Service Project: Planting Flowers for Veterans at Fisher House

For the final service project of the year, our troop served our Veterans and their families.  When we finished our badge work during meetings this winter, we pulled out cardstock and markers and let the girls decorate.  The cards were delivered to guests staying at the Fisher House when we planted flowers there  this spring.

At our school's Open House this fall, our girls hosted a Bake Sale.  All proceeds were to benefit Veterans and their families staying at the Fisher House.  Note:  For our Cincinnati-area friends, contact the House Manager directly when trying to schedule a service project.  We were originally working through her, but somehow one of our messages was routed through Volunteer Services.  I placed multiple calls and left many messages for them, but we couldn't get answers.  I was eventually able to get back in touch with the House Manager, and she promptly scheduled a date for our visit.

Prior to this event, our co-leader and I visited the House and assessed the needs.  There were two corner boxes and two round planters on the front porch.  We decided on the number of red, white, and blue flowers to purchase and made a note to pick up plastic gloves and top soil.

One April evening, we carpooled to the Fisher House and got to work.  The girls removed the dead mums that remained in the planters from the fall.  They added topsoil to the planters and arranged the new annuals as desired.  After cleaning up, the Fisher House had a fresh look for spring.
 

The girls raised the money on their own and made these improvements themselves.  They were quite proud of this accomplishment, knowing the beautiful flowers may brighten the day for others in need.  After cleaning up, we headed downtown for a Bridging Event.  I invite you to check back soon as I'll be sharing those details in my next post.  Thank you for reading.

The Plan for 2015-2016

At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, the girls in our troop participated in Early Bird Registration.  I was really excited that all of our girls wanted to return for another year of Girl Scouts--our sixth year together!  We also welcomed two new girls into our blended troop, giving us six Juniors and five Brownies this year. 

As usual, we took a break from troop meetings and activities over the summer.  Three of the girls from our troop attended a Girl Scout Summer Resident Camp together.  Despite some strong storms, it sounds like they had a blast during their week at camp!

As families geared up for the return to school, I touched base with troop members.  I learned a lot had changed for some of our girls between June and August.  One family moved to a nearby town, another girl was losing interest in Girl Scouts, and many of the girls planned to participate in other extracurricular activities which placed a greater demand on their time.  Some changes needed to be made to retain our membership.  Instead of meeting twice a month as we have in the past, we are going to have one activity a month this year.  Most of these activities are going to be outings or events.  After sharing this new plan with the families, they all agreed to continue.  I'm so happy we will not be losing any of our girls this year.  

Here is a snapshot of our calendar:

• Bake Sale at our school's Open House
• S'mores Fest
• Tour at Neusole Glassworks
• Home Scientist and Inventor Badge programs for the Brownies at Drake Planetarium
• Drawing Badge for the Juniors with Young Rembrandts
• Family Story Badge and Art Show
• Service Project:  Make cards and fill mason jars with candy and paper flowers for Veterans and their families at the Fisher House
• Gardener Badge for Juniors at Civic Garden Center
• Geology Program at the Cincinnati Nature Center
• Service Project:  Plant garden at Fisher House
• Bridging Ceremony 

My blog posts will consist of reviews of the programs and events we attend this year.  I think we're going to have a lot of fun!  Hope you check back with us soon.

FILL WITH KINDNESS--Random Acts of Kindness

When Mandy registered her older daughter for Girl Scouts five years ago, her daughter was placed in our Daisy troop.  A couple years later, her younger girls joined the troop, and Mandy agreed to serve as one of our co-leaders.  Last spring, Mandy and her husband decided to home school their three daughters.  As part of their lessons, they wanted to conduct a social experiment.  Mandy wanted to show her kids how “one single act of kindness can create an amazing domino effect.” She created a Fill With Kindness logo and printed tags that were attached to everything that was distributed.  These tags encouraged people to share their stories on a Facebook page she set up specifically for this experiment:    https://www.facebook.com/fillwithkindness 

 

Over the years, Mandy and I have become great friends.  She wanted to celebrate her birthday this year by blessing others.  Since we share the same birthday, she invited my girls and me to join them for this special day.  After days of preparation—baking, wrapping, sorting, and mapping—she was ready, and so were we!  Here is the itinerary we followed for the day:

    1.    Mail a surprise gift to someone.

    2.   Leave baked goods for the Post Woman.

    3.   Distribute homemade treats to the neighbors.  For something quick and easy, check out these Brookies!  

    4.   Deliver a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” package to a new neighbor. Decorate a paper plate with a diagram of the street and label with the names of the neighbors.  Cover the plate with plastic wrap so the marker doesn’t bleed onto the food.  Arrange the baked goods on the plate and cover with more plastic wrap.  Add a bow and a gift tag.  

     5.   Deliver baked goods to the following:

•          Pediatrician’s Office
•         Library (may also donate gently used books)
•         Fire Stations 
•          Police Department  

     

     6.   Donate old towels, dog toys, and pet beds to a local animal shelter.

     7.   Deliver blankets and pillowcases for children receiving treatment at Cincinnati 

         Children’s Hospital and Shriners Hospital.  These hospitals are across the 

         street from each other and both greatly appreciated the donations.  Get  
         a group together and make pillowcases to donate.  For tips for hosting a 

         successful pillowcase event, check out this post.

     8.   Deliver toiletries and pop tabs to Ronald McDonald House.  

     9.   Donate Girl Scout cookies and tissue paper flowers to Fisher House.  The 

       Fisher House provides veterans and their families a place to stay while they   
       are receiving medical treatment at the VA Medical Center.  Make extra flowers 
       and visit residents in a nearby nursing home.

    10.While bumping around town, have some spare change and feed parking 

         meters.  Pick up some lottery tickets and leave them on the windshields 
         of cars in parking lots.  If it is raining, protect the lottery tickets by sealing
        them inside a snack-sized baggie.

11.Stop for lunch and leave a generous tip for the server.

Many families are gearing up for the last day of school and summer vacation.  Do you struggle to keep your children entertained during the summer?  This post offers plenty of ways to keep kids busy, and they’ll discover these activities are extremely rewarding—for the recipients of the donations as well as for themselves.  Have a wonderful summer!  Thank you for reading!

Meeting: Brownies Family Story Badge and Cards for Veterans

When my older daughter was a Brownie, she was flipping through The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting and came across the Family Story badge.  Even though our troop was not going to be working on this badge, she wanted to complete it on her own.  Now that my younger daughter is a Brownie, I thought it would be fun for all of our girls to complete the badge steps.  Even though our Juniors wouldn't officially earn the badge, I thought they would enjoy the activities.

I have only "assigned homework" one other time in the six years I've served as a Girl Scout Troop Leader.  As Daisies, the girls seemed to enjoy completing the Amazing Daisy packet I created.  I made sure the families knew this was not a mandatory project.  Since this "homework" was such a success, I thought we'd try it again.  Over the holidays, I asked our Brownies and Juniors to complete the five badge steps for the Family Story badge.  I assumed most families would be getting together with extended family during the holidays, and I thought it would be rather easy for the girls to ask about a favorite recipe and an heirloom or treasured photograph. 

A few days before the meeting, I learned a couple girls would not be joining us specifically because they didn't want to dive into their family histories.  While being extremely sensitive to family situations that are different from my own, I was unaware of their feelings about this project.  I would never ask the girls to do something that caused them emotional pain or discomfort.  If your troop decides to earn the Family Story badge, just keep this all in mind.

In preparation for the meeting, I planned some additional activities to keep the girls entertained, knowing there would be a good deal of time remaining after the presentations.  Once the girls had finished sharing their projects, we played a Cookie Sale version of the Paper Plate Game. The girls really enjoyed it and asked to play it a second time!  We spent the remainder of the meeting making cards for Veterans and their families at the Fisher House in Cincinnati.  

For the cards, we used 8.5"x11" sheets of white cardstock.  A package of 50 sheets can be purchased on sale or with a coupon for under $3 at Hobby Lobby.  Prior to the meeting, I cut each sheet in half along the 11" side, making two 8.5"x5.5" cards.  The girls each received two folded cards, and they decorated them with markers and crayons.  For the girls who wanted to add inspirational quotes and Bible verses to their cards, I provided the following list (most of them were found online by searching for encouraging words):

• "Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul." --Michel de Montaigne
• "What defines us is how well we rise after falling."  Stay strong!
• "God's plans for your life far exceed the circumstances of your day."  --Louie Giglio
• I hope you wake up feeling exceptional.  You are important, needed, and unique.
• "When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place."
• "Be strong because things will get better. It may be stormy now, but it never rains forever."
• "Smile and let everyone know that you are stronger today than you were yesterday." 
• "You are much stronger than you think.  You are in my thoughts."
•  "Don't lose hope.  You never know what tomorrow will bring.  Stay strong!"
• Thank you for your service.
• Get well soon.
• Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
• Joshua 1:9  "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

We trust that the Fisher House Staff will distribute the cards to patients and their families appropriately.
 
Before I close, I will outline what my daughter did to earn her Family Story badge.  Compared to other Brownie badges, this badge can be incredibly easy to complete.  
STEP 1:  Explore family stories.  
STEP 2:  Know where your family is from.
STEP 3:  Make a story tree.
STEP 4:  Find an object that means something to your family.
STEP 5:  Share your family story.

My daughter made a family tree to satisfy the requirements for Step 3.  In my online search for a free family tree template to print at home, I discovered there is a website that provides family trees for non-traditional families.  Knowing such a template is available may make this project more appealing to girls whose families are not traditional. 

My daughter chose to learn more about her great-grandmother who I wrote about in a previous post.  She discovered that GG used to always make homemade peanut butter fudge when we arrived for a visit.  By following her recipe, my daughter was able to combine Steps 2 and 5--she made a family recipe, and she shared the fudge with the girls in her troop.

She was also able to combine Steps 1 and 4.  GG's ring is a family heirloom that will eventually be my daughter's.  We told her the story of how her great-grandparents met in rural West Virginia during the Great Depression and how hard her great-grandfather had to work really hard to save money for the ring.  We took a picture of the ring, and she wrote down the story to share with the girls in her troop.

This is my favorite of all the Girl Scout badges our girls have ever earned.  Though there will be unique situations and painful times for every family, there's always something to be learned from those who have gone before us.  I was incredibly happy to learn that one of our girls worked on her family tree with her mom, and this project created a spark in them.  They are going to do further genealogical research and contact long-distance relatives.  I hope this post inspires readers to work on this project with their children and relatives regardless of family dynamics.  As always, thank you for reading.

Girl Scout Bridging Event

This spring, our combined troop of Brownies and Juniors were ready to bridge to the next level of Girl Scouts.  When talking with the girls about the occasion, they made it clear they did not want to have a ceremony, nor did they wish to invite family members to attend our event.  But they did love the idea of doing something special.  We agreed to schedule an evening trip downtown (Cincinnati).  The girls wanted to cross the Ohio River on the Suspension Bridge before celebrating the occasion with a sweet treat from Coldstone Creamery in Newport, Kentucky.

Since we had already scheduled an evening service project at the Fisher House in April, we agreed we could extend the evening and head downtown after cleaning up the planting project. 

After reviewing the budget, we leaders knew we had enough money in the troop account to allow the girls to order a small ice cream with the one complimentary topping of their choice ($4.54).  Troop funds also covered the cost to park in the garage adjacent to Newport on the Levee ($2/car on this specific evening).
  
When we reviewed our expenses for the year, we realized we had some money remaining from our Bake Sale in the fall.  That money had had been promised to the men and women who have served our country.  Our girls voted with their families, and we decided all remaining troop funds be donated to the Bake Me Back Home project with Bake Me Home.  Our donation will deliver a jar of cookie mix and 48 baked cookies to the Fisher House every week for one month.  

Seems like it was yesterday when they were Daisies.  Please check back soon.  I will share our plans for the future in my next post.

Craft: End-of-the-Year Teacher and Leader Gifts

I can't believe we're approaching the end of another school year!  It's time to begin thinking about gifts for my daughters' teachers.  My mom is a retired teacher, and I remember the gifts she treasured most from students over the years were those that were handmade.  When my daughters started school, I recalled what my mom had said, and I encouraged my daughters to help me make Christmas and End-of-the-Year gifts for their teachers.  In this post, I will share what we've made to give the teachers at the end of the school year.  Any of these ideas can be modified for the special adults in your child's life whether they be a teacher, coach, band director, or Girl Scout troop leader.  Our Christmas gifts will be described in a separate post that will be published in the near future.

PERSONALIZED FLOWERPOTS

If I remember correctly, I was in a pottery studio years ago and saw a platter that had been painted to show a caterpillar taking a bite out of an apple.  The caterpillar's body was a line of circles, and the name of each student in the class was printed in the circles.  Our Daisy troop had recently made fingerprint flowerpots, and I decided this caterpillar design would be really cute on a flowerpot.  We've been giving this gift to the teachers ever since.

I select an 8" terracotta flowerpot and lightly sketch the drawing on the pot with a pencil.  I begin by drawing the apple, and then I use the bottom of a cup that measures about 2" in diameter to draw the circles for the caterpillar.  I make sure to the circles are slightly offset for a couple of reasons:
1.  It looks cuter and gives the caterpillar a little more dimension than if the circles were drawn in a straight line.  
2.  With 24 students in the class, I know I need seven circles (one for the caterpillar's head and six for the body, writing four names in each circle).  And by offsetting the circles, I can make all of them fit on the pot.  

My daughters select the colors for the caterpillars, and I paint the flowerpots using acrylic craft paint.  Depending on the color and brand of the paint and how thickly it is applied, the design may require two coats.  I usually add something to the top of the flowerpot (note the apples around the top of the flowerpot in the photo below).  After the paint dries, I use a Sharpie marker to outline the apple and the caterpillar and add the students' names to the circles.  I write the teacher's name and class on the red part of the apple, and I write the school year on the leaf.  For example, "Mrs. Smith's Fourth Grade Class" and "2014-2015."  Finally, I cover the outside of the flowerpot with a layer of Mod Podge.  

We fill the flowerpot with school supplies.  This year we are including a package of pencils, glue sticks, dry erase markers, and Post-it notes, but it can be filled with anything.  The options are endless.  

The teachers seem to really enjoy this gift.  I've seen the flowerpot being used to hold supplies in the classroom.  One teacher told me her family planted flowers in the pot before placing it in the backyard near their swimming pool. 

This idea could easily be tweaked slightly to make the perfect gift for Girl Scout troop leaders.  Have Daisies?  Paint a few large Daisy Petal sets around the flowerpot.  Add the names of the girls around the top of the pot.  For older girls, paint a trefoil or Girl Scout cookies.  Having the girls sign their names with a Sharpie would be another great touch.  

HOMEMADE BREAD WITH A CUTE NOTE FROM THE STUDENT

When our younger daughter was in preschool, I was bumping around Pinterest for a unique teacher gift.  I came across the idea to bake bread and include a handwritten tag that reads:  "May this summer be like this bread...SO delicious you hardly notice the crummy parts.  Thank you for being my teacher!  (Signed by the student)."  While writing this blog post, I searched and searched for that website, but I couldn't find it.  I apologize I am unable to give credit to the original author.  

Baking bread was the perfect project for my younger daughter because she LOVES to help in the kitchen.  Since it was spring, I was hoping she would choose something like lemon poppy seed bread.  Unfortunately I was unable to persuade her to change her mind when she decided on a recipe for chocolate chip pumpkin with cream cheese icing.  We went with it, and her teachers were delighted.

TAKING THESE IDEAS ONE STEP FURTHER...

• Schedule time with family or friends to bake sweet treats.  Package them with handwritten notes before delivering them to people in your community.  (More details about this are coming soon!)
• Arrange to deliver some individually wrapped baked goods to a Fisher House.  Military families will enjoy a taste of home while their loved one is hospitalized.
• Paint suns, rainbows, and flowers on small flowerpots and fill them with individually wrapped mints.  Deliver the pots to residents at a local nursing home.
• Paint American flags and encouraging phrases on small flowerpots to give to veterans and their families at a Fisher House.

While this blog is geared toward Girl Scout troop leaders, I hope readers are inspired by some of the ideas mentioned in these posts.  It doesn't have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time to brighten someone's day.  Thank you for reading.