52 Acts of Random Kindness, Weeks 13 and 14

A different kind of kindness...giving Piper the remote!

It's been awhile since I've posted under this heading, and believe me when I say there is very good reason for that.  When I first decided to take on the random act of kindness a week, I set some pretty lofty goals for myself.  Goals which I had full intention to follow, but life got hectic, time got short, and taking care of Piper always comes first ahead of all other things right now and forever.  So, why the break in acts of kindness?

It has a flavor!

First off, I didn't altogether just stop being nice to people, lol.  I'm pretty good at niceties on a regular basis, but I don't always go out of my way to do something extra special for complete strangers.  Mostly my niceties revolve around family, friends, and coworkers.  So that's that.  I did however have to slow down on the every week extra special nicety for a few reasons: (but first some random pics!)

Traded remote for water bottle!

Which was fine at first...

But then she got lazy...

And more lazy...

I'm talking serious lazy here!

What was in that bottle?

Okay, now back to the point...

1) The holiday times are extremely hectic and very expensive.  While it may seem a perfect time of year to perform my acts of kindness, truth is they are not usually free and I give a lot to family and friends this time of year.  I, along with my parents, have the very lofty expense of providing all the Thanksgiving grub for the clan.  I love to cook with the best ingredients this time of year so my recipes tend to get pricey...but they are oh so delicious and worth the expense!  Also, I'm known as the most awesome gift giver in the family.  I am very much a giver rather than a receiver, and love to see people light up with joy upon opening presents.  I have a very talented knack for picking out the most unique and/or perfect items for those I know, and I oftentimes spend a little more than I should if the gift speaks to me and has to be gotten.  I budget very well, so I never put myself in a bind, however this time of year I tend to put my loved ones first because it's a special time for me, especially after the Christmas I tried to die on everyone via a brain infection.  Add on the additional expense of Piper's first Christmas, and well you don't even want to know how ridiculous that's become!

2)  Time was passing to fast!  Since may sound a bit odd, but trying to come up with something new and exciting every week for my random act of kindness was making life fly by way too quickly.  I had begun to feel I was missing out on enjoying Piper's first year by throwing so much time and effort into the kindnesses. It began to feel like every week was revolving around these acts rather than focusing on this little miracle of mine.  Sure, she gets more attention than probably most kids.  And she gets to stay with me all day at work. But I began to feel like I was just trying to put too much into to little time.  I hope that makes since, because it is a genuine feeling I was toying with.

3)  I began to feel like my blog was starting to center around the acts rather than Piper.  I began the blog to document her life, not to document the acts of kindness, those were just supposed to be a bonus and to give back to the universe what I felt I was given through her.  However, I noticed I was beginning to post weekly about the acts of kindness and not about her.  I don't always have the time to post every week, although I desperately try to do so, and I was forcing myself to get the kindness post written ahead of Piper posts.  In other words, when time only allowed for one post, she wasn't becoming the priority, and she is the reason I do all of this.  This also relates to number two above.  Trying to get the act and the post done every week was making time feel like it was passing way too quickly!

Those three things are the main reason I had to take a small break and get myself refocused.  During this time I did some rethinking, and have come up with a way to solve the time constraints at hand and still accomplish my original goal of 52 acts of random kindness.

First off, I'm not going to force one a week on myself.  They will happen as they happen, but I will at accomplish at least one a month.  I will still perform 52 of them, they just won't have to be done so quickly. This lengthening of the timeframe will also keep me from feeling pressured about time and help me maintain my sanity without guilt of falling short.

Secondly, I'm not going to limit myself to whom these acts can be performed.  Sometimes I go out of my way to do something quite spectacular for people I know/acquaintances, and these should count as they do take a lot of thought, time, effort, sometimes expense, energy, etc.  They are random, but they are also special and should be recognized as so.  I see no reason why to not write about these, too.

Lastly, I am not going to force myself to come up with something new all the time.  I can repeat acts as long as they are for different individuals...and this brings me to yesterday...(but first some more random pics)

Piper discovering the fireplace wood...

She loves the fireplace and the fire even more!

Not sure why the rings on the bucket had her so fascinated.

Okay, back to the acts of kindness..

Monday was actually my random act number 14, but I will discuss it first.  As of Monday, I finally felt back on track and free of holiday stress, and so I decided to show my appreciation to the universe by buying lunch for the two cars behind me at the McDonald's drive through.  Just as I started these by buying lunch for someone at Wendy's, I restarted by doing the same at McDonald's. (Yes, I eat fast food sometimes!) Buying someone lunch is a very simple way to give back, and it being a Monday, which pretty much always suck, I thought it would be the best day for a nice gesture.  It felt really good to finally get things back rolling again, and I look forward to continuing on.

As for week 13, I actually performed that one back towards the end of October and it just actually ended this week.  This year I signed up my family's business to be drop locations for Toys for Tots.  We have eight locations, so I thought it would be good to use those to help out those children less fortunate than others.  I wish I could report that we received hundreds of toys and it was a major success, but unfortunately that is not the case.  With the economy being so horrible right now, and toy prices being ridiculously high, the amount of giving was below par.  After speaking with the local Marine Corps representative yesterday about the toy pick-up, it was the same story at all the local toy drops.  We did receive some, and of course I donated, but overall I so wish we could have done more.  I think next year I will get a better game plan in action, and see if we can offer our customers and other people incentives for donating.  Or maybe we will pick a local charity organization that accepts gently used toys, too.  I think the response may have been better if new toys were not a requirement.  I know a lot of people who have toys around their houses that have hardly even been touched by their kids and they are looking to get rid of them, so maybe this avenue would be better next season.  Or maybe both.  Either way, I do want to try again next year as I think it's a wonderful cause and one we should support even if we can only do a little.

So there you go, random acts of kindness are officially back in swing!  I apologize to my readers for not explaining the lull in things sooner, but Piper has been all-consuming and she is my top priority.  I'm sure you all understand, because you are all awesome.  I do still want to get one more act in for the holidays, as I feel like Christmas is a time when there are so many out there that just don't get to have the type of Christmas I've always been blessed with.  I'm a very lucky gal, and I recognize that wholly.  So hopefully I will get the time to do something special for someone outside my family, besides the Toys for Tots gift donation.  I may not get to write about it right away, as it's so close to crunch time, but it will happen, I have faith.

And here is a random pic of Piper eating studle innards :)

And now is your time for an act of kindness.  Please vote for me and Piper over on Top Mommy and Top Baby Blogs.  It's a simple couple of clicks and you're done.  Then come join us on our other sites, especially Facebook, where all the daily action happens.  Most of all, have a fantastic holiday season, whatever holiday or non-holiday you celebrate or don't celebrate.  I'm actually a Pagan witch who celebrates Yule, so there you go!  Blessed be!



  

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52 Acts of Random Kindness, Week 8

An idea of the sectional I'm about to reference!

As this past week whizzed by, I was feeling a bit anxious by mid-week because I had yet to come up with a plan for the week's random act of kindness.  I think I have mentioned before that I do these acts on a whim, letting the universe present something to me rather than me intentionally seeking out something to do, at least that is how I usually let things move along.  So by Wednesday, I was beginning to wonder why nothing had yet presented itself.  By early Thursday morning, I was really beginning to fret that my week would end up involving so much time at the office that my act of kindness would fall short for the first time.  Well, ask the universe and you shall receive, right?

Early Thursday afternoon, a woman came into my family's business looking at some of our cash and carry/scratch and dent furniture items (by the way, the family business involves furniture, electronics, and appliances, just an FYI).  She worked at a local elementary school, and was trying to find some items to help out a Hispanic family that just moved into the district.  This poor family, which consisted of a mother, father, and several children, had nothing but a dining room table and some blow-up mattresses in their newly moved into apartment.  They did not speak any English, and while the father was going off to work everyday, the mother was trying to navigate getting their kids into school.  All of the children were going through testing to see where they stood academically in order to get them enrolled into the correct grade levels.  This family had no other relatives in the area, so basically they were going through all of this alone, with no support network but each other, and the kindness of the woman at the school who offered to help them in any way she could...hence why she was visiting our store.

While the woman from the school was checking out the items we had to offer, she told me the Hispanic family's story.  I instantly knew that I had to help.  Luckily, I had been storing a few of my old furniture items in our warehouse, the items I could not fit into my storage building, and was contemplating what to do with them as I am in longer need of them and they are basically just taking up space.  I had already sold a couple of items, such as my bar set and ottoman, but the other items I've been toying with also selling or donating.  I decided that this family could really use a kindness, so I offered to give them what items I had left which included my sectional, a coffee table, an end table, and a set of lamps. I didn't have anything else there to give that was my own, but I also managed to come up with a bunk bed and a set of bunkie mattresses that we could no longer sell through the business, so these items we also gave to the family.

The bunk bed we donated.

And two of these to go with the bunk bed!

I should say here that when the woman from the school came to our business looking for furniture items, she was not coming in looking for a donation or a handout, she was looking for items to purchase.  I very well could have sold her some furniture, but the story she told moved me.  Since I had already been contemplating donating my sectional and other furniture items, I was happy to give them to the family as my act of kindness for the week.

We delivered the items to the family late Thursday afternoon, and our delivery guys said the family was very thankful for the donations.  It felt really good to help them out, as I have everything I could ever need and want right now, and they were just barely getting by.  Sure I could have made several hundred dollars selling the stuff, but I am not hurting for money right now either.  I am no where near wealthy nor do I have money to just toss around, but I do have what I need with a little left over from time to time for the first time in my life.  Combine that with my pretty much perfect home life, family, and such, at least it feels perfect right now, than I am definitely in a place where giving to others is within my means, both financially and mentally...if that makes sense.

I still have a storage room full of goods, which someday I will get to cleaning out.  At that point be on the lookout for more donations!  I will probably end up selling my bedroom suite, but that's because my niece is looking to purchase her first car and the money could help her out, so that's sort of like a donation, right?

Well then, that about wraps up week 8's random act of kindness.  I was a little slow getting everything published, but I had a busy week and weekend with very little time left for writing. I cannot wait to see what this week brings, as once again I have no idea what my act of kindness will be at this point.  Stay tuned, as I'm sure it will be pretty awesome!

Piper approves of this act!

As per my usual spiel, please take a moment and vote for me over at Top Baby Blogs and Top Mommy Blogs by following the links below.  Then come visit me on my other social sites by following the links below those links.  And as always, have a great week everyone!


  

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52 Acts of Random Kindness, Week 6

Uh oh, balloons again!

This week was a whirlwind!  With Labor Day kicking things off, it was amazing how the time seemed to fly by.  One thing I've realized when trying to accomplish these random acts is that time can sneak away like a thief in the night quicker than you think it can.  Before I even realized it, the week was just about up and I had yet come up with a plan or have something presented to me by the universe.  Yes, there I go with that universe talk again!

After a shorter than expected week, due to the holiday and a "long" week at work, you know the kind of "long" I'm talking about when I have to use the quotes, right?  Well after the "long" yet short week, I almost copped out of my usual random act.  That is not to say that I had nor performed an act of kindness before almost running out of time today.  That simply means I almost let myself get away with using another project I supported take the place of this week's act.  Let me explain...

Once upon a time, I was a professional ballet dancer.  As a young dancer in training, I had the wonderful opportunity to train with the Houston Ballet Academy, by invite, after studying there a couple of summers in a row.  To be invited to remain as a regular student in such a prestigious school after summer training, well let's just say everyone in the ballet world knows how amazing that is.  But I am not here to toot my own horn, well maybe just a little bit, but anyways I'm getting to a point.  At the Houston Ballet Academy, I had the astounding luck of being cast in a ballet by a newly burgeoning choreographer named Trey McIntyre, who at the time was also just a student.  Although I could tell he was a force to be reckoned with who had more talent in his little pinkie than most people can begin to comprehend, I never knew exactly how far he would take that talent.  Trey went on to choreograph for the Houston Ballet at first, but much greater things awaited him.  Today, besides being a much sought-after choreographer the world over who has received numerous awards for his works, he also runs his own dance company, the Trey McIntyre Project.

He's pretty much the shiznit!

I've been keeping up with his company through Facebook for some time now.  This past week I got wind that he was trying to get a documentary into the works that essentially recreates a collaboration that took place back in 2008 between his band of troubadours and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans. That is just the fine surface layer of this project entitled Ma Maison.  I urge anyone reading this to go check out the link to get a much more in-depth feeling of what this documentary is all about.  In order to get this documentary into works and off the ground, he was using the Kickstarter website to raise the funds.  All in all, he needed $18,000.  Once I heard of the project, he was just $1600 shy of meeting his goal.  I threw in a small contribution, because to this day I am still moved by what he does and by my experience the brief moment of time I had the pleasure of seeing him in action as well as being a part of that action.

With all that said, I did not initially intend to make my contribution to his documentary project my random act of kindness for this week.  However, as the week drew to a close and I had nothing else in the works, I decided Friday night I would let myself slide and use it as my deed of the week.  But it didn't sit well with me.  Although it was a nice gesture to give something to his project, even if it was just a small something in the great scheme of things, I was getting something in return...a thank you note, a DVD copy of the original two ballets that were a part of Trey's seminal collaboration down in The Big Easy, and a copy of the documentary film to be released next year.  Plus, I did not give to the project with the intention of using it as my act of kindness for the week.  So even though it was a nice gesture, it was a cop out, of sorts, to use it.

So, last night I decided to change all that today.  I made a plan.  It wasn't a life-changing plan, and it did incorporate balloons, which I have used before, but it was a plan!  I decided to get up this morning, get my butt in gear, go grab my nieces as partners in crime, run out to Party City and grab balloons and miniature bottles of bubbles, tie the balloons to the bottles, and drive around handing them out to random children around town.  The bubbles were not part of the original plan, they I decided upon once the balloons had been chosen.  Who doesn't love bubbles, right?  Actually they made Piper cry in the bathtub the other night, but I'll save that hysterical story for later.

One of the many balloons!

Once I had my plan, and everything was set in motion, my feelings about this week's deed changed.  The giving away of balloons and bubbles felt more in line with the spirit of the kindnesses I've been performing. I'm assuming it's because handing a child a balloon and seeing their face brighten into a big grin is just more personal and satisfying.  I love to see children smile, I think that is why all but the first random act has involved children.  Plus, I feel children take these things more to heart and learn about being nice to strangers more than maybe an adult would.  I'm probably wrong about that, as I was influenced by an adult, but whatever.

A view behind my seat! 

View of the passenger side!

It was great fun having my nieces involved with this one, and much necessary as I have no idea what I would have done had I implemented the plan and got all those balloons in the car by myself to give away.  While it was only twelve balloons, they took up all the space!  It was a madhouse in my ride!  My nieces had so much fun that they want to join in on future excursions of giving and fun.  That really makes me feel awesome.  I love that they enjoyed the experience and that the kindness bug rubbed off on them, too!  Piper enjoyed coming along, also.  I'm not sure what she thought about the mayhem of the car being filled with balloons, but she sure did not complain they entire time.  She also loved Party City for all it's colorfulness.  I think she liked the Halloween decorations more than anything else.  That girl is definitely not scared of spooky ghosts and ghoulies.

You can sort of see Piper's carrier on the left!

In the end, we were able to find ten children out and about with their parents.  We actually found eleven, but one parent wouldn't let us give their child a balloon, which was sad.  I think she was creeped out by us, and there is always the overly cautious parent out there, it happens.  We tried to give away all twelve balloons, but in the end time ran out as Piper got hungry.  We wrapped up our adventure with frosty treats and Sonic. The last two balloons and bubble sets ended up going to my nieces for being such great companions and sports, couldn't have done it without them!  It was a totally awesome day!

Good Sport award #1!

Good Sport award #2!

Although my week was running short, I managed to complete my task before time got the better of me. Now I am hastily typing out this blog entry to try and reach the midnight deadline.  I have just around 50 minutes left, so time to wrap things up, throw in some pics, and get this puppy published!

Piper helped!

I hope you have once again enjoyed your foray into my crazy little world.  Please show your appreciation by dropping me a vote over at Top Baby Blogs.  After that, come join me and Piper on Facebook and/or my other social sites by checking out the links below.  Remember, I am always updating daily on Facebook, so it's a great way to get the dish before it hits the blog!  Also, I'll be doing a very special act of kindness this next week that will incorporate my Facebook page, so stay tuned and play a part if you wish!!

  

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