Random Act of Kindness #26

I hope you're all feeling kind today. If you're not, go back to bed, roll over and get out on the other side. Problem fixed? Great! Now it's time to accept your RAK challenge for the day.

RAK Challenge #26: Throw a "You're Awesome Party" for someone!

My husband and kids are no strangers to doing RAKS for other people, but several nights ago I turned the tables on them! They were the recipients of a Random Act of Kindness. While everyone was away at school and work I baked an angel food cake to get ready for their "You're Awesome Party."

After dinner I told them it was time to celebrate just how awesome they all are with a little cake, a little whipping cream and of course, a lot of kind words. We served up healthy portions and let the fun begin.

We went around the table and told each other how awesome they are and why we love them. Everyone took turns and addressed each person individually. Sweet Bryn decided we needed to to this BEFORE anyone could eat their cake. Darn...I had really long lists prepared but this suggestion just made me edit it considerably! She didn't inherit her willpower from me, friends.

It was really sweet seeing the kids faces beam when it was their turn to listen to their compliments. They both got the nervous giggles. I also thought it was special for the kids to witness John and me expressing heartfelt words towards each other.

We demolished our cake and guess what happened next? What's one to do with an almost full can of whipping cream...you guessed it...

Yum! Yum!

I invite you, my friends, to not let another day go by without throwing a "You're Awesome Party!" It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just make sure the words you speak are out of love and aimed straight at their hearts.

Don't forget, your free RAK printables are available here. 

If you're not in the partying mood, there are 25 other ways to share your kindness. Click here, here or here to get started.

Random Act of Kindness #18

Whew! Yesterday was quite the day for my tiny little blog. Mandi gave me a little RAK of her own when she shared my Diamond wall treatment with her readers. Kindness just does the heart good! 

Thank you, Mandi!

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And another big thanks to all of her reader's who stopped by and left such awesome comments!

I'm really excited to share today's RAK Challenge with you guys. It's definitely one of my favorites so far! I have to share a little backstory to let you know how the idea originated. I was shopping on-line several weeks ago and ran across something that really made me sad. I'll show you what it was but I'm not posting the source, as I don't want to be associated with it in any way.

Apparently, you can actually buy sticky notes and leave a nasty-gram on someone's car when you think they did a poor job of parking. I thought about this all day when I was running my errands. Each time I got into my car I wondered, "What if someone had left a note like that on my car? How would that make me feel?" Honestly, friends, it would really tick me off and hurt my feelings. I think I'd be even more angry that the person was such a coward that they had to leave me a note instead of telling me to my face!

I stewed on this for a couple of weeks before it dawned on me that I could turn this into a RAK challenge!

RAK Challenge #18: Buy a package of sticky notes to leave in your car so you can leave random, kind messages on the cars of your friends and strangers.

 My daughter and I bought ours at the dollar store yesterday. She couldn't wait to leave the first note!

 Check it out...there are 160 stickies. Know what that means? Our family is going to make it a goal to have used up the entire stack by the end of the year. Yep, one hundred sixty notes of kindness and hopefully an added smile to someone's day.

Our first victims:

While at the orthodontist, we asked the receptionist which car belong to the doctor then left him this little note.

Mr. Art teacher got a note on his fancy motorcycle.

Now we're off to guitar lessons. What should we write on his note?

Mr. C...You rock! (Get it?)

Wouldn't it be fun to find a sweet note on your car?...much better than that dumb one mentioned at the top of the page!

Yesterday's notes were for people we know, but I fully intend to randomly pick cars out and drop them a line too. 

A few ideas: 

You're beautiful!

I hope you enjoy a good laugh today!

Thank you for parking way out here so others' could have the close spots. You're the best!

Give yourself a hug. You deserve it!

Have a happy day!

Someone thinks you're great!

Okay, friends, it's time to dig out your stickies or go buy a whole, new stack. Let's start spreading kindness one note at a time!

If you're new here, jump over to the search bar on the right side of the page and type in 'RAK challenges' so you can see what other fun things have been going on.

Random Act of Kindness #17

I can't believe it's Thursday already. My kiddos didn't have school on Monday and it's thrown my whole week into a tizzy! I was working on another post then realized, yikes, I'm about to miss a RAK day. So glad my brain decided to come out and play.

Guess who's the target of today's random act of kindness? YOU! Don't you think you deserve a little love? I do!

RAK Challenge #17: Reward yourself (with money!) for making healthy choices/decisions.

Put $1 in a jar every time you complete a workout. When you reach a certain goal, say $100, treat yourself to a massage or a new power tool (hee! hee!). Great motivation!

I'm thinking this would also work well for each time you make a healthy food choice over those decadent desserts that are ever so tempting. This option would have me on the fast track to becoming a millionaire since chocolate thoughts consume my brain just about every second of the day!

As much as I'd love to take credit for this idea, I can't. Those of you who are friends with me on Pinterest  have probably already had a sneak peek. If you love Pinterest as much as I do, follow me and I'll follow you back! 

New to my blog and feeling a little left out of the fun? Don't fret, friend, there are 16 other Random Act of Kindness Challenges for you to enjoy. Here are a few to get you started, just click here and here. 

Quick little project update: Things are looking great and I'm becoming friendly with the nail gun today. Stay tuned for the whole picture. Can't wait to show you!

Random Act of Kindness #16

The tables have turned a bit when it comes to today's RAK. You see, I was the target of a random act of kindness recently. How fun!

My friend, Piper from Mercy Saved Me, awarded me a Liebster Award. Happy dance going on (visual images up to you)!

What in the world is a Liebster Award, you may ask? Well, Liebster means "favorite" or "dearest" in German. This award goes out to the newbie bloggers with less than 200 followers (or "wonder"ful friends in my case).

Want to know the coolest part? I get to pass on this award to 5 other friends!!

Before I reveal my picks, let's make today's RAK challenge official.

RAK Challenge #16: Find a "new to you" blog and become a follower. Leave a kind word that will make their day.

Okay, now that the suspense has been building, drumroll please...

I'd like to recognize the following bloggers for being amazing and wonderful, each in their own way.

Pam, from Simple Details. You're in for a treat if you haven't found Pam's blog yet. Her house is classy and stunning, just like her. She's one talented lady with tons of great ideas to share. Pam's been a pure source of encouragement in my blogging journey.

Carly, from A Simple Affair. Carly shares great DIY projects and let me tell ya, this girl has style. I'd love to take her shopping with me some day!

Rhonda, from Shadow Jewels. Rhonda has an etsy shop full of vintage prettiness. Next time you're looking for a unique gift, stop by her shop. Great prices too, I might add!

Melissa, from Rooms. Melissa never disappoints when it comes to providing inspirational ideas and pictures. Stop by and check out her non-traditional stockings. Too cute!

Holly, from West Pear Avenue. Holly just completed a design class and has lots of great knowledge up her sleeve. If there was a blog cheerleader award, it would definitely go to Holly. She always has a kind word to share. Love that about her!

Thank you to each of the wonderful ladies above. If you're up for the challenge, accept your Liebster Award and find 5 more friends to pass on the kindness. The fine print: As you pass on the award, be sure to link back to the one who awarded it to you. Also, copy and paste the award to your own blog to show off your wonderfulness.

Once again, a huge thank you to Piper for starting all this fun in my little corner of blogland!

Tis' the season for kindness. If you're looking for some fun ideas to spread a little Christmas Cheer, just click here and here. Or just jump on over to that little search engine on the right side of the page and type in RAK challenges. 

Random Act of Kindness #15

It's Thursday friends, and you know what that means...RAK challenge!

RAK Challenge #15: Give someone a break!

Come on, sing it with me...Gimme a break, gimme a break...

This time of year can get so crazy! Take a minute to think of those around you who might need a little break. What does this look like, you ask?

Here are just a few suggestions.

*Offer to watch your friend's kids for a few hours so she can finish up some Christmas shopping.

*Let the anxious person in the parking lot actually take the space you were planning on parking in.

* Let a person jump in front of you in line at the grocery store.

*Smile at the Salvation Army Bell Ringer instead of feeling annoyed by the sound.

*Offer to read a few Christmas stories to your child's class so the teacher can finish up some grading.

I challenge you, friends, to take a second to think about the people in your life that you interact with on a daily basis. What can you do for them to make their day a little less stressful?

RAK challenges are so much fun...click here and here to find other ways you can spread some kindness!

Don't forget to leave a comment letting me know how you plan to give someone a break today. We can steal each other's ideas!

Random Act of Kindness #14

You're in for a treat today friends! Not just one RAK, but one for each day of the month. Last week, my son came home with a "Random Act of Christmas Kindness" (RACK) calendar that his class made. His teacher printed out a calendar and asked the class to brainstorm one kind thing they could do each day for the rest of the month.

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RAK Challenge #14: Compliments of Mrs. H's 2nd grade class

December 1st: Tell your parents why they are important to you

2nd: Ask your parents what THEY want for Christmas

3rd: Give a compliment to someone

4th: Do something nice for one of your siblings

5th: Do your homework without being told

6th: Help put ornaments on your Christmas tree

7th: Help someone in need

8th: Clean up the dinner table

9th: Make a present for a teacher

10th: Spend a day with a special person

11th: Help your mom bake cookies

12th: Report bullying to a teacher

13th: Make a present for a family member

14th: Be  nice to your classmates

15th: Make a treat for your classmates

16th: Help your mom make dinner

17th: Respect adults

18th: Send a present to a person in need

19th: Help clean the house

20th: Send a card to Santa

21st: Write a letter to a neighbor

22nd: Thank a police officer

23rd: Make a card for the mailman

24th: Leave a treat for Santa and his reindeer

25th: Say "Merry Christmas" to everyone you see

26th: Thank a firefighter

27th: Donate old toys to a charity

28th: Make a "New Year's" card for someone

29th: Help your family take down the Christmas decorations

30th: Donate warm clothes to people in need

31st: Watch a "New Year's Eve" show with your family

Didn't they do a great job?! I love that their teacher is teaching them great character, in addition to academics. High five, Mrs. H!

So, I challenge you friends, pick a few or do them all...it's never too late to start spreading kindness!

Are you new to RAK challenges? Look here and here so see what you've been missing.

Random Act of Kindness #12

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

Today's RAK challenge may be a sensitive one. It, quite possibly, could be the most difficult challenge to date.

RAK challenge #12: Forgive someone today!

In reality, holiday's can be very stressful and often, full of tension. One way you can help stop the madness is to find forgiveness in your heart. Isn't it crazy how we can hold onto hurtful words or past situations that made us upset? Have you ever stepped back to realize how these feelings can begin to control your life? It can even make you dread the holidays, instead of enjoying them.

Forgiving someone doesn't have to be a huge production. In fact, the person you're forgiving may not even need to be involved. Make a conscious choice to free up your mind and your heart by showing a little grace. 

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." -Lewis B. Smedes

Have you ever stepped back and realized the control another person has over you when you're experiencing strife with them? I had a "friend" in high school who was very mean-spirited. Would you believe that even as an adult I still had dreams about her and her antics? I was bothered by how she was still a part of my life all these years later. One day I realized this was happening because I had never forgiven her for the pain she put me through. I decided to let it go and began praying for her. I'm happy to report that since this realization, I haven't dreamed about her once! Forgiveness is powerful, friends!

So, I challenge you today, to not harbor hard feelings but rather allow yourself freedom from ugliness. Forgive the person in your life that's hardest to love.  

I'm sorry for a heavy post on a day that's supposed to be full of gratitude and fun, but God placed it on my heart for this to be shared today. If you're the one this post was intended for, I hope you're brave enough to take action.

 I'm thankful that you shared your time with me today.

Random Act of Kindness #11

Yea for Thursday! Today's a big day around here, Jennifer and I are hosting our decorating party tonight. There's so much to do to get ready for events like this! My daughter woke up and said,"I bet you're excited for tonight!" I had to stop a minute and learn a quick lesson from her. You see, my initial thought was about the millions of details I need to wrap up and to be honest, I'm feeling a little stressed. When I look at it through my daughter's eyes, it's such a great reminder that I need to be excited and not get bogged down. Yet, rather embrace the excitement that came along with the initial idea. Kid's have so much to teach us!

Moving on, today's RAK challenge involves this...

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RAK Challenge: Pray for your children's "to be" spouses.

One day we're going to be adding a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law into our family, God willing. My husband and I have decided to start praying for these two wonderful beings now. I ask God for protection over them. I also pray for their parents' marriages. It's my hope that their parents' are modeling a healthy marriage and growing them in an environment that will one day lead into a healthy marriage with one of our own children.

Our kids are growing up with so many difficult decisions and temptations staring them right in the face. I ask God to guide the path of these little ones and to bless them with wisdom beyond their years when it comes to their decision-making.

Today's RAK will touch the lives of many...yours, your children, and people you haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet!

If you're new to my blog, there's lots to catch up on. You can start here and here. It's never too late to start spreading kindness!

Random Act of Kindness #10

Good news, friends! We're keeping today's RAK challenge in the family again, just like last week. I'm giving you one more week to work within your comfort zone, before I challenge you to go outside your comfort zone and RAK a stranger. Oh, that was bad, wasn't it?!

Now that I've offended you, let's move on.

RAK challenge #10: Write a love letter to your husband!

Don't you think the art of writing letters is becoming a lost art? If I'm working with a client that has old letters from family, I'm quick to suggest framing it and hanging it in their home. Old script is beautiful!

I cheated and completed this challenge last night since my husband reads my blog! He was my first follower. How's that for a supportive hubby?!

John and I have written hundreds of letters to each other over the years. No, we're not that romantic...we had to do it out of necessity. I'm about to make myself sound like an ancient dinosaur. Ready? When we were in college we dated long-distance for 3 years and we didn't have email until our last year in college! Yes, you read that right. We were forced to use snail mail and being true to my frugal ways, we only called each other once a week because long-distance rates were too high!

Sadly, once married, the love letters slowed down. That's why I decided to incorporate this need in my life into a RAK challenge. When someone takes the time to put nice words into writing it means so much.

I slipped my note under his pillow so he would have a nice little surprise before bedtime!

So, friends, carve out a little time today to resurrect a lost art and let that special someone in your life know just how much they mean to you!

Check out the blog archives on the sidebar for past challenges. It's never too late to start spreading kindness!

Random Act of Kindness #9

It's Thursday and you know what that means, friends...RAK challenge! Today's challenge is very easy and it won't even push you out of your comfort zone.

We're going to learn a lesson from dogs today. Take a look at these cuties to get you good and ready...

Have you ever noticed how a dog greets its' owner after being away from each other, even for a short while? It's all tail wags and slobbery kisses! Does it matter that you didn't have time to take them on their walk this morning or that you've been away all day long while they've been bored at home? NO!...they still greet you with an unconditional happy hello.

Today's RAK: Greet your spouse, kids, roommates, etc. at the door with the same enthusiasm your dog would. It's that easy! Give them the gift of your time and your attention.

Truth be told, this is usually how my hubby and kids are greeted...

But sometimes it's more along the lines of this...

Or, maybe, I'm a little tired and they see this...

But today, it'll be this...

Much better, right? Wouldn't this make you feel good? How could it not?

So friends, there's your challenge. Gift those you love with a little random greeting of time, attention and of course, slobbery kisses!

On that note, I'll wave good-bye...

Play catch-up with your RAK challenges here, here, and here. Now go make someone smile!

Random Act of Kindness #8

Happy Thursday, friends! Are you ready to hear about today's RAK challenge?

Okay, first you have to promise me that you'll actually do the challenge. This is our eighth challenge, so no more reading and thinking, "Aahhh, that's so nice." No way friends, today's your day of action! On your mark, get ready...now go act kind and random!

Here's a little glimpse of what to expect...

etsy

Go through a drive-thru and buy yourself a coffee. While you're paying, tell the cashier that you would like to pay for the person's order who is behind you. Leave the cashier with instructions to tell the lucky recipient that they've just received a Random Act of Kindness and encourage them to pay it forward. If you're really on top of things, make a little notecard that shares this message, then hand it to the cashier to give to the person as they give them their "paid for" drink!

You can adapt this RAK for just about any drive-thru. Just make sure there's not a van full of people behind you, unless you plan on spending a fortune!

So there it is, friends. Go out and share "a whole latte love!" Don't forget to leave me a comment and tell me you've accepted the challenge!

Need to catch up on your RAK challenges? Click here, here, and here to see what's been going on.


Linking up to Casey Leigh's Fall Followers Fest. Stop by to meet some new friends!