Antidotes for Mom: My 30th Birthday

This day has finally arrived. I'm 30. It's an age that when I was about 13, I thought was old. Like, REALLY old. An age that seemed so far away, but was the start of the downhill of life.

I'm so glad I'm not 13 anymore. This birthday, means nothing even remotely close to what I thought it did back then.

This birthday, is the celebration of life. It's the acknowledgment that throughout some of the stupidest things I've ever done in my youthful life, I've managed to live to tell the tales to another generation. That I've grown in all areas and ways of life. That I've taken paths that have never been traveled, and that I've shared my means with others.

This birthday was the realization that I have SO FAR to go yet. That at this point in my life, I could never be done doing, what needs to be done.

I'm so grateful for the opportunities that I've been given. I've been incredibly blessed with all the people I've met in my life. Those who have been around to help give me guidance and perspective. To share their errors and triumphs with me, in hopes that I'll be able to have an even better life.

I'm even grateful for those challenging and difficult people I know/have in my life. It's because of these people and their daily challenges for me, that I get to experience what it truly means to love. These people also show me that out of each difficult situation, there is a lesson to be learned and shared. If we didn't learn from them, life would be pretty uneventful and probably hopeless.

But nonetheless, I'm 30! What a fabulous thing!

As I've been mentioning and doing in some of my posts, I wanted to be a giver and a sharer of this moment. (Not just this moment, I've realized but in EVERY moment!)

I kicked off my 30th with doing 30 Random Acts of Kindness.

http:www.spirituallythinking.blogspot.com
Taken from Here! Love this!

I just want to encourage each and every one of you, to try this at some point in your life. You don't necessarily need to do thirty things, or even ten different things. But this journey was amazing!

I took about a month and half to sit down and plan this. I needed to save a little money and some of these things required a lot of time.

I made a list of things I wanted/thought I could do. I had planned to do them all in one day, but after I started acquiring all this 'stuff' I realized, my car was too SMALL to hold everything in one shot. Plus, my husband pointed out that taking my two little kids with me every where I went to do this, would make this a miraculous feat to get it all done in one full day.

My Collection of Items!

I broke it up into a few things each day. My kids could take doing this stuff for about an hour or two max. He was right. Yes, I said it. My husband, was RIGHT!

Here is what I did, and how it went! Enjoy!

Act #1. Donated Valentine's to the homeless shelter for the kids to make and take to school.

Act #2. Took puzzles and coloring books and crayons and dropped them off at the hospital for the kids.

Act #3. Donated coffee to the homeless shelter.

Act #4. Sent a Yiftee to a lucky Reader!

Act #5. Picked up garbage around the neighborhood.

Act #6. Donated expired coupons to the Red Cross for the troops.

Act #7. Sent cards to friends and family with lots of love

Act #8. Put coupons out at the store for people to use.

Act #9. Left diapers at the diaper stations.

Act #10. Handed out Blessing Bags to the people in need.

Act #11. Handed out waters to people we saw, like the mail lady, homeless, the kids holding signs and billboards by the street.

Act #12. Retrieved rogue shopping carts throughout the store parking lots, and placed them in the carousels.

Act #13. Helped a gentleman with his groceries and put his cart away. (He was really surprised I offered to help, and even more so when he found out I didn't work for the store.)

Act #14. Smile all day at people. (This seems easy, but try it! Actually focus on walking through the store with a smile on your face. You have to make an effort to keep doing it....all day long...all the time! But, it works. Everyone can't help but smile back.)

Act #15. Bought flowers and cards and gave them to a gas station attendant. (There were two of them.) As I drove away, I saw them smile.

Act #16. Woke up Monday morning to snow! Got out REALLY early and shoveled my neighbors side walks and tried to brush the snow off their windshields.

Act #17. Used my cute Treat Holders (how to make post HERE) and gave the librarians some milk and donuts! They thought the treat holder was cute and the thought was very nice!

Act #18. Gave a homeless, smiling, helpful man, who was outside the post office, a coupon for chicken nuggets at Burger King with the money to cover it, plus tax and I threw some extra money. Also gave him a blessing bag with dry socks, and a water. He was so happy.

Act #19. Made Red Velvet Cupcakes for the nurses at our local hospital. (Heads up on this one--you may need to call ahead and find out if they will take them! I actually have a few neighbors who are nurses, who brought them, because our hospital will only take pre-packaged food to hand out from a stranger. Makes sense when you think about it.) Included a thank you note for them always being awesome!

Act #20. Gave the crossing guard at the local school some milk and donuts in my cute Treat Carrier!

Act #21. Bought the person's coffee behind me in line at Starbucks.

Act #22. Brought back old vases to a local mom and pop floral shop! They were really grateful!

Act #23. Put up notes with the change for a soda, on the soda machines. (Pop machines, if you're from the Midwest!)

Act #24 & #25. Gave donuts and thank you cards to both the local fire station and sheriff's office!

Act #26. Made 89 homemade Valentine's for the local assisted living/nursing home. (Are you always finding fun projects to make with your kids and not sure what to do with them all, bring them there! They really appreciate it!)

Act #27. Wrote out positive, encouraging and loving notes and left them on cars.

Act #28. Donated a bag of dog food to the local animal shelter.

Act #29. Donated some medical supplies to the local free clinic. (Nothing major, just small things.) They are always grateful and they take care of so many in our local areas!

Act #30. Recycle plastic garbage bags.

Act #31. Tell my family and friends how much I love them!

Act #32. Leave a big tip! Even if they don't deserve it. You never know what's going on in their life, and perhaps your note and tip will be the reason their night turns around and others will get great service that night too!

Act #33. Mail treats to an unsuspecting friend! Surprise!

Act #34. Gave away a diamond candle on the blog to a lucky reader! (See, I give good stuff here!)

Act #35. Bought Milk & Cookies for all the kids at Story Hour. Mom's totally appreciate this!

Act #36. Place stamps on envelopes at the card store.
Act #37. Donate blood.
Act #38. Leave $1 bills at the Dollar Store for people to find.
Act #39. Buy a grocery store gift card and give it to someone in the store to use.
Act #40. Hand out balloons to people.
Act #41. Pay for someone's hair cut (Done by friends!)
Act #42. Pay for someone's gas. (Done by friends!)

Ok, so I did more than 30, but once you get started you realize how awesome and incredibly fun it is, to be the blessing in someone's life.

The flowers, and the grocery carts, the coffee and cookies were some of my favorites, because I actually got to see some of the reactions.

You know how you always HEAR about people doing good things, and you think, "I can do that?" Go do it! Be a DOER!

I have to tell you, when I first started this, I had serious doubts. I thought people would think I'm crazy and that it feels weird. But you have to fight PAST that! Because, wouldn't you want any of these nice things to happen to you?!?! I know I would. So what are you waiting for?

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE!

All these are just small seeds. People that mock small seeds, fail to realize that all great things come from something small. The biggest trees started from a tiny seed. Even we, as people, started from something even smaller than a seed! Look how we've grown! Go and be amazing! Go and DO!

After realizing how easy it is to do these things, I plan to keep going. There is no reason that I should just do these once in my life or once a year. I can't wait to keep doing all these things.

I'd love to hear what you've done-or ideas you have! Tell me how it felt to do some random acts of kindness! Or how it felt when one happened to you!

Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without

realizing it.

Hebrews 13:2

Want more ideas on how to spread some fun love and cheer? Check out these posts!