Week 39: KenDUCKY Derby to Help Kids With IDD

Yesterday was one of my favorite activities of the year: the Kentucky Derby! 

And in my town, the KenDUCKY Derby, where thousands of rubber duckies race down the creek that meanders through town!

My best friend and I attend the latter event each year, donning hats or fascinators, dresses and boots or heeled sandals while sipping mint juleps at Rebellion Brewing and taking in everyone else's derby attire. 

And then, it's time for the grand finale: the dumping of the ducks into Cedar Creek! And cheering ours on!

The duck race is run by All My Friends, a local nonprofit that builds sensory rooms, playgrounds, camp scholarships, and more for children with Autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). 

There were 2,456 ducks racing in this year's derby event; their efforts raised over $10,000 yesterday! And All My Friends provided a fun event for the community at the same time. It was a win/win! 

But sadly, not for any of the ducks I sponsored as last week's Kindness Countdown activity. 

But there's always next year! 

Hope to see you there!!

Week 38: Saving 1-3 Lives While Bettering Mine

I've been donating blood regularly for the past 10 years. It's become such a priority for me that I purposely purchase plant-based protein powder (vanilla Orgain Organics is my go-to since it's often on sale at Costco) because I've found that it helps keep the iron levels of this vegetarian high enough to donate safely. 

I made my first blood donation back in high school, did it a few times in my 20s, and then had some health issues, became a mother of three, and went through a few other big life things that kept me from keeping it front of mind. And then at the age of 39, when looking for ways to positively impact my community during my first Kindness Countdown to my 40th birthday, I made a donation. 

And I've never looked back. 

I am an introvert who, if I'm being honest, really prefers to never leave the house. Like, ever. 😅 But I am also a proponent of building a community because I believe it's important to a happy, balanced life. I do this purposely in places I frequent, finding them more enjoyable when connections are made. My every-other-month blood drive is one of those places.

I've gotten familiar with many of the Versiti staff and Cedarburg Lion's Club members that coordinate each of my blood drives. They work hard to make it efficient and energized and actually fun! And they reach out to the community to provide good food and drinks and prizes for those who participate in the trivia as they eat and regroup (and socialize) after their donations. 

During my last donation I ran into an old friend while waiting for my vitals to be taken, the phlebotomist who drew my blood said "I remember you" when she saw my tattoos and we caught up on our kids from my last donation, and I chatted with a retired co-worker who told me it was nice to be connected on Facebook and that she's enjoyed seeing me so happy the past few years after a rough time of life she knew I had made it through. (She also said her daughter had recently relocated to the Milwaukee area and is looking for a job in HR, so if anyone knows of anything, please let me know!) And then the coordinators of the drive reminded me that the next donation scheduled was in June, the annual cookout...and that they'd do their best to get black bean burgers, remembering I am a vegetarian.

All this to say that if you're looking to better your life, this is your reminder to find a community and commit to being a part of it. 

And if you can do it before, after, or while saving 1-3 lives every 8 weeks through a blood donation, that's even better!!

Contact your local Versiti or Red Cross offices for donation locations. 

Week 37: Mile High Meals

Anyone who knows me or follows me on Instagram knows I've done more than my fair share of flying the past three+ years while being in a long-distance relationship. 

After boarding dozens of flights a year, I have my routines and typically do my best to focus on catching up on work, checking in with my kids, and keeping my guy up-to-date on my travels prior to boarding. That is, unless I can't help but notice things. Like I did while waiting for my last flight out to Colorado. 

I was working on my laptop next to two kids who appeared to be meeting for the first time. I overheard them discussing where they were from and what their families were like. I found myself thinking about what kind young men they seemed to be as I caught tidbits of their conversation while answering emails and texts to clients. 

And then I saw them join a few more kids who had the same look about them. The look of new kids in the military. And I choked up as I always do when thinking of those who give so much for me to live my little life travelling back and forth, working freely, expressing myself so opening, enjoying all my time here on Earth to the fullest. 

And then my head and heart got to work.

As the flight attendants were making their final round prior to takeoff I flagged one down. I asked her if she could find out if the kids in the back were of legal drinking age, and if so, could she ask if I could buy them a round of drinks. 

She came back and said they were all of age and so excited someone wanted to get them a round, but they weren't allowed to drink as they were technically already active. 

I sent her back, as my "second" 😉 in this negotiation game, with the offer to buy a meal or snack, I told her to really push for it, not to let them be too polite. She came back and said they all took me up on the offer and sent back so many thank yous. 💗

For the rest of the flight, each time the attendant passed, she asked if she could get me anything, on United, because she thought what I did was so thoughtful. I told her I was all good but really appreciated the offer. 

I never spoke those young men but I've thought of them and their families often, praying for their safety and grateful for their service. 

Psst! Kindness is contagious! Pass it on!

Week 36: Serving a Stranger

My youngest daughter and I went to Kentucky for her spring break to take in all things horses. We stayed at an awesome ranch in Berea where it was proven once again what a small world it is. 

My daughter snapped a friend of hers a picture of the donkeys on the property to keep their streak alive. Her friend asked if she was in Kentucky. My daughter said yes. Her friend asked if she was staying at Nicura Ranch. Why yes we were! 

Wouldn't you know, they were the other family overlapping our visit. What an unexpected treat to meet up and talk horses and bourbon with other Wisconsinites on our trip!

While our trip was planned with only horses in mind, this whiskey-lover couldn't help but scope out the old fashioneds on the menus during our meals and google places known for smokey offerings. ;) 

After one meal, my daughter and I made our way to Sedona Taphouse for me to give their smoked hickory small batch bourbon old fashioned a try. It was delicious! While smoke-infused ice cubes is my favorite way for the flavor delivery, a smoked glass is pretty great too (I don't love the smoke things they put on top, the flavor dissipates too quickly), and that's what I found here, a lovely-coated earthy flavor. 

Anyway, I digress...

While I was taking the last few sips of my cocktail, I noticed a gentleman walk in, take a seat to our right, and ask what the cheapest beer was on tap. He said he was looking to spend $3 and was used to cheap beer being a US Navy veteran. 

I looked over at him and noticed he had done his best to look presentable to walk into a restaurant, most likely spending most of his time on the street. The bartender poured his beer and after setting it down in front of him made her way over to me with my check. 

I asked her to please add some food onto my bill for the gentleman sitting to my right and bring me a new check. While we waited for the new bill, we overheard the man ask the patrons on his other side if they were finished with their food. They said they were and handed him their plates; he ate the food they hadn't finished up fast. 

While we didn't stay to see his cooked-just-for-him food get delivered, I hope he enjoyed it hot and fresh. And I hope this serves as a reminder to waste less. Unfortunately, there are hungry bellies all around. 

Week 35: Wally the Whale

Hello! Long time, no posting. Again. 😅 Also again, I've kept up with activities but have been inconsistent with the writing of these posts. I'm not gonna go into why, but if you see me IRL, feel free to ask. Over a good cup of coffee or cocktail. 😉 

OK, onto week 35's activity...

You may recall a few months ago, my boyfriend's very talented sister crocheted 50 chickens we named Mabel and I wrote notes for them all. We placed them inside of plastic eggs and added some paper nesting materials to a bag and had The Ronald McDonald House hand them out to children staying with them while they received treatments in Milwaukee. 

Well, they were so well received, we thought we'd do it again. This time, the crochet queen created 50 adorable whales I named Wally. I again wrote out 50 notes and placed them inside of plastic shell cases before adding everything to individual bags for the kids. 

The notes read as follows: 

"Whale, hello there! My name is Wally and I'm here to help you navigate these rough waters.

Want to hear my sea-riously good idea? Give me a squeeze when you need it; I'm hooked on helping you!"

Each of the whales were different. 

There were large ones and small ones. Black, light blue, pink, and dark blue whales. Some had rattles inside. All had reinforced eyes thoughtfully (and I'd assume, painstakingly, not that the artist would ever complain) sewn on. 

I love that each child got to pick which whale spoke to them. 

As I assembled the whale bags, I said a prayer of hope they'd bring comfort while in the depths they were experiencing with their new friend, and that they'd celebrate when reaching the calm waters and sunshine ahead.

Week 34: Two Dollar Bill Buys

Week 34 signaled two-thirds of this project complete, and I celebrated it with a fun activity: hiding $2 bills around a Dollar Tree store. 

My girls and I love going to Dollar Tree and looking at the holiday items, buying small toys and activities to keep young cousins entertained, picking up small stationary or kitchen gadgets we need, and usually leaving with a bag of candy from the sweets isle. 

Five years ago we hid $1 around the store. But inflation has hit even the Dollar Tree, and so, for this Kindness Countdown grand finale, $2 bills were used. 

(The use of those bills added a little extra something special for me since my grandma used to give them to my brother and me on special occasions.)

My boyfriend Mark and I took a roll of tape and the stack of twos I picked up from my bank to the store and hid them in all the isles. 

Our favorite hiding places were taped to toys (we enjoyed imagining kids finding them and being able to buy themselves something) and on the paper good items. Buying paper towels and toilet paper isn't fun so we thought we'd chip in. 😁

I tucked a bill inside a book as a bookmark, stuck one under a clipboard, and taped them to the bottom of ramen packages, the back of crayon boxes and sidewalk chalk, and other places around the store until the stack was depleted. 

I hope everyone who found the $2 bills enjoyed the unexpectedness of finding a little contribution to their shopping trip. 

Maybe it even reminded them of someone special from their past who used to give those rare-ish bills to them too. 😊 

Week 33: Freeing Fire Hydrants

Wisconsin got hit with a few snowstorms last week requiring time to be spent outside clearing it from roads and sidewalks. And fire hydrants. But sadly, this daughter of a firefighter noticed once again that the majority of them, in my town at least, had not been attended to.

And so last week, I threw a shovel in the back of my vehicle and sweet talked my sweet daughter into driving around with me for an hour or so while I cleared a path from the street and created access space around a whole lot of hydrants in town. 

Because it's been so cold, the snow that fell was fairly light around the bases, but the frozen slushy stuff from the recent plows was not. I shoveled until my almost-50-year-old shoulder with the reoccurring rotator issue protested too loudly. 😅 I cleared 15 in total. 

After freeing one particularly buried one, I told my daughter I was disappointed to see so many hydrants going unattended. She said, "Maybe people don't know they need to do it." And I bet she's right. Because not everyone grew up with a firefighting father. And not everyone thinks about caring for houses the way I do as a real estate agent. And so....

For those of you unaware, firefighters need a path from the street to the fire hydrant, and they are able to work most efficiently when there is 3+ feet of cleared space around the hydrants. 

Also worth knowing: It only takes 3-5 minutes for a house to become engulfed in flames. 

You do NOT want your hometown heroes spending precious time clearing snow when people and animals and things you love are inside. 

And so, I suggest you take note of your nearest fire hydrant and assess its accessibility. If no one has been caring for it, congratulations, you've been elected Fire Hydrant Captain!

If someone is already doing a great job of clearing it (like my old neighbor Doug, whom you may remember from Week 2's beer delivery post, does) you have some options: 

1. You could thank them,
2. You could do a little something special for them,
3. You could find another hydrant in front of an elderly neighbor, or one being ignored close to home, and adopt it as your own,
4. You could spread the word about the importance of keeping space around hydrants neat and tidy (but not in a preachy way, no one likes a know it all), and/or
5. You could drop off a treat at your local fire station (firefighters love baked goods) to say thank you for all they do. 

And since this realtor is on the topic, another winter maintenance tip is this: be sure to clear space around all of your furnace and dryer vents outdoors to eliminate the possibility of carbon monoxide being trapped in the house. 

And to install a carbon monoxide detector in the house. 

And to change your smoke detector batteries twice a year/each time you change your clocks. 

Wait, I'm sounding like the preachy people I warned about above. 🙈 Sorry! 

For more home maintenance tips (or for help with buying or selling your home 😁), send me an Instagram DM or email at sschultz@kw.com. Otherwise, I'll leave you here, trusting you caught my drift on freeing fire hydrants from snow drifts. 😉