I would like to say hello to the several people from Coalfield Tennessee which signed up to join the kindness movement on my site. I want to thank you. I am curious if you are from some group, school, or what? If one of you would like to drop a line and let me know I would appreciate it. If not… thanks and I wish you the best on your adventure in spreading kindness!

Technorati Tags: coalfield , tennessee, coalfield tennessee , thanks

Wow I am in the home streak! But honestly I am unsure that I want to hit the goal, because well then what will I do? I certainly plan on continuing, but having the goal has kept me motivated. I am going to have to come up with a different motivational plan.

A re-cap of the past few days and the kidness tasks.

One was that I took out a friend that has helped me immensely to dinner. Told her she better pick whatever she wanted because it was a big thank you. I didn’t care the cost, because no matter what I couldn’t repay her for being such a good friend. I wish I could have done more to show her my thanks, she is truly what one would consider a friend and nothing you can buy or treat someone to can ever express that.

Copied some of my favorite music to share with a friend.

Offered and hopefully will get the opportunity to use some of my web skills to help someone share their talents on the web.

Stopped a complete stranger to offer a true and sincere compliment rather than keep it to myself. That was a great experience too, because she liked that I told her, and then we talked and had a nice interchange with someone I may never see again, but still it was really nice just letting someone know I was impressed with something they did, and they appreciated me telling them.

ok this one was stupid…….I bought a raffle…….which I thought was for a good cause and it ended up being a scam. I suppose things like that will happen on occassion. For it to happen only once in this whole year, I don’t think that is too bad.

Taped change on a phone booth with one of my cards. Once again I have no idea if the card was looked at or not of even if the change was used for a call, but I would like to think it was.

Today I donated money to a bingo charity fund raiser my work is having. The money donated is for the prizes. The money raised by the bingo night will be given to the local Humane Society. Definitely worth contributing to.

So I wonder what is up for the week ahead? I can only wonder.

Technorati Tags: giving, helping other, random acts of kindness, charity, friendship

Getting closer…………one year isn’t that far away
ask youself what simple thing you can do today

let someone in the line at the store with less things in front of you?

when on the way to the store… ask if you can pick up anything for someone?

leave an unexpected note, token, piece of candy for someone?

contact someone you haven’t in a long time?

bake cookies for work?

The ideas are endless, and it really takes so little. So put the thought out there for yourself, and maybe just maybe…follow through?

I do, and I love doing it. Join me.

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving

It is winter, and all I can think of is BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Yet many all around take that one step further to benefit the Special Olympics. Annually groups all over take this time of year when most of us are running to the nearest space heater to take a plunge into icy cold waters to raise money for the Special Olympics.

I will admit, that I have not researched it to know if all of the annual polar bear plunges are to benifit the Special Olympics, but the one here in Maryland is, and I know many in other states do as well. However regardless of what charity the plunges benifit, my hat is off to all. I admit, when it comes to cold weather I am a whimp, and I don’t know that I could do it. Which is why it is so great. People overstep those boundaries of comfort to do something practically insane to raise money for a cause they believe in. That is incredible, awesome and inspiring. Who knows, maybe someone can convince me to do it next year. It certainly would be worth it!

*note to self…consider freezing buns off for a good cause*

And honestly I have looked at many galleries of pictures from these plunges and yes everyone looks like they are completely freezing their tails off…but they are also all smiling and having a wonderful time. So maybe not just I… but others should consider taking a day next year and sign up for their local polar bear plunge and permit a moment of insanity to step into their life to benefit others. After all…isn’t purposeful insanity worthwhile?

Cheers to all of you polar bears!

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving, helping others, polar bear plunge, special olympics

Task One Option:

Drop off a toy or game at a homeless shelter.

Task Two Option:

Donate clothes to goodwill

Task Three Option:

Drop off cookies at a random establishment

Well as I said due to the snow the boxes of clothes had been in my trunk. Well they made it to  Goodwill today. It was a tight squeeze to get it done since I was still making up time today for the two hour school delay on Monday due to snow. The Goodwill near me is really huge, and they make the drop off really easy. They have a drive up area behind the store and huge bins. So even if they are not there, you can drop things off. Luckily someone was there since these were clothes packed in cardboard boxes. I had really wanted to drop them off at a shelter instead, because some of the children’s clothes were so nice that I had really wanted to have them go directly to a child in need. I just know how it is to be tight and the difference something as simple as a new outfit to wear can make to a child in such circumstances. However due to constraints, I had to go the  Goodwill route. I am not debunking Goodwill in wishing I could have given them to a shelter instead by any means. I just had a wish to have them go directly to a child rather than on a rack. Goodwill uses the money they get from the sales to help those in need, so it is helpful either way.

What is so amazing, is that although I am by no means living a prosperous life, I do have three growing children, and as quickly as I got those clothes out, we have already started a new box of clothes that they are outgrowing yet again. Next time hopefully they can go with me when I drop the clothes off. I like sharing the experience with them. It is a good experience.

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, helping others, goodwill, giving

Winter has finally arrived. We got our first dusting of snow today. It wasn’t enough to cancel school much to my children’s dismay, however it did give them a little break by delaying the school’s opening for two hours.

So what kindness has been working in my world for the past nine days? Many small little things on my part, but I have been on the receiving end. Last week was a stressfull week for me with many things I had to get done and few resources. Luckily I have many friends who assisted me with their time.

As far as my own kindness, it involved gathering more stuff for good will (although most of it is still in my trunk due to the snow),  I made a suprise package for a friend, I helped someone who didn’t know something on the computer with it, I helped someone with a project outside of work, I sent off 2 greeting cards, left a good book to be discovered, left some coupons to be found, put some shopping carts up. Yup a bunch of little things.

I am still new at the job, so I haven’t gotten to the comfort level of starting some of my angel suprises at work, but that will happen soon enough. All in good time

I still really am hoping things slow down some so that I can become more regular in my blogging here. The tasks sure sound more interesting when I talk about them on an individual basis after completing them…telling how I felt as I did them and all. Much more so than when I do these summaries. The summaries just do not do justice to how doing good deeds feels.

It would be nice if someone besides spammers would comment here once in a while too!

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving, helping others

Ok I haven’t been good yet on my trying to post here more frequently. But I do have an excuse. I left my old job and started a new one, so life has been truly hectic in the transition.

But yes I can give a summary of some of the things I did.

I got a $5 gift card at Target over the holidays when I purchased something. So when I was at target…as I was leaving, I walked up to a lady walking into the store with two children and gave her the card just telling her that it was going to expire that day and could she please use it. (did it have an expiration date? I don’t know, but I didn’t know how to give it away without looking completely insane) Sure I had just shopped there and could have used it on my purchases, but it was something I got unexpectedly when I bought something, and the suprise on her face and the thank you sure was worth more than that $5.
When we were at the grocery store, someone had accidentally knocked a whole bunch of stuff off the shelf and didn’t pick the mess back up. I did. Sure, I probably then looked like the person that did it, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that I cleaned it up so that someone else didn’t have to.

The apartment complex I live in has a storage area where we all can lock up stuff we don’t have room for in our apartment. I put in the open area some stuff I no longer needed with a note that anyone that could use the stuff please take. All but one item has been taken.

Bought a raffle ticket for a charity, put change in a bottle, left a really good book for someone to find.

I think I missed something here but I can’t recall. That is the downside of summaries.

As far as me……I started the new job. I am really excited. All of the people I am working with seem really great. I am still on the shy level there but oh what trouble they will be in when I get over that (little do they know). Next week I will be in orientation so that should be interesting as well. Change can be scary and intimidating but also very exciting.

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, giving, sharing, helping, gift card

I hadn’t done it in a while, so I sent out one of my anonymous Have a great day greeting cards. I still think people must think I am whacked but they don’t know who I am so they just think some stranger is whacked for sending them a have a nice day card. I think that alone puts a smile on their face.

Today was the last day of work at my current job. Transition. It felt weird. As excited as I am about leaving there was a lot of sadness in knowing i probably won’t ever speak to some of these people again even with the best intentions. It is strange how people walk in and out of your life. That job and the people there have been a part of the last two years plus of my life and now it is over. Yes it is strange. For my kidness act….. ok this was very small and I am sure very unnoticed. I brought to work a bunch of really great flavored teas and put them in the break room. Something simple…….but a nice change for the tea drinkers… I hope.

Technorati Tags: change, random acts of kindness, giving, helping others, reaching out, starting new

Happy New Years!

This New Years was honestly a great one although I did nothing fantastic or fancy. It was an evening at home watching dvds. But it was one spent with those I love and that is truly made it so special. I have done the great parties, the fancy dinners, all of those for New Years in the past, but the simple at home New Years was more wonderful than those. The actual best part of the New Year was the next day. I felt such promise waking knowing it was yet another new year and one that I could feel so much promise in. It felt like such a bright morning even though it was overcast and cloudy….and yes…when one has a nice home new years……you actually are up bright and early to welcome the new year morning

My random act of kindness for new years eve and new years day was definitely not random. It was sharing myself and my time with those I love. Does that count? I do not know…but it felt wonderful. I honestly spent the majority of the long weekend doing a complete scrub and clean of my home from top to bottom to recover from a christmas with my three unending bundles of energy and to also prepare for my new job. I swear I think I have gone through about every type of cleaner there is and have them all ingrained into my skin. I will probably become some type of mutant from all the scrubbing bubble chemicals but …home is clean again (at least until next weekend…….but thats life with kids) Windows and mirrors shine! (cough gag my lungs are dead!)… counters, tubs are shining (again knocked more years off life)……..ahhhhhhhhh the love of clean!
On Tuesday I stayed at home with the kids (they still had another day out for vacation and as much as I love them………I was welcoming that they would be back in school and back on schedule the next day).  I continued cleaning and ugh I didn’t know some of those things could exist in those corners, between the stove and the cupboard and ewwww under the fridge! Although I stayed home I should have been at work, for I spent much of the day on the phone with conference calls, dealt with work emails and was in constant ims. Since this is my last week at this job we are trying to get all my current project knowledge passed on. So honestly my act of kindess was staying home from doing errands to ensure I could help my team with my leaving as much as I could. I also sent several emails to people I hadn’t spoken to in a while to welcome in the new year, and went down my phone contact list calling people that I hadn’t in a long time as well.

I got together with a group of friends I see, and a woman that is new to the group shared some things which made me have quite an itrospective look at myself and gratitude. I hope I shared some things with her that she could appreciate and learn from.

Today I was back to work (and kids in school…*cheerleader cheer*).  It was a major day to try and pass on the big project I am working on to a team member. Today I also went through my desk, and I am sorting through things to pass out. Sure sounds stupid but at work……some things are valuable…so I want to make sure I can get things to people that should get them. As much as I am excited about the new job….I really am going to miss so many of the people I work with. It is a shame that the company doesn’t take care of it’s people like it should. I probably would never have looked for another job. But I did, and I found what I think is going to be a wonderful experience and I am so excited. My job offered to keep me…but too little too late. I love my co-workers, and will miss them and hey actually will miss the project that I am leaving because it is such a mess that it is exciting for a testing geek for me..but I am even more excited about the new job. So today……..was a passing on thing for me. I even passed on a squirt gun that I kept in my desk (ok yes I am a dork geek……….but hey they can be fun!)

Technorati Tags: random acts of kindness, new years, new job, leaving friends, starting new