34 Acts of Kindness (aka How I spent my 34th Birthday)

Anyone who has known me for more than a few minutes probably knows that I don't particularly enjoy celebrating my birthday. I had some pretty bad birthday experiences when I was younger (even at the hands of those who claimed they were going to make it, "the best birthday ever."), and I eventually decided the whole practice of celebrating one's birthday was pointless and merely an excuse for doing what you wanted. I haven't voluntarily done anything to acknowledge my birthday, much less celebrate it, in probably close to 20 years. I had no intentions of celebrating this year either, until I came upon The Birthday Project. After reading that blog, I was totally inspired, and I shared it with my good friend, Sarah, of 25 years who suggested that we make a blog of our own, encouraging others to do some good. So, that's how we got here.

As a mom of two little ones, I often find myself seeking out the good in the world, while simultaneously struggling to find ways to contribute to the greater good (i.e. I don't have the ability to go volunteer at a soup kitchen, because it probably isn't much help to them if I have to spend a majority of my time chasing after my little ones). So, this project, and subsequent blog, have helped encourage me to find ways that I can bring some good into the world, and I hope it will do the same for you. So, without further ado, here is how I spent my 34th birthday (in no particular order)...

1.) I switched my daughter from disposable diapers to gDiapers. They are a cloth diaper with a 100% biodegradable/compostable/flushable liner. This was a big deal for me, because they are considerably more expensive, especially for a couponing mom like myself, but it really feels good to know that I'm not filling up landfills with disposable diapers. These are also a good compromise for me, because I wasn't quite ready to take the task of having to clean full cloth diapers (maybe for my 35th birthday).


2.) We started a compost (had to put those diaper liners somewhere). If you're wondering why it's in a bin (as Sarah did earlier today), it's because with the high winds and desert landscape we have in Vegas, we can't simply create a pile in our yard - it would end up in the street or the neighbor's yard within minutes.


3.) This one was, by far, my favorite of all the activities. I walked into Target and just started looking around - no real plan in mind, just looking for the right person. I found a mom with a little girl toddling beside her (I would guess the little girl was around 11 months old) and handed this to her. She took it with skepticism, but after reading the little pouch I made for each of the gift cards, her expression changed, and she said "Thank you!" over and over as I walked away. I said nothing except, "You're welcome. Have a nice day."

4.) I planted a garden. This might not seem like a big deal, but for someone who has always had two brown thumbs, gardening does not come naturally. I've really had to work at it, but it's paying off. We have onions and celery growing now. I'm still hopeful that our other plants will grow too.

5.) I made these for each of my daughter's preschool teachers, and the timing was just right. I deliberately was the last parent in the room to pick her up from school and asked if I could talk with the teachers. They both looked quite somber, and I think they expected a complaint (unfortunately, they've been hearing a lot of negative lately, because a little boy in her class broke his wrist - he was running in the gym, tripped and fell. It could have happened anywhere, but the mom was livid and blamed the teachers - sadly, this is why we lose a lot of good teachers). I didn't tell them anything about the project. I just said that with everything that had been going on that I thought they were probably feeling a little underappreciated and that we wanted them to know we still appreciated them. Both of their faces lit up, and I could tell I hit the nail on the head - it was exactly what they needed to hear.

6.) Ironically, I don't have a picture for this one (at least not one I'm going to post online). Since there were no plans to take a class picture at my daughter's preschool, I volunteered to shoot one, myself. I also agreed to do the same for each of the other two preschool classes. I will have prints made for each of the children and teachers in my daughter's class (the other classes will have to pay for their own prints, since we didn't win the recent Mega Millions drawing).


7.) We made and handed out bags of essential items for homeless people. We did separate bags for males and females, and we also handed out bottled drinks. There are a lot of people in Vegas that need help, and I intend to keep these in my car for whenever I see someone in need.


8.) We adopted a soldier stationed in Afghanistan. These are some of the things we sent him. We're trying to send him at least one package per month, but we also send him letters every week to ten days, just to let him know we're thinking about him. Once our soldier is safely back home, we will adopt another one.


9.) We handed out candy bars to anyone who looked like they could use a smile/boost.

10.) We donated games, coloring books and crayons to the pediatrics ward of the hospital. I was a sick kid, and I remember the great need for this kind of thing, to pass the time in the hospital. The nurses were super nice and appreciative.

11.) I located a doctor that was particularly special to me as a kid and sent him a letter of appreciation. This letter was long overdue, and I was glad to finally send him the thanks he deserved.


12.) We sent a bunch of cooking magazines to a friend who is trying to learn to cook for himself and his two young daughters.

13.) We left Girl Scout cookies for our mailman with a little note of appreciation.


14.) I donated blood.


15.) We went through the drive-thru at Starbucks and after we paid for our coffee, I handed the cashier a gift card (in the same pouch as the Target gift card posted above) and asked him to give it to the car behind us. He read it and said, "Seriously???" I told him we were having a kindness day, and he said he loved the idea and was going to do his own - I hope he did.


16.) We baked cookies and brought them to the police department to thank them for all that they do.


17.) We planted two trees in our yard, which as you can see is pure desert. The trees will help to reduce dust, produce oxygen and hopefully make the yard look a little nicer.


18.) We baked and brought cookies to the fire department to thank them for all that they do.


19.) I mailed a package of miscellaneous stuff to my sister and nieces. It was nothing exciting, but everyone likes to get surprises in the mail, right?


20.) On my list, you can't get much higher than the people who provide care to my children. So, naturally, we had to bring cookies to the pediatrician's office and thank them for taking such good care of my babies.


21.) I made this for my wonderful husband. He was involved with the planning and execution of the other 33 items, but this one was a surprise for him. It's just a piece of paper cut to fit in a frame that says, "I love you because..." and then the rest is written on with dry erase marker so I can change it, whenever I feel like it, to let him know just how much I love and appreciate him.


22.) We purchased a membership to the Arbor Day Foundation, which earned us 10 additional trees (we will plant them as soon as they arrive), and they will plant another 10 trees in the national forests, in our honor.


23.) We mailed our expired coupons to a program that sends them to military families stationed overseas (they can use them for up to six months past the expiration date). Please note, they should be sorted by food and non-food and people who live east of the Mississippi should send their coupons here instead:
KCL Overseas Coupon Program
Brandy McDowell
5615 Husband Rd
Paducah, KY 42003


24.) We left laundry detergent and coins at the laundromat.


25.) We returned all of the grocery carts in the parking lot to the store (and got yelled at by a lady who worked there - Haha!), and we helped some older ladies load their groceries from their cart into the trunks of their cars.


26.) We left a gift card taped to a gas pump. This card also had the same little note attached to it that the other cards had.


27.) We went to the mall and put quarters in each of the gumball machines.


28.) I took my sweet little girls to the mall and let them play in the play area until they were exhausted. As much as I wanted them to be a part of the day and understand that sometimes we put others first, they are still pretty little, and I wanted them to enjoy themselves too.


29.) I gave a bunch of baby stuff to an old friend who just found out she is having a little girl of her own.


30.) I cut and donated my hair to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.


31.) We donated food and toys to a no-kill shelter in our area.


32.) I got these tickets when I gave blood (they insisted that I take them, even though I felt guilty for taking a gift for doing what I should do), so we gave them to a man my husband knows, who likes to go to shows, but usually can't afford to do so.


33.) We taped money to a vending machine, encouraging kindness.


34.) We picked up garbage on the street, throughout the day.

This final picture is of my daughter. While, I was waiting for the receptionist at the pediatrician's office, my sweet little three year old took it upon herself to clean-up all the books that had been scattered across the floor. I love my precious little girls!!

Well, I hope this blog has it's intended effect and has inspired you to do your own good. Remember, you don't have to spend money or be particularly creative to do good - Just look around, find a need and most importantly, ACT!!