Week 27: Cold Cart Retrieval

Wisconsin is currently experiencing a pretty severe cold snap. On Saturday, when I was walking out to my car after the gym in single digit weather, I thought about the retail workers who would be responsible for bringing in the carts from the parking lots that day. Then I thought about all the shoppers who probably would be more likely than usual not to want to walk their carts to their corrals. 

And that's when I finalized last week's activity idea. 

I went home, showered, waited for my hair to dry, and in the early afternoon, when I figured it would be most busy, my boyfriend and I headed out to help clean up some parking lots. 

We started at the Disney World of Saturday errands, Costco, where we found quite a lot of carts needing to be escorted to their resting places. 

One man finished loading his car and asked "Are you taking carts? Because I have one for you." I told him I was. He said, "No, I was kidding; I can't expect you to clean up for me." When I told him I was heading in that direction anyway he acquiesced and said, "You're a real good one; Santa is really going to reward you next year." 😄

After Costco we headed to Target, where we kept on driving because the lot was clear. 

Last up was Meijer, where we were once again put to work, but not nearly as necessarily as Costco. Mark headed to the far side to pick up a handful of carts left in the lot, and I headed to the front walkway to collect all the carts that didn't make it to one of the doors. 

On the way home I told Mark about a lady I talked to in the Costco parking lot (who, for the record, didn't think twice about taking the cart from in front of their car into the store with them) that said she had recently read an article that explained the shopping cart is a litmus test for society. 

I just looked it up and thought it was worth sharing, to at least think about next time you're at the store contemplating returning your cart of leaving it for someone else to take care of. 

Here is it for those interested:

“The shopping cart is the ultimate litmus test for whether a person is capable of self-governing. To return the shopping cart is an easy, convenient task and one we all recognize as the correct, appropriate thing to do. To return the shopping cart is objectively right. There are no situations other than dire emergencies in which a person is not able to return their cart. Simultaneously, it is not illegal to abandon your shopping cart. Therefore, the shopping cart presents itself as the apex example of whether a person will do what is right without being forced to do it.”

“No one will punish you for not returning the shopping cart, no one will fine you, or kill you for not returning the shopping cart. You gain nothing by returning the shopping cart. You must return the shopping cart out of the goodness of your own heart. You must return the shopping cart because it is the right thing to do. Because it is correct. The Shopping Cart Theory, therefore, is a great litmus test on whether a person is a good or bad member of society.”

Week 26: Grocery Gift Card Giveaway

Can you believe this little project counting down to my 50th birthday is already halfway over?! The past 26 weeks have flown by and in just six months I'll be entering another decade of life. Unreal! 

Last week's activity wasn't a new one for my regular life, but rather a routine one I've built into my professional life since starting my career as a real estate agent in Milwaukee years ago. 

After each transaction closes that I've had the privilege of working with buyers and sellers on, I purchase a $50 gift card at a large grocery store and gift it to someone who looks like it would be helpful. 

I have given them to young families with many mouths to feed, full carts when I sense people are stocking up on paydays, elderly people, etc over the years. 

Last week I purchased two gift cards after my last two closings of the year and walked the aisle in front of the registers to survey the checkouts. 

The first family that caught my eye included a mother, her daughter, and two grandchildren. AKA, a pretty fully cart. I approached the daughter and said, "Hi! I have a $50 gift card I'd like to give you to help with your groceries this week." She said, "Really?" I said, "Yep!" and handed it to her. She said "Wow, unbelievable! Thank you so much!" as her mom turned around to see what was happening. The daughter filled her in as I wished them well and walked away. 

The second recipient looked like a proud woman with two children. As she loaded her groceries on the conveyer belt I handed the gift card directly to the Woodman's employee and said, "Here's a $50 gift card to apply to her bill." He looked at me questioningly. I repeated myself, smiled at the kids and their mom and wished them a Happy New Year as I turned to leave the store.

I love my job. I am so thankful I can support my three kids by helping clients shop for their family homes and investment properties (that help care for their families). 

Being able to share my blessings with others is a gift I will never take for granted. 

Week 25: It's An Elf's Life For Me

It's Christmas week, and to help prepare and spread some holiday cheer, I volunteered to be an elf in my town's much-loved Santa house last week Monday night. 

To help look the part, I ordered an elf costume from Amazon, which my teenagers found quite entertaining. Even my best friend added "heckle Shannon" to her calendar that night. 😂

As someone who had always told her kids the truth about Santa (I'm proud to say my kids never ruined the "magic" for other kids), it was a new experience for me to see all of the family's visit Santa Claus. It was one I enjoyed!

Like most things for children in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, the process of reserving a spot to get in to see the Big Guy is a timely one (the line starts hours in advance) because the slots are highly sought after. But those who get in sure are treated to a special experience!

There's an elf outside to confirm your reservation time, another elf just inside the door (me, last week Monday) who greets you when you enter and assists the Clauses (Mrs. Claus was home tending to the reindeer while I was there), and another elf at the exit door who makes sure the kids have their treats on the way out. 

I had a great time listening to the kids' request to Santa! Some of my favorites were a boy who asked for a dog (his parents' faces were priceless), a girl who said she wanted a cat tail (Santa thought she meant the plant that grows in/near water), and the siblings who tattled on each other for not being as well behaved as they said they were. Ha!

I'll for sure sign up for another volunteer spot next year! But I'm going to have to up my elf game, because some of the longtime volunteers are really decked out; I hope to exude magic like them next year!!

Week 24: Candy Canes on Cars

Last week, I kicked off my annual December tradition of handing out candy canes to strangers and hanging them on door handles in parking lots while out running errands. 

I did the math and realized I've been doing this for 23 years already, after a trip to Phoenix to visit my cousin. She had some candy canes in her car and gave them to appreciative strangers at the gas station. I saw how simple it was, how happy the recipients were by the gesture, and the tradition was born.

This year, the candy canes have been distributed in Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado as I drove across the states last week. Just today, back at home, I asked the young man who took my cart in the Meijer parking lot if he'd like one and he excitedly said, "Sure! Thank you!" 

It's fun thinking about my kids only knowing a life of handing out candy canes in December, that it's a total normal thing for them. 

"You need to replenish your stock" my 16-year-old told me this afternoon.

And she's right, because we still have two weeks left in the year!

Week 23: 10" Cut For a Cause

A whole new woman is writing the summary of last week's project: I got a substantial haircut to donate 10" of my hair to donate to Children with Hair Loss, an organization that provides human hair replacement at no cost to children facing medically-related hair loss (cancer treatments, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns, etc.). 

Their mission to help empower children to feel whole again by making hair replacement available, especially to those financially challenged and might otherwise not have a means to obtaining the hair they desire, is one my family and I have been drawn to many times. My son and one of my daughters have previously donated and this was my third time giving to this worthy organization. 

My longtime stylist, Leah from Beauty on Bridge in Grafton, Wisconsin, once again nailed the haircut, giving me just the cut I wanted after a year of thoughtful trims knowing my goal at the end of this year. And during that appointment we discussed my desire to work with my hair's natural wavy texture going forward now that the weight from the length wouldn't be pulling it down. 

I'm still adjusting to last combing my hair in the shower before rinsing out the conditioner, applying different products using a scrunching application, spritzing my hair with water in the morning to bring the wave back after sleeping on it, and of course the shorter length in general (I've definitely wasted some shampoo and conditioner this week as I've gotten used to have less hair 😅). 

I hope somewhere soon there's a child who gets to go through an adjustment period of having more hair to care for. I hope any empowerment they may feel with the outer change will help their inner beauty and self-confidence shine brighter than ever.

Week 22: Kindness Is a Piece of Cake

My kids and I spent Thanksgiving with family in New Mexico last week. And as expected, traveling over the busiest weekend of the year at the mercy of two college schedules was not without its "excitement." 

Our flight out got moved up two hours making our layover in Atlanta over three hours long. Our first rental car smelled like it was on fire after 15 minutes on the road, so I had to drive back to exchange it, then they forgot to switch the next car's reservation to my name, so I had to go back in again; third time was the charm though and the Jeep Rubicon I ended up with was fantastic. Even driving through a snowstorm in the pitch-black on winding desert roads at 1:00am.

On the trip back, our first flight was delayed three hours, and we passed our connecting flight on the tarmac in Dallas at 10pm. We were then put up in a janky hotel with the thinnest of walls for 4 hours and slept for literally 10 minutes (I woke up in a panic afraid we missed the flight) and headed back to the airport at 3:30am for our 6:00am flight to Chicago; then we took a car to the Milwaukee airport to get my car (and my daughter took the Badger Bus back to Madison). 

I say all of that to point out a few things: 

1. We had a fantastic time with our family in Santa Fe, shared some amazing food and stories, old and new, and adventured to Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument. We'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

2. I was so proud of my kids and their positive attitudes throughout the challenges. "There are so many people in worse situations" was said many times and my heart swelled each time. 

3. We encountered a handful of really nice people throughout it all but the one who "took the cake" was a woman working at Varasano's Pizzeria in the Atlanta airport. She was extremely friendly and kind on such a crazy busy night. Our conversation went like this: 

Me: So, what do you think of Kirk Cousins as your quarterback? 
Her: I don't watch much football; I prefer basketball and boxing.
Me: We're from the land of Giannis so I like basketball too. Did you watch the Tyson fight?
Her: No; I haven't had a day off in 13 days. 
Me: Have you tried that cake place around the corner?
Her: Yes, it's so good! 
Me: What's your favorite kinds?
Her: I'd recommend the strawberry with the cream cheese frosting, it's amazing.
Me: Thanks!

My daughter and I took a few steps to the side; her holding the thingamajigger that buzzes when the pizza is ready. I said, "I'll be right back; I'm going to go buy her a strawberry cupcake." 

The smile on her face as I handed it to her was contagious, and her positive attitude for sure buoyed me for the rest of that long travel day and beyond. 

It truly is the little things.

Week 21: Christmas Care Packages

Last week's activity has been an annual tradition for my kids and me for a decade now: filling three boxes with self care products and fun treats for kids to be distributed as part of the Samaritan's Purse: Operation Christmas Child. 

Each year, my kids coordinate a date to hit the store to fill their boxes. They each start with selecting their recipient's gender and age group and then start shopping! 

I couldn't help but notice the evolution of their purchases this year. When they were younger, the toys were the first thing my kids would add to their boxes, knowing how much they themselves would enjoy them. 

Now that they're ages 16, 18 and almost 21 years old, they have come to accept that soap, deodorant, new socks, hair care items, etc are luxuries for the kids opening their boxes and they seemed to pick those things out first. But don't you fear, plenty of toys and art supplies were gifted as well. 

Stuffed animals (and a stuffed boba drink?), coloring books, toy cars, crayons and special pens, and plenty of notebooks will all be finding new loving homes this holiday season. 

What a gift it is to be in a position to give.