Day 242: Left Free Wishes at a Fountain

 

We have a beautiful fountain in our local community that I always see people sitting at and enjoying the view. I've always loved the idea of making wishes at a fountain and thought this would be a perfect spot to leave a jar full of pennies for wishes :)

Day 241: Celebrated National Dog Day (Belated)

I can't believe I missed National Dog Day. I wanted to honor Mr. Mack for the love and joy he gives my family. This doggie puts a smile on my face every day and coming home to him makes life so enjoyable! Mack-a-doo's extra special treat today was finishing off the peanut butter in the jar. I love this picture of him licking his lips before digging in :)

Day 240: Gave My Husband Complete Control of the Remote

My husband has been such an awesome supporter for me this week. So tonight, I gave him complete control of the remote and we spent the evening watching his favorite "boy" shows. Just a small gesture of love and appreciation :) 

Day 239: Made a Donation to Dress for Success

I ordered some clothes for an upcoming trip online this weekend after I couldn't find the right size in the store. They arrived today and unfortunately did not fit. I was so bummed and irritated. And then I was bummed and irritated for letting myself get so bummed and irritated! So I decided to stop this cycle and channel my frustration towards something positive. I decided to donate to Dress for Success, an organization that provides professional attire and assistance to disadvantaged women entering the workforce. Their goal is for "each woman to leave Dress for Success with a complete outfit that will help her feel confident in her interview and land a job."  Check out dressforsuccess.org to learn more :)

Day 238: Left a Positive Message in a Public Restroom

Ladies! Let's spend less time stressing out in front of the bathroom mirror and more time living our lives and having fun! Just remember that you look beautiful :)

Day 237: Left a Gift Card to My Favorite Ice Cream Shop for Someone to Find

We all scream for ice cream!! Someone brightened my day last week by giving me a gift card to my favorite ice cream shop, so today I decided to spread a little ice cream cheer of my own :)

Day 236: Treated My Husband to His Favorite Meal

Today my husband was a sweetie and went shopping with me while I searched for some new clothes for an upcoming trip. He hates shopping!! So, I decided to surprise him with his favorite meal at his favorite restaurant to say thanks :)

Day 235: Walked a 5K and Donated Food to Support a Local Food Pantry

A local church organized a 5K run/walk to raise funds and donations of food for their food pantry. I was so happy to participate and even had the opportunity to reconnect with some great people that I haven't talked to in a while! This was the inaugural 5K for the church with over 100 participants and 200+ pieces of food donated for the pantry :)

Day 234: Acted Kindly Towards Someone Who Was Unkind

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission” ― Mahatma Gandhi . Today, I decided to respond kindly to a person that has been unkind to me. It was hard...extremely hard. I was tired of allowing my inner peace to be disrupted by this negativity. After the encounter something amazing happened! The person thanked me, apologized, and then offered me a small token of friendship.  Kindness always wins :)

 

Day 233: Practiced Active Listening

One of my favorite life lessons is Habit 5 of 7 Habits for Highly Effective People...Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. We are all guilty of listening to reply and often miss the meaning of what we are being told. Active listening is a skill that needs continual development and practice, so today I wanted to focus more effort on truly hearing what someone is saying. A great technique for active listening is paraphrasing back what someone just told you. This also validates the person you are speaking with. Try this technique this week and see how it changes your conversation :)

Day 232: Left Money in a Pair of Jeans

Today was the first day of school for many schools in my area. I remembered back to school shopping for all the essentials and especially new jeans! So I thought it would be fun to leave some cash for someone to find in a new pair of jeans :) 

Day 231: Completed the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Made a Donation to the ALS Association

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has made quite an impact over the past couple of weeks and has helped raise over 22.9 million dollars compared to 1.9 million raised during the same time period last year!! ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" is a progressive degeneration of motor neurons. Did you know that Veterans, are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS? This is a devastating disease that has no cure and is not fully understood, so awareness and donations are vital for researching treatments for this condition. I was challenged by a good friend of mine to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It's simple...pour ice water over your head, make a donation to the ALS charity of your choice, and nominate someone else to do the challenge! So with that said, I am nominating each of YOU for the Ice Bucket Challenge!! Make an impact today and learn more at www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge :)

Day 230: Left Lucky Pennies for People to Find

See a penny pick it up, then all day you'll have good luck! I got this super cute idea from my Instagram friend @nysmilemovement ! Today I decided to leave lucky pennies (heads up of course) for people to find on sidewalks throughout town :)

Day 228 and 229: Smiled for Friends & Family and Helped Clean

This is a late post for Day 228 because my family and friends decided to turn the table and make me smile! I walked into a surprise birthday celebration and was overwhelmed by the love and support from my nearest and dearest.  I was truly touched to hear stories of my past and blessings for my future. It was equally touching to hear how my journey this year inspired them to host this joyous occasion in my honor. 

After a wonderful weekend, I wanted to help clean up today! So despite being reprimanded, I helped clean the dishes and tear down the decorations as a gesture of thanks. Words cannot express how thankful I am for my family and friends and their amazing act of kindness. They inspire me each and every day :)

Day 227: Left Messages of Appreciation for Veterans

Did you know that we lose a Veteran to suicide every 65 minutes? A truly heartbreaking statistic that inspired me to write messages of appreciation to leave in waiting rooms at our local VA. There is help for our Heroes. Some resources include the VA Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) or text 838255 and the 1, 2 Many Project .  Let our Heroes know that we are here for them :)

Source: VAntage Point Blog

Day 226: Left a Small Gift for a Coworker

My coworker is currently learning a new technology for her job and she needs to keep lots of notes for tracking new processes and multiple passwords. I found this adorable list pad and thought it would be perfect for helping her organize her notes. I love how the top says "Write That Down."  Sometimes we spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our families, so creating supportive and positive relationships are essential :) 

Day 225: Complimented Everyone I Spoke With Today

Today I was inspired by the short film Validation and decided to give a genuine compliment to everyone I spoke with. A compliment has the power to transform someone's perspective of the day. Think about a time when a compliment turned your frown upside down and strive to recreate that feeling in others. And don't forget...witnessing the reaction a compliment has on someone can change your perspective as well :)

Day 224: Helped a Friend Preserve a Childhood Memory

My dear friend and her family recently sold the home she grew up in. To help preserve some memories of her childhood, she wanted photos taken around the property with her family before closing. I was so happy to help and just love to take family photos! Afterwards, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and I was able to get to know some of her family too. It was such a fun evening :)

Day 223: Donated to Doctors Without Borders

I was a little disappointed today as I was not able to complete an act of kindness that I had my heart set on. I had a doctor's appointment today and wanted to pay for someone's copay or help pay down a debt, but unfortunately the office declined this request. So, I thought a donation to Doctors Without Borders was a worthy alternative! Learn about their lifesaving work at doctorswithoutborders.org :)

Day 222: Decorated an Engagement Party

My baby sister got engaged this weekend, so I decided to surprise her with some festive decorations at her engagement party today. I created the sign on Photoshop and had it printed at an office supply store. I also made tissue paper flowers with polka-dot silver and white tissue paper. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the cupcakes are topped with faux engagement rings and the table is sprinkled with faux diamonds that I found at a local craft store to add some extra bling. What an incredible weekend filled with love, laughter, and smiles :)

Day 221: Donated to a Pelotonia Rider

A family friend is riding 50 miles in the Pelotonia this weekend! The Pelotonia is a bike tour to raise awareness and donations for cancer research with one goal in mind...to end cancer! Each year, the Pelotonia raises millions of dollars for cancer research. And 100% of every dollar goes to funding this lifesaving research! Donate today at pelotonia.org :)

Day 220: Spread Positive Messages with Yogi Tea

I fell in love with the beautiful messages found on Yogi brand tea bags and wanted to spread these good vibes to others! So today, I gave Yogi tea bags to passersby. I made sure to purchase the Stress Relief  blend for optimal relaxation after a long week :)

Day 219: Left a Gift Card in a Greeting Card

While shopping at my favorite store today, I thought it would be fun to pass along some more birthday cheer! I decided to leave a gift card in a birthday greeting card...a little extra gift for someone celebrating a special day :)

Day 218: Created a Travel To-Do List

One thing I often tell my patients when planning for the future is...recording your goals helps to keep you focused on achieving them! By recording our goals, they become something we can see instead of just thoughts. With the start of a new year yesterday, I thought it would be fun to record some goals of my own! My husband and I enjoy traveling, but never put a lot of thought into where we should travel to. So today, I decided to create a travel to-do list for us. And did a little travel planning as well! I can't wait for all the adventures and fun that are in store for us :)

Day 217: Bought Cupcakes to Give Away for My Birthday

Today, I celebrated another fantastic year! Every year that passes reminds me of how truly special and wonderful life is and how thankful I am for the loving family and friends that make life worth living! One of my favorite events of today was bringing cupcakes to work to share with others. It was fun to see how surprised others were to have a treat to enjoy for themselves today :)

Day 216: Blocked Junk Mail

 

Today I created an account with TrustedID (Catalog Choice) to stop junk/unsolicited mail and opt-out of unwanted mail. To date, TrustedID account users have helped save 908,731 fully grown trees! Receiving less unwanted mail will not only keep my shredding pile in check, but also reduce my impact on the environment. Sign up today at catalogchoice.org :)

Day 215: Cared for Someone Who was Ill

Today, I cared for someone who was ill. Armed with lots of fluids and easily digestible snacks, I spent they day helping how I could. Sometimes conversation and company are the best medicine :)

Day 214: Made a Wedding Planner for a Friend

A good friend of mine is getting married next year! Weddings take lots of planning and organizing, so I decided to make a wedding planner to help her get ready for her big day! I purchased these beautiful patterned binders from the Martha Stewart office collection along with dividers, pocket folders, and an accessory pouch for pens and such. I also found some awesome planning worksheets, templates, checklists, and budget guides from Russel+Hazel to include in the binder. I was able to hand deliver the binder today and we even started brainstorming some ideas :)

Day 213: Arrived on Time

I hate to say it, but I'm notorious for being late. Some say it's a plague of my generation, but I'm not going to play the blame game...it's my fault. And while I'm usually only a few minutes late, I'm still late and it's a bad habit. So I made sure to have my lunch packed and my clothes laid out last night. I didn't check my phone this morning or watch TV while getting ready. And as a result, I arrived to my destination 5 minutes early :)