Creative Pay It Forward Challenge

My bloggy friend Julie from Thoughts of a Smother Mother issued this challenge on Facebook the other day.  I've seen it a couple of times since on other people's status' too.  I put it on mine but only got one taker so I thought I would challenge you, my fine readers, as well!




I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment to this post.  The item will be sent to you sometime in 2011.




HERE'S THE CATCH: You must in turn promise to post this (to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc) and send something you made to the first 5 people who leave a comment to your post. 




The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011!


Not so hard, right?  


Just leave a comment and the first 5 commenters (which will bring my actual total to 6 but that's ok).  Please leave me an email address so that I can email you for your address.




365 Day Photo Project 

Sunrise in Calgary

Read more...

Paying It Forward One Day at a Time

So one of my goals this year (though I seem to have left it off my goals list) is to bring back some kindness in my community.  I think we've lost our willingness to be kind to each other somewhere along the way.  Kindness starts at home but sometimes it's easier to start with kindness to strangers....none of that baggage of expectations or history you know?


Anyway....this morning I was in line at Starbucks (which I did NOT make a goal to cut back on b/c I don't make resolutions I can't keep).  I had a card for a free coffee for my birthday so I used it for my drink.  When the barista came back with my coffee I asked how much the order for the car behind me was.

She said "$4.23".

I handed her a $5, said "Thank you" and drove away.

As I turned the corner,  I saw the lady in the car behind me hand money to the barista & wave at the car behind her.  She had bought his coffee.

Funny thing is.....I didn't spend any more this morning than normal but I made someone's day a little brighter.  Though I bet buying the next guy's coffee actually made her happier than getting hers for free.

Because giving feels BETTER than getting.  It really does.

How can you be kind to someone & make their day a little brighter tomorrow?  I dare you to find a way. Please come back & tell us about it in the comments if you do!


365 Photo Project:

Coffee with a friend rocks!

Read more...

When Did Being Nice Become Out of the Ordinary?

Evan and I were standing in line at Costco with a FULL cart of groceries.  It wasn't super busy but busy enough that all the lines were full.  A man came up behind me holding maybe 4 items.  I told him "You only have a few things so go ahead of me because I have a TON."


He looked at me like I had grown a second head.


"Really?" he asked incredulously.


"Sure!" I said.

I think I made his day.  Have you done a random act of kindness lately?  You should try it.  It doesn't take that much and you just might make someone's day (and it might make yours!).


So what do you think? Has niceness fallen by the wayside?  What's the last nice thing you did for a stranger?

365 Day Photo Project

Evan and I made robot Shrinky Dinks today.  Here's my creation.

Read more...