What To Do: Free Summer Bowling

If you are like me, you are constantly looking for fun activities. I wanted to share a few opportunities for free bowling for children during the summer. Most deals are for 2 free games of bowling per child per day. Make sure you check the days of the week and times when the vouchers are valid.

Happy Bowling!

1.     http://www.kidsbowlfree.com

2.     http://bne.wemailmarketing.com/landing/cooltobowlsignup/

3.     https://bowlsummergames.com

May Service Project: Pay It 4ward

Let me state the obvious.... yes, it has been a while since we have updated the blog. The reason there has been such a delay... it's a little personal, but stay tuned for the reason in a future post. This post is to share what we did for our May service project (and yes, we still owe you April's, but before I get further behind I figured I needed to get this out). For May we borrowed an idea from one of my fellow Howard Bison and her children, we decided to pay it forward.


We made note cards that said, "Have a dollar on us. Please pay it forward." and stapled a $1 bill to the back of them.

We visited the Dollar Tree on Freedom Drive in Charlotte and placed the notecards near/between various items throughout the store and quickly hurried out of the store. Tyler commented that it would be pretty cool if someone reached out that found one of the cards to share how they used it, I agreed but we know that a few people benefitted and that was all that mattered.

I kind of wish that we had been recorded placing the note cards around the store, not to capture the activity but to help me teach my child how to not draw attention to himself. Clearly I'm basically saying I want my child to be a better sneak, but he needs to learn the skill of being incognito, I mean how else will he successfully pull of planning a surprise party/event for me in the future?! ;-)

This was a very simple, yet rewarding activity that we would encourage anyone to do. Pick a place, it could be a grocery store, fast food drive through, doctors office (cover the co-pay or a certain dollar amount for an unsuspecting patient), restaurant, etc.

Explorers Of Greatness: 3rd Graders That Rock!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! Let me tell y'all about those 3rd graders at Oaklawn Language Academy!!!!!! After the read aloud, Tyler shared our challenge to the 3rd graders to do a service project by the end of the year and boy did those arms shoot in the air. This is the one picture I took (my father was there and took more, we will post those later) from the back of the room. Look at all of those arms raised with ideas on ways they can help others. Some of the ideas included bake sales and donating the money to help others, donating old shoes and sending them to children in other countries, growing plants and selling them to donate the money, etc. And these were on the spot ideas. I won't spill the beans on the idea they selected but I was moved with the energy and excitement they had to come up with ways to help others. #TheGivingTree #ExplorersOfGreatness #CommunityOfGiving #13Days4Love #WRAD 

Message of Thanks!!!!

We wanted to say thank you for all of your generous support in helping us Bring The Giving Tree to Oaklawn!

March Birthday Service Project: Bring The Giving Tree to Oaklawn Language Academy

March Service Project announcement!!!!!! Our project just went live on StartSomeGood! Check it out, share with your friends and contribute if you can so I can start some good. We only receive funds if we meet our goal. 

http://www.startsomegood.com/venture/ebonis_birthday_bookapalooza_4_oaklawn/campaigns/show/bring_the_giving_tree_to_oaklawn_language_academy

Random Acts of Kindness Week is here!!!

February 9-15 is Random Acts of Kindness Week. Brighten at least one person's day each day for a week by doing random acts of kindness. This is a great way for families to do things in their respective 'workplaces' (school & office) to do something nice for the people with whom they spend most of their days. Need some ideas to get your creative juices flowing?

- (Children) Purchase dessert at lunch for a classmate.

- Eat lunch with someone new.

- Write notes of appreciation to people who often go unappreciated (custodian staff, cafeteria staff, hospital volunteers, etc).

- Give $5 to the cashier at the grocery store to go towards the groceries of the person behind you.

- Mail a handwritten note to an older relative/close family friend.

- Make & share a CD of your favorite songs with a friend. 

Those are just a few ideas to get you started. If you participate, take pictures of your Random Acts of Kindness and email them to us, we'll post some at the end of each day. If you post pictures, use the hashtags #RandomActsOfKindness & #13Days4Love. 

February Service Project: Volunteer

Go to a nursing home and read to residents. Sign up and help serve a meal to guests at a local shelter or soup kitchen. Make handmade Valentine cards for guests at a residential treatment program. Reach out to your local museums and inquire about volunteer opportunities, there are plenty! Park and Rec departments also have multiple volunteer needs. The possibilities are endless! Pick an organization and/or group of people and dedicate your time to help others in need. Share pictures with us (13Days4Love@gmail.com) with a brief description of how you are helping others and we will post on our page.

January 2015 Service Project Update: Warmth 4 The Homeless

Thank you Pop (a.k.a. Tyler's grandfather a.k.a. my dad), Cedric Steele and Vanessa Haywood for your donations of hats, scarves and gloves for today's service project.  The men and women that chose items were very grateful for the much needed items to keep them warm! #CommunityOfGiving #Warmth4TheHomeless #13Days4Love #IntentionalParenting #HelpTheHomeless #Service

January Service Project: Winter Warmth 4 The Homeless

We are partnering with the Urban Ministry Center and will be participating in the 2015 Point in Time Count. This major event will help us to identify all individuals experiencing street homelessness and long-term homelessness. 13 Days 4 Love is collecting hats, scarfs, gloves and hand warmers to be donated to the homeless with whom we interact during the Point in Time Count. While we are interviewing people, we would like for them to be able to take a pair of gloves, hat, scarf or hand warmer.

We will be collecting these items until Friday, January 30. If you have items to donate, please email us, 13Days4Love@gmail.com, to schedule a place and time to meet.

Many thanks,
Eboni & Tyler

Service Ambassadors Needed

 We're looking for 4 Service Ambassadors in cities outside of Charlotte to assist with 13 Days 4 Love service projects in their respective communities. There will be 4 national (possibly international) projects that we will do in 2015, we will create the project. In terms of logistics, we (13D4L) will create/set up the social media event pages, marketing materials, online registries if applicable. Your role would be to identify a local organization or group of people that would benefit from that month's project, coordinate any drop offs, use the marketing materials to generate support within your community and to take a few pictures/video to capture each project. If you are interested, send an email to 13Days4Love@gmail.com by Friday, January 9, 2015. #CommunityOfGiving #13Days4Love #IntentionalParenting #GlobalExpansion

December Service Project: Holiday Cheer 4 Children

For our December service project we have chosen to help the guests of The Relatives. This will be our third project this year that has benefitted The Relatives.  The Relatives hosts 9 children/young adults that are homeless or have been removed from their family homes.  We are doing handmade cards and gift cards for each of the 9 guests that will be with them on Christmas Day.  We are hoping that others will join us in providing items for each child.  Since some of these children are in transition, we are not wanting to give bulky items (such as stuffed animals) but things that are portable, fun, educational, motivating, etc.  Some examples of items that would be great are playing cards, activity books, Redbox gift cards, bus passes, gift cards to restaurants (the facility is on East Boulevard so restaurants in that area would be more convenient), inspirational books, etc. We don’t know the breakdown of boys vs. girls, so think of things that are gender neutral. We will be collecting items between now and Tuesday, December 23, 2014. If you would like to donate items, send us an email and we can coordinate meeting you.

Thanks in advance for thinking of those children that aren’t able to be home for the holidays.

Eboni & Tyler

November Service Project: Desserts 4 Thanksgiving Update and Thanks

Thank you Onica Fuller, Karitsa Kerns, Donyell Stroud Aycock, Meeka J. Clay, Sidney Logan Echevarria, Candace Taylor-Anderson, Lee Richardson, Sylvia Richardson, Imani Smith, Kim Flanders, Angela Lindsay, Sahnia D. H. Oates, Rachel Bellotti Adams, Brittney Bogues, Takierra Hopkins-Cole, Victoria Garriett Lampkin, Tamra Berry, Lisa Hollis, Christina Mateo Landry, Kameka Rowell-Hall, Kimberly Norton, Kristy Perry & Carlenia Ivory for your generous donations for Desserts 4 Thanksgiving. Based on the pictures that were shared, 52 desserts were donated to the Charlotte Rescue Mission. It took us several trips from the car to the kitchen to get all of the desserts we had to deliver in. We went around lunch time so the guests were lining up outside of the cafeteria. After our first trip we heard one of the guests ask the gentleman that worked there what we were doing and he explained the project to them. With each trip they said "thank you all" and "bless you all". I'm sure if you reflect back on your Thanksgiving meal, one of the highlights was one of the desserts that you had (many homes have multiple desserts). Thanks to the generosity of all that participated, the guests at the Charlotte Rescue Mission also had choices for dessert.

If we left off your name please forgive us and share with us your pictures or email us so we can include you in our thanks. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

November Service Project: Desserts 4 Thanksgiving

The Charlotte Rescue Mission needs homemade desserts for their Thanksgiving meal (The preference is homemade [just like we all prefer] so please make the effort, but I doubt they will turn away store bought desserts). 1000 people will be served and what Thanksgiving meal is complete without dessert?!?! Spend some family time in the kitchen cooking up family recipes, rolling out dough, cutting out shapes or pressing pie crust into a pan. Make a special treat or two and deliver them to the Charlotte Rescue Mission on Tuesday, November 25 or Wednesday, November 26 from 6 am - 6 pm. Take pictures and email them to 13Days4Love@gmail.com and or share them on your FB page.

If you have children, use this opportunity to talk about your blessings and spend some time discussing the many that you and your family have. You can also make this a great educational activity and focus on the mathematical aspects of baking. ;-)

Family Fun: November 14-16 Weekend What-To-Dos

Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road, presents a free one-day symposium on the arts in Africa. on Saturday, November 15th, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Symposium speakers include Dr. Herbert M. Cole, professor emeritus in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Drs. Akinwumi Ogundiran, UNC Charlotte; Henry John Drewal, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Cécile Fromont, University of Chicago; Victoria Rovine, UNC Chapel Hill. A masquerade performance by the Oyotunji African Village Yoruba performers will take place at approximately 4:30 p.m., and will be followed by a brief reception. It’s free to attend, but registration is required. Call 704-337-2107 or visit the website to learn how to register online. Box lunches from Panera Bread will be available for $10, cash only.

The Charlotte Symphony Guild’s Musical Petting Zoo offers a chance for children to look at, listen to, and try out orchestra instruments. These FREE events take place at ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street. The next event:

Saturday, November 15th, 2014, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street.

Call 704-416-4630 for more information.

Grey Seal Puppets is presenting “The Emperor’s New Clothes” at Sharon Presbyterian Church, 5201 Sharon Road, on Saturday, November 15th, 2014, 3:30 p.m. Admission is FREE but you need to reserve your tickets ahead of time and they are very limited. Reserve them now. The award-winning puppeteer troupe puts a new spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, transforming it into a fable. Stay for post-show refreshments afterwards.

Sanctuary at Davidson, an art gallery and shop at 108 South Main Street in Davidson, is presenting the Downtown Davidson Holiday Art Crawl on Saturday, November 15th, 2014, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Come enjoy a beautiful fall evening and the kick off of the Holiday season at the Downtown Davidson Holiday Art Crawl. Join 30 artists as they showcase and sell handmade art and gift items up and down the charming Main Street of Downtown Davidson. A multitude of art mediums represented ranging from fine art and textiles to pottery and baked goods. Crawlers will be treated to local musicians playing live in several Main Street venues and wine/beer tastings as well. For the kids: face painting, free crafts and a cup of delicious hot apple cider.

Bass Pro Shops, at Concord Mills, is hosting Santa’s Wonderland 2014, featuring FREE photos with Santa, crafts, games and activities. The festivities take place November 16th (with a preview event November 15th, 5pm to 8pm) through December 24th, 2014. The free Santa picture is a 4×6 print. Other packages are available for purchase. On Mondays through Thursdays the wait will be shorter. Each day a limited number of Bass Passes will be available. They will be for a specific time. You won’t have to stand in line, but will just return when your time comes. See the schedule for full information on when the crafts, games, activities and Santa visits will take place each day.

Preview event, November 15th, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

•   Magical tree lighting

•   Unveiling of Santa’s Wonderland

•   Carolers

•   Santa will be giving away a $25 Bass Pro Shops gift card to one lucky winner every half-hour! 5:30-7:30pm

•   Picture with Santa 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

•   FREE craft and backpack clip* November 15, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

•   FREE cookies and McSteven’s hot chocolate

Games

•   Laser arcade

•   Slot car racing

•   Remote control trucks

•   Moving trains

•   Soft gun arcade

Crafts

•   Decorate a gingerbread stocking: November 15th

•   Decorate a stuffed reindeer: November 16th to 23rd

•   Color a plaster ornament: November 24th to 30th

•   Decorate a foam bird ornament: December 1st to 7th

•   Decorate a Santa bobber craft: December 8th to 14th

•   Decorate a stick soldier ornament: December 15th to 21st

Cookie decorating: December 22nd to 24th