one by one: a little love

because sunsets on the beach are romantic. and this post is about love. 

but mostly because I just needed a pretty picture.

It's been waaaaaaaaay too long since we've had 
a One by One assignment. 

What is One by One you say? Last year I had the thought, "Can one person make a difference? Can I make a difference to somehow better the world?" It's hard for one person to act alone--but if we all work together, one by one, maybe we can make small changes.....so let's try!

Go read more about it HERE, and join in!

I was so happy to see THIS little article on our local news this morning. It's about saying what's on your mind--sharing the good thoughts inside your head instead of keeping them locked away where no one will ever know.

With Valentine's Day coming up, let's take the opportunity to celebrate what the day is supposed to be about: simply, LOVE. Somehow it has become more about store aisles and aisles overflowing with pink and red needless things. Let's get back to basics. 

I'm a people watcher.
I observe and notice people around me everywhere I go.
At school. At the store. Everywhere.
I often have little thoughts come in to my head as I watch, and I very rarely share them. It's so much easier to just walk right by, than to offer a quick compliment.....but why is that? 

Why is it SO incredibly hard sometimes to reach out to a stranger, a family member, or a close friend, and brighten their day just a little bit with a simple compliment?
We never know the impact our words may have.

Five or so years ago when I first started going to yoga, my wonderful, talented, and truly beautiful yoga teacher Abbey would always tell everyone in class how beautiful and strong they were. Like, look you straight in the face, and tell you. It is so easy to brush something like that off completely, and not fully hear those words...."yeah yeah yeah..." I would think to myself. But the more I got to know Abbey, the more I knew that she meant every word she said to someone. She saw beauty and strength in everyone, and had no reason NOT to let them know--it came so easily to her.
I think at some point in life, almost every woman (especially us who have stretched and skewed our bodies for babies) have felt very uncomfortable in our own skin. I know that I went through my own time of struggle.
But you know what made me realize I was being ridiculous?
Those first few years of yoga with Abbey.
The physical activity, being inside of my own thoughts, and without a doubt--HEARING Abbey's word's over and over. It took a few years, but it all began to come together.

We really never know how our simple words can change someone.

Let's start today.....all of us. You and you and all of you--no one gets out of this one.
Have a nice thought about someone? Tell them! It will take us just a few seconds....we can all handle a few seconds.

I'd love for you to share any experiences you've had with this--maybe how kind words and compliments have touched your life.

Happy Valentines Day! 
Now go spread the love by sharing your nice thoughts with others. 
One by One we can make a difference.

More One by One Assignments

SMILE

SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS

GET OUTSIDE

one by one: get outside

If are just now joining us, please go back and read THIS POST about the One by One Project.....and feel free to jump right in!

WOW. 

I've been slacking. I've had all these ideas for our One by One Project....and life has got away from me. I can't complain......life is good... but let's jump right back in. 

So far we've worked on smiling, and small acts of kindness--both wonderful ways to benefit and bless the life of another.

This time, let's do something for ourselves.....

I like to be outside (you don't say?!!). 

It gives my mind a break--

no ringing, beeping, calling, answering.

no inboxes, outboxes or bills to put in mailboxes.

no floors to mop or socks to wash.

The only responsibility I have outside is to just, BE.

Consciously breathe the air. Deeply in, slowly out.

Feel the earth below my feet. 

Submerge all of my senses on a mountain, in the desert, near a river, under a tree.

Spending time in nature has changed for me over the past few years. 

It used to be something I would just DO every now and then. 

Now it's a part of my life--I need it, crave it. I go crazy without it.
 It's more than something to do--it's part of who I am. 

We try to get out to explore at least once each week--even if it's quick
it feels so good to get out.
(really, even a half hour can really recharge our batteries!)

We plan larger hikes as a family throughout the year on Saturdays set aside, and we look forward to more camping and weekend adventures as we dive deeper into summer.

I've made a small list of peaks that I just have to get up this year.
And really, I look forward to just spending time simply out in the yard--laying on a blanket to read--as long as I can be outside, all will be well. 

Why is it so important to be outside?

"In every walk with nature 

one receives far more than he seeks"

-John Muir

I truly believe that if you add more "outside time" to your life, you will:
-be more patient
-be more calm
-improve your health--both physically and mentally
-reduce stress
-start to look at the world differently
-appreciate more

Whether it's a half hour lunch break in a quiet park, 
or a weekend excursion up a mountain--I want you to get out.

we had an extra some extra time in the afternoon last Friday.....so we headed for the hills
spring is slowwwwly making it's way up the mountain.....

So here is my challenge to you:
GET OUTSIDE. 
Do it!

I'm giving you two weeks....and I want to hear about it.
Please come back to this post (or email me sheenajibson at gmail) and share how getting outside has changed you for the good.
I want to do a follow up post in few weeks highlighting some of YOUR stories--so I'm counting on you guys to participate!

Please share this message--we all know someone spends way too much time behind a desk or on the couch.....
.....let's change that.

Now, turn off your computer and get out there!

EDITED TO ADD: 
I'm giving you until May 31 to spend sometime outside 
(or else.......)
The Genius Whitney Ingram tagged her outside picture on instagram #onebyonechallenge....now let's see YOUR outside pictures for the next two weeks by using the same hashtag. 
GO!

one by one: small acts of kindness

If you are just now joining us, please go back and read THIS POST about the One by One Project.....and please jump right in!

We have been in our house now for 13 days. 

In those 13 days I have experienced more kindness than my brain can even begin to comprehend. 

I am warm and fuzzy all over despite the chilly mountain breeze.

Our good friends spent an entire day of their weekend helping us unload and unload and unload our life into our house.

We have been welcomed by neighbors--with smiles and handshakes and treats. 

A seat was saved for us at church on Sunday.

It was the loaf of homemade bread that did me in. 

Such a simple act, yet I had to hold back tears as I received it in my doorway.

Our family has been welcomed into this community so quickly, and it's everyone's small acts of kindness that have made us feel like we are right where we are supposed to be. 

And all in less than two weeks.

Your second One by One Challenge:

a small act. 

nothing grand. 

small and simple things that are easy to do, 

yet could make a huge difference to a neighbor. a friend. a stranger. 

-take your neighbor's garbage can in for them at the end of the day

-return a shopping cart in the parking lot for a busy mom

-visit with a neighbor

-let someone go ahead of you in line at the store

-pop a few extra quarters in the meter

There are so many little things we can do!

I asked my kids what we should do to be nice to someone and they said 

"let's draw people pictures!"

Even kids understand what makes people happy.

While I don't want to hear what acts of kindness you are doing 

(remember--then it doesn't count if you tell everyone about it), 

I would love to hear if you have been on the receiving end of a small act of kindness. 

It really is the best feeling.

good luck! have fun! 

be kind.

for some great ideas of simple acts, check out Julie's blog, 

or leave your own ideas in the comments here.

and if you can, spread the word! the more people we can get in on this, 
the more of a difference we can start to make.
one by one.

a new project: one by one

Why hello there. 

If you are usually more of a skimmer and casual picture-looker, and not one that always reads my long winded rambles.....I ask that maybe I could just steal away a few minutes of your day and have you read this....just this one time. I need your help. 

(This is long. I am sorry. Grab a snack.)

I want to start something, a project, and I need you....and you! And your sisters and your friends and your uncles and your mom. All of you. 

In last month's post I had mentioned my desire to make this little Internet space different. 

Fill it with content that will be helpful and worthwhile, instead of just wasteful and time consuming Internet fluff.

When January got too cold, we ran away to the desert. After a long day of playing on the rocks and soaking up the sunshine, we returned to the house we were staying in, dumped the sand from our shoes, and got to work on dinner. We enjoyed a grilled feast with friends and spent the evening with full bellies and long conversations. We spoke of parenting and adventures and then somehow got on the topic of "making a difference". We had been talking about different documentaries we'd all seen, and while the end credits always left us feeling inspired, we realized that we really can't do much in the form of activism. As much as we would like to run off and "save the _______", being young parents with low budgets and day to day responsibilities, it's hard to get out and DO something, even if we really wanted to. 

How can one person make a difference? Can they? 

Can I?

I started thinking.

and thinking.

Woke up in the middle of the night......thinking.

Flash forward through the next few weeks.....more thinking. Pondering. Wondering. 

What can I do? 

What can WE do? 

How to make a difference......

I started to get ideas.....

As strange as it sounds.....bloggers have power.

Weird right?

I am sometimes amazed at how much time and money people put into their blogs. 

Why spend so much on something that's not even tangible--it's not real!

 It's something that won't even be around in ten years?! 

Crafts and new fashions and awkward self portraits.....why do we need these things?

Did you know there are conferences throughout the year you can go and learn to be a better blogger? I wonder if in twenty years people will look back and wonder why they poured so much money into something flashy on their computer screen. 

And will they wish for precious hours back with their friends and families?

So much time trying to better nothing more than an image and an Internet space, when that time could be used to better the world around us.

So.

Here's an idea.

What if we used the Internet--our blogs-- as a tool for good? What if we spent some of our time and energy and talents in actually trying to make a difference, instead of just growing our readership and making ourselves look fancy. 

Let's use the power of the Internet to do something meaningful. 

Something we can look back on and feel good about when we are 103 years old.

Let's join forces for good, shall we?

No plane ticket or fancy outfit required.

So here is my idea. It's small. Simple.

It has the potential to grow......IF you can help me. I can't do it alone.

What if every few weeks I posted a challenge. Something very doable that we ALL can participate in--I know you don't need another item on your to-do list. 

Just a small action that could potentially make a difference in someone's life. 

Do a small act of service. 

Write a note to someone.

Pick up a piece of trash. 

Or how about time spent that could make US a better person--enrich our REAL life, not our Internet life.

Read a book. 

Start a journal (using paper!) 

Turn our phone off. 

Imagine the possibilities! 

And if we were all doing it together, maybe we COULD actually make a difference.

Imagine this (I like visuals)

Let's say I'm walking through a parking lot and pick up a piece of trash I see blowing across the pavement.

ONE piece of trash in the garbage.....meh. Big deal.

But let's say everyone that reads this picks up one piece of trash....right there we are filling up trash bags! Trash cans! Call the garbage man!  (double bonus if you sort recyclables!) 

Our streets and parks around the world just got a little bit cleaner. 

And then you tell your friends (and neighbors! and cousins!).....and they help out too. 

Do you see where I'm going here?

We can all work on this together--reaching out to those around us. Enriching our own lives. Little steps at a time. It's hard for one person to make a difference on our own......but one by one, maybe....just maybe....we can get something going.

Are you with me? 

I promise to make it easy. And fun! Always fun.

BUT.

One but.

Talking to the wise and knowledgeable Whitney Ingram (yes, THE Cookbook Whitney) she brought up a good point. The Internet (blogs, facebook, instagram, etc and etc) have made it so we all feel the need to brag about every little thing we do. 

This is what she had to say about serving others, 

"if you tell someone about it, it doesn't count."

I love this.

I don't want us to be bragging and posting photos of all our wonderful do-goodery. That is not the point. However, should you have incredible story of some sort, or a life changing experience.....please let me know. I would love to share your story here--it's good for us all to hear encouraging and heart warming stories of kindness. Has someone served YOU? I want to hear about that too.

But for the most part, let's keep our little acts silent, so they can all count.

Who is with me? 

Are you up for the challenge? 

Should we see if we can little by little, one by one, try to make a difference on this mighty earth?

We are going to start out as basic and simple as we can get. 

I want everyone to play along--no excuses! 

What's our first challenge?

Smile.

What?!

Yes sir and mam. Just smile. A little extra than usual. 

Smile at a stranger. 

Smile at that guy who took your parking spot.

Smile at the girl who puts her yoga mat waaaaaay too close to yours and you can smell her feet. 

Smile when you really don't want too. The world needs more smiles, so let's start today. 

You and me and you and you.

See?! Easy challenge to start us out. I would love to hear your ideas for challenges--I plan on rotating between ways we can better those around us, ourselves, and the Earth. I have my list going but would love to add some of your ideas. I want a good combination of small gestures we can do for others to spread happiness, and small changes we can make in our individual lives that will lead to us being happier.

And.....

Tell your friends! 

The more people we can get on board, the more of a difference we can actually start to make.

Please take a button if you'd like to post on your blog, and link to our challenges. 

(just paste this html code on your sidebar)

<center> <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/one%20by%20one" target="_blank"><img alt="grab a button" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8464082110_ebab29771e_o.jpg" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/one%20by%20one" target="_blank"><img alt="grab a button" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8462982541_3545ddfc6d_o.png" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/one%20by%20one" target="_blank"><img alt="grab a button" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8464082088_dfe8e31961_o.png" /></a></center>

Wow! Did you make it through that whole thing? 

Thank you for reading and for your support. 

I am so excited to work together and see what we can do.

now.....go smile at someone!