5 Ways Teens Can Give Back This Holiday Season #WhatMonthlyPain

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I think Audrey Hepburn said it best when she said, "As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." We've been blessed to be able to provide our girls with a comfortable life, but in doing so, we also instill the importance of giving back to the community and to the less fortunate. While we find little ways to volunteer throughout the year, it's during the holidays that we can really shine when it comes to doing good for others. Mariah was gung-ho on making sure we were penciled in for some of our favorite charities, getting us registered on the day holiday volunteering signups opened. It has been a really busy month for us, but so rewarding. We have a lot of commitments this time of year, so we can't be slowed down when Aunt Flo makes her monthly visit. Cramps, headache, and back pain? Ain't nobody got time for that! That's why I keep Advil® Menstrual Pain on hand, so we can say, "What monthly pain?" and keep on truckin' all month long. When you have a teen daughter, those monthly visits can be unpredictable. Mood swings, irritability, bloating and cramping. We nip those issues in the bud as soon as those ugly symptoms start to appear. When you feel good, you want to do good, and I've compiled a list of our favorite ways to give back during the holidays. If your teen is looking for fun ways to volunteer this holiday season but isn't sure what they can do, check out these 5 awesome suggestions!

1. Find your local Angel Tree and volunteer to help people sign up to adopt a child for holiday gift giving. We have several in our area through the local churches, schools, and The Salvation Army. Better yet, adopt a child to buy holiday gifts for. We pick 2 each year, and it is so fun to go shopping for their gifts, imagining how excited they are going to be tearing into their goodies on Christmas morning.

2. Walk the neighborhood and collect canned and boxed goods to fill the local food pantry. In just 2 short hours, Mariah was able to collect enough to fill the backseat of the car!

  

3. Get involved in your town's holiday festivities. See if they can help with the parade, volunteer as one of Santa's elves, or pass out cookies to the kids waiting in line to see Santa.

4. Give blood. Mariah is involved in coordinating blood drives through her school, and through those drives, their high school is considered the largest supporter of our local blood bank. Teens do have to be at least 17 to donate, but can be as young as 16 with parental consent in some areas. What better way is there than to help someone with a medical need?

5. Make some homemade baked goods and take them to neighbors. It's a great way to brighten their day! 

Here's the holiday Peppermint & Chocolate Cupcake recipe that we whipped up for our neighbors this year:

yield: 24 cupcakesAuthor: Theresa M.print recipe

Peppermint & Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from Paula Dean

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 32oz powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place paper muffin cups into cavities of 2 muffin tins. Lightly grease each paper cup with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, gradually alternating with the milk, beating until just combined. Stir in sour cream.
4. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cook in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow cupcakes to completely cook on wire racks. Pipe on Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

For the frosting

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer, until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Ice cupcakes as desired.

http://www.theresasmixednuts.com/2016/12/5-ways-teens-can-give-back-this-holiday.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

I feel very proud that my daughter has such a generous spirit and gets excited to give back to the community. Making others feel good makes us feel good, and I don't want Mariah to be held back from participating in the community service activities that she loves because of menstrual pain. So, I advise her to use Advil® Menstrual Pain to help alleviate menstrual cramping, headaches and back pain for up to 6 hours. Not only do I recommend it because it is the #1 doctor recommended brand for menstrual relief, I like that it is Caffeine Free, Antihistamine-Free, and easy for her to swallow*.

*Use as directed
 
Since Mariah will be off to college next fall, I made sure she knows that Advil® Menstrual Relief is located at Walmart in the pain relief aisle with the other menstrual products so she'll be able to keep them on hand when mom's not around to take care of her anymore. That way, she can continue on with her community service efforts while thinking, "What Monthly Pain?"

To learn more, be sure to check out the Advil® website for additional information and promotional offers.

How are your teens giving back this holiday season?