Friday, May 31, 2013

Passing On The Bread

   Today I took my kids over to our local greenway to walk and ride around for a bit. We also decided that we'd try and feed the ducks and geese there as well. I only took a couple of pieces on purpose so we didn't end up spending our entire afternoon just feeding the ducks and geese and not enjoying the rest of the greenway.  The birds met us practically when we stepped out of the car and the kids we so excited to see them that we went through what little bread I brought pretty quickly. But there was an older man out there feeding the birds too and when he saw we were out, he came over and handed the kids two loaves of bread. At first I told him thank you so much but he didn't need to give us that much bread and then he showed me that he had literally a whole car back seat full of more bread. So I felt okay about letting the kids take two loaves. Turns out he comes out there pretty regularly to feed the ducks and had even given a lot of them names. He was very sweet and generous. So after we went through one loaf, I suggested to the kids that we take the other loaf and give it to someone else since someone else had been so kind and given us so much. They agreed and after walking around for a bit we came across a family that was walking close to the duck pond that had several kids with them. I went over and offered them the loaf for kids and adults too if they wanted it. They were very surprised that I was giving them that much bread but I explained that we were just passing on a good deed, and they were very appreciative. As I've said before I really enjoy when my kiddos can take part in performing the good deeds/acts of kindness. It never hurts for them to learn good lessons about doing for others.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Taking The Pledge

   Today's act/good deed is one I should have done a long time ago and not sure why I hadn't done it already. This afternoon, I took the pledge to NEVER text and drive. This also includes checking email, websites or videos because put simply... it can wait. Now while I won't text and drive when my kids have been in the car with me, I am guilty of having done it other times. There really is no excuse for it and it just plain stupid that I did it because I'm sure whatever it was could have waited.  You can go to the website itcanwait.com and take the pledge too and get some sobering facts and statistics on just how dangerous it is to drive while texting or checking your phone. For example, you are 23x's more likely to be in an accident if you are texting while driving and now over 100,000 accidents a year are from someone texting. You can also try the texting while driving simulator on the website. Like I said before, this is something I should have done a while ago because my distracted driving doesn't only affect me but all the other driver and passengers out there. I hope you'll take the pledge too and help keep us all a little safer on the road out there.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Dog Catcher

   Today when I went to pick my kids up from my friend's house who was watching them, one of their dogs Baily got out and ran across the street. She assured me that it was okay and that Bailey always comes back, that it really wasn't a big deal. So I started to get my kids in the car and then Bailey took off again going further down the street. At this point my friends' daughter began to get upset and thought the dog wasn't coming back and Bailey kept going further and further. So since Erin had her hands full with kids I said I'd go after Bailey and see if I could catch her. I started off after her and got pretty close but then she took off and she's fast. Actually I'm sure it looked pretty comical, me running after the dog for a couple of blocks and shouting for her to come to me. Erin told me again not to worry about it but I was afraid she was going to run in front of a car. I was finally able to catch up to her when she got distracted by some colorful pinwheels and I snatched her up real quick and carried her back to Erin's house. I was glad I finally caught the dog because I couldn't stand to see Mady so upset thinking she'd lost her dog and I would have felt horrible if Bailey got hit by a car. They were grateful and Mady seemed happy to have her dog back. Perhaps once both the kids are in school I could get a job with animal control, lol.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

A Few Flowers To Brighten The Day

  Most people, well most females, like getting flowers right??? I know I do. They always brighten a room and in turn brighten my mood. This morning while I was out in the back yard, I was staring at our rose bushes and was amazed that I haven't killed them yet, lol. So I thought I should share some of these beautiful flowers with someone else and maybe make their day a little better. I thought of several people that I am friends with or know personally that I could take the flowers to, but I thought it would be better to just randomly pick an address and leave them by the door for them. The only thing better than getting flowers, is getting flowers for no reason and letting your imagination run wild trying to figure out who is thinking of you. I hope the recipient of the flowers had their day brightened and perhaps they were inspired to pass along a random act of kindness as well.

Monday, May 27, 2013

National Moment Of Remembrance

  

 I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend and has had some opportunity, big or small, to celebrate and remember the the reason for this day. For today's act I observed the National Moment of Remembrance at 3pm. This was a moment of silence to remember all those who have given their lives for our country and those who continue to serve today. Like I mentioned yesterday, I have had the pleasure of having several military members in my life, either in my family or have known as a friend. So, I also wanted to name them here and hope they know how much I appreciate their service...

Preston Fritts
Arthur Fritts
Norwood Fritts
Robert Fritts
Randy Fritts
Eric Walker
Scott Fritts
Randy Naron
James Pope 
Cecil Pope
Joe Secrest
James Patterson
Norman Stalbaum
Richard Stalbaum
Ramey Salyer
Bob Salyer
Bill Salyer
Jerry Stark
Paul Bass

I also came across some interesting facts and figures about Memorial Day that I wanted to share. It's called Memorial Day by the numbers and it only takes a minute or two to read. You can check it out by clicking
HERE.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Flags Of Rememberence

   Every Memorial Day weekend here in Murfreesboro, the Noon Exchange Club sets up the "Healing Field". This a huge area that they block off and set up a display of  800 flags in tribute to the men and women who have given their time and for some their lives to serve our country. Anyone who would like can sponsor a flag in honor of a service man or women they know personally or just any random soldier. Once a flag is sponsored, a soldiers name, picture and brief bio is placed on the flag for visitors to see. The proceeds from the flags benefit the Murfreesboro Exchange Club's charitable programs like child abuse prevention, college scholarships for local high school seniors, and other community wide activities.
   I visited the healing field today to donate to their cause but also to honor all the soldiers who have proudly served our country. The picture above really doesn't do it justice. It is all so overwhelming and a lot to take in. I walked up and down the aisles reading about different soldiers and thinking about all those in my family who have served. My grandfather, brother, several cousins and uncles are veterans and some are still currently active members of the military. I am so grateful for all that they have done and continue to to do. If you are here locally, you should try and visit the healing field today or tomorrow. It's a small act of kindness to acknowledge and reflect what so many have sacrificed for us.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Operation Honor Wall

   As I'm sure you are already aware, this weekend is Memorial Day weekend which seems to be the official kick off for summer and bbq's. But it is also the time that we set aside to remember those who have served or are serving our country in the military and to remember those who have given their lives. I plan to do all my good deeds/acts of kindness this holiday weekend in honor of those who serve our country. For today's act of kindness I visited the website Operation Honor Wall to place an inscription on the online honor wall. This website is a place where you can leave a message or thank you to honor those who have served or are currently serving and their families. Our soldiers can never get enough thanks for all that they do for us, in my opinion, but sending messages of how grateful we are is a good start. If you have a moment, please visit the website by clicking HERE, and leave a message of your own expressing your thanks and gratitude. It's the least we can do for all that they do for us.

Friday, May 24, 2013

An Extra Deposit

   As I have said before, some of my favorite acts that I get to do are the ones where people stumble upon a random surprise. Today was another one of those acts. After finishing up making a deposit with the drive-thru teller at the bank, I placed a small bag of Dove chocolates back in the tube for the next person who came through that lane. I attached a small note and my 365 days card so hopefully they won't think it's some kind of poison or something unsafe to eat, lol. I'm hoping that finding these chocolates will put a little extra pep into someone's Friday and start their weekend off right.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Help for Oklahoma

Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure you've heard about the devastating tornadoes that tore a path of destruction through Moore, Oklahoma on Monday. So many lost their homes and all their belongings and sadly some lost their lives. These tornadoes destroyed the whole town and now the residents are trying to pick up the pieces and to help them, several groups and organizations all over the country are coming together to collect money and items to send to the town of Moore. Here locally in Murfreesboro, the sheriffs department is collecting items like canned and non perishable foods, cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.. today and tomorrow to send down with volunteers this weekend. So for today's act I gathered up items to donate to the victims and took them to the collection site.
But like I said there are several groups who are helping with relief efforts and if you are interested in helping here are a few ways:

 - The American Red Cross has several shelters open in Oklahoma and Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles have begun delivering hot meals throughout the affected areas. The Red Cross is also working to link loved ones in Moore who are OK through a website called Safe and Well. Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, donate online or by phone at 1-800-RED CROSS.

 -  The Salvation Army is activating disaster response teams and mobile feeding units to help residents and rescuers in Moore, as well as in other locations in the Plains and the Midwest that were impacted by tornadoes. Donate online or text STORM to 80888 to contribute $10 to the Salvation Army's relief efforts or make a donation by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY. If you're sending a check make sure you put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail it to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK 73157.

 -  AmeriCares has a disaster relief team working with first responders and local health care organizations on the ground in hard-hit Oklahoma City suburbs. Shipments of water, medicines and emergency aid have been sent, with more shipments underway. You can help by donating through the AmeriCares website or by phone at 1-800-486-HELP. Text LIVE to 25383 to make a $10 donation. You can also mail a check or money order to: AmeriCares, 88 Hamilton Ave., Stamford, CT 06902.

 -  Feed the Children, which is headquartered in Oklahoma City, has transported bottled water and food to the impacted area. The organization is accepting diapers, canned goods, non-perishable food, snack items, water, sports drinks, and cash donations. Text "Disaster" to 80888 to make a $10 donation. After receiving a confirmation message you must type "yes" to complete the donation. Cash and corporate donations can be made online or by phone at 1-800-627-4556.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

9 Acts for 9 Years

   Today is my husband's and I nine year wedding anniversary and we couldn't be happier. So one way I decided to celebrate was to do nine acts of kindness/good deeds for nine years of marriage. Now, keep in mind these will kinda be small scale but I thought it would be great to see what I could get in and how  many people I could make happy.

1. Host a play date for my kids: did that this morning and I think all the kids had a great time
2. Gave away cupcakes... I had several left over from the birthday I made them for yesterday, so today I gave out the extras to lots of people.
 3. Sent a text message to a friend for no reason, just to let them know I was thinking of them.
 4. Passed out extra coupons I had at the store and to friends
5. Wrote and sent a thank you note to someone who had recently helped me with a large act of kindness
6. and 7. Gave away a free frosty and free McDonalds to random stangers
8. Donated clothing to goodwill
9. Paid for the drink behind me at my favorite place... Starbucks.

Today has been great and actually a lot of fun coming up with ways to fit in 9 acts of kindness. It was much easier than I thought. Seeing people's surprised faces is always the best!


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Birthday Lunch Surprise

  Today is one of our favorite family member's birthday. We've been so happy since Dawn moved down here a couple of years ago from up north. She's always so much fun and the kids love it when she babysits. She has also recently begun working with my husband so I had a "man on the inside", you might say to help me plan a little surprise birthday lunch for her today. So the kids, Dawn's husband Scott, and my parents and I showed up at their office to surprise her with these strawberry cupcakes and to take her to a special lunch! I don't think she had any idea and seemed really happy about the surprise. I'm glad we got to do a little something special for her today because she has been such a help for us in so many instances.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Cool Finds For Kids

Today was another fun one...
Often times when my kids get favors at parties and stocking stuffers or other random goodies, they end up with duplicates of the same thing. I either set them aside for another time or if I know of another kiddo who could use it then, I give it to them. This morning I came across a bag of duplicate items and knew right then I wanted to use them for my good deed today. It was kind of a random bunch of items so I wasn't sure if I should try and donate them somewhere or what and then it hit me. How excited do we get when we find money we forgot about in pockets of our clothes or when we find it on the street? It's like Christmas morning and it instantly brightens your day. Well this is how my kids are when they find any kind of kid related item anywhere! So for my good deed/act of kindness today I went and placed these items in random kid places around town like playgrounds and mall play areas for kids to find and hopefully make their day! 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Happy Anniversary

   Yesterday while at a party I was chatting with my friend and she told me that today was her and her husband's anniversary. I asked if they had anything planned or were gonna go out to dinner and she told me probably not and if they did they'd be taking the kids along. I just looked at her and said "oh no.... leave the kids with me and you guys go have a nice dinner just the two of you." Then she told me that they hadn't been out just the two of them since before their oldest was born and that was over five years ago. Then I insisted that they go out this evening! So for today's act of kindness the husband and I will be hosting two more kiddos. But I kinda feel like I'm cheating on this one a bit because my friends kids are always so well behaved with me and they keep my kids happy and entertained. It's not a whole lot of work for me actually... I am really happy to be able to do this because I know how important it is to be able to get some time just you and your spouse. James and I have been blessed with several family members who have helped us make sure we get some time away from the kids and my friend and her husband are WAY overdue. Happy anniversary you two!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Pedestrian Crossing

   On our way home from a birthday party today, my daughter and I stopped by the grocery to pick up a few last minute items for dinner. It was really packed with cars zooming by everywhere and we had to drive all over the parking lot to find a parking space. As we circled back up to the front of the store to keep searching, I noticed an elderly man trying to make his way from the doors to his car. No one was slowing down and letting him walk out into the parking lot to get to his car. He kept standing there but nobody stopped. So I nudged my way out there and blocked the on coming traffic for a moment so he could go across the cross walk. I waved him on and he tried to hurry but I told him to just take his time. It kinda made me mad that he had the right of way being the pedestrian, but no one seemed to care or have the patience to wait for him to cross. He thanked me and waved as he made it across and I know I made some other drivers unhappy but that poor guy would have stood there all day waiting. I hope some of the other drivers out there today will follow my lead and remember that they aren't the only ones trying to get somewhere.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Care Packs For The Homeless

   Today's act has been a while in the making. Several weeks ago I started purchasing and collecting several items from friends to put together care packages for the homeless. These were simply ziplock bags filled with things like soap, toothbrushes, socks, razors, crackers, granola bars, etc.. that people could carry with them and use when they needed. With some very generous donations along with what I had I was able to put together close to fifty bags to give out. My initial plan was to go out with my husband and pass them out to people that we saw that needed them, but several people suggested that this was maybe not the safest idea. Next I began contacting organizations that served those in need and was having trouble getting in touch with or getting people to call me back about distributing my bags through them. But then my friend Aimee told me about the Journey Home and what they do. They are a Christian outreach organization for the homeless and people who are at risk in Rutherford county TN.  I was thrilled that they immediately called me and had a need for all the care packages. I also talked with the meal director there and am working on the details to volunteer there on a regular basis. It was so great to get to visit there this morning and I look forward to becoming a part of the community there.

Also, thank you so much to all of you who donated so many wonderful items and even put together some of the care packages. It's great to see people come together to help those in need.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Cookie Surprise

   Today I made dinner for another family who has just brought home their newest little one from the hospital. Along with dinner I made some chocolate cookies for them but I had lots of dough left and made some extra cookies which is where today's good deed/act of kindness comes in. After I delivered dinner to the family, the kids and I went and left cookie surprises in mailboxes for some lucky folks. I love doing little surprises like these, they are always so fun, and who doesn't love cookies right... I just wish I could be there to see the reaction on people's faces when they find the treats.


Also, don't forget to check out the 365 days of goodness Facebook page and share it with others so we can get some more "likes" and add more to the change for a cause!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

GoodSearch

Today has been one of those super chaotic, everything goes wrong, never know what is gonna happen next kinda days. But despite the craziness I did perform my good deed today. Today's act of kindness came from a suggestion that was given to me. Searching the internet to find a location or how to do something is second nature to me and I was recently told about a search site that donated to different charities every time you use them to search the internet. It's called goodsearch and they donate 1 cent for every search you do through them. You can pick your own organization or choose from the many they have listed for your donations to go to. I know 1 cent doesn't sound like much but considering how many times I sometimes do searches a day it can quickly add up. So that is just what I did today and plan to continue doing. I am going to stop "googling" and start Goodsearching! You can too, you can check out the search engine by clicking HERE.


I also wanted to add today that I had some random acts of kindness come my way today. As I mentioned before, it has been a craptastic day for me personally today. If it could go wrong... it has. But a good friend realized I was having a hard time today and let me vent for a bit and then showed up at my door with ice cream and with strawberries that her kiddos picked for me and my family.

It was such a great thing and I can't thank her enough for being so kind.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Clean Up Duty

This morning after dropping my oldest off at school, I stopped at Starbucks to get some coffee with my son. We decided to go in instead of the drive-thru for some reason. After getting my order, we walked over to the table with all the sugars and creamers and it was disgusting to say the least. My son even commented "yucky"! People had left their wrappers and stirrers all over the place instead of tossing them in the trash and there was spilled creamer and milk all over the table as well. The picture here really doesn't do the mess justice.  I looked back at the employees behind the counter and immediately knew why the condiments table was such a disaster. They were slammed with customers inside and out. So I figured I could clean up the table to help them out a little bit.  I threw away all the leftover wrappers and used stirrers, picked up scattered napkins, and then wiped up all the spilled creamer, milk and sugar. So hopefully the people behind me were a bit better about cleaning up their own mess and since I was in no rush this morning, I was happy to give the coffeehouse employees one less thing to do so they could attend to my fellow coffee lovers.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Survey Time

These days customer service at a lot of places is a crap shoot. Some places are great and attentive while others ignore you and do the bare minimum to get by. I've said before how much I appreciate the great customer service I get a the grocery store I shop at so today I decided to let them know. I had noticed last week that they had survey cards that customers could fill out detailing what they liked and disliked and any other comments they wanted to leave. Having worked in customer service in college I know that these type surveys go back to the stores managers and then their corporate offices. Depending on what people say, the stores and their employees may get rewarded or reprimanded. There is always more motivation to report poor or unsatisfactory service, but I thought today I let them know how much I appreciate their attentiveness and help by filling out one of those survey cards. Everyone loves to hear when they've done a great job and maybe if more people heard something positive great customer service wouldn't be so rare.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

All Kinds Of Mother's

   Today Is Mother's Day and I am feeling so blessed and happy to be a mom and to be able to share it with my two AWESOME kiddos. They have changed my life for the better and I am thankful everyday to have them in my life. While I consider myself a mom in what we consider the traditional sense, I know there are all kinds of moms out there. There are grandmothers, step-moms, soon-to-be moms, foster moms, mothers-in-law, etc...Then there are also adoptive moms. These women open their hearts and homes to children in need of a permanent family and to me that is just beyond words in how magnificent that is.While every mom deals with all kinds of different struggles and challenges with kids, adoptive moms (and dads too) deal with their share too. Recently I found an old friend on Facebook who I went to school with years ago and came across her blog where she has been blogging about the adoption process that her and her husband are going through. One of the challenges that she is facing is playing the waiting game... which can be a long one. Once someone has been approved to adopt there could still be a long wait for the right child to join their family. Another challenge is that the adoption process is in no way shape or form a cheap one. When all is said and done, my friend's adoption is going to cost around $20,000 and that's before you even start factoring in all the other costs associated with having and raising a child. As a way of raising funds for this enormous cost, they have created a puzzle with a family picture on it and you buy or sponsor a piece for $10.00. For each piece you buy, they will write your name it, and when the puzzle is complete they will frame it so that their future child will one day be able to see all the people that helped make their family complete. So that's what I did today. I felt that Mother's Day was a fitting day to do this random act, I'd be helping a friend on her journey to becoming a mother herself.

You can read more about Ashley and her husband's journey through the adoption process and if you are interested in helping them complete their puzzle by clicking HERE.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

All About Hounds


   This weekend has been full of visiting lots of family so far. While having a meal and visiting with some extended family this evening, I talked quite a bit with one of my husband's aunts who is a part of a large dog rescue called All About Hounds and about one of the fundraisers they held today. All About Hounds is a non profit dog rescue that focuses primarily on rescuing greyhound dogs who are retired racers who need homes. Sadly after many of these dogs are no longer able to race, they are put down. They work to raise awareness about the breed and the need to find permanent homes and get them off the race tracks. While most of their work is primarily about greyhounds they do help to get other breeds adopted out who are looking for homes as well. The current fundraiser that they have going on is that a percentage of sales from Pampered Chef goes directly to their group. So for today's good deed I purchased a couple of items to help them raise some funds and am writing about them to help them get some more exposure. You can find out more about their cause and how you can help by visiting allabouthounds.org

Friday, May 10, 2013

Box Tops For Education

   As much as I love coffee, I have another food love and that is cereal. I love all kinds and varieties and my children have inherited this love as well. At any moment, you can find at least 6 boxes of cereal in our pantry, and that's when things are slim. As I was eating some this morning with my coffee, I was reading one of the boxes and noticed the box tops for education label on it. Not that I haven't noticed them before, but I actually read it and payed attention for some reason today. I checked other boxes and found most of them had the same label. So I checked out the website and found that when you collect the labels and turn them in you can earn money for the school of your choice. My daughter starts Kindergarten in the fall and I thought this could be one small way I could help and contribute. So for today's good deed/act of kindness I went through our pantry and cut all the box tops for education labels I could and started a collection to turn in. I also found that you can find them on all kinds of products like Ziplock bags and not just cereal. To find out more about this program and to get started if you'd like click HERE. It was really simple to sign up and designate my daughter's school for my box tops. Happy to support another great program today and in turn help a local school.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Teacher Appreciation Lunch

   If you have kids in school, then you know that this week has been teacher appreciation week. I am so thankful for the great teachers that my daughter has had this year. She adores them and talks about them at home all the time. They are so loving with her and are a big part of why she LOVES going to school. I know they put in a lot of hard work with my daughter along with the rest of her classmates and they are very deserving of some special recognition. So for my act of kindness/good deed today, I helped put together a special catered lunch just for them. Nothing says thanks like yummy food right??? I wanted to get a picture of the teachers after we set it up this morning but of course forgot, so this cute little pic will have to do. I was so happy to be able to do this today because I have so much respect for those that choose to teach and help children. I have my own struggles just getting my two to pay attention long enough for me to teach them something. I can't even begin to imagine how teachers and aides do it for so many kids on a daily basis and still continue to come back everyday.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Berry Surprise

  Today I took my kiddos to a local strawberry farm to pick lots of fresh berries.  We all had a great time and picked TONS of strawberries. We had so many that we decided there was no way we could eat them all ourselves and that we should share with someone else. So after we finished I asked the kids who we should surprise with some berries. They immediately chose my friend Erin and her two kids Mady and Ryan. So we headed on over to drop them off in time for lunch. Both the kids and Erin were happy about the strawberries and very thankful. They didn't waste any time and dug right in to the berries. This pic is off all four kids and the berries. I love being able to do these last minute surprises and the smiles on the kids faces today made it that much better!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Muffins For Moms... and Kids Too

   This morning some of my mom friends and I were getting together to finish up some last minute details for a farewell dinner for a another mom who will be moving across the pond soon. I knew many of us would be dropping in at random times and also trying to entertain and corral kiddos while we worked and when kiddos are involved snacks are too! So for my act today I stopped and grabbed some muffins to help pacify kids and for moms to enjoy perhaps with some coffee while we worked. Kiddos munched them up and a few moms were able to enjoy a bite or two as well...

Also, I wanted to mention that I opened a facebook page for the blog and acts that you can check out. Just search for 365 days of goodness and it should come up. Same rules apply to that page as well. For every like and comment or share I will add 5cents to the "change for a cause container".

Monday, May 6, 2013

Baby Time

    Early this morning I was awakened to the good news a friend had gone into labor and was having her baby. To put it mildly, she's been a bit uncomfortable this pregnancy and more than ready to meet her newest little blessing.  All morning I kept racking my brain for what I could do for her and I already knew that they would be getting tons of visitors soon enough and another friend was already setting up a meal calendar to help out her and her family.It has also been a secret what she was having so when I thought about sending some balloons I didn't know what to pick. I checked out the hospital's website and found out that you can send messages to be delivered to the mom's room that she'll be staying in after the baby is born. So for today's good deed I had a message sent to her room with congrats on the new little one and to let her know that we were thinking about her and couldn't wait to meet the newest family member. Sometimes just knowing someone is thinking of you can make all the difference.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Giving Away Wishes

   Today my daughter and I went out for a mommy/daughter day to have some girl fun. While we were out shopping, we stopped by a huge fountain that she loves to visit every time we go to that mall. Each time we go I give her a coin to toss in and tell her to make a wish and today was no different. She wished for "A huge roller coaster in her back yard" and then tossed in her coin. There is almost always other kids running around this area playing close to the fountain and watching us as we toss in our coins to make a wish. Throwing coins into a fountain or well as a child was always one of my favorite things to do. It always made me wonder if something magical was going to happen and I can see that in my daughter's face when she does it as well. So today for my act of kindness/good deed, my daughter and I scattered coins around the edge of the fountain for others to toss in and make a wish on. Perhaps we'll give someone their "magic moment" as well...

Saturday, May 4, 2013

More Donations Today

   Today's act of kindness was inspired by Toy Story 3, but hopefully these toys will be a little better cared for. As my kids out grow their toys or sometimes just get bored with them, I set them aside in a box to give away or donate. Today I noticed the box had a good number of books and toys in it so I decided it was time to give them a new home. There is a drop in daycare center not too far from my house that I pass all the time, so I thought I would take them there for the kids to enjoy. When I went over there this afternoon there was only one lady working and she seemed kinda overwhelmed but she perked up quick when I told her that I had a bunch of toys that I wanted to give them. The few kids that were there seemed curious about them and wondering what new things they were going to play with. I was really glad I took them there today, the staff and kids seemed so happy about the new arrivals.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Sharing a little inspiration and happiness

   Throughout the last four months I have been doing my best to perform good deeds and random acts of kindness for others. Some days things just happen naturally and someone's need in put in my path and I do what I can to help them or I have an idea of what I'd like to do for someone that day. Other days, things don't go as planned or as hard as I try to come up with something it just doesn't seem to be in the cards. On those days I look to others who have performed similar journeys for possible ideas and search around on the internet for inspiring stories that just make ya feel good about the world again. So today for my good deed/act of kindness I'm going to share them with you and give them some much deserved recognition as well.
There are two blogs that I have come across this year and really love. They set out on the same task that I have, performing one good deed or act every day for a year. You can check out Ryan's blog from Chicago by clicking HERE. The other one that I really like and admire is from Danielle in Minnesota. You can check her's out by clicking HERE.

As far as websites go I really enjoy The Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation. Their website has great ideas as well as some very inspirational stories from hundreds of people. You can check them out by clicking HERE.

I am so thankful for all of these as they have provided some great ideas in a pinch and also are some great reads. I hope you'll take a moment and get inspired to pass along some kindness as well.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Bounce Time!

   After two failed attempts to do something nice for someone this morning I finally came across a winner. I had to shuffle through all the "stuff" in my wallet earlier to find a card for someone and came across a Bounce pass that still had one visit left on it that was going to expire soon. I knew we wouldn't be able to use it so I thought I'd take it over to Bounce U and ask them if they could give it to the next child and parent who came in. This way I knew someone could get some enjoyment out of it. The attendant there gladly accepted the pass and looked forward to surprising the next person with it. I also attached my card explaining my good deeds in hopes that they'd be inspired to do something nice for someone else as well.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Mother Goose Day

 While checking emails and reading online today I found out the May 1st is Mother Goose Day and I wondered, "what the heck is that?" Mother Goose day is a day set aside to remember and pass on popular nursery rhymes and tales to children and of course to promote the importance of reading to our children. While most nursery rhymes and fairy tales are fun stories that kids enjoy, they usually include an important lesson in them as well. So I thought today I would dig out the old mother goose book we have and read all the rhymes with my kids as an extra treat today for an act of kindness. We have certain times we read everyday, but today we did some extra stories. My oldest was really excited and loved going through all the old tales we read when she was younger. I enjoyed it as well as I remembered reading many of them as a child. Mother Goose Day sounds kinda silly I know, but it's a good excuse to keep fostering the love of reading and books in our children.