A big THANK YOU to everyone who visited Chuckies today. In total, we raised 1,560 euros for the Children’s Unit of the Mercy Hospital. We certainly enjoyed ourselves and Steve the Magician put on a fantastic show for the little ones at our morning party. In the afternoon the 96FM street fleet had everyone up and dancing to the beat. There were smiles everywhere and we hope that everyone had a very memorable World Smile Day at Chuckies.
October 2, 2009
World Smile Day 2009
World Smile Day 2009
Chuckies would like to wish you a very happy World Smile Day. Lets get those good deeds and smiles rolling today and change the world, one smile at a time.
September 30, 2009
World Smile Day 2009
Never underestimate the value of a kind word or deed. It has the power to change a life.
This Friday 2nd October, celebrate World Smile Day by making someone smile. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Give an honest compliment to 5 people you meet today.
- Start a weekly habit of sitting down around the table with your family and a pot of hot chocolate. Get everyone to think of 5 things they are grateful for.
- Visit your parents and remind your children how lucky they are to have grandparents.
- Make a golden moments box – we use an empty daz box, spray painted gold (the small one with the tablets in it – turn it upside down there is a natural slit for dropping in little notes) Empty them out every so often and remind yourself of all the little memories you thought you’d never forget.
- Contact an old friend that you haven’t seen in a while.
- Visit an elderly neighbor or relative who lives alone and help them pass away an hour or two.
- Say Thank you as often as you can to the people who are courteous to you.
- Visit a Nursing Home and chat with people who don’t have any family or are just plain lonely.
- Smile at everyone you meet on World Smile Day – they’ll think you’ve gone bonkers and that will make you smile!
The list is endless and I’m sure there are plenty things you can do that will bring a smile to someone’s face. No harm in getting some practice in before Friday. Keep it simple and keep smiling.
September 24, 2009
World Smile Day 2009
World Smile Day (Firday October 2nd) is almost here and I am amazed by the fantastic responce we have received to this Fundraising Event for the Children’s Unit of the Mercy Hospital. In an ideal world, there should be no need for a hospital to fundraise, particularly the wards that deal with our youngest and most vunerable citizens. But, we are where are and all we can do is make an effort ourselves, each one of us, to try to improve the world in some way. The power of a smile, a kind word or a good deed, no matter how small, cannot be underestimated.
So, make a start today, smile and be courteous to everyone you meet. I bet it will be more contagious than the swine flu and have you feeling a lot better!
Check out our Special Offers page for full details of our World Smile Day Event.
September 22, 2009
Celebrating Autumn
Everyone has their favourite season, the reasons for which are as varied as we are as individuals. Today, September 22nd, we will experience the second equinox of 2009 which signifies the real start of Autumn.
Celebrating a season may seem like an odd thing to do, but why not? Unlike summer where our anticipation of lazy sunny days usually end in disappointment, Autumn holds no such expectations. It is a season of change and leads us gently into the Winter. It offers us an abundance of Fruit & Vegetables and a tapestry of colours which transform the landscape.
Family traditions, repeated each year, are the memories we can call on with ease no matter how bothered we get on the carousel of life, so this year why not start a new one. Celebrating Autumn. Here are just a few suggestions on how simply this can be done.
- Visit a Farmers Market & view the abundance of produce which is grown locally. Check out www.organicrepublic.net for locations of Vegetable Stalls. Google Farmers Markets Cork for list of associated websites. The English Market www.corkenglishmarket.ie in Cork City is a joy to stroll through at any time of the year.
- Make a traditional meal. No need to be a top Chef. Make a warming autumn soup and enjoy it on a chilly day. Forget the pasta and mash up a pot of potatoes with butter and salt for a great comfort food. Keep it simple so that you can sit down as a family and enjoy the time together rather than seeing the pile of pots & pans waving at you from the sink. Introduce your kids to homestyle deserts by making a big Apple Crumble. Check out www.tribune.ie/magazine/food/article/2008/nov/02/rachel-allen-basic-apple-crumble for a nice simple recipe.
- Take a drive through the Country side and a fine day. Find a tree lined road where you can delight in the amazing colours that emerge during Autumn. My favourite is the main road from Bandon to Innishannon, where you can’t help but be distracted by the vibrancy of Autumn. Take an hour to yourself and find your favourite road.
- Light a fire on a chilly evening. Relax and enjoy the comfort of starting a new book when you are warm and cosy. Pick up a book for free at the Book Exchange in Chuckies any Wednesday mornings.
There are lots of things you can do to start the tradition of celebrate this lovely season. If you have some other suggestions, we’d love to hear them.
September 16, 2009
World Smile Day 2009
On Friday, Oct 2nd., Chuckies are celebrating World Smile Day by holding two mega parties. Admission will be €5 per child and all proceeds will go to the Children’s Unit of the Mercy Hospital. Full details of the parties are available on the Special Offer’s page of our website.
World Smile Day was the brainchild of Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Massachesetts who created the ‘smiley face’ symbol in 1963. It’s original purpose was as a symbol of good will and good cheer, however, over the years it became over commercialized and its original meaning and intent was lost. Harvey Ball was concerned about this and came up with the idea of World Smile Day. He thought that we, all of us, should devote one day each year to smiles and kind acts throughout the world. Since 1999, the first Friday in October has been declared World Smile Day and the motto is ‘Do an act of kindness. Make Someone smile.’
At Chuckies, we see many smiling faces throughout the year and we decided that it would be great to celebrate World Smile Day by helping someone smile. In 2008 we organized two parties which were a great success. Not only did everyone have a good time, but the proceeds went to the Mercy Kids Fund who make vital improvements in St. Anne’s Children’s Ward and the Children’s Leukaemia Unit for sick children & their families.
World Smile Day is about acts of kindness, so on Friday 2nd October 2009, whatever your plan is for the day, remember that you cannot underestimate the power of a kind word or a good deed. There is so much doom and gloom around at the moment why not make this one day where we forget our problems and help someone else to SMILE.
Check out www.worldsmileday.com and www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie for more details.
August 6, 2009
August Rush
No, I’m not talking about that lovely heartwarming film but that feeling you get the first week in August when you realize the kids are back to school in few weeks time. Ahhhh….where is that book list, must get the uniforms, what did I do with the sacks. Once again, I regret that I didn’t sort all of this before the summer break and feel those pangs of envy for those who are so organized. But I remind myself that there is no need to panic. There is plenty of time yet. Apart from the several book shops which now stock school books and stationery, there is also the facility to order the books online which can be done anytime of the day or night! Check out www.schooldays.ie for some great tips on everything to do with school from uniforms to advise on settling children into school. So, make your list and get started. Aim to finish all the bits in the next two weeks so that the last few days leading up to the start of the new school year will be calm. And if you’re already all sorted. Well done, I want to be like you when I grow up!
July 23, 2009
Family Friendly Holidays
Can someone please explain to me why it is such a problem to have three kids in a hotel room with you?
99% of hotels will allow two adults & two children and if you have a third child, you have to get an extra room which makes a family holiday extremely expensive. I understand Michael O’Leary’s (Ryanair) frustration with the €10 travel tax, but I would think that having to double the cost of your hotel accommodation because you exceed the child allowance is certainly a bigger financial consideration for a lot of families when choosing a holiday destination.
Ireland has so much to offer families spending their holidays here. Given the apparent availability of hotel rooms during the recession it might be an idea to consider knocking through a couple of walls to make connecting rooms with a family rate rather charge for two rooms.
July 20, 2009
Something to Make You Smile
Thanks to Mari who introduced me to www.hillbillyhousewife.com. It’s a great site for everything from family recipes, to menu planning and especially for great suggestions on how to use those food items that stalk the back of your cupboard waiting to be chosen.
Recently I came across a lovely idea for a rainy day or a sunny day. Get out just one box of Family Pictures. Many of us look at a box of family pictures the same way we look at a sink full of dirty dishes; just another task that needs doing. If pulling out a box of pictures makes you tense up, don’t panic.
This is not about starting the frustrating and time consuming project of organizing your pictures, it’s just about enjoying them. So just grab a pile of pictures today, any old pile that makes you happy and take a trip through your life, your family’s life, your dog’s life, your cat’s life or anywhere you can find a smile or two.
And when you’ve finished, put them all back just the way you found them, without feeling guilty that you didn’t create a neat album with your pictures. Because, the truth is, you did create something… you created a wonderful warm moment for yourself.
