The End of 2014

I'm trying to end 2014 with several acts of kindness today. I just got back from the post office where I dropped off my wedding dress and my eyeglasses. Those items are on their way to their new homes. While out, I made an effort to smile at everyone in the post office and wish them a happy new year. Also there was a janitor cleaning the floors in front of the post office's entrance. He paused and expected me to walk through area he had just mopped to drop off my packages at the desk.  He had his mop ready to wipe up where I walked. However rather than walking through his newly cleaned floor,  I walked to the desk around the clean spots & on the area that had not yet been mopped. You should have seen his smile. No sense in making him work extra an have to re-mop when I could take a few extra steps around to give his clean floor time to dry.

After I got home, I put away my garbage can and then my neighbors garbage can too. This neighbor never makes eye contact with me and snubs me if I try to talk to her ... all the time for NO REASON. I don't know if I have offended her or what, but since her car was gone I figured she wasn't home and brought her garbage can in too. If I am going to do this kindness thing, I am even going to be nice to someone who isn't nice to me. 

It is now noon and I am looking up volunteer opportunities and items to donate online. Ready for the New Year!

Kindness at the Mall

Today I went to the mall. It was crazy- busy because of all of the post holiday shoppers. There were a lot of people in line for returns or exchanges. I also had to exchange some shirts at Hot Topic that I had given to the boys. This is where the next little act of kindness comes in handy. Have your receipt ready! You know you're going to need it. The cashier will expect it. And none of the other shoppers want to wait while you dig it out of your wallet. Then, use the same bag to take your new items home. You dont need a new bag. Less bags = less garbage = happier planet. It's amazing these are little acts of kindness that seem like common sense and it's amazing how not everyone has the same courtesy.

Donating My Frames

This year I have had two new eyeglass prescriptions. I asked my opthamologist if there was a place that I could donate my glasses to help Pay it Forward. He suggested I contact the Lions Club. I did some research on the Lions Club Website and found that my glasses can truly be used to create a difference. The recycled glasses may be used to help a child read, help an adult be successful with their job or help a senior maintain their independence. I thought that sounded pretty cool.

Brides' March

Today I boxed up my old wedding dress. I wanted to make sure it went to a good place. I didn't want to just donate it to a store who would make a profit off of it and I am also a little superstitious and didn't want anyone to have the same outcome to their marriage as I did. I wanted the dress to be used to make a difference. I decided to donate it to the Brides' March, which is a charity that brings awareness to domestic violence. I just thought that the visual representation of the annual march in a wedding dress is such a powerful message against domestic violence and I support the Brides' March's cause. Hopefully they will get good use out of my old dress.

Random Acts of Kindness

I am so excited about this new year's resolution that I got started immediately. My resolution for 2015 is to complete a year's worth of random acts of kindness and paying it forward. I've already made a list of a bunch of things that I can do and look forward to checking items off my list. Happy New Year everybody!!!