jodified

One of my new favorite blogs is by Katherine, who I’m going to call my new internet friend even though she may just consider me a crazy stalker! Truly, she’s awesome and would never say that about me. To my face at least. KIDDING. Anyway, she’s a fantastic photographer and looks to be an even better mom. And mom inspiration helps keep me moving. Because it is SO easy for me to get lazy with my kids. To stop doing art projects or learning activities or field trips. To just encourage them to play together, which they do really well, while I do chores or work on my computer. Or lets be honest. Check blogs.

So to find a MOM who inspires me with projects and ideas is gold.

And THIS idea of hers that she posted back in January was great. I wanted to jump right in and START. But then someone got sick and we got busy and someone else got sick and we moved and I let it slip to the back corner of my mind where dust bunnies and thoughts like wanting to learn to knit get swept.

Until last week. When I was inspired by THIS post on Shannon Sewell’s blog and blogged about it HERE on Fresh Art. It got me thinking again and forced me to crawl to that dusty back corner of my mind to find the desire to do Katherine’s 52 smiles project.

And then I decided I wanted to have an accountability partner. Because to do ONE kind act a week seems like it should be SO easy but knowing me I’ll stick with it for a while and then once again  that darn dusty corner will suck the idea away and I’ll forget. That corner where ALL my good intentions go to hide. Luckily my friend Adriane was totally on board! And next Thursday we are taking a break from the kids, DVRing Grey’s and getting together to get our own 52 Smile plan together so we can start the following week!

I couldn’t be more excited.

The thought of making GIVING a part of our week and an integral part of my kids lives excites me. And makes me feel like each week will have a cool purpose. And SO many people have given to us. Especially our parents most recently by each of them letting us crash while we save money. And these awesome parents of ours? It’s hard to think of ways to give back to them. Just like it was hard for me to think about giving back to everyone that helped us while Parker was so sick last year. And so it will be my life’s mission to just keep paying it forward. Now on a weekly basis!

Each week we’re going to surprise someone with something or do a service of some kind or give to someone something they might really need.

And we’re going to document it the best we can. And blog it when we can too of course.

I’m excited. Like REALLY excited to start. And the kids are too!

Next week when we have our plan I’ll share it in case you want to follow along with us!

52 smiles. 52 projects. 52 teachable moments. 52 times I can intentionally teach my kids to be other-centered.

This is going to be an amazing way to spend the year don’t you think? Wanna join with us?