Something to Smile About: A SpReAd the Love Challenge

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard about Richard Armitage’s biting debut as Francis Dolarhyde…aka The Tooth Fairy…on NBC’s Hannibal.  We here at STL like to mark special Armitage events, and this one is no different.  You might wonder how we are going to blend together kindness collection with an orally afflicted serial murderer…that’s easy!

Anyone else remember this from Captain Kangaroo??

In honor of the “Tooth Fairy” we are challenging ArmitageWorld to donate toothbrushes (and/or other oral hygiene products) to local or international organizations in need.  Dental health is directly connected to overall physical health, yet millions of people around the globe lack easy access to oral hygiene products.  Toothbrushes, dental floss, toothpaste and mouthwash regularly show up on the “Things We Need” list for homeless shelters and also for international relief agencies.  Here are just a few I know about:

Donate A Toothbrush

Global Dental Relief

Global Grins (this one accepts only money donations, but a $1 donation can supply up to 5 toothbrushes)

There are many, many local agencies that accept in kind donations of this type…to find one in your area in the US, click here.  If anyone has info on agencies in their area, outside of the US, please let us know in comments.

Tooth brush etc

So here’s the challenge…

Between now and the end of the “Tooth Fairy’s” run, collect and donate dental hygiene products to a charity in your local area or to an international agency, then report back to us and we’ll tally it all up for future reference and goodwill raising.

If you’d like to be collaboRAtor on this challenge, we always love to be able to double down on our in kind donations with a matching cash gift to one of Richard Armitage’s Just Giving Charities…contact us via the About tab if you’re interested.

Ready…set…BRUSH!

 

 

Hellooo??? Anyone in there????

Oh HI!!!  Yes, we’re definitely still here, but spring sprang all over Jazzbaby and I….

I’ve just been dusting things off a bit to get ready to give SpReAd the Love a little jumpstart, since lots of things have been happening on the kindness front.  A little further housekeeping is in order though, before we get to some new things…

The Children’s Book Challenge exceeded the fifty books to max out our anonymous donor’s matching cash donation pledge.  The funds were donated to Richard Armitage’s Just Giving page for Young Minds all the way back in March.  It is such a great experience to hear so many people talk about books that touched them and their desire to share that with a child.  Maybe I should build a “virtual library” page here with links to all our SpReAd the Love Children’s Book Challenge titles…future projects  🙂

Now, back to current events on the kindness front:

Over at Ancient Armitage, I am happy to report that I can still rely on the kindness of strangers to avert massive mortification…

The recent devastating earthquakes in Nepal have moved Guylty to lend her creative genius to charitable works…check out the plans for a relief fund raising RAPS auction…

And last but not least, a promised kindness from the mutual OOA on the doodle front…

With 2 days and 21 hours left, the “diddly doodle” in question should raise a nice amount for Neurofibromatosis Network.  As of this “press time”, the leading bid is $2125.  Click here if you’re ready to bid.

Tons of great stuff going on…watch this space in the next few weeks for a carnassial challenge to mark Richard Armitage’s debut on NBC’s Hannibal.  

As always, we are delighted to hear of SpReAding the Love with reports of any kindness given or received…click over to the ABOUT page and drop us a line!

 

 

Thinking lots about socks…

Back in December in response to rockin’ socks being sported by you know who,

Yes, him.

I threw out a call for us all to signal boost charities that donate socks, or to donate socks ourselves to local charities.  I threw in a nifty sock tree graphic, and then replaced it with a more decorated one a few days later.  Then December caught up with me and then December got away from me!

Now it’s January, and it is bitterly cold.  Not cold enough if you ask MiniMe, since it needs to be -35° F with the windchill factor in order for school to be delayed and her to sleep in.  Today the windchill factor was only –26° F, so off to school they went.  To put that kind of cold into perspective, in this weather, exposed human flesh can freeze in as little as 15-20 minutes.  It’s not just uncomfortably cold, it’s dangerously cold.  That fact led me to think about socks again.

Every day I look this:

The most puzzling question of all time…

Most days the elusive enigma that is my odd sock basket only makes me grimace.  Where, in the name of all that is good and right, do all those freaking socks go?  People take off two matching socks, I collect laundry and wash it and when the baskets are put away, I’m left with a giant pile of unmatched loners.  Usually I look at it with a scowl and the intention to dump it and play a round of hosiery Husker Du, but today when I looked at it, I realized that there are plenty of people in the world who would happily wear a yin yang paired with a pink, black and purple stripe.  Toes stay just as warm in a pink and blue bunny and a white with blue bottom.  I realized that my odd sock basket probably has a couple dozen “pairs” in it.  Matching or not, no one in my house ever needs to go out in the cold with no socks.

It also made me remember that in the process of excavating in my vehicle, I “unearthed” a bag of socks that I’d bought before Christmas to donate to the families we adopted at church.  Having temporarily mis-located them (I do not *lose* things), I bought more and put them in with the rest of the loot to be donated.   Now that they’ve resurfaced, I think I’ll drop them off at the local shelter before they wander off again.

So, if you have the opportunity, means and inclination, consider making a sock donation…most shelters are in need of them year round.

That’s the third version of the sock tree  – think we can fill it up and start another for 2015?

Spread kindness to one person a day and imagine the amount of happiness you would dispense in a lifetime.

A Small Act Of Kindness Can Bring Smile On Million Faces

http://www.CompassionKindness.com

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SpReAd the Love Gives Back Week 5…Oh Porter!

Are you all ever in for a treat this week!!  Our good pal Guylty of the fabulous Guylty Pleasure has made a very special donation to SpReAd the Love Gives Back

a RAPS of your very own…

That’s right….it’s a coveted John Porter RAPS (that’s RA Portable Shrine for the uninitiated). 

Just report a kindness given or received and you’ll be entered into a drawing for this beauty – complete with mini disco ball and candles.  (I am soooo bummed about my organizer ineligibility on this one!!)

 

 

Who’s up for an STL side Challenge? Let’s *sock* it to ’em

It seems that I can’t resist and opportunity for a good (or bad) pun, but I have a proposition for everyone.  In a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, Richard Armitage gave us a peek at his funky fun socks…

Socks Rock!
Original Source

He also mentioned that he would like to get some socks for Christmas (I wonder if he’s prepared for the deluge of fashionable footwear that’s likely headed his way?)  A funky or festive pair of socks can be a surprising energy booster.  For instance…today is the last day of classes for the fall semester and I celebrated by wearing some festive holiday socks.

No one else can see them (It’s cold…I’m wearing boots!)  but I know that they’re there and the thought of the sparkly gifts (there’s a little dog at the top cuff too) makes me smile throughout the day.

On the subject of socks…or maybe the lack of socks for a lot of people, Jazzy and I were talking and we thought it would be a fun side challenge to signal boost some charities that distribute socks to the needy and to decorate our own sock tree as a record.

So here’s what you do…comment here reporting a donation of socks or information about a charitable organization that distributes socks.  We’ll add a pair of socks to our SpReAd the Love 2014 Sock Tree and credit a kindness to our running total.

I’ll get you started…Hannah’s Socks is an Ohio based non-profit which since 2005 has distributed over half a million pairs of socks to those in need in Western Ohio and Southeast Michigan.  This is just one of many charitable organizations and shelters that operate such programs…We’d love to hear more about one in your area and add to our “sock tree”.

How cool…I can already put up a tree with more socks!!

Ready….set….SOCKS!!

SpReAd the Love Give Back Week Three Winner…

Bap ba-ba ba-ba-ba-baaaaa!

The winner of the Lucas Locket is….Hariclea!!  Congratulations!!  Drop me an email at ancientarmitage@gmail.com with all your mailing details. 😀

 

 

 

 

A

spReAd the Love Gives Back Week 3: Lucas North

WOW…I mean *really* WOW!  Week 2 a la Guy of Gisborne was incredible.  The reports of kindnesses really do lift the spirits in an amazing ways – thanks to all who participated and congratulations again to the winner of the hand beaded by Jazzy bracelet:  zeesmuse!

For this week’s drawing, I tried my hand at a little jewelry making in honor of Lucas North.

Lovely Lucas Locket

This locket is fully reversible.  Filled with jewels reflecting Lucas’ baby blues, worn one way there is a tiny image of the spy himself.  Turned around, you can wear Lucas against your heart and show just his initial to the world. (A lobster claw clasp makes reversing the locket simple.)  I carried the cool blue color palette to the charms and added some I thought were representative of this character.  A tiny Big Ben symbolizes his return to England after years of imprisonment and the “Hope” charm is a remembrance of one tattoo…Dum spiro spero – “While I breathe, I hope.”

The locket is hung on an 18″ (45.72cm) silver finish chain.  I’ll also include in the package some spare beads and a necklace extenders case you prefer a bit longer chain.  I think that is all the pertinent details, so without further ado, in honor of the Lovely Lucas North, bring on the kindness reports!  Good luck!!

 

 

 

Can I get a drumroll please?

Jazz is out on the town this fine Friday evening, so she asked me to relay that after a duly secure selection from a hat, the kindness winner for this week IS:  Kitty!  Kitty is the new owner of an e-book copy of In Consequence written by Trudy Brasure.

Thanks to all who reported kindnesses this week – the world is a bit nicer because of your generosity of spirit!  Stay tuned for details on the new drawing for next week’s kindness reports.