Weeks 14-23: trash, trash, trash, community events, made a blanket

We’ve slipped up on posting activities but have managed to do some great ones in the last few weeks, so here’s a summary!

Unfortunately, we always seem to find trash to pick up wherever we go so have kept busy with that. Need to start traveling with gloves as it’s becoming almost impossible to walk by any trash without the kids demanding we pick it up — which is great!

We also took part in some community events — runs and a triathlon — and did one of our favorite things, made something new (a blanket) out of something we were going to throw away (a ripped sweater).

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One note: we’re going to restructure things a bit and move to monthly themes for Give Back Together with suggested activities for each month, the idea being that we all have busier weeks than others. This way, we’ll have activities at the start of the month and four weeks to complete them. Stay tuned for more on this and our new ambassador program!

Weeks 10, 11, 12: give away clothes and toys, and have a book sale

Time to go through those boxes and bins and pass on things that you no longer need. A win-win for everyone — free up some cupboard space and know you’re passing things on to people who will use them. Our crew took the book giveaway a step further, coming up with the idea of a book sale to raise money to buy a new toy for someone who needs one.

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Join us and let us know how it goes! Share with #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Week 9: Plunge for Elodie!

We had a fantastic time doing the second annual #PlungeforElodie March 2! It’s not too late for you to take the plunge to raise awareness of EB, a terrible skin disorder that affects little Elodie and many others. Jump in a pool, lake, or even a bathtub will do! Then head to plungeforelodie.org to make a donation to #HealEB. You can do it!! Here’s our graceful (ha) plunge:

Let us know how it goes! Share with #GiveBackTogether and #PlungeforElodie on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Week 8: support your local library

Calling all you bookworms! Time to head to your local library to check out some books. We love everything about the library — so many new books to choose from, weekly story time for the little ones, fun craft activities organized by the librarians, and so much more. And libraries in Ireland recently decided to do away with library fines for late books so there is literally no reason not to head there!

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What does your library offer? Let us know — share with #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

And, sneak preview to our next activity — it’s the second annual Plunge for Elodie this Saturday, March 2! This was one of our all time favorite Give Back Together activities from last year (watch our graceful plunge) and we can’t wait to do it again this year. All you have to do is plunge into some sort of body of water and make a donation in support of EB research. Mark your calendar and make sure to take the plunge this Saturday!

Week 7: make a Valentine's Day card for someone who will least expect it

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! We’re back card-making and putting a slight twist on it — this week, join us in making a card for someone who might not expect it. Could be a neighbor, grandparent, the postman or even your dog!

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Dust off those craft supplies and let us know how it goes — share your photos with #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Week 6: pick up trash

This week, we’re doing an old Give Back Together favorite — picking up trash on the street! We were thrilled to see that Portarlington Tidy Towns were doing a 1-hour clean up around town so we joined in.

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This is a great activity that can be done virtually anywhere and kids LOVE turning it into a little ‘treasure hunt’ as they look for trash. Stay safe with the kiddos — wear gloves, use a trash picker-upper if you have one, and pick a quiet street or park. Let us know how it goes — share your photos with #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Week 5: bring back the bees!

Bees are vital insects — spreading pollen that plants need to grow — and unfortunately, bee populations are rapidly declining. We read about ‘‘bee bombs’’ (wildflower seedballs) and loved that they are such a simple way to help bring back the bees. Watch below for more.

All you have to do is purchase the seeds (lots of sites to choose from but we bought ours at www.beebombsireland.com) and plant them come spring. It’s that easy! Let us know if you’re taking part in this week’s activity — share with #BringBackTheBees and #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Week 4: honor Martin Luther King Jr.

This week, we’re honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and everything he fought for. Here’s the team to tell you more.

We talked about how black people weren’t allowed to go to the same schools and restaurants as white people and how, on buses, black people had to give up their seats to white people. We also talked about how blacks and whites had separate drinking fountains — our kids were most shocked about this. We talked about how we have to keep talking about how people are equal no matter what their skin color is because some people still don’t see it that way, and that needs to change.

How are you honoring Martin Luther King Jr. this week? Let us know — share with #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Week 3: reuse and recycle

As Zuma says, let’s dive in…to recycling! Like lots of people, we’ve been into recycling for awhile now and are very bummed to think that our recycling might very well be heading for a landfill. So what can we do about it? Reuse as much as we can! Here’s the crew to tell you more.

We want to hear what creative ways you’ve found to reuse stuff — share with #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Weeks 48-52: Take part in our online Joy Drive by buying much-needed items for babies and kids.

It's our final project of the year! Now through Dec. 31, 2018, join us in support of WestSide Baby, an organization in Seattle that collects and distributes diapers, clothing and other kid necessities, providing essential items to local children in need. This drive is all online, so you don’t even need to leave your house! Watch the video below for more.

To recap, visit bit.ly/basicsforkids to take part in our Joy Drive and buy items from WestSide Baby's Amazon wishlist. Once items are in your cart, simply choose WestSide Baby's address, pay and enjoy the amazing feeling that comes with helping kids in need, especially this time of year.

What did you buy? Diapers, books, coats? Share with us using #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Week 47: Write a letter to someone you care about

Let the letter writing continue! This week, we’re writing to Belen, our pen pal through Children’s HopeChest. Pick someone you know who would love to get a letter and write them a little note, or color a picture and pop it in an envelope. It could take just a couple of minutes and you’re sure to brighten someone’s day!

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Share your letters with us using #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Week 46: Make a turkey that says what you're thankful for

Happy Thanksgiving week, everybody! Thanksgiving (in America and for those celebrating elsewhere like us) is this Thursday, Nov. 22. Although most of what we were taught about Thanksgiving isn’t true, Thanksgiving is still a great chance for friends and family to come together, eat and say what they are thankful for. This week, the kids made the classic Thanksgiving craft — a homemade turkey that says what they are thankful for. All you need is some colored paper, scissors and a pen. Add feathers and other items if you have them!

Get those creative juices flowing — you never know what you’ll come up with! Watch below to see some (one in particular) interesting things our kids are thankful for.

Join us in making turkeys — share pics of your creations with #GiveBackTogether on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Weeks 30 - 45

Well, we did exactly what we said we wouldn’t when launching this project — dropped the ball on completing one simple activity every week that helps people and the world. We let our busy schedules get the best of us but are vowing to finish the year strong! We did play catch up and completed 16 projects over the last few months but are determined to get back to making it a weekly activity. Although many of our activities were repeats (clothes and toy giveaways, letter-writing campaigns, etc.), we did have some new ones. A few fantastic ones from Give Back Together director Keeley stand out, if you’d like to join us in completing these:

1) If you see someone standing by themselves, with no one to play with, play with them.

2) Wipe down diaper-changing stations so they are cleaner for the next person changing a baby.

We don’t have a photo to illustrate that first activity so here’s one of the second.

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Look out for our next activity in the next few days — it’s a good one!

Week 28: Leave a place looking better than you found it

We had a great time camping earlier this week! When we arrived, though, we noticed some trash around our campsite. That inspired this week's project: leave a place looking better than you found it! It didn't take much to spread out and pick up trash around the campsite (the kids called it their 'treasure hunt') and we felt great knowing the next set of campers would be arriving to a clean campground.

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Week 27: support the Special Olympics

We were so excited to hear that the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games were going to be in Seattle! We marked our calendars awhile ago and now the Games are finally here! Athletes from all over the country are here to compete in a variety of sports -- track and field events, gymnastics, basketball, paddle boarding and so much more. If you're in the area, check out the full event schedule and make plans to attend this week (it's free!). Show your support for this incredible organization by taking in an event or two, cheering on the athletes and sharing your photos with #RiseWithUs on social media. If you're not in the Pacific Northwest or can't attend, you can still support the Special Olympics by making a donation online and by talking to your kids about the organization and what it's all about.

Here are a few photos from the Games yesterday. We caught some track and field events and a lot of flag football -- so impressed with the organization of the Games and the athletes. Such a positive vibe!

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Weeks 24, 25, 26: Donate clothes, books and canned food

It's been a busy few weeks around here! We didn't get around to posting the last few weeks of Give Back Together activities but good news is they are simple activities that you can do in a snap. We're getting ready to move so these were great projects for us but going through clothes, books and your pantry are always good things to do in my opinion. Clear some space and know your items are moving on to others -- definitely a win-win!

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