Stealth Is Not My Strength
The sisterhood started by Sophie Slim was out in force this weekend with a ninja cookie drop
170 recipients from round NZ received a surprise parcel of baked goodies
Delivered in stealth by over-excited sisterhood members everywhere – or not so stealthly in my case.
I had one of those is this the right house?, I don’t want to leave it in the letterbox in case they don’t check it, where is the right door?…. kind of moments.
In the end I came to the ranch slider with a whole family looking at me on the other side as I checked using mime if I had the right number then I dropped the cookies in full view of them all and ran – no not at all an awkward mr bean type moment……!!!
So much fun though – secret baking missions are the best. I’m sure there will be another one in the future.
Thanks Sophie and the sisterhood for organising such a great, love sharing activity.
Course if you are all disappointed you missed out you can always just do your own for fun – bake, package, drop – make a strangers day.
Impact
Whether we want to or we could care less we are having an impact constantly -
you know that person you spoke to rudely when they gave you bad service,
that person you smiled at in the elevator,
that child you commented loudly about when they were playing up at the doctor’s
all of them are having some kind of day, some kind of battle, some kind of journey….
We are so attuned to our rights, the kind of service we deserve, the kind of way we want to be treated…..
we quickly speak up about those we disapprove of…. but are we deserving of approval?
We live in a world where women and men and children are sold and traded and abused without mercy, seen only for their capacity to make a profit….
and we look the other way, because it is too hard…..
Would you join with us – unfolding hope – and do your bit to stop looking the other way
Please go now to make a donation via pay pal
If that doesn’t work for you please email me and I will give you an account number for an online payment and I will transfer it on your behalf
There are some amazing prizes to be won……but more than that there are lives to be freed forever….. because of your input. (More info at the top of the page – click on the tabs)
Please donate today. As the link doesn’t seem to work please go here (my blogger blog) and click on the donate button on the right.
Thank you x
Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Dear Readers – I am asking for your help. I am asking you to journey with me. We live in total privilege in a world that does have enough resources to feed its people….but there are people around the world, 27 million of them, who live in slavery.
Does that embarrass you? Does that totally overwhelm you? Do you feel like you can’t make a difference? Caught between helplessness and guilt?
I have joined with a group of women who are creative, talented and enthusiastic about making lasting change for people. We call ourselves ‘unfolding hope’ and we are raising money to donate to a charity called Free The Slaves - an organisation aiming to eradicate the trade and enslavement of people within our lifetime.
Would you read the pages at the top of this page under “unfolding hope” and would you donate to our efforts? There is a place to donate in the main page. Or visit my new blog address create hope inspire and find the details there.
Thank you so much for your encouragement to me and for allowing me to raise my voice.
Miriam x x
“None of us is truly free while others remain enslaved. The continuing existence of slavery is one of the greatest tragedies facing our global humanity. Today we finally have the means, and increasingly the conviction, to end this scourge and to bring millions of slaves to freedom”
—Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa
Free the Slaves International Advisor
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do. – Helen Keller.
Who we are, what we do, how we give – this is our chance to change the world – please join us.
Find more information under ‘Unfolding Hope’ at the top.
Thank You.
February Giveaway – in case you missed it!
One of my goals for this year to be behind some kind of giveaway every month and last week I snuck my Feb giveaway into a BMWB post…..and I think some of you missed it 
So here’s the details again! Please do enter if you think you’d get some fun from it.
One of my friend/readers, Juliet, has been doing BMWB with her wee ones and this giveaway is inspired by her post here. It’s a simple sewing kit for you to try with your child/ren.
Wide plastic weave stuff/ fabric? for stitching on, wool for stitching with and a large eye-d needle.
Open until 14th March – happy to post internationally. Especially happy to hear from any little people who would like to win this.
To enter leave a comment telling me a happy adult-child memory you have.
Every comment is an ego boost so don’t leave me hanging here people!
Operation Christmas Child
These boxes need to be at their drop-off points by the end of this week. That means this will be my last Operation Christmas Child post.
This week I’ve added rubbers (erasers)
and story books
and whatever else I remembered.
Here they are:
Now I just need to pay the postage on-line and put the labels on.
Are you doing a box??? If you live in Chch I am happy to take your box to the drop off point at our church if you don’t know where your local one is if you get it to me by Weds I’ll do the rest. Just flick me an email you can find it on the bottom of the ‘about’ page.
As the angel put it, ‘Glad tidings of great joy for ALL people.’
Stash-busting Love
Bloggers seem to be incredibly generous people. A while ago Sophie put a call out for some small drawstring bags for a beautiful project for children in Uganda.
She is right now caught up in the world of first time mother to brand new baby – so she doesn’t have the time.
These are the little bags I threw together. Basic, but helping me make some in-roads into the stash.
Actually I got all inspired and thought how nice it would be to make little bags instead of using wrapping paper this Christmas….not sure if the idea will be followed up with action though.
How do you like to wrap gifts?
Operation Christmas Child Box Update
Oops I haven’t been keeping you up to date with my collections for the last 3 weeks so this week will contain a few items.
Pencils – I bought a 10 pack of these for $2 from and I am going to split them in half and tie a ribbon around them so they will work for each box.
Skipping rope from the local dollar shop cost $2
and easy and cheap a 4 pack of pencil sharpeners which will also be split up to suit 2 boxes
and 2 gorgeous little bears that have been sitting in the present box for ages
So are you filling a box? Doing one with a friend? What kind of giving traditions does your family have?
For more information about Operation Christmas Child go have a look around here.
All-Out Munch-a-thon
Apparently there is some sporting event going on in NZ just now???!!!
On Monday with some assistance from Baker’s Delight our music group celebrated in the kind of style I like to approach sport.
Eat good food – the ‘All Blacks’ Finger buns were a major hit!
They also gave us bread loaves (note the Go NZ! stencilled on the top)
And a selection of their delicious rolls – baps, cheesy, grainy, mixed grain, wholemeal and white – SO generous! (and rather nice too from the too many I ate!)
I am also happy to report that the lovely ladies at Baker’s Delight Northlands were super helpful and friendly.
I also like that they only use unbleached flour and everything is made by hand.
I’m trying to make all our bread this year but when you are buying bakery bread it’s nice to feel like it’s as good or better, in terms of care and quality, than what you’d do at home.
Of course all sport requires some socialising – yes?
And getting fit by being active in whatever way it suits!
As well as the delicious food Baker’s Delight sent us soft toys, stickers, rulers, colouring in sheets and quizzes (not sure any of us were the winners of those!) Thanks so much Baker’s Delight.
As for the world cup I hope that all New Zealanders – especially those in the service, hospitality and accommodation industries are doing our country proud with their warm, friendly and reasonably priced service.
(It makes me embarrassed to think some are pumping their prices up because they can – what does that say about us as a nation??)
So ‘Go NZ’, that’s all of us – let’s be gracious and generous hosts – just like our little music group experienced on Monday.
Who Are These People??
A while ago in the bus shelters they had lotto ads which basically said ‘if I won this Saturday I would…’ and a range of people doing all the kinds of things people might if they won lotto.
At the time I thought if someone asked me that question I’d say ‘I’d become a philanthropist’… How awesome would it be if your ‘job’ was supporting people, spreading love, surprising people with generosity.
Well I have to say I’ve been having my share.
Last year I came into contact with Cat who has been working to get quilts to Christchurch families since September last year. Because of her and Sarah‘s efforts I was given the joy of distributing gifts to the mama’s and children at my music group.
Since that initial contact I have been also charged with the great honour of distributing quilts, scarves and hats from around the world to some families and individuals down here who are feeling traumatized and cold. Meeting Cat and being in contact with Jan (who seems to spend her entire life making and receiving quilts and sending them or giving them to people in need) has been an absolutely humbling experience for me.
In a mass-produced, time-poor world the act of making a quilt and sending it to a stranger who may never know you or thank you personally, for me, is by definition true love – love that gives without a hope of return.
To every person who has sewn a stitch, knitted a row, contributed to post (very costly) may your love be returned to you 100 fold.
Thanks for making my ‘lotto dream’ a reality.
The Bible describes love in this way and I think so many of its characteristics are exhibited by these women.
If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but do not love I am nothing…
Love is kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude.
Love isn’t selfish
or quick-tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth,
but not in evil.
Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
and trusting.
Love never fails!
Good Intentions Tuesday
This week I finished the quilt – see yesterday’s post if you want pics and I sorted my jewellery out.
This was what the dressing table looked prior plus 2 small draws of mess.
Now it looks like this.
Unfortunately all my stuff to pay-forward was found by Flip who has decided he’d like to play with it…..I tried!
Also – I’m asking you to join in with me this year on an opportunity close to my heart – Operation Christmas Child. All over the world people fill shoeboxes with little gifts then they are taken to collection points and the boxes are delivered all over the world to children who would otherwise have no Christmas at all.
There are lots of good things to give to but I particularly like this one because I think it is one where it is easy to involve your own children – talking about the children, picking the gifts, even spending their own pocket-money. Last year you also made a $9 (tax deductible) payment to cover the postage.
The boxes have to be in by the end of September from memory so would you join in and get one thing a week with me for the next few weeks and do your own box???
If you are keen to join I will give you an idea for each week, something simple. There are also guidelines on their website for things that cannot be included – toothpaste, bubble mix, war toys etc… You can also pick 2-4 years, 4-8 and 8-14 (I think) and the gender.
Week 1 – Toothbrushes. We are doing 2 boxes so I bought 2 0-5 toothbrushes ($1.25 each) at the supermarket.
If you want more information follow this link. There are also some gorgeous video links - my fav is Julie’s story.
Will you join in?
What good intentions have you got done this week?
