Community Service Projects Change the World One Person at a Time: Santa's Elves of Indy teaches kids to give back.

Have you figured out how to change the world yet?

With a involvement in a Community Service Project, we can change the world one person at a time. How to teach kids to give back is an important lesson for adults. Giving back makes you feel good. Here's just one of the many ways our team participates in community service every year. Enjoy!

Not so very long ago, a man, a sleigh, and some special gifts started a revolution.

How to get Involved in a Community Service Project

It isn't as hard as you may think. You know the story, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Pere Noel- no matter what names you use for Santa Claus, you'll uncover an original story based on a local humanitarian. You might say, Santa started a revolution! You can start one too. You can start at home with your own kids.

Teaching kids to help others in need is a lifelong skill with extraordinary benefits. The first step requires you to get involved in a community service project. Share your talents within a group or organization in your neighborhood.

• But, I don't have the time
• But, I don't know of any organizations
• I'm shy
• I just don't know where to begin

Our kid Volunteer elves.

Me neither!  Do a search for local organizations or service projects for kids in your town. I wanted to help save the world. I didn't have much luck. So, one day, I decided to start teaching kids to change the world. Working with kids to build their self-esteem is rewarding. So many kids and adults think they have no gifts or talents to share, but they do- they just haven't discovered them yet. Teach your kids to give back early to help them understand everything they have to offer.

Mayhem with her Rudolph nose. Come get your face painted!

One day, a young woman had an idea. She decided to teach her kids to give back at Christmas. She asked for their input on ideas for things they could do. They wanted to help as many kids as possible. This idea gave birth to Santa's Elves of Indy.

Tracey Thomas is the chief Elf.  I help her out with creative fundraising and special events. My kids are very involved. Mayhem is constantly coming up with things to sell, so she can donate money to Santa's Elves.

She wanted to draw caricatures of the guests at our FREE COMMUNITY EVENT, Saturday, Sept. 28 (2013) in Indianapolis. She wanted to draw each person as an elf. Chief Elf, Tracey, would describe this as "getting your elf-on"!

Oriental Trading donated many fun items for our event.

We couldn't do it without the help of our partners. Oriental Trading has graciously donated many fun items for use at our event.

What is there to do? Come join the fun at Santa's Family Reunion and Elf Picnic. Play a game of soccer with the Elves, enter a corn hole tournament with the Santas, go elf bowling, join Santa's family to make a toy or craft, experience vendors of all types, and enjoy entertainment throughout the event. There's even a jail and bail to help raise money for gifts.

The elves provide more than just toys. We work to raise money for clothing and food as well. Our goal is to help families in a temporary bind to give them a little pick me up and a pat on the back to let them know they can do it!  But, we can't do it without you. We need your donations of toys, clothing, and cash so we can continue to help families at times when they needed it most- not just at Christmas.

Central Park in Heartland Crossing, Camby, Indiana.

That's a strike in Elf Bowling!

We're having so much fun playing with the elves!

Thanks Oriental Trading for the letters to Santa and fun stickers!

Dear Santa Claus, thanks for all the great things you do!

Recommended:

Elf on the Shelf Kit*

Lessons and Plans

What She's Wearing Wednesday ~ Santa's littlest Elf ~ Helping Raise Money for Christmas Gifts

Teaching kids how to participate and help other with Community Service Projects.

This past Saturday, we attended a Craft Fair and Rummage Sale to raise money for Santa's Elves of Indy. A friend organizes the event and often has more families in need than incoming donations.

The organization is young and struggling. Last year, I didn't feel we could take on a family or even a child, so we donated gift bags, tape, and wrapping paper.  

Every little bit helps.

This year, things are a little better for us.  We have "adopted" a family. That's what it is always been called, adopt a child or family for Christmas. When I posted this on another website, someone sent an angry message. It seems, they found the phrase "adopt a child for Christmas" offensive. Organizations have been collecting wish lists for needy children for years and using this terminology. We certainly don't want to offend families who are adopting children forever into their homes. 

We are in no way adopting a child or even meeting a child. To be clear, each volunteer takes a child's wish list which includes clothing and shoe sizes and shops for items for the child. Then, Santa's Elf volunteers wrap the gifts and deliver them to the children's parents or caregivers prior to Christmas Eve so no children miss out on a visit from Santa.

The craft fair wasn't bustling as we'd hoped. It is difficult to spread the word. Even for such a good cause, people have little money to spare. Donations are used to purchase gifts for families that haven't been "adopted" by a volunteer.

We manned the booth for Santa's Elves matching volunteer shoppers with families in need. We were also offering deep discount gift cards for Incredible Pizza, but no one was buying. For just $10 you could/can purchase a gift card valued at $20.

Here's your sign.

Mayhem asked if she could wear the sign and walk around the vendor area selling the gift cards. I agreed. She went from person to person and received many a no thank you. The little elf came back with a sad face and a great idea.

"Can I take the cookies and offer a bag of cookies with every card sold?"

What a great idea!

She sold 3 (the fair was almost over) and had a blast.

If you'd like to donate or purchase a gift card visit the Santa's Elves of Indy Facebook Page. There is still time to ADOPT a child's Wish List and play Santa for a family needing a little extra help this season.

Happy Holidays!

I am so Thankful for this magical little Mayhem.

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Five easy ways to throw an eco-friendly birthday party for kids

You can have an Eco-friendly, Up-cycled Birthday Party for Kids and save money too!

This guest post is from Kara Carrero at ALLterNATIVElearning. She and her family are passionate about the environment and conservation. In this post, she has ideas on how to throw an eco-friendly birthday party. Enjoy!

The modern birthday has lots of cake, plenty of decorations, and almost always disposable plates and utensils. However, our family strives to find a balance in making birthdays both special and environmentally sustainable. Birthdays don’t have to lose their luster by choosing to not waste or spend a lot of money.

My daughter’s first birthday was this past fall. Like many first time moms, I had anticipated the day it would arrive since she was about 3 months old and planned little bits here and there throughout the year. But my main goal was to throw an exciting and memorable party without trash or excess.

Eco-Friendly  Birthday Party Ideas

1. Use real dishes or compostable paper plates. If you plan it right, it doesn’t have to be a hassle to use real dishes. In fact, having some small Corelle dishes on hand easily pays for itself. They do not break as easily as regular dishes and are easily replaceable or you can add to them. We grew up with them and rarely broke anything and it’s still what my parents use. My 15 month old has thrown one and it didn’t even chip. If you just can’t do that, use real silverware with basic paper plates that break down in the compost or can be recycled. Even here in Oklahoma (not very eco-friendly) we have options for community compost and recycling.

2. Re-use old décor and don’t throw any away. Up-cycle old material for new decorations. We made bunting from old magazines and used paper, and it was really cute! I had a few things from parties from several years ago, so I reused a couple of things. I also had some SOLO cups that I re-wash and use for the kids while adults use our glass cups.

3. Make the birthday about the experience and not the decor Birthdays are about the fun and not about having perfect decorations. We threw a carnival with fun homemade games instead of investing a lot of time and money into party hats, balloons, and streamers. Even growing up, I don’t remember how my parties were decorated, but I definitely remember the fun I had or the silly things that happened. Focus on making the most of the brief time given rather than stressing over the things that won’t be remembered.

4. Make party favors about memories, experiences, and sustainability. We had two different party favors. Her birthday party was specifically a grow theme, we provided small bio-degradable pots to decorate and soil and seeds to grow a small garden. It’s a gift that keeps on giving!

We also had a a photo booth. We asked everyone who attended to make an up-cycle costume and take a picture with the frames we provided. They left us their email address so then we emailed them a picture when we sent them an e-thank you card for coming and for gifts.

5. Make the gifts count. I know this sounds a bit presumptuous, but in reality it doesn't have to be. Be clear with your attendees because I have never met someone who didn't appreciate knowing that their gift was well-received. For us, we put a line on the e-vite that read “no gifts necessary, but if compelled to bring something we needed x,y,z”.

These are five easy ways to throw and eco-friendly birthday party, not break the bank, and still have awesome memories with friends and family. For us, it’s just one more step in doing better in making conscious decisions about what we need vs. what we want which has become increasingly important with kids.

For more from Kara visit her site at ALLterNATIVElearning.com

Recommended Reading:

Your Birthday Book: A Keepsake Journal

Birthday Monsters!

 
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Looking for 1 Year Old Birthday Gifts?

Best Toys and Gift Ideas for 1 Year Old Girls

Have a one year old baby's birthday coming up? So, what are the best toys and gifts for a one year old? Nothing feels better than watching your baby girl grow. You want to be there when she makes her first step, and you want to be the first one to hear her alter her first word. These moments are magical. Believe me, it gets even more exciting when she turns a year old. It's her first birthday and it's normal to feel super excited and overwhelmed. How do you make it special and unforgettable? Other than holding a birthday party and inviting all your friends and their kids to celebrate, getting the perfect gift is the best way to ensure that your baby girl never forgets the day.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

But wait! Which is the best gift for a one-year-old girl? A toy is the best catch here. You want the best for your daughter, something that she will like and even if you were to keep it and show it to her when she is already all grown up, she would have the same smile she had when you first showed the toy to her when she was one year old.

What to get a 1 year old girl on their Birthday? 

Choosing such a toy can be a daunting task. This article aims to make the work easy for you by outlining a list of the best gifts and toys for a one year old girls.

A VTech pull and sing puppy

Kids love puppies, and they find them to be the cutest thing, and it gets even better when puppies and toddlers are combined. Not all girls are into barking, taking dogs for walks and having a pooping pooch. You do not have to get a real puppy to match the experience for your baby girl. If she loves puppies, a VTech pull and sing puppy is an excellent choice.

The little guy can do tricks and other stuff that real dogs can do and more. He can sing, teach numbers, body parts and colors as the baby pulls him around his leash. It comes with over 50 songs and melodies to keep the kid entertained, and she will never get bored even if you were to leave her alone as you do chores around the house. You, however, need to include a battery.

Baby Einstein take along tunes

Kids are sensory. Its smell and touch alone are enough to make the baby glued to the creature as she tries to figure out how the machine can respond to her queries. If your kid is already a young jammer trying to get her tune in line, this toy will do her good. It's a kind of jukebox that switches between a total of seven melodies.

What's more? It lights up as it sings. It also comes with a volume control button and two AA batteries. It's a perfect toy for small hands, and your kid will not struggle as she plays with it. Even better; it is made of a soft polypropylene surface which makes it safe for children. The color and design are cute, so it does not scare the baby away.

Fisher Price brilliant basics first doll

Girls love trying to play-pretend at this age, and a baby doll is a perfect gift to help foster her imagination. She can tote the doll around as she tries to learn new words and understand different body parts like the mouth, legs, hands, and eyes. Dolls are soft and cuddly which makes it ideal for helping the baby in social recognition and giving them a sense of comfort when playing with it. She will carry the doll where she goes which is also a way of learning a sense of possession.

Fisher-price Baby’s first Blocks playlist

Your child will have a blast with this gift set on her birthday. It features two Fisher-Price toys a baby’s first block and a rock-a-stack. What she has to do is sort them for fun, which is a perfect way to keep baby busy and put her mind at work.

Such toys help develop problem skills too. The toy is meant to prepare kids for preschool through mental development. Grasping, sorting, and stocking the blocks is a fun way for your baby to stay happy as she explores. It will teach her a sense of discovery as she tries to see what happens after all the rings are sorted and stacked.

LeapFrog count and crawl number Kitty

Get your child on the move on many skills with this unique, cute kitty. The doll is designed to enhance a great push and play experience for little ones, keeping them busy and offering them a positive way of having fun. It comes with keys, that when pressed, make the cat start counting in a rhythm. How exciting is that? That's not all.

There are also music mode keys that command the cat to play meows in low and high modes as she makes silly sounds. Pushing the kitty makes her produce fun counting songs that your baby girl will want to listen to the whole day. The kitty can sit, bat, scoot, and crawl. This toy is a perfect way of nurturing mental development and balance in your baby as she explores and counts numbers one to twenty and learns new music. It comes in beautiful colors to keep your baby's attention.

The choices are endless, and these are only a few of the best and highly reviewed toys. The best part is that they are all durable and you can keep them and show them to your baby girl when she is all grown up.

How do you choose a good toy for a one year old?

You shouldn't choose the first toy that comes when conducting an online searches in sites. Let's take look at what should inform your purchase of a one year old's gift. 

Considerations when buying a present for a one year-old girl

• Safety – some toys are just not safe for babies and they even come with a safety warning signs. You will realize that some of them have been written to explain that they aren't recommended for kids under the age of five. This is probably because the toy has some aspects that could compromise the baby’s safety. Kids at this age love putting things in their mouth and you have to ensure that what you get cannot choke your baby. Also, make sure that the toy is non-toxic and doesn't have sharp edges.

• Go for educational toys – it shouldn't be all about play and fun. The child should be able to learn something when interacting with the toy. This is the developmental stage, and therefore, the toy should at least sharpen her mental development, communication skills, and cognitive capacity. Your baby will probably be spending most of her time with the toy, and therefore, it should be in a position to help her learn.

• The toy should enhance coordination – it's around this time of her life that a baby girl will be learning how to roll over and pull up as she tries to take her first step. Choose a toy that can help her enhance her motor skills and coordination as she starts to stand and walk. Keeping baby's hands and legs busy improves her strength too.

• Color and material – these are also aspects to keep in mind. You want something that will attract a baby girl and you should choose brightly colored toys over the dull ones. Pink, blue, yellow, red, and white are the most recommended colors for girls. The material takes you back to safety. Choose something soft but durable.

Recommended:

Baby Articles for New Moms from Kids Creative Chaos

Best Selling Toys for One Year Old Girls

Gift Ideas for Girls

8 Best Christmas Holiday Games for Parties for Adults and Kids

8 Activities for Christmas Parties

Looking for Holiday or Christmas Party Games for your Office or School Event? These are some of the 8 BEST EVER holiday GAMES for Parties. Even Santas like to play holiday games and do fun Christmas activities when they get together... And eat. They also like to eat. Scroll down for more of the best holiday games. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Here are some more of the best CHRISTMAS games ever! You can play them in a Banquet Hall, outside in warm weather, (or cold if you like) and in your living room.  

We were busy planning a fundraiser for Santa's Elves of Indy, when we partnered with Oriental Trading Company to help raise money to purchase Christmas gifts for local families. Chick-fil-a of Avon, Indiana was kind enough to donate a banquet tray to help feed our volunteers and the Santas. 

Before the big day, we practiced by playing many silly games like Elf Bowling and Soccer. We used some of the games on this list of Christmas party games to play with the kids .  

We like games that can translate to preschool, elementary, teens, and adults with little tweaks and variations. If you enjoyed our post "Have the best Christmas party ever," you'll like this one as well.

Christmas and Holiday Games for Office Parties or Family Get-togethers.

Fun Games for Holiday Parties

• Group Scavenger Hunt 

Divide into teams: Team Rudolph, Team Dasher, Team Frosty, Team Elf- you get the idea. 

Make a list of things to find and return to Santa (you) to win the game. Look for things around the office, school, house, where ever you hold you hunt and make a list, check it twice, and then print out a copy for each team. Teams can be of 2-6 players.

• Christmas Ornament Bowling

Need a fun ice breaker or silly game to get great Instagram shots 

or You Tube videos? Try ornament bowling! To set up th 

game: Use rolls of wrapping paper. Unroll them to form each 

"bowling" lane.  Use miniature Christmas Trees or Decorative 

Santa Figures as the bowling pins. These Christmas decorations 

are the perfect theme for this holiday party game.

• Icebreaker Game for a Party

How about this Sticky Note guessing game: Who am I?

Write one holiday thing or decoration word on each sticky note. Choose words like: Snowman, Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, Sleigh, Rudolph, Menorah, Danny Kaye, Elf on a Shelf, Bing Crosby, or Yukon Cornelius, even movie titles.

Players go from party guests and ask one question. The answer must be a yes or no answers. "Am I alive?" "Do I wear a red hat?"
Play continues until each player solves the mystery of "Who am I?"

Instead of sticky notes or paper taped to people's backs, try writing names on Dollar Store Santa Hats with Glitter Pens. Guest can keep them as party favors!

Fun hats make for silly games and fun pictures with kids and adults!

• Santa Belly Limbo? Office Party

Add a Holiday or Christmas twist to a fun icebreaker game for the office. Have each player describe two of the worst Christmas gifts they ever received. Make sure one is true and one is a lie. Now, have another player guess which one is true! This is a fun way to get to know co-workers.

• Candy Canes Game

Have you ever played the game spoons? Try using candy canes instead! The kids will like this game. Winner eats all!

How to Play Spoons

• Fill the Stocking Race

Find the largest Christmas stockings you can (I found mine at Dollar Tree). Fill it with empty wrapped boxes. Have players race to unwrap them all. The first one done wins! 

Play the race to wrap game first, and then you won't have to do any upfront prep! See, what I did there? Yeah, my lazy meter is always on guard.

• Hot Christmas Potato Game for Adults

Each guests bring one wrapped item from a Dollar Store. $1 limit! Play hot potato to Holiday Music. When the music stops everyone unwraps the gift, and shares what they got with the crowd.

• Snowball Contest

You need baskets of new socks in all sizes. Each team rolls their basket of socks into "snow balls".  When all of the socks are rolled into balls let the snowball fight begin. 

Use a table or chair with a white table cloth to serve as each team's home base hideout. 

You can also make a snowman, and use his belly button as a bull's eye. The team with the most bull's eyes wins!


I sure hope you have the best Christmas office party ever with these fun holiday games!  Happy Holidays :)  from KCC

Recommended Reading:

Holiday Games and Recipes for Parties

Games for Youth

Melissa and Doug Christmas Box Of Questions Game

Flower Gifts for Mom on Mother’s Day

Mother's Day Gift Guide, Flower Edition

When is Mother’s Day? This year, Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9. Looking for something special besides

flowers for Mom? This gift guide will help you find the perfect present. Whether you get gorgeous gold earrings

or a beautiful spring blouse, you can still give her flowers! Save I love you and gift your mom with these unique,

floral gift ideas for Mother’s Day.  (This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.)

Giving flowers on Mother’s Day is a tradition. But cut flowers fade and are a waste of money. If a bouquet of roses

on Mother's Day is a family tradition, you can still give your mom flowers this mother’s day! Gift your mom flowers

with these adorable, beautiful gold earrings with a cascade of flowers on the earring backing.

Gold jewelry gift ideas

Love this daisy print shirt, a variety of floral shirts are available on Amazon. If you've been procrastinating, Amazon is a great place to order online. With Prime, many gifts will arrive the next day. Some cities even have 2 hour delivery services. If this particular pattern doesn't match your Mom's style, you can see the variety of floral blouse patterns by clicking here.

For another flower gift that keeps on giving, give Mom this Cut Flower Garden book. If she loves to garden or has just been thinking of starting a flower garden, this book serves as a guide to

achieve the best seasonal blooms year round.

If you always give your mom roses for Mother’s Day, kick it up a notch with a gold tipped rose fromIHateStevenSinger.com They come in a variety of colors including: red, lavender, pink, and white.

Another flower gift option, is Kenzo flower perfume spray. The scent is a mix of orange flowers and sweet spice that apparently smells like sweet dessert. The bottle is pretty cool too. It makes an elegant gift.

For flowers that will last, this flower box garden kit is perfect for the crafty mom in your life. She can grow her
own flowers year after year. If you have children, they can decorate the flower box together. Whatever

you choose, be sure to tailor it to your mom's personality and interests. The more thoughtful the gift the

more meaningful it will be to your mother.

So, go out and make this the best mother's day ever. For more gift ideas for Mother's Day, check out

our recommended reading list.

Recommended Reading:

Mother's Day Sayings for Homemade Cards

Mama Ain't Happy Quote