Six and a half years ago when I left my white collar job for the sweatpants and pot and pans of the at-home life, I had a grand vision. Well, I had a few grand visions, the first of which was dashed on day one when I set up my then very small children outside to paint on a windy day. NOT my finest hour. By the way, FYI, paint doesn’t permanently stain eyebrows. Now you know.
One of my other grand visions was that I’d donate large chunks of my time to local organizations in need of volunteers while my girls spent 2 of their weekdays in a daycare figuring out how to be social and learning the easiest ways to get inner ear infections. The way I drew it up, I’d play board games at the senior center, organize the toys and paint the walls at the women and children shelter, and I’d get into the commercial kitchen of a food bank to prepare healthy meals for those without the means to do so for themselves. And then I’d swing by the pharmacy to get my girls’ their antibiotics. Those would be the days of wine and roses.
With few exceptions, mostly involving buying toys for local kids through the Sponsor A Child program and spoon feeding pink bubblegum scented drugs to my daughters, I’ve done none of that shit. It’s a stain on my adult life, for sure. An indelible one, unlike those acquired during that outdoor painting fiasco. I’ve seen many matinee movies, ran hundreds of miles at the gym, wasted weeks worth of time on social media, and took countless naps with my cats, but I’ve done next to nothing to help my community.
I can do nothing about the past, but I’m doing good now and my two girls are as healthy as snot-filled children can be in the bleak midwinter. As a writer, sometimes I need a prompt from someone else, often someone paying me if we’re being totally honest, to fire the creative pistons in my brain. Having a prompt to do good, it turns out, is also extremely valuable. Enter Lee Jeans and their #LeeGoodDeed campaign this holiday season. Lee and the fine gents at Life of Dad have provided me with a much needed push. I find myself doing good, real good for people in my local area, this Christmas — good beyond the terrific Sponsor A Child program. I’m feeling good and doing good (and frankly, looking pretty damn good too in my Lee Modern Series Jeans) by delivering an abundance of non-perishable food to the Chester County Food Bank and later this week, I’ll prepare, cook and deliver a freshly homemade chicken casserole to a women’s homeless shelter in Philadelphia.
Today, I put on my new pair of Tomcat grey Lee Modern Series Jeans — the closest jeans can possibly get to sweatpants without being some awful sweatjean hybrid — rolled up my cuffs as I do, and ran with the #LeeGoodDeed prompt over to Target. There I picked up a bevy of cereal, whole grain pastas, canned fruits & vegetables, peanut butter and tuna fish to help the good people at the food bank stock up on their most in-demand items. While at the store, I also bought almost everything I need to prepare a home cooked meal for the folks at the shelter.
Quite a haul for the Chester County Food Bank!
All bagged up and ready to deliver to the Chester County Food Bank.
Only about 1/2 of the food for the food bank and for the shelter!
Whether picking up the kids from school, cleaning paint out of hair, or donating time and energy to local charities, Lee Modern Series jeans feature washes wearable for any occasion. The Tomcat grey is wicked cool as is the Santiago, which is more of a weathered darkened blue jean. So rad. You will look great and receive a boost of self-confidence when wearing the form-fitting but roomy and super duper soft to the touch Lee Modern Series jeans. If you’ll indulge me in this quick sidebar, I gotta tell you that these very jeans have helped me feel better about how I look over the past 12 months. They’ve actually been a part of the inspiration for me to lose and keep off nearly 30 pounds. The Lee Modern Series jeans have changed for the better the way I carry myself out in the world because I was once a baggy jeans guy, hiding my husky figure in the name of comfort, but since switching to these incredible Lee Jeans last year, I no longer have to feel ashamed of the way I look. I can enjoy fit styles I’ve never been able to wear and still have the flexibility to sit and be active, all while being extremely comfortable. These jeans are amazing, truly, and I can’t thank Lee enough for putting together this #LeeGoodDeed initiative to once again help me.
I’m not being paid to tell you this part, but you should know that there’s a remarkable sale going on right now over on Lee.com. The Modern Series Relaxed Fit Straight Legs jeans I’m wearing are only $31.90 (from $53). Go give ’em try, I’m pretty certain you’re gonna love these jeans every bit as much as I do. And maybe, you’ll also be inspired to do a #LeeGoodDeed this holiday season by helping an elderly neighbor with yard work or a small home repair, giving some friends a date night by watching their kids for a few hours, or putting your cooking skills to good use like I’m doing this week.
*Disclosure: I have partnered and was compensated by Life of Dad, LLC and Lee for this promotion.
Pingback: #LeeGoodDeed: Life of Dad | Crossroads