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To celebrate my 40th birthday, I completed 40 random acts of kindness. To read details about each adventure, visit http://celebratekindness.wordpress.com. I hope this inspires you for 2013!
Bake cookies and donate to a bake sale.
Bake another batch of cookies.
Wrap cookies with a note attached.
Give your cookies to a toll booth attendant. If it's a cold night, bring a cup of coffee, too!
Leave coupons on items at the store for someone else to discover.
Go to a fast food restaurant and call customer service to tell them about a worker who did their job well.
Donate items to someone else's yard sale and let them keep the profits.
Buy someone's groceries when their credit card is declined (or even if it's not!)
Make someone breakfast. Singing is optional.
Become an organ donor. You can get more info at http://www.organdonor.gov.
Leave a little treat for a new teacher on their first day of school. I guarantee they are more nervous than the children!
Play games with your children. Especially twister. Nothing like giggling and twisting in knots to lift your spirits. If you don't have any children, go borrow some from your neighbors!
Bring roses and homemade cards for a stranger in a nursing home. We did this RAK in honor of my children's great grandmother who turned 80, but lives too far away to visit.
Hold a baby. Feed a baby. Rock a baby. Offer to babysit a baby so new parents can get a full night's sleep. You won't regret it, I promise!
Buy school supplies for a new teacher. Or, in this case, give a new teacher the last value pack of glue sticks that you had hidden in your cart.
Share your umbrella with a stranger in the rain. It's OK if you get a little wet.
Leave arcade tokens for children to discover.
Bless someone with a goodie bag where each item in the bag has special meaning. This is especially great for first-time Mommies that have to return to work after maternity leave.
Order cards from my daughter who began her own card making business at age 13: http://kitkatkards.wordpress.com. She donates 10% of her profit to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. (Shameless plug!)
Make a "blessing bag" of beauty supplies and donate to a shelter or hand to homeless people on the street. You can also add things like candy, Chapstick, gloves, and money, too.
Buy a stranger coffee. Especially at airports before long flights.
Place quarters in candy machines to be discovered by children.
Have your child help you with random acts of kindness. This is a great way to model kindness for others.
Donate a car inspection coupon card to a stranger.
Then find a car with an inspection sticker that is about to expire and leave the coupon under the windshield wiper. Put all the goodies in a ziplock bag for easy discovery.
Leave money on a drink machine for a stranger to grab a free soda.
Bless the person in line behind you with a discount coupon.
Stop in at a Dollar Tree discount store and pay for someone else's items.
Or go into the toy section of a Dollar Tree and hide dollar bills for children to discover.
After all, every little girl deserves to be a princess. :-)
Donate blankets to a homeless shelter. Or an animal shelter. You'd be surprised how appreciative others are for simple comforts like a blanket.
Gather toys, books, markers, coloring books, and play jewelry. Donate to families suffering loss. I donated these items to a family of five who lost all their belongings in a fire.
Always donate to children holding collection jars. Always. Even if it's just a quarter. Then smile at their parents or sponsors. Because smiles matter, too.
Donate stuffed animals to church groups for mission trips or opportunities to bless children.
Buy special treats for your family members "just because."
Buy a dozen donuts for your local firefighters. I did this act of kindness on 12/12/12.
If you have awesome firefighters like I have, they will take a photo with you standing on their fire truck (and offer to catch you if you fall!)
Step inside a messy fitting room at a clothing store. Fold and organize everything for the sales associate.
Then put items where they belong or leave in the designated location.
Leave a little treat for a flight attendant.
Include a note to say how appreciative you are for the work they do.
Smile when the flight attendant finds you near baggage claim.
And always, always, always accept offers to take photos with handsome pilots!
Bless a stranger with your $10 in free merchandise coupon and throw in your 20% off coupon, too, for good measure. Find a young mom or older person who might be on a fixed income and bless them!
When there's a long line at the gas pumps, let another car go before you.
Give a friend a gift card so they can experience the joy in blessing someone else, too.
Pay for a stranger's haircut. Include a note telling them they are beautiful.
Let someone in front of you in a long line. If someone gives you a dirty glare, let them step in front if you, too. They will be surprised to receive your kindness.
Buy groceries for a fabulous dinner, then make the meal for a friend in their home. Offer to wear blinders if they are worried about their house being messy or dirty.
Serve dinner with a grand presentation. Then do all the dishes, too.
Buy extra tickets to a play or performance and leave them at the ticket counter to be donated to a stranger.
Pay for someone's toll.
Bless someone with pennies (seriously)...
Hide the pennies around a fountain so they can make a wish and hope it comes true. Or they can "see a penny, pick it up; now all day, you'll have good luck!"
Offer to take a photo of another couple strolling through the park. You just might capture a post-engagement proposal!
Tape bags of popcorn to a Redbox kiosk.
Because popcorn and movies go together!
Drop money in the Salvation Army bell ringer's red tin at Christmastime. Then bring him coffee or a warm treat as a surprise. Especially if it's cold and rainy outside.
Compliment a waitress, especially if you are eating dinner with a lot of people.
Then leave her an extra large tip or a gift card to show your appreciation.
Return stranded shopping carts back to the store.
Surprise a dear friend for dinner and dessert.
Bring your sister breakfast at work. Especially if she works retail on Black Friday. If you don't have a sister, bless a stranger.
Make new friends on long flights across the country. Don't be stand-offish, but don't talk their ears of if they want to be left alone. Take clues from their body language.
Give your new friend money to play slots on her first trip to Las Vegas.
Then stay and take pictures as she wins big from the money you gave her!
Make homemade truffles for doctors and nurses that cared for you when you were sick. Don't know how to make truffles? Look through my Snapguides! I posted the recipe just for you! :-)
Tell someone you love them. Often. Let them know how special they are to you. Send texts or emails when you are apart. Never miss an opportunity to say, "I love you to the moon and back."