Day 17

Day 17- A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

Okay so this picture isn't really descriptive but it's the current FB profile pic for the Oakridge Community Girl's Club group page. About a year ago my friend Kirsten and I were talking about how we need to get the women in our area together more. We know each other but we don't really "know" each other that well. So we formed the OCGC. We get together once a month at different people's houses and do different things. Sometimes we just eat the snacks everyone brings and talks, we go out to dinner or see movies, just whatever sounds like fun. There are some really great women in our area and I feel so blessed to have had the chance to get to know them better. I definitely feel closer to more of them than I was before. I hope that the other women in the group like it as much as I do. They keep showing up, so I guess that means yes? :) It's so nice to live close to so many women that I know I can count on anytime. If I need something, a friend, a babysitter or just someone to talk to I know I can call on any of these women and they will be there for me. I hope they know that I would do the same for them in a second!

So here's my suggestion to you . . . if you feel like you don't know the people you live near very well or are looking for something like this in your life- create it! Chances are there are other people near you that would benefit from something like this just as much as you would, and maybe they need it more than you do. So don't just sit around wishing for someone to start a group like this, just do it. Pick a date, time and location. Print up a little flier and take them around to everyone's door or mailbox and wait to see who shows up. Then once you have a group gathered have a sign up sheet for hosting duties and let everyone pick a month. Understand that not everyone will be able to attend every month and that's okay. No one should take it personally if they have a smaller group at their house. Our lives are busy and sometimes we just can't do it all, but it's nice to know that if you missed this month, there is always the next. Also get everyone's email address, cell # and find out who is on Facebook. Those are the main ways I communicate with our group. We have the FB group that they can join and I create invites and send out messages from there. I also send emails for those that don't FB. And I send out texts usually the day before or day of an activity to remind people. It doesn't have to be complicated or overwhelming. Like I said, a lot of times we end up just hanging out, eating yummy food and getting to know each other. Keep it simple and the fun will come.

This month we're having a project night at my house. Everyone brings whatever projects they are currently working on, or want to start and it's a kid-free couple of hours to get some stuff done. If you don't have a project, come anyway! Talk, relax and keep the rest of us company. I plan to finally finish scrapping our Hawaii pictures and maybe do Sasha's birthday pics. We'll see.