Day 90: give awards!

Last year I decided my immediate coworkers deserve awards because they are wonderful people and I love them! I call them the Outie Awards because I work in the Outreach Department and most of the awards are for my fellow outreach peeps, as well as a few of our adopted outreach children. If any of you are familiar with the Dundies from the tv show The Office, it's similar to that. I try to make them funny and heartfelt. It was really fun and this year's awards had a song theme! This year's award names included:  "wind beneath my wings," "she works hard for the money," "my funny valentine," "Mr. Bassman," "so happy to see you," "I'm too sexy," "diamonds on the soles of her shoes," and "going to the chapel." I love doing them! I can't wait until next year! Seriously, I love my coworkers so much!!

Day 89: give someone flowers and a hug

Today, my mom had to put our old cat Angel to sleep. It was very difficult for her, so I stopped at Meijer to get her some flowers. Of course then my car died, so it took me longer than planned to get them to her. But I did get them to her, thanks to help from my dad :) and I gave her a big hug. I will always remember Angel. And I love my Mom a lot. 

Day 88: give a birthday surprise

So awhile back my coworkers and I brought in pictures of ourselves as kids. One of my coworkers brought in a picture of himself sitting on a plastic horse, holding a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. It was one of the freaking cutest things I've ever seen! So while he was out doing deliveries, I 'borrowed' the picture, scanned it, and saved it until last week. I made it into a birthday banner through Walgreens and hung it over his desk today. It made him laugh :) And his mom liked it, too. I like doing unexpected things. Oh, I also painted him a superhero picture. It looks like a five year old could've done it, but it was fun! I hope he had an excellent birthday!!

Day 87: make future plans

Today I took some time out for myself. I let myself sit and read for a long time - a book about one of my favorite topics: Africa. I've wanted to go to Africa since middle school and it's always called to me. I even got accepted to the Peace Corps and was going to go to Malawi. Circumstances changed and I couldn't go then, but I still really want to go. One organization I found years ago is Cross Cultural Solutions. I get emails from them and read reviews. It's one of the best overseas volunteer organizations out there. They provide food, lodging, volunteer placement, local culture excursions, security, travel medical insurance, and fun! It's not cheap, but they provide a lot. And security is super important. I'd rather go through someone like them than try it on my own! I'd want to go for at least two weeks. So today I started planning how I'm going to save money and hopefully go within the next five years. Watch out Africa, here I come! The one I want to do first is in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. But they have others. I'd love to do them all :) I love planning for the future!! Go me!

Day 86: keep someone company

My mom had to go to the store for something yesterday, but my dad was busy with yard work. Could she have gone by herself? Sure. But I decided to go with her to keep her company. I could help her pick stuff out and chat. I ended up getting food from Chipotle out of it, so it was a win-win!!

Day 85: kidnap someone for a picnic

Today I decided I wanted to spend some extra time with one of my friends. She has to work all weekend, so I thought  making her eat lunch outside with me would be fun! Of course, if I had really planned this out, I would've made food for her. But I didn't, so I bought it instead. It's the thought that counts, right? She's been planning her wedding for awhile now and I thought she could use a little extra fun/relaxing time. It was a beautiful day fir a picnic, i got to use my picnic blanket, and we had a great time. We should do it more often. It doesn't take much effort to let people know you think about them and care about them. Surprise them sometimes :)

Day 84: keep people involved

It's easy to get sucked into your own life, the things you have to do, the things you want to do, work, etc. Sometimes it's easy to go to work, go home, and do your own thing. However, I've discovered that people who love you really enjoy it when you talk to them about what's going on in your life. Especially parents. So I've been making a concerted effort to  keep them up to date, visit more often, and spread my news. It doesn't take much to make people happy. They just like knowing you care. And it's pretty great to know how much they care about me, too. So communicate! It's magic!

Day 83: give a friendly send-off

Yesterday, another nice lady left our library. She has two children and decided to stay home with them. Go her! So I gave her a card and a Dora the Explorer fun pin to wear! And I gave her a hug, of course! She will be missed and I wish her the best! :)

Day 82: celebrate a good person

Today was a girl's last day working at the library. I didn't get a chance to know her very well, but my interactions with her have always been positive. I can tell she is filled with warmth and caring and light. She is going to move to Colorado to work with the Colorado AIDS Project. So she is spreading her goodness to those who need it. To send her off, I made her a card and gave her a Mickey Mouse ribbon that says 'yay for you.' I told her she has to wear it all day! I hope she has a great time there!! I wish her all the best :)

Day 81: show appreciation for a job well done

I got a tattoo this past weekend and the man who did it did a fabulous job. Not only did he do a great job with the tattoo itself, he also made me feel comfortable and at ease. He made me laugh and I could tell he actually cared about me. He asked about my design and why I was getting it and said how much he liked it. I was just so impressed with his work and his caring manor. So today I stopped by there again after work and gave him some homemade cookies and said a heartfelt thank you. He seemed very touched by it, got up, and gave me a hug!! I'm so glad I got to meet him and that he's the one who gave me my tattoo. If any of you ever want to get one, go see my new friend Gary at Atattooed in Westerville, Ohio!!

Day 80: give feedback

On our recent trip to Disney World, my family and I had a few experiences that were not great. This was very unlike Disney and I was a little disappointed. Although I have never done this before, I wrote an email to Disney about these things, not because I want anything in return, but in the hope that they will make improvements and other people won't have to deal with what we did. I got a phone call from them today and they were really nice about it. The lady even said she hopes they can improve their mistakes. Hopefully she wasn't just saying that, but I don't think she was. They want people to be happy! So, I did this on behalf of me, my family, and others who may have similar issues. 

Day 79: welcome a new neighbor

A girl I know just moved into the apartment next to me! I'm so happy it's her because she's great and her boyfriend seems really nice, too. So I baked and brought them some fresh, warm cookies right from the oven after their last moving day. They seemed to like them :) I'm glad I have them to share with. 

Day 78: get a tattoo so meaningful it makes someone cry

Today I finally got my 2nd tattoo after five years. I found the perfect one, which represents my love of books, graduating from library school, and my family. When I first told my mom she is the heart that ties us all together, she got all choked up and teary-eyed. Yeah, that's a good tattoo :) this is a great way to commemorate important people in your life. Of course, if you're not a big fan of pain or permanence, you could always just paint a picture. 

Day 77: feed a hungry sister

Yesterday my sister came over and I fed her pizza and cheese it's. She was very hungry. But she helped me too by playing with my cat and keeping me company :)

Day 76: encourage someone

Today I helped encourage someone who was really nervous. It can be difficult for some people to get up in front of others and speak. So I helped someone feel more confident in himself and told him afterwards that he did a great job. Sometimes all people need is a little encouragement. Give it when you can. They'll really appreciate it! And it will help their confidence. 

Day 75: give someone the benefit of the doubt

There will be times when someone does something you think is wrong or stupid. Probably many times. It can be easy to just dismiss those people and not care about them anymore. I'm not talking about close friends and family. I don't think there's much I couldn't forgive with them. I'm talking about the acquaintances of life. Those you may see daily, but don't really know. It's easy to judge them based on the little you do see. So today, I decided to give someone a clean slate and forget my preconceived notions. I'm not saying I'm going to be a pushover, I'm  just going to try not to judge like I have been. Everyone has 'stuff.' It's important to remember that. People are the way they are for a reason. It's important to be kind to everyone, no matter what you may think of them. Maybe a little kindness is all they need. You never know. 

Day 74: celebrate your mom

My mom was driving from Florida to Ohio on Mother's Day, so I wasn't able to celebrate with her in person then. But today, I got to see her! I gave her a perfect Disney mug, a hug, and got to hang out with her. I love my mom sooooo much! I don't know what I'd do without her. Every day, I'm happy she's here and only wish her happiness and love :)

Day 73: give out souvenirs

Today I gave away some souvenir gifts from my vacation. I like finding things for people that will make them smile :) fun fun fun!!

Day 72: quality cat time

My family and I were gone on vacation for a week, so naturally our cats feel neglected and abandoned. My cat Jack hasn't left my side since I got home. So I spent most of the day resting with him, and he cuddled on my lap every time I sat down. I gave him lots of attention. The only time I left was to go check on my family's cats. My parents and sister are still driving home. So I spent some time with them too. Kitties like attention!! 

Day 71: let it live

Normally when I find a bug in my place, I kill it if I can. Especially if it's really scary. Like a spider. Today I found one that kind of looked like a lightning bug, but wasn't. It didn't scare me much though, so I caught it and let it go. I chose life!! Live little bug, live! Hopefully it doesn't cause a plague or something. 

Day 70: include people

Before my visit to Disney World, I made up signs to include people in the trip that said 'Hi (name)!' This was for people who couldn't be here and who would've loved to come: my fellow Disney lovers :) I wish I could've brought all of them with me! But I can't, so signs will have to do. I tried to take pictures with their favorite characters while holding the sign. It was really fun! And they all seemed to appreciate it.

Day 69: take a picture

Today in Epcot, I took a picture for another family so they could all be included. And then they took one for us! It's really nice to offer to take pictures for other people because it can be such a pain to have one person in your party take one, then they switch with someone else so the other person can be in the photo. Such a hassle! So offer if you have the chance!!

Day 68: hold your tongue

There are times when people annoy me, especially in crowds. There are times when I would like to yell at people for being inconsiderate or just plain stupid. There are also times when customer service workers don't have very good customer service skills and that really bothers me. I had a few of those moments today. But instead of yelling or giving bad looks, I just took a deep breath and told them to have a good day. Because really, what good will more anger do? It'll just make it worse. Maybe if they see what nice is, they'll repeat it. Or maybe I'm being too optimistic? Oh we'll, being nice still makes me feel better. They can stay stupid if they choose. I choose nice.

Day 67: let someone cut in line

Today we went to EPCOT in Disney World. As in any other theme park, restrooms are usually crowded. Tonight we stayed in the park to watch Illuminations, an awesome fireworks/light show. And of course the restrooms were even more super crowded before that. I waited in line forever because the restroom only had two stalls (why does that even exist in WDW??) Once I finally got to the front of the line, the handicap stall opened up, so I offered it to the mother with two kids right behind me. She was very thankful. It doesn't take much to make people happy!

Day 66: surprise people

My family and I got to Disney world today. Yay! I ordered flowers to be waiting for my sister and her husband because they are awesome. We had a confusing afternoon with our resort and ended up being transferred to a different one because of overbooking. I was worried about the surprise getting to the right room! But it made it. It just came while they were there instead of before. It's still good!

Day 65: give someone a ride

Today, my sister had to take her husband's car in to the shop while he was at work. So she asked me to pick her up. Afterwards, we hung out, watched A Goofy Movie, and had a great time. I also drive her to the bank and we both needed to go to Meijer, so we went there too. Then I took her back to get the car. She needed a ride and I enjoyed the company. A win win!!

Day 64: help out a senior

Today I participated in Service Day Westerville! Along with my lovely coworker Heather, we helped an adorable 80 year old lady named Twilah with tasks around her house. We planted begonias, washed the windows, set up her patio table with umbrella and chairs, dusted her blinds, cleaned the tub, moved a fireplace, and pledged the kitchen cupboards. More importantly, we got to talk to Twilah and learn about her and her family. And I learned how to plant flowers using a butter knife. I got skillz!

Day 63: help take worries away

I have recently given some people worry dolls! They are a tradition from the Mayan culture. They are just tiny little dolls and the tradition is that you tell them your worries. Then you put them under your pillow at night and they're supposed to take your worries away. So I gave some to people I thought could use a little fewer worries. Because I love them and want them to be happy. Anyone can use fewer worries! If you feel like you need some worry dolls, just let me know and I will hook you up! For real!

Day 62: keep it clean

Today while delivering books to daycare centers, my boss and I saw that kids had thrown a bunch of toys from their playground into the parking lot. I didn't want any of them to get run over, so I suggested we go pick them up. We did! So we both did a good deed today! Yay for picking things up!

Day 61: help keep a cat happy

My cat Jack likes to drink water out of the faucet. Which means he gets a lot of water in his ears. Which means he could easily get ear infections. My vet says I should let him do this because he enjoys it and some cats just prefer fresh water and may not drink enough from a bowl. So that means I have to put ear drops in his ears to prevent infection. I'm supposed to do it once a week...I have to admit I'm not good at keeping up with it. But I'm trying! I did it today and it went slightly better than normal. He didn't shake it all over my face just part of my face this time. And I did give him treats for a reward. Just trying to keep him happy and healthy!