Give a Day, Get a Disney Day!

Our family decided to participate in a service project as part of the "Give a Day.  Get a Disney Day" program.  By completing this service project, we got vouchers for one free day at Disneyland to use this year.  It was a lot of work (especially for Mom and Dad) but very rewarding.

We found a qualifying project that our girls could do and would enjoy.  We decided on making blankets for "Project Linus", a non-profit organization that makes and delivers blankets and quilts for kids in need (a.k.a. - seriously ill children in hospitals, cancer centers and those who have been through traumatic situations).  The place the blankets go to depends on the chapter you coordinate with.  We had originally planned to help out the local Salt Lake Chapter in South Jordan because some of their blankets got Primary Children's Hospital and Shriner's Hospital, but they had been inundated with volunteers and blankets.  So, we worked with the Utah County Chapter where the blankets would go to UVRMC, American Fork Hospital, etc.  Some of the blankets will also be placed in the Sheriff's cars to be used, should the need arise, for children they respond to on calls.  Project Linus has specific instructions/patterns for the blankets that are made for them.  They asked each of our family members to make two tied fleece blankets - 10 total!  (Only five of the six of us could participate.  Oakley was not of qualifying age.)

We brought the girls to Wal-mart to choose the fleece they wanted for their blanket.  I had forgotten how expensive fleece can be, so material for the 10 blankets was not cheap (yikes!) but it was for a good cause.  They picked out some really cute prints and marble-dyed fabric.  We chose the following Saturday/Sunday to complete the blankets.  We found out quickly how difficult it was for the girls to make precise, even fringe cuts around the blanket edges.

 

Darin, being the perfectionist he is, did the rest himself.  I know that was not an easy job, being as it was hard on the wrists and hands (not to say his back, with all the bending over).  Thanks, Dear!

I worked on making the little slits on each of the fringe piece to flip the fringe through (instead of tying) using a seam ripper on two of the blankets, before Darin realized it would be much easier to make those cuts with the rotary cutter, too, after cutting the fringe strips...so, once again...he spared us!  Thanks, Dear, AGAIN!  (I do not like pics of myself - that is why I rarely post ones of me.)

Then, the girls and I worked on each of their blankets, flipping the fridge through the holes.  Brooklyn tied her two blankets on her own, as well as help Makenna on one of hers.  Makenna did her second blanket all by herself.

 

Dakota did about a dozen on her first blanket before losing interest (go figure), but knowing that she had to "earn it" to qualify, she worked really hard on her second one.

We delivered the completed blankets last week.  The girls feel really good about the service they did Truthfully, Disneyland was not the motive; that was hardly even brought up.  It was all about the kids who are sick and have to go to the hospital like Dakota.  That was enough!  I am very proud of them and their hard work (and of my busy husband who made time to do this with us).  Love ya'!