#26Acts

As I mentioned in my last post, following the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut there has been a movement involving people committing 26 random acts of kindness.  These acts are in memory of the 20 students and 6 educators murdered at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

This idea of committing random acts of kindness and spreading happiness is obviously one that is near and dear to my heart.  It also seems to be such an appropriate way to combat the evil in the world.....with kindness.  Imagine kindness being the lead story on the news!

Most people involved in the #26Acts movement are posting their acts and photos to Twitter.  The ideas are outstanding....paying for the person behind them in line at a coffee shop drive-thru, leaving money on a gas pump, baking treats for a teacher, visiting a nursing home, etc.

Even though I have been doing my random acts for some time I cannot resist participating in this movement and being a part of this wave of kindness.  So, my next acts will be #26Acts.  I am not quite sure what they all will be yet but it will be fun to think up 26 ideas in a short amount of time and do one in honor of each victim.

May all the finders pay it forward with kindness toward others and maybe at least a few will join me and continue on after #26!  

Holiday Ornaments

Last week my best friend of twenty years lost her mother.  She was a woman who delighted in the holidays with family and friends and until the end was talking about baking her Christmas cookies.  I am so glad she got to enjoy the time she had with her children and grandchildren and that I got to talk with her at many gatherings about simple things like great books to read.   

Just two days later there was the news of the tragic shooting in Connecticut that took the lives of 20 children and 6 educators and left behind so many shattered families.  Since that tragedy there has been a movement that was started by a news reporter for people to do 26 random acts of kindness as a way to combat the evil in the world with goodness.

It warms my heart to think of more people going out and being kind to strangers.  My next gifts are Christmas tree ornaments.  I have a whole bunch and hope the finders spirits are lifted and inspired to pay it forward.   

Kleenex Packets

Sometimes I just don't know where the time goes!  It has been weeks since my last post and I have been gathering up so many small gifts as I have been traveling around.  Finally I have found some time today to pull together a few items.  I have so missed leaving any gifts lately as I find being able to do so just brightens my spirit all day!

Over the past month I have been on six plane flights.  Anytime I fly I try to take precautions to avoid  the cold bugs going around this time of year.  One staple in my carry-on is a pack of tissues.  Lately I have noticed more and more fancy and decorated tissue boxes and packets.  I picked up a few packages for myself and three to give away.

Hope the finders avoid a cold but catch the spirit of being kind to others!

The Season of Gatherings

Recently I have been taking cooking and baking classes.  Each class has been just one session for four hours, and I have picked up some new skills and ideas for things I can make and take to upcoming holiday gatherings.  This interest in cooking has been building over the last couple years (I believe I have written about it in the past on this blog).  I now have a solid base of skills to build on as I learn more and more recipes and experiment with the ingredients I find in my refrigerator on any given day.

There are a couple guys close to me who are very talented cooks and constantly are giving me suggestions and recipes.  In my cookbook cabinet I now have a stack of printed e-mails with their ideas and tips.

Since sharing a meal with friends and loved ones is such a great joy in life and being able to pass down and around special recipes is a part of that experience, I thought others might enjoy some recipe cards.

I hope the finders put them to good use and either write down their own recipes to give as gifts to loved ones (I believe a handwritten recipe is a gift just like a handwritten note) or ask others to write down recipes to be given back to them.  Years ago an elderly family friend died and at her wake her daughters had printed small recipe books with her favorite recipes (she was a great cook) for anyone interested to take.  I still have that book, have used it, and think of her each and every time.  What a great way to remember a person!

P.S. - A big thank you to the finders in Florida and Maine this week who commented on the blog.  Sometimes I wonder if the gifts are found and enjoyed.  It means the world to me to hear from a finder that the gift has made it into appreciative hands who will pass the kindness on!

  

Halloween Holiday Goodies

I was in the store yesterday (October 20th) and saw the Christmas holiday decorations all around.  Thankfully I picked up any Halloween decorations I needed a while back!  I have a black cat that I adopted on Halloween two years ago so in a way this holiday fits me, and I like to put out pumpkins and decorations at home.  Of course I also wear the same costume each year when passing out candy....a ladybug of course! 

I picked up a few gifts for others including some decorative kitchen handtowels and some Halloween pencils.  I hope the finders enjoy!

Fresh Flowers in the Fall

A few years ago someone gave me a kit to grow grass in a small pot on my desk.  It sat in my drawer for almost a year before I planted it and grew a fresh pot of green grass on my desk in the middle of winter.  It was the type of grass you want to take your flip-flops off and run through in the summer.  It made me smile just to see it!

I was shopping this weekend and I saw similar kits to grow forget-me-not flowers.  I could not resist!  I picked up four.  I will keep one for myself and will leave three for anonymous finders!

Pencils

A few weeks ago I was at a small town parade and one float was passing out pencils.  Nothing fancy...just simple pencils that need to be sharpened and had pictures of balloons all over them.  It was such a small gift but I was really pleased and sharpened and began using my pencil within a day or two.  This pencil also reminded me of how exciting it was when I was a child and my mother would put small gifts into my school lunch such as pencils, stickers, erasers, etc. 

This week I noticed all the back to school sales and picked up a package of pencils.  Each will get a note for the finder and hopefully they will bring smiles whether they are added to a child's lunchbox, used with a sketch pad or simply to make grocery lists in the kitchen.

Gifts for All Ages

I have had several instances lately when I have been out and thought to myself that I wish I had an anonymous gift ready to leave for a lucky finder!  Typically I keep a couple with me at all times in case I come across the perfect location to leave one, but I have been busy lately and had not found any time to sit down and prepare a few gifts.

Finally I did gather together four gifts for a range of finders.  I have some sidewalk chalk to provide a child with some simple summer fun.  There is a $5 coffee gift card for someone possibly in an office who gets out for a break in the afternoon.  For someone's canine companion there is bone, and lastly there is magnet with a simple saying about friendship for the finder to keep or give to a friend.

Remember to be kind!  Sometimes even a smile can improve your day!

The Gift of a Handwritten Note

Recently I was telling someone close to me a story about my mother and how proud I was of an accomplishment she had recently.  This individual lost his own mother when he was a teenager and told me not to just tell him but also to go up and hug her and tell her directly how I felt.  He reminded me of the importance of saying the things you feel in your heart because you never know when life will change and you will miss the opportunity.


I took his suggestion to heart and did in fact give my mother that hug and those words of praise and encouragement.  His comment also led me to reach out to a friend I had not spoken to in months and to send a card to my vert best friend to remind her of the important role her friendship plays in my life.


I have five note cards with pre-stamped envelopes.  I hope each of the finders has someone to send a heartfelt message to.  Maybe the message will be something to a family member or friend the finder sees every day, or it might be a thank you to an old teacher or a co-worker.  Whatever the message, I feel certain it will be meaningful to the recipient.  Be kind!

Wine Charms

My favorite holiday of the year is the 4th of July!  Hands down, without a doubt....4th of July!  It falls during a time when the weather is lovely where I live, and it is a holiday that does not involve dressing up, buying presents, and obligations to spend time with some people you are not exited to see.  I have spent every 4th of July of my life at the same lake and can hardly wait for the surf and turf feast my family and our closest friends hold annually.

At our party there are always lots of glasses of soda, juice, beer and wine (and this year for the first time a baby bottle for the youngest among us), and we find ways to mark our own glasses.  I thought some others might enjoy some wine charms for their own summer parties.  I have three boxes or different style charms for three finders.  Hope the finders enjoy them!

Sparkly Emery Boards

Hard to believe it has been almost a month since my last post.  Thank you so much to some of the finders of my recent gifts for your comments on the blog.  Knowing some of the presents find their way into appreciative hands makes my heart happy.  I hope you pay it forward and find ways to be kind to others!  

It is time for another random act of kindness gift.  The summer season has arrived in my hometown and the days of sandals and daylight late into the evening mean painted fingers and toes with the hot new nail polish colors of the season.  As any reader of this blog knows I love sparkly things and came across some sparkly emery boards.  I hope the finders of the two boards I have to give enjoy them through the season.

    

Goals and Dreams

This past Saturday I graduated from business school and earned an MBA.  It was a goal I thought about for many years.  Finally I decided the years will pass anyway so I might as well have a degree to show for the time.  Twenty-seven months later I crossed the stage.  At the same time I went back to school I started writing down goals.  It is amazing how powerful it is to have a list of goals to look at and work toward.  I write a new list each year.

At my commencement the speaker, who has been quite successful starting businesses we all know, talked about the fact that he keeps a notepad by his bed to write down ideas that come to his mind during the night.  He has in fact followed many of the dreams and they have made a difference to him and many people around him.

My next gifts are a couple note pads for the finders to write down their own goals and dreams!  If you think about your goals and work toward them they will be accomplished!

  

Mother's Day Scratch Tickets

I keep a box at home for this Undercover Ladybug project, and I fill it with gifts, ribbons, markers, and all the items I need to create and label my little gifts.  When looking through the box this morning I noticed I had three scratch tickets.  Since today is Mother's Day I thought they would make the perfect small gift to leave in a few different restaurants to be found by a Mom or maybe a child who will give it to a Mom. Good luck to the finders!

  

Ireland Trip

I am headed to Ireland soon for a vacation.  I could not be more excited for the time away and the chance to experience the home country of one sent of great-grandparents.  I have planned out a trip for a week that will go from Dublin through southwest Ireland to Galway and back to Dublin.  I have five gifts to leave along the way.  The gifts are a small mirror, a pair of napkin rings, a bookmark, a packet of flower seeds, and a set of stickers.

Here is a photo of all the gifts.  Hope the five finders enjoy them.

 

Napkin Rings

I was at my parents' house recently for dinner and my mother had dressed up the table with some napkin rings at each of our seats.  They made me smile and made the whole dinner just feel a bid more special.  I found a couple napkin rings with green petals and sparkly diamond centers to leave as an anonymous gift.

I hope the finder uses them to make an ordinary dinner just a bit more special.

 

Small Mirror

What girl cannot use a small mirror in her purse to check her makeup or her teeth after certain foods.  I love poppyseed bagels and a small mirror needs to be available when I finish one!!  I found an adorable small mirror the other day and just had to pick it up for an anonymous gift.  I hope the finder smiles when she sees it and slips it into her purse.  

Remember to be kind to others.  Even a smile can be a gift!!!   

Seed Packets

Spring and summer bring flowers, gardens and open air farmers' markets in the city.  I love fresh produce and getting to talk to the individuals responsible for growing the food I plan to eat.  Since there are some things I can grow on my own kitchen counter, I thought someone else might also like to grow a fresh item to add to their summer meals.

I have a few packets of rosemary, thyme, parsley, etc.  I hope the finders either have a home garden or a friend to pass along these gifts to.

Kitten Page Clips

We had a few days last week that were a preview of spring weather.  How nice to leave my coat at home and see so many other people out walking, sitting in the park on a blanket or enjoying outside restaurant seating.  On a beautiful day it can be such a pleasure to have a leisurely afternoon reading a book or a magazine at an outdoor table watching people pass by.  I have a package of four magnetic page clips to mark a page in your favorite reading material.  I hope the finder can enjoy them soon on a spring day.

Wine Bottle Stopper

We all experience stressful days when there seems nothing better than coming home and pouring yourself a glass of wine and just taking in a deep breath.  It is in that moment that the day melts away.  I have a ladybug bottle stopper that I love for obvious reasons.  I thought someone else might also love a stopper that makes one smile more than the plain cork that comes with a bottle.

Heart Magnets

During the month of February heart decorations and love related gifts are everywhere as people celebrate Valentine’s Day.  Celebrating love and the relationships that are important in each of our lives is a wonderful ritual.  Love comes in so many forms…the love between…

• A parent and child
• Siblings – if you have a sibling the relationship will likely be the longest of your life
•  Best friends who share confidences and support each other through the joys and challenges of the journey of life
•  Boyfriends and girlfriends and husbands and wives
•  Grandparents and grandchildren

My favorite movie of all time is Love Actually because it is about the many different forms of love that are in the human experience.  It shows the positive and negative associated with the emotion.  Each and every one of us is loved and loves, and it is important to remember all the relationships that are important in our lives. 

My next gift is heart magnets for three different people to find.   I hope they tack them up on their refrigerators or on a bulletin board in their offices to remind them to appreciate the love in their lives and to be kind to others.