Day 181: Wrote a Letter for a Love Letter Bundle

More Love Letters is on a mission to send blessings through letter writing. Letters can be left around your community or mailed as part of a bundle to someone who needs uplifting. Today I wrote a letter to Renee, a mother in need of some love and encouragement. Learn more about the "art of  love lettering" at moreloveletters.com :)

Day 180: Donated to the (RED) Campaign

(RED) is leading the fight against the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies in hopes of delivering an AIDS free generation. By donating to (RED) you are helping to provide vital antiviral medications that can reduce the risk of HIV transmission during birth to less than 5%. Bank of America will match your (RED) donation dollar for dollar! Learn more at red.bankofamerica.com :)

Day 179: Made Pizza for a Friend

One of my best friends is so sweet and always tells me how much she loves my homemade pizza. Tonight I made a couple pies for us to enjoy! There's nothing like yummy pizza, a movie, and great friendship on a Saturday night :)

Day 178: Showed My Support for the LGBT Community

June is Pride Month to honor and celebrate the impact and contributions of the LGBT Community. Today I wore a ribbon to show my support! I'm hoping for a world filled with love and free of discrimination :)

Day 177: Gave an Extra Tip

I was so sad when my hair stylist moved out of state over a year ago and I have been searching for a new salon and stylist ever since! A good friend of mine recommended for me to try her stylist and today I had my first appointment. Having someone new cut your hair can be so nerve-racking, but my appointment was one of the best experiences I've had at a salon.  She made me feel at ease and gave me new techniques to try! I was so pleased with my experience and wanted to give an extra tip to say thank you :)

Day 176: Left Chocolate Bars for People to Find

Chocolate is good for the soul! Today I decided to leave chocolate bars for people to find along with a note and a quote...The world always looks brighter from behind a smile :)

Day 175: Loaned Someone Money on Kiva

If you are looking for a way empower someone, Kiva is the site for you! Kiva allows individuals to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. With a $25 loan, you can help people create opportunity for themselves and their families. Since inception, Kiva has helped individuals lend $578,608,550 in loans with a 98.86% loan repayment rate. To learn more, visit kiva.org! Today I decided to lend money to Caroline, a single mother requesting funds to help cover operating and payroll costs for her new business :)

 

Day 174: Took a Motorcycle Ride with My Husband

When I arrived home from work, my husband was eager to take me on a motorcycle ride with him. I was hesitant to go after thinking of all the housework and chores I needed to do tonight after being out of town all weekend. But then I thought about how much this would make his day and decided to go anyway! Sometimes we miss out on opportunities to make people smile because of our busy schedules. But if we stop to think about what really matters, the choices in our lives become a lot easier! Don't forget to enjoy life with the people who matter :)

Day 173: Helped My Mom Make Someone Smile

My mom is one of my biggest supporters and she decided to hop on the one smile train to help brighten a little boy's day. A friend of my mom has a grandson that absolutely adores the Cincinnati Reds, but he lives in North Carolina! While I was at the Reds game yesterday, it turned out to be Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead night, so I made sure to pick one up along with a small helmet to send to NC. Today my mom and I got everything together to mail and included some photos I took of the stadium too. I hope one day he has an opportunity to watch the Reds play at the  stadium :)

Day 172: Left Money on Someone's Hotel Room Door

Before heading out to the Reds game today, I decided to leave a little cash on someone's hotel room door! I hope the person that finds this money is thoroughly enjoying this fun city :)

Day 171: Watched a Firework Show with a Friend

Our dearest friends have been wanting us to take a trip to Cincinnati with them for months and today, we finally made the journey. While our husbands enjoyed an evening on the town, tonight my BFF and I opted for a girl's night in. While catching up, we were happily surprised to see a beautiful firework display right from our hotel window! It's amazing how fireworks can make you feel like a kid again!  And how special it is to spend a moment like this with such a wonderful person :)

Day 170: Signed a Petition

I am amazed after viewing the website Change.org! This site makes it possible for anyone to inform the public on an important issue and gain support locally, nationally, and globally. Our world today is very unique in that we are more connected than ever through technology. It is refreshing to see a site like Change.org where ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary goals and improve the world we live in from their living room sofa :) 

Day 169: Drove a Friend to an Appointment

Today my friend needed a last minute ride to an appointment and I happily stepped up to the plate. It was really nice to spend some extra time with her today :)

Day 168: Purchased a Memory Album for a Service Member

Today I found the USO Wishbook, a fantastic site that allows you to give gifts to service members. I decided to give a pocket-sized memory album, which is specifically designed to fit in their cargo pants! The memory album is sent to family members to fill with pictures before being sent to the frontlines.  When my husband was deployed, having photos of our family helped him to feel connected to home and I thought this memory album would be a wonderful way to brighten someone's day :)

Day 167: Supported Grant's Bike Ride for ALSGA

Today I made a donation through Crowdrise to support Grant's Bike Ride for the ALS Guardian Angels (ALSGA). Grant is riding his bike from Oregon to Ohio to raise money for ALSGA in honor of his friend Ben, who has been diagnosed with the disease. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) causes damage of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which eventually cause paralysis.  The ALS Guardian Angels provide needed services, equipment, and support to families affected by ALS. To learn more about Grant and Ben, head to https://www.crowdrise.com/grantsbikerideforalsga :)

Day 166: Treated Dad to a Day of Fun

My dad has a fun and silly sense of humor that is unmatched! One of my favorite traditions is trying to outdo each other with the most ridiculous greeting card for a special occasion. So for Father's Day, I found the perfect card for him! We also spent a wonderful day together and enjoyed a delicious gourmet burger at our favorite restaurant, sipped on local craft beers, and took a stroll in the park :)

Day 165: Kept My Cool

Today I had an important event planning meeting that was unfortunately overbooked twice by the venue personnel. Instead of getting angry, I decided to sit outside on this beautiful day and enjoy the sunshine while I waited. It's amazing how a little change in perspective can make an unfortunate situation into an enjoyable day :)

Day 164: Hosted Family at My Home

Some of my family members arrived today for an overnight visit this weekend and I wanted to make sure they felt as if they were staying in a luxury hotel! I wanted them to feel welcomed and at home! Before they arrived I made sure their room had fluffy towels, soft sheets, and even some chocolate on the pillow! I hope they will enjoy their stay :)

Day 163: Sent a Mantra to Megan

I heard about #Mantras4Megan from my Instagram friend @sprinklecheer to send love, support, and encouragement to Megan who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Helping me out with a mantra is my fun loving dog Mack! In my opinion, we can learn a lot from our canine friends about life...how to relax, to love unconditionally, and to enjoy the simple things! Mack embraces these qualities and I think if he could talk, his mantra would be "Wag More, Bark Less!" So Megan, please know that we are thinking of you and sending love your way :)

To send a mantra to Megan, follow these steps from @sprinklecheer:

"1) Snap a photo of yourself with a sign that has your personal mantra on it (what gets you moving in the AM, brings you joy, makes you smile). Be Creative!
2) Post it to your social media platform of choice & be sure to tag #mantras4megan & #sprinklecheer ( we'll share our favs)
3) Know your support is encouraging Megan and you've done good today" 

Day 162: Purchased Lemonade at a Lemonade Stand

While on my way home from work today, I passed by a cheerful lemonade stand! The young girls running the stand were selling lemonade to earn money for activities in their neighborhood. This immediately took me back to my lemonade stand days to earn money to purchase a tent for slumber parties in my back yard. No matter how big or small the goal, when we support our youth we inspire confidence. And that confidence will change the world for the better :)

Day 161: Left Cash in a Bouquet

I saw a display of my favorite flowers today and thought it would be fun to leave some cash in this beautiful bouquet!

Day 160: Vowed to Not Complain for One Day

With quite a few stressful days at work over the past few weeks, I've taken a ride on the negative train one too many times! Negativity is just as contagious as positivity, so I vowed to not complain for one day in hopes of inspiring a more friendly atmosphere. My fabulous office mate and husband kept me on track and helped me remember my goal when I started to slip a couple of times. While I wasn't 100% perfect in my effort today, I was more aware of my attitude and with awareness comes the ability to change behavior. We are all human and will find ourselves wrapped in negativity from time to time, but the important thing is how we rebound :)

Day 159: Sliced Cake at a Party

Today my mother-in-law needed help serving food at a party she was hosting for 100+ people! I volunteered to help slice and serve the cake, which ended up being the best job because everyone was so happy to get a delicious piece. It was so fun to see 100+ smiles today :)

Day 158: Proofread Someone's Resume

The job market seems to get tougher every year and applicants find it more difficult to standout among each other. Often the first impression of an applicant is formed after reading the resume. So to make sure every t was crossed and every i was dotted, I proofread a resume for someone today! 

Day 157: Dressed in R.E.D to Remember Everyone Deployed

On this day of remembrance and gratitude, I dressed in red to honor our heroes, both past and present, and to Remember Everyone Deployed. I heard about this wonderful way to support our military from Operation Gratitude! So don't forget to wear Red on Fridays! And this week, I had a unique opportunity to speak with a World War II Veteran who was a pilot and flew a B-24 bomber! He was an artist and painted his wife of now 70+ years on the side of his aircraft. It was truly amazing to hear his stories, but most of all to have the opportunity to say thank you :)

Day 156: Let the Next Person Have a Close Parking Spot

When pulling into the employee lot at work today, I couldn't believe my eyes! A parking spot was available in the front row, only one spot away from the sidewalk. I wanted someone to feel as excited as I was, so I decided to park further away and let the next person park in the close spot. I hope this was the beginning of a fabulous day for the person that parked in this spot :) 

Day 155: Left Quarters at a Gum Ball Machine

I came across a gum ball machine today while out with friends that was taller than I was! I just had to leave some quarters behind for someone to find :)

Day 154: Surprised a Friend with Free Product

I sell cosmetics on the side to my family and friends and one of my best customers came by to pick up her order today. I decided to put a little something extra with her order and enclosed her favorite eyeliner! She was so happy to find her surprise because she actually forgot to order this item when she placed her order. I love how stuff works out sometimes :)

Day 153: Left Positive Messages on Doors at Work

I don't think I've ever met someone who's favorite day of the week is Monday! This is especially true at the office. So today, I thought a little positive message could help brighten someone's Monday.  Who knows, just a little positivity could turn someone's whole week around for the better :) 

Day 152: Made a Card for Cards for Hospitalized Kids

Cards for Hospitalized Kids works with hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses for Children across the country to provide uplifting, handmade cards. A positive message can truly impact a child's day and help them to feel loved and supported! I was inspired by the bright sunshine today to make a card to send to this organization.  People of all ages and artistic talent can can make cards and brighten a child's day. Learn more at cardsforhospitalizedkids.org :)