Random Acts of Kindness 2013

Today as I sit here remembering 9/11, I decided to post this one a bit early.  It wasn’t scheduled to go out until next month, but today I needed to think about people doing good things…

For my birthday I made a decision to commit 37 random acts of kindness leading up to my birthday, November 11.  I turn 37 (hence the 37 acts of kindness).  They can’t all be completely random.  This is going to take a bit of planning…I’m gonna need some help with ideas.  Some of these seem to get a bit repetitive, so new ideas would be great!  Can I count on you?  Here’s what I have so far…

1. Leave zip bag full of change taped to a vending machine in a hospital with a note
2. Bake cookies for my neighbors who are always cool and do sweet things (like “practice” edging on my driveway and sidewalk)
3. Send care packages for 37 soldiers, include thank you notes!
4. Visit the nursing home to talk to residents, especially ones who don’t get visitors
5. Make a quilt for family and children’s services
6. Pick up the bill for someone else’s lunch/breakfast
7. Give a gift card to the mail delivery person
8. Donate a bag of dog food to a local animal shelter
9. Make 37 get well cards for children in the hospital and deliver them
10. Give a gift card to a local restaurant to a homeless person for a meal
11. Create and give out cards to strangers with happy, uplifting things on them
12. Buy flowers or balloons and hand them out one at a time to people who could use a smile
13. Put money in a parking meter for someone else
14. Leave a treat on the desk for each of my co-workers
15. Deliver goodies to the local fire station
16. Deliver goodies to the police station in the neighborhood
17. Leave laundry soap and quarters at the laundromat
18. Let someone cut in line at the store
19. Hold the door open for people
20. Smile at everyone!
21. Give compliments
22. Cook a meal for someone else
23. Mail notes to friends and family just to tell them how much you love them
24. Clean out closets and make a donation
25. Donate to the local food bank
26. Give compact mirrors with a note that says “you are beautiful, just the way you are” inside
27. Leave $ or a note inside a book/s at a book store
28. Do something kind for a friend or family member (cook a meal, mow the lawn, rake the leaves…)
29. Go to the local college and leave coupons/money/gift cards in dorm mailboxes for students
30. Send a note/email/FB message to a friend you haven’t talked to in a long time.
31. Collect and return carts at the grocery store
32. Give/send someone flowers
33. Carry someone’s groceries
34. Help someone with their yardwork/housework
35. Hide dollars at the dollar store
36. Leave crayons and coloring pages at the doctor’s office
37. Give a very generous tip

People are being recruited to help and photograph some of these things, and I am planning on telling you guys how it all goes.  Any practical advice would be awesome!  I’ve never undertaken a project quite like this before.  Sounds fun though, right?

What else would you do?  I need more ideas, please!  Have you ever done a random act of kindness for someone?  How did it go?

‘Til next time,

Jessica