One Word for 2013

Happy New Year!!
If you had one word to describe what you want from the new year, what would it be? Sort of like a "theme" for the year. Health? Wealth? Joy? Peace? Serenity? Grace?
I'll bet that you can guess mine.

Kindness

My goal for 2013 is to be deliberately more kind EVERY DAY. To spread that kindness everywhere that I go, and to inspire more kindness among those around me.

This year is a fresh start, a blank slate. We can make it what we want to. Make it great!

Share your word with me!

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December Kindness Challenge Wrap Up

 As we wrap up this month, I feel inspired within myself. Inspired to take this warm fuzzy feeling of love and generosity from the December Kindness Challenge, and to carry it on in a very deliberate way throughout 2013.
I always strive to be a kind, compassionate human being, but sometimes that can get lost in the shuffle of daily life and occupied minds. For example, I would never hesitate somebody who was in obvious need of assistance, but it's less common that I would seek out a way to extend kindness to somebody. And it feels really nice to do that.
So, for the next year, let's join the movement of kindness. Spread the love, spread the joy, the cheer, the goodwill. Go out of your way to be helpful, understanding, and empathetic to those around you. I will be, and I know that it will be worth it!

After today, there are still a few more days left of the December Kindness Challenge, but this will be the final link up/post in the series. Just remember to keep up your acts of kindness for the month!

Here were my kind acts for the last week:

12/21: At Bass Pro Shop to see Santa, I was able to join my friend and her kids on her "Bass Pass", so I passed mine on to somebody in  the standby line. Then later that afternoon, I went to the Starbucks drive-thru and paid for the person behind me in line.

12/22: Left some homemade Peppermint Bark cake pops on my neighbors gate with a Christmas card.

12/23: Made a small donation at the grocery store's Harvesting Hope collection container.

12/24: After our Christmas celebration with my husbands family, I had one of the photos of my in-laws and the grand kids developed at Walgreens, and then framed it so that my In-Laws would have a copy right away.

12/25: While at Walgreens buying batteries, I helped a man find the appropriate SD card for the tablet he bought his kiddos. He was so upset with himself for not buying one in advance.

12/26: Picked up dinner for my family because The Hubs and I both didn't feel like cooking. We had post-Christmas fatigue. Then I brought The Hubs his drinks without him asking me to.

12/27: Created a GoFundMe account (and donated) for some good friends of mine to help them with their expenses on getting to the Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita Support, Inc. conference this summer. They will be traveling with their special needs daughter (same condition that my daughter has) and all of her medical supplies and adaptive equipment, and it will be challenging and expensive for them to make this trip.

I have some more acts in mind for the next few days of this challenge. For example, I want to bring flowers to the nurse that helps with all of my daughters referrals and stuff down at the medical office. I want to go drop off our pop tabs at the nearby Ronald McDonald House. I want to bring a plate of cookies to the police department. So those are things I'll get to over the next few days. And then I'll be on the lookout to make 2013 my kindest year ever! Join me, wont you?

Now, if you have a post about kindness, please link it up here with myself and Danette from All My Love for All My Days, or simply comment below!
 


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 Have you "liked" me on Facebook yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Get over there! 
Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'? 
Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna! 
I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife 

December Kindness Challenge Link Up #2

Welcome to the Week #2 wrap up post for the December Kindness Challenge! December Kindness Challenge is a great project being hosted by myself and the lovely Danette over at All My Love for All My Days. Here you can link up your post that shares your act of kindness, or simply post in the comments section to share what your kind acts for the week were. I really hope to see more responses this week.

This morning I read a story that is proof that one kind act, really can change a life:

"– sometimes I lose perspective, but … last December a law school friend, now a probation officer in Minneapolis, posted this: “So we have this tiny toy drive at work for people who maybe just got out of jail or treatment and didn't get into Toys for Tots because they don't have IDs or whatever. It's meager; we usually give 2 toys per child but we do literally serve hundreds of kids. Today a guy comes in to the office, a guy who is on felony probation no less, and says that two years ago our little toy drive is what was the beginning of his turning point. Because he was touched, he brought Target gift cards to the Toy Drive to "pay it forward."

2nd chances, lives changed, turn a bad day/week/month/year into hope. Easy peasy. Make it happen! Kind acts don't have to cost a dime, and can take very little time as well. 

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.  ~Mark Twain
Now I will share with you what my kind acts were for this week. I look forward to seeing what other kind acts happened over the last 7 days!

Sat 12/8~ I gave my mom a new dress "just because". I got a great price on it, and it was her size.
Sun 12/9~ I smiled at every stranger I made eye contact with. And, even though they were doing their best to get under my skin... I treated my kiddos to goodies at Disneyland.
Mon 12/10~ Purchased coffee & dessert for my mom, and even sent a treat home for dad too!
Tues 12/11~ (This one was fun!) I purchased a cookie for a complete stranger at Del Taco and delivered it to his table on my way out the door.
Wed 12/12~ I gave the 'right of way' to people and vehicles everywhere I went.
Thur 12/13~ I gave my sister a new dress for Dressember.
Fri 12/14~ Before going to my son's 3rd grade class to help, I picked up a peppermint mocha for his teacher. I like to bring her treats on Fridays. I hope she knows that she's appreciated.

So, how were you kind this week? Please share!!

********************************************************************************* Have you "liked" me on Facebook yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Get over there! Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'? Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna! I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

December Kindness Challenge Link-Up #1

Helllllloooooooo everyone! I'm so excited for our first link-up today for the December Kindness Challenge! (Don't worry, if you don't have a blog to link-up, you can still share! Just leave your list of kind acts in the comments below the blog post!)
I hope that all of you have been experiencing the great joy that comes with kind acts, and that your hearts are full. I cannot wait to see what all of you have been up to! And if you haven't been participating already, it's not too late to start!!

So let's get started!! First, I am going to share my list of kind acts for the week. (Also, if you're not "following" my blog with Google Friend Connect, now would be a great time to do that!) Then, I ask that you pay a visit to Danette at All My Love for All My Days to see her DKC post (Follow her too!). Then either link-up your DKC blog post or post in comments.

Day 1~ On this day, I mailed a copy of one of my very favorite books, and a handmade card with handwritten note to one of my dearest friends. She lives far away from me, and I miss her every day. Also, she always puts others before herself and I wanted her to receive something special in the mail that was just for her. I also held the door open for a gentleman who's hands were full at the post office, complimented a stranger on her dress at the grocery store, and gave $1 to the Salvation Army bucket on my way out.

Day 2~ On the 2nd day of the DKC, I purchased a box of Fair Trade, Organic Peppermint Tea from the Alternative Holiday Faire at church, and then gifted it anonymously to the neighbor across the street. I put it in a small gift bag, wrote a note, and left it on her porch. At the grocery store (again), I put a small bag of canned goods into the donation box.

Day 3~ It was a cold day. I prepared a treat of hot cocoa mix, mini marshmallows, and tiny peppermint marshmallow bits for my son's kindergarten teacher and gave it to her when I picked him up. I also made a "warm drink" goodie bag for my 3rd grade son's running club coach and gave it to her when I picked him up.

Day 4~ On this day, the opportunity for a kind act fell right into my lap. When I took my daughter to preschool, they were short a parent helper. At our preschool, it's important for licensing requirements that each classroom has the proper adult to child ration. So although I hadn't planned on spending my morning at preschool that day, I did. By doing that, the office manager and school director were able to focus on their regular tasks instead of wasting time looking for a parent to fill in.

Day 5~ In the morning after dropping Big Boy off at school, I was running a little bit late and was frustrated with the drop-off situation at the school. Despite that, I let several kids cross the street in front of me so that they wouldn't be late. And I did it without getting irritated. I also gave a good, high value coupon to a clothing store to a friend of mine who shops there.

Day 6~ I registered as a donor!! I registered at deletebloodcancer.org as a bone marrow and/or peripheral blood stem cell donor. This is something that could help me save a life, and I'm so happy to offer that to the world. You can also become a donor through the Be the Match Program.

Image Source

Day 7~ Left a special treat of Lindor Truffles on the desk of my Big Boy's teacher. I also made a small donation to a family in our support group (for my daughters condition) that is trying to raise funds for the travel expenses for their child's care.

I can't wait to see what all of you link up or comment!! I encourage you to check out the other blogs that are linked up! You may find the inspiration for your next Act of Kindness!
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I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

December Kindness Challenge: A challenge for all of us

"There would be less suffering in this world if humanity would learn this one truth: 

It is not what we receive but what we give, that heals us."

~Richard Paul Evans (The Carousel)

Kindness is something this world can never have enough of. It is something that I strive to teach my children, not only with words, but with examples. When my boys are bickering, the first thing I usually say to them is "Be Kind". When someone does something that isn't nice, I will say "that wasn't very kind.".
Kindness is a virtue that will never become outdated, and one that all of us could improve upon.

Now, I know that in this busy time of year, it's easy to become caught up in all that we have to do, where we have to be, what we must purchase or wrap or decorate. Many times during the month of November we see our friends and family taking time to post on Facebook, Twitter, or on blogs what they are thankful for. I love that. But why let this wonderful season stop because thanksgiving is over? Let's extend that thankfulness by giving someone else something to be thankful for!
Recently, I felt led to do a series on Kindness. I invited Danette from All My Love for All My Days to co-host this series with me, and she graciously agreed. (If you're not already following her, you should be. She's such a fabulous lady!)
This series is going to run throughout the month of December. Danette and I are challenging ourselves, our families, our friends, and our fellow bloggers and readers to perform an act of kindness EACH DAY, no matter how big or how small.
During this busy time of year, this challenge would be a great way for people to conscientiously pause, and consider others more deliberately instead of just going through the motions of the season. By participating, we could all have our best Christmas seasons yet!
Each Friday in December, post what you did for each of the days the week prior. Danette and I will have the link ups on our blogs where you can share your blog post about it. If you're not a blogger, simply tweet it, share it on Facebook, and/or share what you did in the comments.
I will be sharing daily on Twitter and my blog's Facebook page what each of my kind acts are. The hashtag is #DKC (December Kindness Challenge)
Please consider participating and remember, no act of kindness is too small.

 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
~Ephesians 4:32

For great resources on kindness, check out The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

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Have you "liked" me on Facebook yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Get over there!
Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'? Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna!
I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife