Ahoy Matey!!

Some acts of kindness are also acts of magic.  We just did one of those today.

And, like almost all kind acts, it probably made us (the doers) feel just about as good as it made the receivers feel.

It all started with the idea of a TREASURE CHEST. 

 

And then it blossomed from there.  And boy did it blossom.

 

My sister Sherry and I decided that we were going to create a TREASURE HUNT.  It sounded simple enough, but the more we worked on it, the larger it became.

We got a plain wooden box.

Painted it black.

Decorated it – and by decorate it I do mean DECORATE.  That box had bling to beat the band.

Isn't is so fancy??

 

Then we got shells.  But not just any shells – FANCY SHELLS!  Our local beach doesn’t have all that many shells, so we had to buy them.

 

Then we got JEWELS!  Rubies, pearls, and glass beads.  Soooo pretty. 

 

We wanted doubloons – pirate booty – but couldn’t find any.  So, my partner David MADE some, and they were fantastic!!

 

David and his handmade coins

So sweet

We got necklaces, because all treasure chests have necklaces, right?

 

We found a pretty feather on the beach – put that right in the treasure chest, too.

 

TADA!  Look at all of the amazing treasures! 
(Many pearls, rubies, glass gems, and more shells hidden under what you can see here.)

We got a small glass bottle to put a secret note in.  Only, regular paper for the note simply would not do, so we burned the edges to make it look rustic (it may have taken us a couple tries to get that right…).

 

So cute - tiny bottle!

Secret note for the inside of the chest

Then we needed to make the TREASURE MAP…  It was tricky – we wanted the hunt to be fun, not too easy, magical, and doable.  I mean, we wanted the kids to be successful!  Of course, it too had to have burnt edges.  In the end our map told the treasure hunters to run 20 steps, splash 4 times in the ocean, shout “Ahoy Matey, I am on a TREASURE HUNT!”, spin around 4 times, walk 10 steps in towards the dunes, draw a fish family in the sand, look for the “mast” from a pirate ship in the water (one of the only remaining parts of the downed ship), find the blue “sail” from the ship, and more.  And of course, the final clue told them that X MARKS THE SPOT.  (Luckily, we had a leftover stepping stone and some spray paint to make the perfect X.)

 

Only we couldn’t just hand a MAP to the hunters…  It needed to be special!  We decided on a green wine bottle.  Perfect! 

 

Only then, we needed a CORK…  Quick trip to some neighbors solved that one.

 

We wanted to bury the chest, but we didn’t want it to get ruined in the moist sand.  We decided to wrap it in fabric.  But the fabric needed to be rustic, too, so we dyed it with coffee.

 

Remember how I told you this project blossomed in scope??  Believe me now?  We worked on this baby for 5 days!

 

And today was GO DAY!  We headed to the beach to bury the booty.  David did the digging, and then made the sand around the area look normal again.  We plopped the X stone down and we were ready to go!!

 

Burying the fabric wrapped chest

X marks the spot.

But how to choose the children to treat??  That was a tricky part!!  We knew we wanted:

-          A kid or kids young enough to still believe in magic

-          Parents who would be ok with us involving their kids

-          Parents or an older sibling who could assist in hunt

 

We looked around the beach a bit before finding a group of 4 kids.  2 were young – probably 5 and 6, and 2 were older – probably 11 and 12.  When they were busy splashing in the water we checked in with the parents, who okayed our request.

 

Then we got to work!

 

We put the green glass bottle into the water and then “found” it.  We walked it over to the kids and explained that this just washed up “over there - near the mast” (trying to help them with a clue they would soon see 😊 ).  I held it out and asked the little girl if she would like to open it to see what the note inside said.  She shook her head no, and I wondered if all of this work was going to be for naught…  Maybe WE were the only ones who thought a treasure hunt sounded fun??

 

Oh my- a note in a bottle?  What might this be?

But then her older sister took the bottle, and the magic began!!

 

We walked away to let them hunt (and we settled into a spot to watch!).  Oh, they were so cute!!  They loved the green bottle.  One kid was filling it up with water as another read the note aloud.  They seemed to take a while to read and study the note, but once they began following the instructions they were all in! 

 

They RAN the 20 paces!

They hollered “AHOY MATEY, WE ARE ON A TREASURE HUNT!” with glee.

They spun around 4 times (that part made me smile – they were very committed!).

They splashed as instructed.

Splashing (see the map in her hand??)
Faces blurred for privacy.

They drew fish families. 

Drawing fish families in the sand (following the map directions perfectly!)
Faces blurred for privacy.

They found the “mast” in the water.

They walked the required number of paces towards to dune.

Then they started looking for the blue sail…

 

Oops…  Another family had a blue sunshade set up, and that was a bit of a red herring.  They went to the sunshade and stood in front of the unsuspecting family 😊 .  We waved from a distance until they saw us, then pointed UP to the blue “sail” we were standing under.  And they came running!

 

On the way to the “sail” they hunted for the X that was marking the spot.  They were looking in the sand for it and luckily, the tiniest girl spotted it and squealed.  They rushed over, lifted the X stone, and the little one knelt down and started digging with her hands. 

 

We hadn’t buried it too deep (we weren’t sure if the hunters would have a sand shovel or not).  After moving away some sand she was excited to see the fabric, which we had tied closed with twine.  She grabbed an end of the twine and untied it, then pulled the fabric and box out of the hole. 

 

Those gems decorating it shone brightly in the sun.  It was so pretty!  They RAN back to their parents with the box still sealed and quickly plopped down on the sand to see what treasures awaited them.

 

Oh, they looked excited!  They dug through the shells and gems and necklaces and coins.  It was so sweet!  They found the little bottle inside with another note.  After they had examined it a while, the 3 biggest girls went back into the ocean (the smallest of the 3 now sporting a necklace from the chest).

 

Meanwhile, the youngest treasure hunter kept digging thru the bounty.  So.  Many.  Things!  Then she had the brilliant idea to dig a hole and re-bury everything 😊 .  After a bit of swimming she returned to dig it all back up again, show her mom a very special shell inside, and put on a necklace to adorn her swimsuit.

 

Oh my goodness this was a fun project.

 

It took a ton of time.

It took a lot of effort.

 

But it made us feel like kids again and I think it really delighted the children involved.  I can imagine that littlest girl starting school on Monday, ready for show and tell.

 

We have not added up the receipts yet to see how much Kindness money was spent making this magic happen, nor do I know how many hours we painted and glued and giggled and created.

 

But it was all worth it.  Because it was time and money well spent to create magic and spread kindness.  It gave us a purpose on some hot summer days, and it gave 4 kids a fun experience and a story to tell.

Beachy Boho Kindness

Do you ever meet someone who just emanates KINDNESS?  Like, before you even really get into a conversation with them, their kindness just sort of radiates out of them?  I am not trying to be all hippy-dippy-woo-woo here, but that is how it felt when I met Lyn.  She was a shining, quiet, beautiful beacon of kindness!

Beachy Boho Kindness

Here’s the scoop:  I was in Ormond Beach, Florida.  It had been “cold” there for a couple of weeks.  I must put the word “cold” in quotation marks because, well, let’s be honest, temperatures in the 50s are not exactly COLD to the rest of the country…  But to be fair, there WAS a frost warning 2 nights in Ormond Beach and everyone had to cover up plants for safety!  😊 But when it gets down in the 30s at night, that is COLD for this neck of the woods.  And people here, especially homeless people, do not have scarves, hats, gloves, and warm sweaters at the ready when the temperatures drop. 

During the cold spell, I drove by a shop that had a rack out front and a handwritten sign saying the items on the rack were free, and people could take one.  This caught my attention…  A couple of days later I saw a short write-up in the local paper about it, and I decided I needed to go check it out myself.  And that is how I ended up at OCEAN CHILD (A Beachy Boho Boutique)*…

Ocean Child A Beachy Boho Boutique in Ormond Beach, Florida

I was greeted by Lyn, the mom of the owner, Andrea.  Lyn and her husband were working the afternoon I stopped in.  They welcomed me, and we sat down to talk about the shop and what the front rack on the sidewalk was all about.

Lyn and Andrea are women with huge, kind hearts.  They do a lot for the community.  When weather got cold in Florida, they were concerned that not everyone had a roof over their heads or a sweater to keep warm.  So, they put a few of their own warm clothes on a rack outside the store, with a sign inviting passersby to take something if they would like (or to leave something).  Well, it wasn’t long before people noticed…  People started helping themselves to the lovely gift of warmth, and they were gone almost instantly.  (Sure, some teen girls who think “vintage fashion” is cool also got a free item or two, but things mostly went to the homeless men and women who really needed the warm clothing.)  There are quite a few homeless people in the area, and I bet they were thrilled when this rack of warm clothing went up.  I am guessing that word got ‘round quickly!

Pretty soon Ocean Child needed MORE items to put on the rack, so Andrea ran down to the Humane Society Thrift Store to pick up some coats.  Only, because kindness begets kindness, the thrift store was kind to her, and when they heard about what she was going to do with the coats she was buying, they reduced the price from $5 each to $1 each!  (And, again, because kindness begets kindness, Andrea promised to donate any unused coats back to the thrift store when the weather warms up!)  Ocean Child also put a post in a local “What’s Happening” group on Facebook, which got over 700 “likes” and many offers of donations.  Someone called into a radio station and told the listeners about the amazing project, too.  Donated items are coming in at a steady stream – children’s, men’s, and women’s items.  Some people have brought in blankets, which Andrea reports are taken by those who need them almost immediately.  

Simple rack, simple concept, MUCH KINDNESS AND WARMTH SPREAD

Andrea told me the story of one of the people who stopped by, “I had the sweetest man on a bicycle earlier.  I went out to hang up some new items. He had a blanket that had just come in.  But he was just wearing a lightweight shirt.  I said, ‘Don’t you want a jacket?’.  And he said, ‘Well the sign says to take ONE or leave ONE…’  And I told him, ‘Oh honey, you take whatever you need.  If you have friends wherever you are headed to, you take some for them.’  And he grabbed my hand, his hand was so cold.  And he just said, ‘Bless you’ over and over.  It brought tears to my eyes.  I wish there was more that we could do.”  Another woman that stopped was a teacher of disabled children.  The kids were coming to school during the cold weather without anything warm to put on for recess.  Andrea hooked the teacher up, sending her on her way with warm child size clothing for the class of 5, ensuring that recess could continue.    

The kindness just keeps on spreading!  “One woman went to WalMart and bought brand new knee socks and sweater boots to donate.  Those went almost immediately!” Andrea told me.  “And 3 people tried to pay for things on the rack!  We told them no, no!  Those were donated to US, they are for YOU.”

The rack is right in front of the store

I asked Lyn where her inclination towards kindness came from, and she explained that her family has always done charitable things. 

·         She grew up in a military family.  On holidays, her father would always bring men home who did not have family nearby.  They would eat holiday dinner with the family. 

·         The family makes “kindness bags” full of things like crackers, socks, toiletries, candy, Sunny D drink, etc. and keeps them in their car truck to give out to people in need.  “The Sunny D is always a bit hit,” she told me. 

·         On the anniversary on the death of any of their female friends, they get a purse and fill it with “female” items.  They draw a heart that says, “In Memory Of ___”, put it in the purse, then give it to a homeless woman.  It doesn’t cost a lot of money – they get a very nice purse at a thrift store and items to fill it at a Dollar Store.  It is a beautiful way to keep the memory of their friend alive and to pass on kindness in her name. 

·         At Easter time Lyn invited a homeless woman to their family home to eat dinner with them, but the woman was not comfortable coming.  So, the family made a plate of food from the meal and took it to her.  They also gave her a battery-operated fan in the summer to help her keep cool. 

 

This family really shows how kindness spreads from generation to generation.  Lyn was taught to be kind by her parents.  She taught her daughter Andrea to be kind, and now that is being passed on to her 13 year old granddaughter.  “When we are driving down the street if my granddaughter sees a homeless person she says, ‘Oh!  We have to go get food for them!’.  There are a couple of homeless people outside the McDonald’s that we go to.  We always include them in our order as we go through the drive-through.’ “

The store is lovely.  The paintings on the wall that you see here were made by Lyn!

Please keep the kindness going.  Be kind to those who are less fortunate.  If you are in the Daytona Beach area, swing by Ocean Child (164 West Granada Blvd).  Donate some warm clothing (they would especially like gloves and hats).  The boutique hopes to give out free sunscreen and bottled water to those who need it this summer, so you could also bring in some sunscreen to help them stock up for the warm weather that is around the corner.  And while you are there, THANK THEM for their kindness and check out the amazing work of local artists. 

* Ocean Child (A Beachy Boho Boutique) is a lovely store!  It is a warm, welcoming space that carries gift items, clothing, and artwork (on consignment) made by 26 local artists.  When Andrea opened the store one of the main goals was to have a space for local artists to sell their work without having to set up and tear down repeatedly at local art shows.  Artists who sell their work at Ocean Child make a wide variety of things – bath products, crocheted items, painted wood, jewelry, purses, clothing, etc.  Please stop in and shop (164 West Granada Blvd, Ormond Beach, FL) – support local artists.

Turtle Kindness

Here is today’s entry in the week-long “Write About A Small Kindness Everyday” series.  😊

Lately I have been scouring Facebook events to find fun stuff to do.  It is a great way to happen on things wherever you are – I recommend it!!  One thing I found was a TURTLE RELEASE – 2 turtles had been rehabbed and were healthy enough to get released back into the ocean today!  “Turtle Release”???  You don’t have to invite me twice, I’m there!!!

We normally go to the beach with practically nothing – just us, our hats, and sunglasses.  But we were not sure how long we would be there today so we packed the car with all of the items “reasonable” people bring to the beach (that we never do…) and headed out.

It was suuuuper hot today and the release was scheduled for 1:00 pm – meaning the sun was bright and right overhead.  We brought a “beach sheet” to lay out to sit on, but quickly realized that laying it out would be as much for holding our spot to get a good view of the turtles as it would be for resting.  We nabbed a spot right on the rope where we were told the turtle would “parade” before being set free.

We were waiting around, excited, when I noticed a woman holding a toddler in a baby carrier.  If I was hot, I couldn’t imagine how toasty it would be with a tiny human snuggled up against me!  I asked her if they had a place to sit, and when she said they didn’t offered her space on our sheet.  She was super grateful and then pointed out that it was not just her and the baby – there were 3 other adorable kids that belonged to her.  Of course, we said they were all invited to share the sheet to sit. 

Her sons were super into collecting jelly fish from the beach, and her daughter, it turned out, is a MERMAID FAN (as am I!).  Lucky I had on my “Mermaids Are Real” t-shirt so the two of us could spot each other.  😊 My new little friend and I made a mermaid connection (she has a tail, as do I!  She has been to Weeki Wachee, as have I!!!).  She was adorable.  

Just a couple of mermaid fans, waiting for turtles!

We hung out and got to see Mean Joe Green and Tamatoa get released.  It was lovely!!  David was out in the water as the two turtles swam off.  So fun!!!  We stayed and swam a while, but our new friends took off. 

I am not sure if this is Mean Joe Green or Tamatoa, but isn't he cute???

Each turtle took a quick "lap" to meet the adoring fans before being released into the ocean

All healthy now and ready to go home to the ocean!!!

There is another turtle event tomorrow evening – they are cleaning out a turtle nest that recently hatched to see if there are any live turtles still in there.  We are hoping to go to that, and I hope I get to see my friend and her family again.  I need to show her my new mermaid kite!

In the meantime, sharing our beach sheet turned out to be a super fun kind thing to do, cuz we got to meet that sweet family.

Being kind is FUN!!!

Do you have something you can share - an umbrella, some grapes, a pencil?  Seems like we shared more when we were kids...  I say it is time to bring sharing back!  It’s easy, will make you feel good, and might make someone else’s day a little easier.

Bonus photo - David got hungry and "ate" a jelly fish...  :)

Simple Kindness

Kindness does not have to be complicated.  It does not have to cost money.  It does not even have to cost much time.  There are zillions of acts of kindness spinning in the universe at any given moment, and taking time to stop and notice them will not only make you happier, it will help the kindness spread through you.  Trust me!

Here is an example of an act of kindness I witnessed this week that is super simple.  We were walking on the beach and happened upon a family who had made an amaaaazing snow/sand man.  It was fantastic!  We stopped to admire it as the mother was taking a photo of 2 of the kids with the creation.  And our friend Kathy did something simple – she offered to use their camera to take a photo of the WHOLE FAMILY together with the sand/snow man.

Kathy capturing the perfect shot

That simple gesture of kindness meant that the family now has a few photos of ALL OF THEM smiling and happy at the beach.  I am guessing that the mother is that family’s photo taker and so doesn’t appear in many of the shots, and now they have some memories preserved that include every single one of them together (and not in the strained selfie long arm shot style).

Look - isn't it great!!!?

See how easy it is??  The family was super appreciative and it made me smile so big to see that gesture of kindness.  The next time you are in a similar situation, maybe you can offer to take the photo.  Try it, you’ll like it (and the people in the photo will love it!).  J

Thanks Kathy for letting me share your story.  (She thought it was silly and simple, but her actions are exactly the types of things KINDNESS ACTIVISTS do!  Her button is coming.)

What acts of kindness have you seen, received, or given??  Let me know!  I want to feature them here!  Email me at kindnessactivist@gmail.com .