the tasks for each day, like an advent calendar. I’m jumping on the RACK bandwagon a little late, so I don’t have cute bags. I have a tentative outline and a couple of specific plans for specific days, but I think most days we will just wake up and figure out what we can do to bless someone else. And I’ll blog about it, not to be boastful, but to hopefully motivate some of you to join us in spending our December blessing others.

Our RACK 2011 project started yesterday. On Wednesdays, my oldest child and I go to the public library to work on schoolwork while the younger two attend Bible Study Fellowship. We get coffee and hot chocolate at the coffee shop in the lobby, and the man who works there, Daniel, is so friendly and always remembers exactly what everyone who walks in the door orders. Yesterday, my son and I went to the library armed with the RACK cards I made, a candy cane and a $20 bill.

We gave Daniel the candy cane and wished him a merry Christmas. Then we told him we needed his help. (Thankfully, there was no one in line behind us.) We gave him the cards and the $20 and told him that we wanted to pay for however many people we could with the $20 and asked him to keep our secret and give out the cards explaining why we were doing it. He was so excited! We sat nearby with our drinks and our schoolbooks and watched it all go down.

The first lady he treated with the money was so grateful that she paid for the person behind her in line! That stretched our money even further! A line formed, and people would hear that the person ahead of them had been paid for, and then they would be so surprised when it applied to them as well. It was fun to watch. There was one person at the end of the line that I knew was probably going to just barely miss out. When she got to the counter, Daniel said, “I still have a handful of change here. I can treat you to a cup of coffee.” She gladly accepted. I think Daniel probably helped us out a little on that one–I saw him rummaging in the tip jar afterwards.

Some other plans we have include going to the post office at lunchtime next week to hand out candy canes to customers in line and the workers, taping quarters to candy and toy machines around town, and treating a Salvation Army bell ringer. I’m excited to work on this with my kids and show Christ’s love to others after He has lavished us with His love.