Showing Kindness this Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Have you noticed that people are extra cheerful this time of the year? Random acts of kindness are seen everywhere.

Maybe that’s why it’s my favorite time of the year; people smile, they say hi, they wish you happy greetings.

This year is the first year where the boys really understand the concept of Christmas, the Christmas tree, and Christmas lights. Man, their excitement the day we put up the Christmas tree and lights was priceless.

The great thing about having kids is you can shape and mold them at a very young age. You can teach them right from wrong; you can teach them to give, to be kind, and to love others no matter their skin color, or gender.

Jordan and I have always talked about how we wanted to instill in the boys at a very young age to give and to display random acts of kindness whenever the opportunity presents itself. And not just during Christmas.

I’m excited because this will be our first year doing this with the boys. We held off on this tradition until we knew the boys could grasp the concept of giving, and being kind to a stranger.

This year we had the boys pick two people to show kindness too. We filled a gift box with our favorite greeting cards from Hallmark. We traced their handprints (because that’s what they want to do on every card, haha!), and wrote a special note wishing them Merry Christmas. We also filled the gift boxes with the HolidayPeanuts®ittybittys® along with some sweets like chocolate (because who doesn’t like chocolate?!) and candy canes. Plus, with every purchase of a Holiday Peanuts® itty bittys® toy, Hallmark will donate $1 to Toys for Tots!

As we filled each gift box, we talked to the boys about the importance of giving and caring about others. And not just during this season, but to care enough about those around ALL year round. It would be pointless to give only during the Christmas season and turn the other cheek the rest of the year right?! This year the boys choose to give each gift box to our next door neighbors. Here are a few people you can pay it forward to outside your friends and family; the mailman (I mean he does bring us all the good stuff right?), the trash collecter, your school bus driver, or the firefighters at your local station.

This season I want to challenge you to sit down with your kids, and your family to #CareEnough for others. I get that this time of the year is crazy and hectic, but let’s pause and remember to care for those around us. It may be a friend at the hospital or someone who has no family close by during the holidays.

I dare (triple dog dare, haha!) you to #CareEnough and spread the kindness with Hallmark to your family or community and see the ripple effect.

I was at a drive-thru once, and someone paid for my food, and I decided to pay for the person behind me. Well after talking to the employee in the drive-thru, she mentioned this had been going on for over an hour! People kept paying for the person behind them. How awesome is that??!

So today, pay for someone’s coffee, send a long lost friend a special greeting, or just lend a helping hand. Now more than ever, we need to show more kindness and #CareEnough about those around us.

We need to leave the next generation in a better world; we need to teach them to be kind and to always lend a hand to those in need. Because at the end of the day, the answer is and will always be to love.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great holiday with your family and loved ones!

xoxo,

</