Day 120: Left Beauty Packets for People to Find

I enjoyed a lovely girls night out with my mother this evening! And to spread some kindness, I decided to create beauty packets filled with samples of my favorite Mary Kay cosmetics for people to find. Each packet contained a Satin Hands set, a few eyeshadow colors, blush, and lip gloss. It was a fun way to spend a "girly" evening :)

Day 119: Left an Umbrella for Someone to Find on a Rainy Day

April Showers bring May Flowers! And today was a cloudy/dreary/rainy day...what a great day to spread some kindness!! I purchased a new umbrella and decided to leave it for someone to find at the student union on a local college campus. I also left a note that said "This is for you if you need it!" I hope the umbrella saved someone from a wet walk to class :)

Day 118: Refolded a Clothing Display

While shopping at my favorite store today, I noticed one of the shirt displays had some enthusiastic customers stop by! Seeing the display immediately took me back to working retail at American Eagle Outfitters during my college days. I can still remember how it felt to just finish perfectly folding and completing the clothing display...each piece folded with crisp lines, the stack sized for easy shopping, and the top layer styled to show the customer how to complete the outfit...and then someone grabs a shirt from the middle of the stack with one hand and you watch as the stack falls over and each piece unfolds! So when I passed by this display today, I decided to refold and straighten the shirts for the sales associates :)

Day 117: Gave Photos to Friends and Family

Photos are so special to me! I love how a single photo can bring back many cherished memories and remind you of wonderful experiences. I decided to print some photos from the past year to deliver to friends and family. I hand delivered some today and have others ready for the mail tomorrow. I hope these photos remind my friends and family of some happy times :)

Day 116: Mailed a Note to a Stranger

Today I mailed a note to a stranger and wished them a day full of happiness and smiles! I included one of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain... "The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up..." and encouraged them to pay it forward when able! I used Google Maps to find a random address to send the note to. I hope this small gesture will bring a little unexpected joy to the person that receives it :)

Day 115: Supported Community Tree Recovery

Trees improve our lives in so many ways...air and water quality, wildlife support, and beautiful landscapes! So, in celebration of Arbor Day, I decided to support the Community Tree Recovery program of the Arbor Day Foundation. This program works to replant trees in communities suffering from devastating natural disasters. The Arbor Day Foundation has helped restore communities across the country including Joplin, Missouri. Find out more at arborday.org ! The picture above was taken last fall of one of my favorite trees and it never fails to be breathtakingly beautiful year after year :)   

Day 114: Made Bird Feeders for Trees in My Neighborhood

With inspiration from Coffee Cups and Crayons, I decided to keep the Earth Day vibe going this afternoon by making homemade bird feeders for trees in my neighborhood. The base for the bird feeder is a piece of bread, which I cut into a heart using a cookie cutter. I then covered the bread with crunchy peanut butter and dried cranberries. These ingredients will hopefully attract mocking birds, cardinals, bluebirds, finches, and others to help beautify the neighborhood :)

Day 113: Left Sunshine Seed Packets for My Neighbors

Sunflowers can always put a smile on my face! I thought "planting" a few happiness "seeds" would be a perfect way to spread kindness in my neighborhood. So, I bought sunflower seed packets and left them on my neighbors' doorsteps :)

Day 112: Observed My Community as a Watch the Wild Volunteer

Happy Earth Day! To honor Mother Nature today, I become a Watch the Wild volunteer and completed my first community observation. Watch the Wild is a program of Nature Abounds and strives to collect observations from across the country in an effort to monitor ecosystems and collect data for scientists. A healthy planet is reliant upon our understanding of ecosystems and the impact of changes to those ecosystems. Observations can be completed in as little as 10 minutes and uploaded easily online. To learn more, visit natureabounds.org :)

Day 111: Helped Pack Orders for My Husband

My husband enjoys woodworking and handcrafts products as a hobby. He had a busy week so far with multiple orders!  I decided to help him pack orders this evening so he could have a little extra time to relax before a hectic day at work tomorrow :)

Day 110: Hid Eggs at an Easter Egg Hunt

Happy Easter!  Today was a beautiful, sunny day for an Easter egg hunt! I filled eggs with yummy treats and helped hide them for a fun filled hunt this afternoon :)

Day 109: Surprised My Mother with Cirque du Soleil Event Tickets

When I heard the show Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil was coming to town I knew this would be a perfect event to take my mother too!   Michael Jackson has always been a favorite artist of our family. For example, my mother has 3 CDs of his music in her car as we speak! My sister joined us this evening and we were able to keep the event a secret until we were in our seats and it was showtime. We had an incredible experience dancing in our seats and signing lyrics while watching unbelievable talent on stage. One thing I noticed throughout the show was how strong Michael Jackson's messages of love, kindness, and compassion were in his music. The show concluded with a song that I feel perfectly reflects my mission this year--Man in the Mirror..."If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change."  :)

Day 108: Hid Bookmarks in Books for National Library Week

Reading is one of my most favorite past times. I love how a book can take you anywhere in the world! And any avid reader needs a good bookmark! So, when I found these these cute printable bookmarks from Seven Thirty Three, I knew they would be a perfect way to spread kindness. In celebration of National Library Week, I decided to hide these bookmarks in some of my favorite books for someone to find :)

Day 107: Left Easter Treats on Vehicles in the Parking Lot

Easter is just a few days away, so I decided to leave some Easter themed treats for people to find!  I found these adorable chocolate carrots at Target and my husband found the perfect silly joke to pair with them:  What's invisible and smells like carrots? Anyone know the answer? 

Day 106: Thanked the Volunteers I Work With

At the ambulatory care center I work at, Volunteers play a vital role with patient care. Some of the jobs they perform include ushering patients in wheelchairs to their appointments and directing patients at our information stations. Our Volunteers help make every patient feel welcomed and respected. My department wanted to show appreciation for the wonderful job our Volunteers do every day, so I coordinated and assembled a healthy snack box to give to them and included a thank you note highlighting some of the ways they support our department. We hand delivered the snack box this afternoon and were able to thank many of them in person!  Make it a goal to show gratitude to someone deserving this week :)

Day 105: Notified the Front Desk that Someone Left His/Her Lights On

I remember watching an episode of 20/20 once about factors that keep people from helping others. According to the broadcast, the number one factor was time. When people were busy or in a rush, they were less likely to help someone in need. This was on my mind as I arrived to work today and noticed that someone had left his/her lights on. I was running late due to the weather (snow in April!) and traffic this morning, but decided to take the time to notify the front desk, so that the owner could be informed...I'm already late, right?!  I also remembered that not too long ago, I was stranded in the parking lot at work when I accidentally left my lights on all day. So, try to take the extra couple of minutes to help someone out if you can :)

Day 104: Sent a Message to a New Pen Pal

Last week, I posted about Cup of Joe for a Joe, an awesome website, which allows you to buy a cup of coffee for a Service Member. When purchasing a Cup of Joe for a Joe, you are given the opportunity to write a message to the Troops that will receive your coffee gift. I was happy to see that I received an email back from one of the Troops requesting to be a Cup of Joe Pen Pal! So today, I wrote my first email message to Mario who is serving in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Visit greenbeanscoffee.com/coj to send our Troops a gift from home and to learn more about becoming a Cup of Joe Pen Pal :)

Day 103: Donated to the Camp Barnabas Camper Sponsorship Fund

Camp Barnabas is an incredible organization that provides a summer camp experience for people with special needs and the people who serve them.  Camp Barnabas was founding in 1996 by Paul and Cyndy Teas. The camp utilizes adaptive equipment and programs to make a memorable and life-changing experience for campers and their families. Today, I donated to the Camper Sponsorship Fund to assist families in funding an experience. Visit http://www.campbarnabas.org to learn more :)

Day 102: Picked Up Trash at the Color Me Rad 5K

What an amazingly awesome day! If you've never participated in the Color Me Rad 5K, then you need to sign up! Color bombs and friends can definitely put a smile on your face and brighten your day. To keep the good vibes going, I decided to pick up empty color bomb packets to help clean up the area :)

Day 101: Bought an Appetizer for a Table

I spent the evening laughing with friends at a local comedy club and decided to purchase an appetizer for a nearby table. This smile was especially fun because we were able to witness it in action! We could not have done this without our awesome waiter who jumped on board and made it happen...thank you! I loved watching the surprised reactions of everyone at the table as our waiter explained that someone ordered the appetizer just for them :)

Day 100: Dropped a Friend Off at the Airport

Traveling can be so stressful! So, when a friend told me of her upcoming trip, I wanted to help her travels be a little more enjoyable. Today, I dropped a friend off at the airport and gave her a bon voyage message with a little snack for the plane ride :)

Day 99: Helped Someone in an Older Generation Learn a New Technology

While I still remember the days when we didn't have cell phones or home computers, technology has been integrated throughout many aspects of my life. I recently took a class on generations, which has proven to be one of the most valuable classes I've ever attended. One valuable lesson from this class was a greater understanding of how technology has been integrated throughout the different generations. So, when a close friend of an older generation needed help learning how to use their new smart phone I gladly stepped up to the plate :)

Day 98: Purchased a Favorite Item for a Friend

My friend has lived in many different places across the country and found that she really enjoys tea from Wawa convenience stores. Unfortunately, there are not any Wawa's in our area, but while I was out of town visiting my grandmother and family, I came across one! I just had to stop and pick up some tea for my friend. Today, I surprised her with a couple bottles :)

Day 97: Payed the Toll for the Next Car

Today, I traveled back home from visiting my family and thought this long road trip could use a little kindness! I came up to a toll and decided to pay for the next person in line.  The toll booth operator was happy to help with this smile today :)


 

Day 96: Treated Everyone to Dessert

This evening I went to dinner with many of my out-of-town family members. Most everyone in my family has a sweet tooth and it can be almost impossible to pass on dessert! While having a fabulous evening catching up and reminiscing, I decided to treat everyone to a delicious dessert and ordered blondies and cupcakes to enjoy. It was a delicious evening indeed :)

Day 95: Surprised My Grandmother

 

Today, I made the 500.36 mile journey to surprise my grandmother for her birthday! The surprise was a huge success and her reaction was priceless! What made this moment even more special was that fact that she recently survived emergency bowel surgery. I am truly blessed and thankful to have celebrated with her today. Like my mother always says...treasure every moment :)

Day 94: Bought a Cup of Joe for A Joe

I came across this awesome website, which allows you to buy a cup of coffee for a Service Member!  Green Beans Coffee cafes are located in the US, but also on military bases overseas.  When you buy a Cup of Joe for A Joe, Troops receive a freshly brewed cup of coffee at the Green Beans Coffee cafe located on the base where they're deployed. You also have the opportunity to write a message that is delivered to the Troops by email. Visit greenbeanscoffee.com to deliver a taste of home to our Troops :)

Day 93: Left Dollars in the One Spot Bins at Target

I was back at my favorite store today and decided to spread a little kindness. I love checking out the One Spot aisles at Target to find some great deals. While browsing, I left dollars in the bins for people to find. So fun :)

Day 92: Donated Items to the VOA

Today, I donated clothes and household items to the Volunteers of America (VOA), an organization dedicated to supporting and empowering those in need. The VOA provides services to many including at-risk youth, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, the elderly, those returning from prison, and those recovering from addictions. My local VOA makes it very convenient to donate by offering free donation pickup! And the online donation valuation guide makes organizing your items quick and easy.  Find out more about your local VOA at voa.org :)