Break time...

Hey Readers,

I apologize for not posting as much as I was.  I got busy with the holidays and haven't been on my A-game with my posts.  After next week, I will try to get back on track and post!  Thanks for reading!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

-Nicolle

Angel Program

Since it is the Christmas Season, there are so many places to give presents to.  One place that my friend donated gifts to was the Salvation Army through their "Adopt an Angel" program.  Unfortunately, they stopped accepting donations but I was so happy to see her donating.  Check out their site and search for different places in your area of where you can donate gifts for people!  I know our college does a drive every year for children in the area.

Tis' The Season!

~Giver

Totes for a cause!

This semester I have been taking a jewelry making class, which I absolutely LOVE.  But, the point of this post is not to talk about how amazing my class is.  It's more about how amazing my professor has been.

She is a woman in her fifties or later I think and she has one of the kindest souls I have ever met.  She tells a lot of her stories through her jewelry and is just one of the nicest people I know.  Today during our final she told a story which made me love her even more...

Roberta, my professor, explained that this weekend she was in Cleveland and saw a woman struggling with several plastic bags in the cold weather.  Her husband and her discussed this situation and decided to help.  The plastic from the grocery bags had broken so Roberta and her husband offered to help. Turns out, the woman was homeless and all of her possessions she owned were in these plastic bags.  She asked the two of them to take her to the woman's shelter, which was several miles away.  Several miles in the cold wind and snow in Ohio is brutal, so Roberta and her husband really helped this woman out.

This also spurred Roberta to think about how precious a sturdy bag can be.  Roberta mentioned that she would like to start purchasing tote bags from Ikea and distribute them to those in need.  The details are a little fuzzy now, but the fact that she took the time to think about how to help speaks volumes.  The bags are inexpensive ($.59 to $.99) however they could make quite the difference in someone's life.

The bags Roberta plans to purchase from Ikea.

Since we were on the topic of homeless people, I felt like I should share this story with all of you.  Hope you are having a great week!

Time: 10 minutes

Cost: Dependent on the amount of bags purchased

~Bag Lady

Big Mike

I don't know how many of you have seen the movie The Blind Side, but I HIGHLY recommend it.  It's about a family taking in a kid off the streets.  The kid is a large black boy and eventually gets drafted into the NFL, his name is Michael Oher.

This story behind it is amazing.  Every time I watch this movie I think about how I want my own "Big Mike" (as they call him in the movie).  In the movie, Michael comes from a broken home, his mom does crack and he really has no place to live.  After the family takes Michael in, he becomes more social, gets good grades and starts becoming an amazing athlete.  To change one person's life like that would be remarkable.

Now, I'm not saying to put yourself in harm's way and take a homeless person off the streets.  But, when you see a homeless person, think about where they have been and why they have gotten there.  I always try to do that because homelessness is such a huge problem.  They don't ALL do drugs and steal, some are just down on their luck.  At least, that's what I believe.

Cost: $0
Time: Unknown

~Believer

Brrr...It's Cold Out There!!

So living in Ohio, you are bound to run into some snow and cold weather.  Thankfully, we have been able to hold off the cold weather and snow until today.  It's December 1st and we got our first snow of the season.  As much as I love watching the white snowflakes coming from the sky, I really hate walking through it because it is so cold!!!

I am fortunate enough to have sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, coats and many other things to keep me warm, however I am STILL cold.  I could only imagine what it would be like if I were unable to afford a coat or winter gear.

Which brings me to the point of this blog!  An organization called One Warm Coat is determined to provide a coat to any person who is in need of a coat for free.  I actually saw coats today at a store for only $8!  So, if you are looking for some way to help, purchase a coat and donate it to One Warm Coat.  They have several local drop off locations, listed here, so it makes they easy on you!  Or you could start your own drive and donate the coats you collect.  My sister is doing this and I am so proud of her!! :)  

Just think, if you spare 2 trips to Starbucks, you could purchase a coat and keep someone warm!  Keep that in mind this wintery season...

Time: 0 minutes
Cost: $8 or more

-Heart Warmer

   

Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers?

I want to talk a little bit about this notion of finders keepers, losers weepers.  I received a phone call from my friend's fiance at about 1:30a.m. on Wednesday night.

Apparently, my friend had lost her engagement ring.  Not surprising, she was hysterical and needed someone to calm her down and quite frankly, her fiance just couldn't do it at the moment because he was a little upset himself.  She was sobbing to the point where I thought she was going to have to pass out and have to go to the hospital.  With motherly words, I calmed her down and told her to search in the morning for her prized possession.

Thankfully, after searching the several parking lots and sidewalks she was on, she found her ring with no damage.  What a sigh of relief!  Now, this story could have ended much worse.

Perhaps someone had found that diamond ring and kept it.  I can't even begin to explain to you how upset my friend would have been.  I guess the point of this blog is just to remind you, that when faced with a difficult situation at hand, such as finding a valuable good, think about what you would want others to do.  Would you want someone to keep your engagement ring or return it to the nearest store in hopes that someone tries to reclaim it?

I know in the past I have turned in money I've found in hopes that the person who lost the money would try to retrieve it.  I felt like it was a win-win situation for me.  If I returned the money and someone claimed it, that would mean it went to the rightful owner.  This particular time, it worked in my favor and I ended up being $40 richer because no one tried to pick it up.  I attempted to do the right thing so I didn't even have a guilty conscious about the money either.  See? A win-win situation.

So just remember this the next time you are faced with a decision...what would YOU want someone to do if you lost something?  Finders keepers, losers weepers?

Cost: $0
Time: 5 minutes to return something

~Golden Rule Follower

Kindness Project

As I have said before, I have received several stories and people sharing their stories with me about acts of kindness they have witnessed or blogs they have read.  A girl that I went to college with explained to me that she also had a blog that was similar to mine.

Her blog is call The Kindness Project and it is co-written by 3 people that enjoy inspiring others to do random acts of kindness.  It is a pretty neat blog and you should check it out!

Time: However long you take on their blog
Cost: $0

-Fellow Kindness Spreader

Thanksgiving!

As most American's know, tomorrow is Thanksgiving!!! :)  This is one of the best days of the year because it is a day to pretty much stuff your face with some amazing food.  Home cooked, store-bought or even at a restaurant, there's food everywhere.  My kind of day!

But the real purpose behind this holiday is to give thanks.  I am thankful for every one of you readers! I appreciate you taking the time to listen to some of my ramblings and sometimes even commenting! (Which, by the way, I love reading your comments!)  It means a lot to me.  Some of you I don't know and some of you are my best friends, either way, thank you.

I am also very thankful for the people around me.  They provide me with the love and support I need and I couldn't make it in this world if it weren't for them.

What are you thankful for?  Take 3 minutes and comment on this post and tell me!!!  I'd love to hear your responses.

Time: 3 minutes
Cost: $0

-Thanker

Free lunch!!!

As the end of the semester rolls around, a lot of people start have a $0 balance on their Jacket Express Card-our college's meal plan and it is basically a debit card but you can spend it on more than food.  Dangerous. I know.  With that being said, from time to time, you go to check out at the dining halls and the person in front of you is standing there and the check-out lady is saying, "Your card is reading insufficient funds."  You are standing there with your food in hands, stomach growling and annoyed.  This is where a I stepped in.

I saw the look on this girl's face.  She was a freshman and thought that once you ran out of money on your card, it switched from a debit card to a credit card and you could spend as much money on it as you wanted.  WRONG.  Instead of having her stand there and figure out what to do, I just offered to pay for her lunch.  I have no clue who this girl was or what her situation, but she needed lunch.  I swiped it on my card, which for once I have a surplus---Mom, you should be proud. :)

So if you see an opportunity to give someone $.10 at the check-out counter or see someone short on cash and you have the means to help, give it a try.  I felt great afterwards!

Cost: $10 (The girl did have a slightly expensive lunch, haha)
Time: Saved me 5 minutes

-Lunch Distributor

Guest Blogger!

Here is the story I have been telling you about all week!  I met Jess in one of my classes last year and she reached out to me and asked if she could write for my blog!  Her blog, Less Jess, got noticed and she appeared on The Robin Swoboda Show!  How great is that?!  Jess is a great person and I love her story.  I hope you do to!

It Just Feels Good

Many years ago I first heard the term Random Acts of Kindness.  I loved the idea of this concept.  I was excited when a movie called Pay It Forward came out, although I didn’t necessarily like the ending of the movie.  This idea of doing random acts of kindness for strangers really intrigued me.  I always imagined paying for the person on the toll road behind me but never did.  I just thought people might think I was weird.  So I never did anything really special.

Several years ago I met some co-workers for dinner at Longhorn at Southpark shopping center in Strongsville.  One co-worker, Lisa, left to use the restroom and came back with a story.  While in the bathroom a woman was crying.  Lisa proceeded to comfort the woman.  The woman had lost her sister that day. (Oh wow, this still brings tears to my eyes). She was there with her family because they had to grab something to eat after planning the funeral.  Lisa offered her love and comfort to this complete stranger in a public bathroom.  Vicki and I wondered what kept Lisa so long. Finally, Lisa returned to the table and told us what happened.

I had an idea but felt kind of embarrassed to share it, in case my friends shot my idea down.  I asked if they all wanted to pitch in for a gift certificate to Longhorn for the family.  The girls loved the idea; so all three of us pitched in and purchased a $60 gift certificate for the family.  I nervously went over to the table and placed the gift certificate on the table and said this is for your family and walked away.

When the family was finished with their dinner, they came over to thank us.  They said at first they didn’t understand what we had given them.  They really couldn’t believe we did this for them. We gave everyone hugs.  We had conversations about lost loved ones since all three of us had experienced that in our lives.  The family said they would be able to get through this because of people like us.

I don’t know their names or where they live.  I could pass them in the street today and not even know them.  But what I do know, it was one of the most amazing feelings to do this random act of kindness for complete strangers.  To this day, this pulls at my heart; especially since I have lost my own Mom since that time. 

"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." ~Stephan Grellet

Sincerely,
Jess Shultzaberger, Nicolle’s friend & Guest Blogger

Check out her blog!

Thanks Jess! I really appreciate the stories that I have received after starting this blog.  It is quite inspiring!   I encourage you to tell me some of your stories!!!  


Cost: $20 (per person)
Time: ~10 minutes
Reward: A great feeling.


~Jess, the Guest Blogger. 

A Man. His Dog. And a Bus.

I was trying to think back on some different experiences in my life and how I really enjoy when people do good things for others.  I then remembered this man who came to campus about a year ago in a school bus painted.  He was the founder of this phenomenon called "One Million Acts of Kindness."

Him and his dog, Bogart, stood outside at my campus and passed out stickers that read "One Million Acts of Kindness."  I remember seeing him that day and wondering what he was doing there.  It's not everyday you see a school bus and a random old man standing around on campus.  I finally "walked past him" to see what he was up to and he explained to me his mission for everyone to accomplish one million acts of kindness in their lives.  What a great goal!  Of course I thought this man was a little bit kooky, but he had such an amazing challenge for everyone that I loved him!

His bus is covered in "kindness quotes."  So fun!!! 

According to his website he has 3 children and he is worried about the world they are going to be living in, which is where this whole idea came into place.  Pretty neat.

After standing out there all day I figured he was probably hot and hungry.  I got him a water and some pretzels.  He much appreciated it.

Here's my challenge to you.  Visit their website and try to challenge yourself to at least 10 acts of kindness a day.  A smile to a stranger, holding the door for someone, encouragement, etc.  Try it!  Let me know how it goes!!!

Time: His Life
Cost: Gas and a Bus

-Determined

P.S.- GUEST BLOGGER TOMORROW!!! My friend Jess has a great story to share...make sure to check it out!!! :)

Help from the Pros!

On Friday, I attended Public Relations Society of America's Student Day in Cleveland.  As a P.R. major, it is very important to stay on top of the industry and know what is going on in all aspects of the field.  If you want a job of course.  And believe me, I do.   So if you know any positions, feel free to pass them along. ;) 

Anywho, where I was going with this was that there were so many professionals that came out on Friday to give advice to us students.  There were people from all sorts of P.R. (Sports, corporate, agency, etc.)  It was so great to hear all of their suggestions.  I really appreciated getting help from real world P.R. professionals.  

Click here to see PRSA's other events.

Case in point, they helped me develop skills that I can take with me on job interviews, for my blog, with my social media and so on.  There are so many things to think about when it comes to PR that it is nice to have one arena that will show you all the different sides and give you advice about everything.  So thank you professionals, for putting on an interesting and informative day.  I hope some day I can help out others like you have for me.  

Cost: $0

Time: A day of work

-Grateful Student

P.S.---Look for a guest blogger writing soon!  She is one of my friends and has an amazing story to share!!  Coming later this week! :) 

Babysitting for Fun!

I have this friend.  She has 3 BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING kids.  As beautiful and amazing as they are, they are still kids and they are still a lot to handle.  Even though I have offered several times to watch her kids and babysit for her, so that she can have some "grown up time" with her fiance for dinner, drinks or ANYTHING, she never takes me up on the offer.  I love her and I know she loves her children, but boy does she deserve a break!

You can't deny it. These kids are so stinkin' adorable.

So, I decided to be proactive about the situation.  I personally think it would be FUN to have play with little kids.  I finally texted her today and asked her if I could watch her kids next Sunday.  She said yes. Finally, the break she needs.

Have you ever been proactive in a situation where you know someone deserves a break?  Or just done something for someone cause you KNOW they needed the help?  What was it?

Have a great week!!

Cost: $0
Time: 2-3 hours of fun with adorable little ones!

-Excited Babysitter!

By the way, that girl Sarah has dropped in the rankings!  Voting her to be Full Time Fabulous ends on Wednesday!!!  So make sure you vote for her!!!  Use as many e-mails as possible!!!

Secret Agent L

I posted my blog on my facebook wall, and a friend commented on my link, telling me that there was another blogger out there much like mine!  This person's blog is called Secret Agent L.  He/She is based out of Pittsburgh and does random acts of kindness and blogs about them.  I swear I didn't get the idea from this blog, however it is great to see that other people in the world care about each other!!!

Secret Agent L is a wonderful example of what we could do everywhere.  What would it be like if everyone started up a "secret mission" in their own towns and did nice things for everyone?  Perhaps the news stations might catch onto something positive?  Just a thought...

Time: 0 

Cost: $0

-Hopeful Blogger

You Got a Friend in Me!

Hello Readers!

I had a really tough weekend.  I found out some upsetting information and I was quite a wreck.  I had so many emotions, sad, angry, frustrated, hurt on and on.  Most of the weekend was spent crying.  I have definitely seen better days...

I am not very good at expressing feelings, mostly because I just like to be happy, all the time.  I have that emotion down.  However, when I experience any other emotion, I usually just end up crying.  This weekend was no exception.  The great part about this weekend (because I like to see the silver lining in everything) is that I have some of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for.  When I needed to just talk things out with someone, I had several friends ready to listen.  When I was crying and just needed someone to hug me, I had someone.  When I was at loss, friends talked things out with me.  I have my own set of angels around me always and this weekend just proved to me how truly blessed I am to be surrounded by so many people that love me.

So here is my lesson for this post:  When you know a friend is going through a tough time, just be there for them. Listen. Guide. Hug. Just be there.  It means the world to them.

Thank you to everyone who listened to me this weekend.  I truly appreciate it.

Cost: $0
Time: Maximum of 20 minutes of me talking their ears off

~Surrounded by BFFs

Blood!!!

I want to start this post off with a video from YouTube.  Click here to see the cutest kid ever!

Now that I hope you've watched that, I want to let you know what blood has to do with anything.

Today at our school we have a blood drive.  I LOVE giving blood and think you should too!  It saves up to 3 lives when you donate 1 pint.  More than 38,000 blood donations are needed everyday, so when The Red Cross says there is a shortage, they mean it.  I don't think it hurts that much AND you usually get something free (besides the beverages and cookies!)  Today, we get free Chipotle!! :)  Click here to see where you can donate.

Want to know something cool?  The number one reason people donate blood is because they want to help others.  There are good people out there.

Time: Usually about an hour
Cost: 1 Pint of Blood

~Vampire

Late Night Munchies...

I don't know about you guys, but I love a midnight snack.  It is quite possibly my favorite meal of the day! (Horrible, I know...my mom used to always tell me "Through these lips and into my hips" when it came to eating right before bed).  She's such character!

Anywho,  how this relates to a random act of kindness.  My roommate was at work late and was stopping at Taco Bell before she got home.  Instead of getting food for just herself, and letting me suffer through the wonderful smell of Taco Bell and not having any, she texted me and asked if I would like anything.  Of course I took her up on the offer and enjoyed my pintos and cheese.  This is nothing huge, but I really appreciated her being considerate and asking me!

It's the little things that make people's days.  Have you noticed anyone making other people's day through small actions?

Time: ~30 second text conversation
Cost: I think Pintos and Cheese are about $1.00

-Appreciative Roommate

A Chance of a Lifetime..

Hello Readers!

So I have an opportunity for you to make a difference in someone's life in just a few short clicks.  A girl that I went to high school with is competing to be a blogger for Sunglass Hut.  I really don't know her but we're Facebook friends and like I said, we went to the same high school.  BUT, she has a fashion blog (Akron 2 New York) and it has pretty good advice that I like to take a look at from time to time...

Now, where the opportunity is to help her.  Like I said, she is competing to be the full-time blogger for Sunglass Hut.  The competition is call "Full Time Fabulous" and the contestants had to create a short video explaining why they should be picked.  Her video is ranked one of the most popular ones but just needs a little more help to make her into the finals!  All you have to do is vote for her.  It's simple to do and you may get a little something in return from Sunglass Hut for voting ;)

The link is here to vote!  She could win a full-time job blogging about fashion, a $100,000 salary, a fully furnished apartment in Manhattan, trips to fashion shows and more!  I really hope she gets the opportunity!  So help her out!!!

Time: ~3 minutes
Cost: $0

-WannaBeFashionista

Ghosts, Goblins and Ghouls, Oh my!

Halloween is just around the corner!  Kids everywhere will be dressing up in their favorite costumes and hoping that everyone thinks they look the coolest!  On way you can brighten those adorable little buggers up is by telling them HOW AWESOME their costume is.

I mean, honestly, how can you deny these little ones a quick comment on their creativity?  And if the kids are scary, act a little scared!!!  They'll feel like a million bucks!!!

These are some of my favorite costumes for kids!  They're so cute!!!  Let me know some costumes you see over the weekend that stood out!  I love creative costumes!

Have a safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

-Spook

Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

Upon googling Random Acts of Kindness, I found out there is a foundation that is all about random acts of kindness!  Click here to check out their website.

One thing that I found very helpful was their monthly calendar that shows something daily that you can do to help others out!  (The link to their calendar is http://www.actsofkindness.org/calendars)

Try the challenge for today!  "Smile and say thank you to the bus driver or toll collector."    

Happy Navigating!
-Daily-Do-Gooder

A Little Excitement Never Hurt Anyone...

My Aunt Sue is one of the LOUDEST people I know.  Let me tell you, she is also one of the most excitable person I know.  I remember one time I arrived at her house in D.C. at 11:30 after her whole family had gone to sleep, but regardless, she hooted and hollered as soon as that door opened, saying "OH MY GOSH!!! NICOLLE, I AM SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE!" Everyone in the house woke up.  I love my Aunt Sue.

Loud aunt's aside, I want to talk about being excited for other people.  Regardless if you are having a bad day, or you're late to work, or you really could just not care about what the other person is excited about...show some enjoyment for the other person.  

My cousin just got his first car.  It's a Saturn and he's wanted it for quite some time now.  He texted me on Saturday night with a picture of the car and said, "It's Mine!!!"  To be completely honest, him getting a car had no direct connection to my life.  However, I asked him a couple of questions and told him how excited I was for him.  He was just like a kid on Christmas morning...so happy!!! I was glad I could talk to him and share in his joy. 

Just being happy for someone else brightens their day.  And it could possibly brighten yours too?  

So go ahead, get excited for someone else!!!

Cost: $0

Time: 15 minutes total time of texting

~Your  Cheerleader. 

Make a Difference!

Hello Friends!

Today is National Make a Difference Day!!!  For 20 years, USA WEEKEND and HandsOn Network have joined together to sponsor this day, which is the largest national day of community service.

Personally, I love community service and volunteering.  One of my most memorable volunteer experiences was in high school when I volunteered for a inner city ministry for an after school program.  The kids came from very broken homes and lived in pretty harsh conditions.  Most of the kids were around the age of 10 (give or take a few years).  I remember one time the minister asked the kids how many of them knew drug dealers or crack heads.  Almost all of the kids raised their hands.  I was in complete shock.  At that age, I don't even think I knew what drugs were other than what D.A.R.E. had taught me.  I just realized how much they needed some place that was a safe haven and some place where they could be kids and joke around.  It was quite a rewarding experience.

Have you ever had a memorable volunteer experience?  What did you do?
I challenge you to make a difference today in someone's life.

Cost: $0
Time: For high school volunteering, maybe 2 hours a  week.

Signed,
Community Service Participant

Compliments do the body good!

Let face it, we love compliments.  Not only does it boost our self-confidence, but we love hearing that our efforts to look good, do good or be good have been noticed.  So why not give everyone else a compliment from time to time?

Yesterday, I received a compliment from a friend about a cardigan I was wearing.  It felt great!  I actually got ready in the morning (a rarity for going to class) and someone noticed.  It was a delightful way to start the day.  And I knew she meant it.

I love honest compliments.  If you ever receive a compliment from me, you can be rest assured I meant it!  Otherwise, I would just keep my opinions to myself.

So I urge you, compliment someone today.  Give them that extra boost!  Perhaps you will receive one in return?

Cost: $0
Time: Maybe 10 seconds.

Sincerely,
Endorphin Booster

Honesty is the Best Policy!

I apologize for most of my blogs starting out with "At work the other night..." but seriously, the other night at work we had a pretty busy night.  There was a wedding reception for 50 people and it was Sweetest's Day, so we were busy in the restaurant too.

I don't know if you have ever worked in a restaurant or in a kitchen, but chefs can become quite testy when you're busy.  Understandably, however they get in their moods where no one can tell them anything...they are "in the zone."  After the night finishes up, they are usually exhausted and crabby from such a busy night.  Saturday was no exception.

After cleaning up the entire kitchen, our chefs were leaving around 11:30, until some frying oil spilled on the floor and they spent another 30 minutes cleaning it up.  It was midnight and our one chef was leaving.  I was still cleaning up at this time too when he came back in and asked, "Do you have a red car?  You should probably go check it out."  First of all, no one wants to hear these words.  Give me some kind of clue as to what happened to my car, was it broken into?  Did someone hit it head on?  What KIND of damage just happened to it?

Our chef felt real bad because he just got his first car, he's only had it for a week and he swiped my car with his front bumper.  Funny thing is, the mark that he thought he left on my car, wasn't from him and there was no damage from him on my car.

Moral of the story is, I'm sure he was pretty nervous to come talk to me.  Some people are SUPER protective of their cars and if there is one scratch on their car that wasn't there 5 minutes ago, they know. Fortunately, I am not one of those people and I was just really happy he told me.  It just shows he is an honest person and I like to know those are the kind of people I work with, so thanks!

Cost: $0
Time: 10 minutes, but gained a lot of respect in those 10 minutes

Signed,
Short-nosed Pinocchio

PINK PINK PINK!!!

Everywhere you look in the month of October you see SOMETHING with PINK!!! I love pink and this it is quite fun to see such a fun color everywhere, however, the meaning behind it is much more powerful.  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

Every 69 seconds, somewhere in the world a woman dies of Breast Cancer.  It is one of the most common causes of death for women.  

Thankfully, there are ways you can help!  The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation is the global leader for breast cancer research.  Since it's beginnings in 1982 it has raised over 1.5 billion dollars towards the cure! 

 I know what you are thinking...how can I donate my money to the Susan G. Komen fund without going through PayPal online, or sending in money, or jumping through 50 hoops just to donate $5.  But they have made it really easy!  Most of the time, when you purchase an item that is pink in a store, some of the profits go towards the cure for breast cancer.  There are several "pink" games at colleges and universities that accept donations.  There is even a 3-day for the Cure Walk that happens throughout the year in several locations that benefits the Susan G. Komen foundation.  Check out more ways you can help at: www.komen.org 

Happy Helping!

~Supporter of the Cure

Smoothies can make a smile! :)

I had to work again Thursday, and since last Thursday didn't go so well I thought I should give myself a pick-me-up.  So, before I went into work I grabbed myself a delicious Caribou Carmel Cooler.  But then I remember that I wasn't the only server for this Thursday.  I knew there was going to be another server, and since I knew he didn't like coffee, I figured I'd pick him up a smoothie.  Everyone needs a pick-me-up when it comes to work...

Turns out, he was having a rough day.  His cat had babies and only 1 of the 3 survived, he didn't get much sleep and his grandma had to go into the hospital for an immediate surgery (she is 93 and pretty fragile).  The little wild berry smoothie made him smile.  I was so happy I could do just a small gesture to pick his day up just a little bit.  

What have you done to brighten someone's day?  

Cost: $4.59

Time: 3 minutes

~Part-Time Barista

The Boys of Fall

In one of my classes the other day, my professor brought to our attention an organization that a high school senior football player, Matt Galland, put together.  He has started a non-profit called "Rush For A Cause" that raises money for high school athletes that are severely injured on the field.

Matt got the idea after a local football player was paralyzed in a football game.  He wanted to help out the player and his family, and he came up with his non-profit.  Starting a non-profit is not easy and it takes a lot of time and effort from Matt.  It is quite impressive that he has been able to accomplish such an amazing foundation, ALL FOR OTHERS.

It's great to see people helping people.  Great Job Matt!

Time: Not sure, but probably a decent amount of time.
Cost:  Unsure again, but raising lots for families in need.

-Delighted

Thank You Customers!!!

I am a waitress at a local restaurant and since we are located in the bottom of a hotel, we don't see a lot of business.  (It's Buccis in Crowne Plaza on Engle Road...check out our menu!)

With that being said, sometimes I am the only waitress.  This is sometimes a blessing, when we are steady but not out of control so I get to make decent money, sometimes a bore, because I'm all alone with no business and sometimes a complete mess because there are too many tables for anyone to handle and no one gets good service.  Unfortunately, Thursday was a complete mess.

I started with a 2 top (that's a table of 2 people in restaurant talk), then a 3 top with an old woman that wanted the lights turned down because it was "too bright" and the music turned down because the music was "too square" (which I'm pretty sure NO ONE knows what square music is), then a 5 top, and on and on...Alone.  Needless to say, I got behind on some of my tables, a woman told me it was by far the worst dining experience she's ever had and she would never come back, I spilled spaghetti when I was serving it, and got stiffed on several of my checks.  Honestly, I don't blame customers when they don't give me a good tip if I haven't given them my best service, however it just added to my frustration.  I started tearing up, but in serving, just as in show business, the SHOW MUST GO ON.  I sniffled back my tears and started smiling through my tears.

My saving grace?  A couple that are my regulars and a single man that both gave me encouragement to make it through the night.  The couple soothed me and said mistakes happen and told me I do a great job and that I just was really busy and sometimes that happens.  The single man wrote on his bill, "Keep that Smile."  If it weren't for them...I for sure would have lost it.  I appreciated them just sitting back and accepting me taking a little bit longer to get them things.  THANK YOU.  YOU HELPED ME KEEP MY SANITY.

Time: ~5 minutes.
Cost: $0

If you ever see a worker a little stressed, remind them that they are great at what they do.  They'll appreciate it if they are having a rough day.

Love,
Stressed Server

A Little Sign of Karma

Something that I always try to do when I am at a restaurant or clothing store is give out coupons that I won't use.  It really isn't any skin off of my back, and at the end of the day, it helps others out!

 I remember one specific event when I went to IHOP (don't judge me) and I had two coupons for one free meal when you purchased another.  I could only use one of the coupons and there was a single mother and her son sitting behind us.  I figured she would be the perfect person to give it to...she graciously accepted it.  A deed well done.  Easy. Simple. And Rewarding.

Now, where the karma bit comes into place.  I'm by no means a complete believer karma (which is an action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad), however I'm starting to believe that the more you give, the more you receive.

For example, I gave out those coupons about a month ago.  On Sunday, I went to Ohio Mart at Stan Hywet, which is a craft fair and I go just about every year (it's usually close to my birthday and it's tradition for my family).  The bad part?  It costs about $8 per person just to get in, and then if you want to buy anything from the vendors, that costs as well!  BUT, this year, as my boyfriend and I were fumbling through our wallets to get out our money, a couple came up behind us and gave us 2 tickets they weren't using!  It was the perfect birthday gift!  So, thank you anonymous couple, you made my day.

Has anyone ever given you a coupon they weren't using?  Have you ever given a coupon?

Time: 0 minutes
Cost: $0
Reward: $16 (THANK YOU!!!)

You get what you give,
Coupon Giver

The Beginning...

Let's be honest...most news stories are about murder, stealing, fraud and on and on.  They usually leave me feeling scared, unhappy and upset at mankind.  So I wonder sometimes, where did all of the good people go?  Jack Johnson's song "Good People" explains my feelings (where my blog name came from). 

In order to combat all the negative attention and to remind myself that there are still good people in the world, I am going to do a few "random acts of kindness" each week and let you know how each one goes.

My first act of kindness I'm going to blog about was today.  My friend has a job that is down the road from where we live.  She doesn't have a car but is working about 20 hours a week in hopes of saving money to buy a car.  The total time it takes me to take her to work is approximately 10 minutes, however if she rode her bike like she usually does, it takes about 25 minutes.  It's actually nice for me to take her to work because we get to talk about what is going on in each other's lives. 

Time: 10 minutes
Cost: $0 (well, maybe a $.50 if you count the gas)

Until next time, see ya!
-Free Taxi