{How many tea cups can you find?}
Let me ask you something.
Would you rather volunteer to make lunch for 20 people in April and 600 cupcakes in May, or would you rather park your keister in a 2 hour committee meeting each month and get sucked into volunteering for even more stuff you really don’t want to do in the first place.
Hmm. Tough choice I know.
Now don’t get me wrong, I think volunteering is RAD. But let’s face it, sometimes we say YES to too much stuff and it can be overwhelming.
So this morning, Lucy the sample dog and I whipped up 3 heaping platters of goodness; Classic Chicken Cesar Salad, Spinach Salad and my favorite Qunioa salad. What you see in the first photo is what was left over from the lunch. Apparently the Classic Chicken Cesar Salad was the crowd favorite followed by the spinach salad and then the quinoa salad {maybe it’s an acquired taste?}
We also served giant slices of bread, and made 2 fruit crisps as well. Oh, and we made a jug of lemon iced tea too. But we forgot that on the kitchen counter.
So guess what’s for dinner at Mavis’ house tonight? Salad, fruit crisp and iced tea.
Yee-Haw!
So tell me, when it comes to volunteering do you run and hide, or do you jump right in and say YES to everything?
Mavis want to know!
Heather says
Hmmmm…well I work for a not for profit that really depends on volunteers, so first let me say, thank you, for helping however you did. Next, I would happily cook many lunches, but I don’t bake so the cup cakes are out.
Carrie @ Rhubarb Sky says
Huh. . . I guess I’m a professional volunteer. . . PTO president at my kid’s school. 😉
But, that’s my big GIVE, I routinely say no all the time to other stuff and would HAPPILY take a big ol lunch and cupcakes over meetings. 🙂
Sherry in Sumner says
Well, it looks like your fruit crisps were a big hit; not much of those left over.
Mavis says
I know! 🙂 There is barely enough for the HH. He loves those things. 🙂
Heather says
Regretfully, I come from a long line of People Pleasers and Yes-ers to which it became a natural part of my life to always chip in, help out, tax myself out and make me a crazy woman. It has taken a better part of 5 years now to wean myself off of the Yes talk and say No and be okay with it. I am still a work in progress…
GlitterMamma says
I’m with you! I just can’t say no. lol
sakura says
I volunteer once a term at our elementary school to provide lunch or dinner for 30 – 35 people at our school. I really enjoy doing it, and it’s strange how cooking for 5 or 30 isn’t all that different. Since I don’t ask for reimbursement for this we have a ton of money left over in our budget. So next weeks surprise is a catered smoked bbq luncheon!!! I think volunteering rocks!
Heidi says
I volunteer once a week to help at my son’s school. Then here and there. This Friday its all day for the school “serve day”. It’s pretty cool the entire school goes out and volunteers to help others for an entire day. They do it twice a year. It’s a private high school so they can do a lot of these types of events. I love it because it fills your heart with so much joy to help others.
Oh ya, I’d cook lunch way before going to meetings. I’d cook lunch & make cupcakes before going to weekly meetings!
Jessikah says
I did my “yes” time many years ago and have happily said no since.
Patti says
Me too Jessikah! Kids at home, I WAY overdid the volunteer thing. Now they are out on own & I am VERY picky on my yesses. Very. Like almost never. Guilty feelings about saying no”………….heck no!
Evelyn says
Me too had done everything but Pres. (I was the vice Pres one year) of the PTO which was the PTA way back when, at our kids elementary.I was in charge of teacher appreciation week the year our oldest was in 6th grade, a breakfast one day roped in 3 other mothers and did all the food for 125 teachers and a luncheon pot luck with grades 1 thru 6 room moms in charge of different parts of the meal.I also got a door prize for EVERY teacher from almost every business we have in town.Oh headed up the 6th grade talent show that year too WOW wears me out just thinking about it and it was 20 years ago LOL It can become a vicious cycle of good intentions 🙁 I learned to say NO when our twins arrived 🙂
Kathleen says
I enjoy volunteering at my son’s school when I can work out child care for my 2 year old. I worked the book fair last month and really enjoyed meeting the other kids and parents. Next month I am making three dozen cookies for “Readers Theater” for my son’s class. I would take baking over meetings any day !
Margaret Bushee says
Hey there! Well done! I see you have links to two of the salads but not to the most popular one, the Chicken Cesar Salad. Is the recipe for this rock star on your website? Thanks a bunch!
Mavis says
Not yet, but I will get it posted soon. 🙂
jfred says
Well, you DID volunteer…to make a huge meal and to bake a bazillion cupcakes! I’d prolly choose the same, lol, vs a stuffy meeting! Some people like the mtg stuff, but hate to (or cannot?) cook.
jfred says
…and no, i do not say yes to everything! I have to choose what is best for our days, and us running everywhere, doing everything, makes for unhappy kiddos (and mommy!). BUT, I volunteered ALOT before having kiddos, so I allow myself to think that that covers me for now, lol!
Mavis says
Yes! I do. 🙂