Advil® Relief in Action: The Heart Behind a Helping Hand

Image Copyright The Siners Photography

In today's world, we are faced with so many tragedies from natural disasters to poverty to everyday sadness and crime. There is always a cause that is in need of attention, help, and resources. If you go online to search for volunteer opportunities, you will be faced with thousands of pages that are asking for your help. If you turn on the news, you are informed of something heartbreaking. There will also be stories that will affect us, draw us in, and change our lives forever.  Stories, and people that leave us with a simple question to ask ourselves....are we doing enough to help?

I've had the pleasure of seeing and meeting some of the most gracious people in this world. A friend of mine has shown me the depth of volunteering from the heart. She has traveled to other countries, using her own resources, taking time off work, and even risking her life to give to women, men, and children the basic essentials to survive life. Things that we often take for granted, such as food and our health. The most selfless acts of volunteerism and the passion behind her giving hands shine through with every story that she tells. Not only would she give the shirt off her back to a complete stranger, but she'd give them her shoes off her feet, the food off her plate, and the medicine to keep her well for someone else that needs it more. She gives, and she gives without ever needing recognition or something in return.

I was talking to her the other day about some of the things that she has seen and it brought me to tears. She talked about seeing children that did not develop because of malnourishment. She talked about the sadness in their eyes and the emptiness that she felt. She talked about the need for vaccines. The diseases that children are dying from that we may never see. And then she told me of how grateful these people are for each person devoting their time and hands to helping complete strangers. 

Image Copyright The Siners Photography

You know, our society is so caught up in the materialistic things that we often times forget about the importance of the basics. Just the basics to survive. And more importantly, the fact that there are millions of people out there who do not have those basics that we take for granted.

Are we doing enough to help?

While surrounding myself with people and organizations that have a passion for volunteering, it pushes me to want to get more involved with the community. Not just send my donations, say yes to the cashier when prompted for a certain cause, and participate in food drives, but physically devote my hands to volunteering. Devoting the time that I may complain about not having, but very well know that if there is anywhere my time should be placed in, it should be in this. 

Are we doing enough to help?

Have you asked yourself that question lately? You can start today. Support the act of volunteerism by liking Advil® on Facebook and following @ReliefInAction on both Twitter and Instagram. You can then share your story of Relief in Action and use hashtag #ReliefinAction to help spread the cause. 

The Advil® Relief in Action campaign is honoring all the volunteers that help give back to the community during times of need, such as volunteers that helped during tragedies such as Super storm Sandy, to those building and giving families a home through Habitat for Humanity®. Advil® recognizes these heroes that don't let pain get in the way of giving back. We can all be a part of something bigger.

To learn more, visit www.advil.com/reliefinaction.

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Advil® as part of the Advil® Relief in Action campaign. I received compensation for this post. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Advil® as a product or its effectiveness.

Green beans have legs---according to my daughter.

Is it not amazing what you learn from your children? They can come up with the wildest things. Their imagination is neverending, and the great thing about it is that it applies to all areas of their life. Nothing is off limits these days. For instance, take this conversation I had with my daughter the other day over the dinner table.

"I no like Green Beans"

"Why not sweetheart?"

"They have legs."

"Oh, they do? I had no idea."

I truly could not help but giggle, yet at the same time, think about what in the world was going through her head. Clearly, it was her way of getting out of eating green beans, because surely no mom in the world would ever make their child eat food with legs. Surely. However, I had to remind her that just last week she was eating this very food with these imaginary legs that she says are there. And the kicker is that she actually liked it.

No. Not this week though.

Here is the thing with food in our house--I'm strict about it. I'm strict, but I'm learning to loosen up at times. I want my children to always be grateful for the food on the table, and to know that there are people, including other children, who go days without having food. At the same time, I do not wish to push food down their throat that they may not like. And no, this does not mean they do not have to eat vegetables. I want to make food that I know they will enjoy because they have in the past, and then also incorporate new foods that they may not be so familiar with, but try to make it as tasty as possible. No they do not have to finish everything off their plate, but I will in no way shape or form be making a new meal. What they have in front of them is what they get. But at the end of the day, like I mentioned, I want my children to enjoy their meals. I want to be the mom that they tells their little friends--"She makes the best spaghetti and meatballs {I do!}." Because there is just something about cooking and happy bellies that makes my world go round.

Thankfully, it does not always have to be complicated. Thankfully, I have my go-to recipes with all the needed protein and vegetables, and a little something extra to add to the flavor. Thankfully, I have Campbell's soup to come to the rescue. 

When I discovered The Wisest Kid in the Whole World™ launched by Campbell's soup, I was certain that there was not a single recipe in there that my kids wouldn't love. They look fun, they are classic recipes with a twist, they are easy {5-6 ingredients}, and they allow one the opportunity to squeeze in those much needed veggies to children that insist on veggies having legs. Ahem. I especially love the recipes that incorporate the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom, because my daughter will eat up each and every kind of vegetable I could think of--as long as it was covered with Cream of Mush. 

There are tons of great recipes to check out--such as Mini Chicken Pot Pies, Mini Green Bean Casseroles, Heavenly Sweet Potato Pie, and more! I've already started making a list for my meal planning, and I'm excited to see what my little picky eater thinks of them.

I do have to share though one of my ultimate favorite recipes that I originally found here. I do everything that the recipe calls for, but I also throw veggies into the mix, my favorite being-- carrots, celery, and broccoli. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs chicken pieces
1 (2/3 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
4 tablespoons melted butter (divided)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1 Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
2 Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3 Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan and saute onion and garlic. Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth.
4 Add this mixture to crock pot and cook on low for an additional hour.

It's a definite winner in my book, my husband's book, and the picky eaters' book. That's for sure. 

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Why I want to Homeschool

Homeschooling has been on my mind for a long time now. Right after my daughter turned 1, I started thinking about her future in education. At the time, we had started our own little "school" sessions at home and we had a good thing going. I loved watching her learn, soak it all up, and apply what we learned to everyday life. Through communication, socialization, and everyday fun, we had endless opportunities to educate.  I loved that I was the one impacting her learning and that we were always finding new ways and experiences to do so. Our little school routine at home has never been formal. We've always kind of had the go with the flow mentality and just took things a day at a time. Once mastering a skill, we'd move on to the next and see where her interest was at. We would add to the lessons learned, and always go over them throughout the day--- during breakfast, during our walks, bath time, and any other chance we could get.

Now, two years later, and we are blossoming. We are continuously reminded that what we are doing is right, and with each passing month, I think more and more about what the future holds.

There are a lot of reasons why I would love to homeschool. At this time, I do not know anything for certain, and it truly could go either way. The real reason and hesitation in regards to homeschooling has been in my husband, and he has been my greatest challenge. Like I have mentioned before, I don't want to do something without him being on board... and although that may require a lot {and I mean a lot} of late night talks over the matter, I hope that eventually we will be on the same boat in our decision for our childrens' education. Whatever that may be.

Why do I want to homeschool?

1. One-on-one learning. I want to be able to focus on my childrens' strengths, their passions, and their ability to learn. Each child is different in the way that they understand things, and I want to be able to focus in on this for them. I also want to be able to seek out their weaknesses and make them stronger. Allow them to learn and grow, and do so in a non-intimidating environment.

2. Parental Education Choices. With homeschooling, we will not only be to teach them about all the subjects that are important for them to learn---history, math, science, and so forth, but we will also be able to focus on faith, morals, respect, and things that will help to shape them into good members of society. I want to be the one that passes on knowledge to my children, that learns with them, that teaches them in ways that they will understand, and more importantly, apply it to the every day world. Wording it in a way that will make sense to them. In a way where we can talk about it in conversation. Less forced facts and more... learning.

3. Flexibility. Although there would be structure {must have structure}, there will also be flexibility. There will not be that added pressure, and we, as a family, will not rely on a school schedule to control every decision that we make. Which means that we may take a family vacation in the middle of the school year. And guess what? We could make it into a "field trip" and allow our children to learn more hands on versus sitting at a desk all day surrounded by 30 other kids. Some days can be spent doing worksheets, projects, and various assignments. Other days can be spent at the zoo, the museum, and outdoors. Structure is important, but I believe flexibility is as well. How many times did we as kids find ourselves dreading going to school? Falling asleep at the desk? Zoned out completely because we were just not into it. Flexibility and adjustments are good.

4. Less distractions. This goes back to the one-on-one learning, but there is no denying that in a classroom full of children {from all walks of life} there will be distractions. Some good, and some not so good. I recently spoke to a fellow homeschooling mom that decided to put her 9 & 10 year old for the first time in school for one year to try it out. Their number one complaint? Distractions. The kids were already way ahead of the other class, and the behavior of the other children did not allow them to learn properly, and as a result, they were also punished as a whole class. Distractions can also teach bad habits, and bad behaviors. The mom that I spoke with instantly noticed how different her children were acting once put into the school system. Needless to say, the kids were asking to go back a month into school. There is no denying that outside influences have a big impact on our children, and for me, I want to be the biggest impact on our children. Not the teachers, not other kids, not what society expects out of children.

5. Great results academically. Research has shown that home-schooled kids are very bright, test very high on scores, and are overall very well-rounded individuals. At the end of the day, this is what is most important to my children---education. Isn't that why we send our children to school? To teach them and to give them the tools to survive in this world. Yes? So to me, I want to give them the best possible opportunity to do so. If this requires more work on my part, more time on this end, and probably a lot more added stress and pressure for me? Then so be it. That's why I became a mom. My number one goal in motherhood is to raise my children---and to raise them right. That includes their education. 

With all this being said, there are so many wonderful things about attending a typical school system. So many that it makes my decision even more difficult and I know that it will not be an easy one to make. Andrew and I both attended public schools and have no reason to dislike the system. This is truly just a personal family decision, and one that we don't take lightly. I imagine that when the time comes, we will follow our hearts and take the direction that our children desire to take. They will most definitely be involved with our decision 100%, as this has everything to do with them and their future.

But I would be ever so honored and grateful if I am blessed with opportunity to do so.
To homeschool and teach my children.