DO something New for Spring - Ideas From Our Readers!

"Remember, memories are made of the things you DO, not the things you BUY." - Cindy

During the month of March, we have challenged our members to DO something New. Something they have never done before. Something that doesn't cost a dime. Also, something old, but not been DONE in a long time also counts. Our readers are as incredible and inspiring as always. Thank-you so much for sending in all your ideas!

Happy DO-ING!
Cindy

Digging into the Craft Stash!

I like to paint in acrylics. I am self taught, not good, just like doing it. My challenge is a self painting. It was a Feb. challenge from About Painting. I didn't have a canvas, so didn't do it. But I was at the $ store last week and got a bundle of 3 canvases for just a little money. That's what I am going to do. Now I've told you I will have to get busy. Kootenay Annie.

Finally, DOING Those Home Improvement Projects...

Hi Cindy, I'm with you on the baby book thing -- my boy is 9 and I think his baby book is only halfway finished! But I digress!

The first time I have painted in such a tight, small corner. Yup, I was the one climbing up to the second story to get the top of the wall. Our entrance is done now and looks stunning. However, I am not sure I would want to DO this one again LOL. - Cindy

As far as the spring challenge, I have been putting off redoing my bathroom for months. I have paint, wallpaper border and some ideas. My MIL even has some flooring she is going to give us for free to put in there. I just never got around to it.

I also need to plan our veggie garden for this year. Just the planning shouldn't cost a thing. I have a couple catalogues I can browse for ideas and some pen and paper to sketch it out.

That's all for now. I need to do some scrapbooks but that really does require shopping. All I have are magnetic photo albums and I don't want to damage any more pictures. Thanks for your challenges, they really make me think! Wendy

Declutter the Home And Reach Out To Touch Someone Special

Hi Cindy!

I enjoy your newsletters when I read them. It seems my life has gotten cluttered in all areas....my car, locker at work, closets, refrigerator (experiments in progress), etc. There is so much stuff in my life I find it hard to slow down. When I slow down it's like I crawl. I work 12 hour shifts in a hospital and when I'm home I just sit most times and read or watch t.v. I don't like doing this but my house I think is causing me problems as far as getting things accomplished. I have great intentions but don't always follow through. It's like I dread having to do it but once it's done it feels so good. So, that's a dilima (sp) I feel is an uphill battle all the time. I have made some small accomplishments. This past fall we refi'd our house. I had a friend come over and help me cosmetically clean cuz there was so much stuff. Over $100 was found in the process. Plenty of things purchased and still in the boxes unused. So, my goal for this spring is to clear things out...lighten my home so I can keep the things I will enjoy and can make books for the kids now that they are 20 & 21!!! I've got so much stuff around here....we have a big house and lots of space and it's all piled in various places!!!

About something great to do for writing letters. I travel down memory lane from time to time remembering the people who have mattered or touched my life in some way. I have found my friend that I knew in 3rd grade. We only knew each other a short time. We kept in touch until high school. Fortunately I was able to locate her on Reunions.com. It turns out we live in the same state again. We grew up living thousands of miles apart once she moved. It has been so wonderful to visit with her on email and by phone. I have to find a reliable vehicle to go visit her!!!

There was another teacher who was so helpful to me growing up in high school. I sent a card to someone in Florida with her name as that's where I remembered she said her parents lived. Got looking around the internet and found another person with the same name in another state. After a couple of emails....I realized it was her. It was great to have the opportunity to say how much she helped me and meant during that time in my life. She sends out an email once a month for her business and so I continue to learn from her. Just awesome! Back to the person in Florida....I sent them a card to let them know I found the person I was looking for and wished them a good life.

Gotta dash off. Thanks so much for your newletters and for putting up with such a long one from me!!! mickey

A Birthday Gift Idea!

Here's my DO - I will paint a curbside-found chair (with white paint that I already have), and search around for the ingredients to make a new seat for it. (The goal is green and purple fabric and ribbons but I will use what I have).

This chair will be given to my daughter for her birthday on March 17th as the "Birthday Chair". She will get to sit in it like a thrown - looks like I will need to make a crown too! She may get her baby book presented to her (she'll be 4), however she only has her name on the front page, just like someone else we know - we'll see how dedicated this momma is - but don't hold your breath.

Thanks for the inspiration Cindy! Shawn, CA

My very first tulip garden. There are several hundred new tulips popping up our backyard right now. I can't imagine spring without MY favorite flower leading the way. - Cindy

Painting - My Way....

Hi Cindy, What would I DO..... I have always wanted to paint.... no, not the house, not the walls, nor the beat-up old bench out front that is so in need of painting.

I would paint a picture. Oil paint. My father who passed away many years ago painted with oils. I remember looking at his paintings of giant ships being tossed around by the turbulent, foaming ocean... putting myself INTO the picture. ‘Make-believe’.

I always wondered why his paintings were of the ocean and ships... perhaps it had something to do with him being in WWII and getting caught in the ocean one time. Guess now I will never know.

I would not paint of turbulent oceans and tossed ships in deep greens and blues. I would paint with bright colors, reds, yellows and oranges. Of what? I don’t know, maybe tulips, Holland, or a make-believe garden that grows all year ‘round…. (Colorado gardens do NOT grow all year round). I would paint of something or somewhere that I could ‘make-believe’ myself into where it was happy and bright.

Yep – that’s what I would DO if I could DO something… oh, and I wouldn’t have to spend a dime since I have had several canvases and oil paints for many years, just sitting there in storage …. Patiently waiting for me to DO something with them!

Friends are the True Treasure...

Your post about retiring as tooth-fairy made me smile and reminiesce about my first daughter, having lost her first tooth so late in the 2nd grade that she didn't even believe in the tooth fairy any longer! But we played the game anyway, and she was a good sport! And now, much to my delight, my son just lost his first and very much believes! :*)

Here's an idea for DO'ing something new . . . when going to the playground with your children, don't just sit there with your head in a book or engaged with someone else on your cell phone -- make the effort to really connect with the other moms. Strike up a conversation, remarking on the weather, the children, current events, etc. Find something in common. Plan to meet back at the park the next day.

I did this yesterday in the park and made TWO new families of friends . . . FRIENDS are the true treasures that we can collect without it costing a dime -- but the payback is AWESOME! :) Happy Spring! ~Kathy

The first time I went snow shoeing three years ago. And yes, landing on my butt was NOT planned. But the grin was contageous and I have been "DO-ING" this ever since. - Cindy

DOING Something Just For ME!

There's a couple of things that I'd like to DO.

1. Which would be for myself, is to start getting up and walking through my community for exercise purposes, a way to empty my mind for awhile and just let some things go. I'm a caregiver of my mother who is 92 and a single mom of a 15, 20. I just find it hard to break the habit of being there for everyone and I forget about myself. So for me I'd be accomplishing a few things there.

2. I want to start that picture album for the kids that I've been thing about doing for them for the last 10 years LOL.

3. Around the same length of time I wanted to start a journal for the kids from me. Telling them things they are allergic to things like that. Proud accomplishment they have made. Something they can look back on and read. When ever I mention this my daughter thinks I have one foot in the grave lol....but for some reason this is important to me.

4. I have a grandmother book with questions that i'd like to go through with my mother. History and stories that would be good to pass on to the family. Shirley