#Kindawesome

Today marks the first day of our winter break and I couldn't be happier as I skipped out of the office and dodged raindrops to get to my van and

head home for the holidays. It's a #kindawesome feeling!

Where do you stay when you go on vacation? If we're not with family for friends, I prefer to stay at Marriott hotels, in large part because there's just something really special about the AVEDA rosemary mint shampoo they provide to their guests. So you can imagine my delight when my sister asked the cleaning staff for a few extra little bottles of it the last time we were together. Here's the token of our thanks I left behind. It was a beyond-#kindawesome trade.

Now that I'm about to run out of that happiness in those hotel-sized bottles, I'm thinking about some of my favorite things.

You see, although I like that yummy shampoo a lot, the bigger thing here is that my sister would think to request a few extra bottles ... for me ... just because she knew how much I loved the scent. A whole lot. It was the #kindawesome surprise that warmed my heart. Thoughtfulness is like that, more valuable than any thing she could buy for me.

Generosity is right up there with thoughtfulness.

Just last week, we asked our school family for socks, scarves, mittens, gloves and hats for the homeless in our Head To Toe Giving campaign. Yes, it's right before the holidays, {but who could resist those adorable signs the StuCo made?} and yes, we were still able to fill the back of a van with our warm donations. I had the pleasure of heading to the streets of Houston Wednesday night to help deliver the goods. Our character cam caught this homeless man warming up with the red scarf I knit ... just for someone like him.

Two of our students came along, with their Dad. What a blessing, to see these tween-aged girls ministering to the homeless population by sharing our surplus.

With joy and delight in their servant hearts.

Without an ounce of pity, fear or trepidation.

Smiling at and interacting with them,

as if ...

even though ...

and knowing that they need more from us than just

hats, mittens, and socks.

More #kindawesomeness!

Yesterday, one of my students brought a bar of shark-fin soap as a gift, with a note that a donation had been made to the United Conservationists. I talked with this first-grader when he delivered my gift; turns out he's done a lot of research and is quite passionate about saving the sharks. I think it's #kindawesome that he would include me on his crusade.

Another #kindawesome thing is Brittany's Dream, a girl's goal to raise $20K by cooking up kindness in the kitchen in exchange for help funding a water well in Malawi. She also organized a Well Walk to simulate what it's like to walk miles and miles just to get a drink of ~~clean water~~ water. Talk about your empathy elevator! For more information or to support her efforts, visit her Wishing Well page.

There's a really fun character clip about generosity {here} ... and then, Good News out of Dallas; you must watch what happens when this school's beloved crossing guard loses his car {here}.

Finally, check out this organization that sends challenges, ideas, and activities to put caring into action in the mail. If you need a creative and inspirational gift idea, why not consider a subscription to Giving Families.

Click the graphic below for details.