27 Years = 27 {random acts of kindness}

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

As you know, last Tuesday was my 27th birthday. I feel so blessed to have been given this life and I want to make the most of it. I wanted to do something {special} to celebrate the 27 years God has blessed me with. I decided to spend the week of my birthday doing 27 random acts of kindness to spread a little cheer to their day!

Many of them are minor, they may have gone unnoticed, but a few of them I’m hoping brightened someone’s day and maybe urged them to pass on a random act of kindness themselves!

1. left a thank you note for the mail lady

2. put a cafe gift card on the car parked in the cafe’s parking lot

3. put a cafe gift card in Grayden’s teacher’s school mailbox from an anonymous thankful student

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4. put coins in the sand box at the park for kids to dig up

5. put a ‘have a great day’ note on the mirror of a public bathroom

6. made a donation to the cafe

7. wiped up a spill on the cafe counter

8. bought my mom a cookie {even though she didn’t eat it!} for watching sadler for us while we went to school with Gray

9. gave a free haircut

10. brought cookies to our neighbors who’s dealing with some health concerns

11. brought cookies to a new family in the area

12. offered my sister a ride to zumba

13. snuck some special treats in Robb’s suitcase before he left for Utah

14. gave up the closest parking spot (can you believe it, Robb?)

15. taped a merchandise credit card to Younkers (that I always forget to use) on the door to the store

16. taped this note on the mirror in a store dressing room

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17. taped a bag of microwave popcorn to a red box machine

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18. put a diaper and new wipes case along with an encouraging nore in a changing station at Target

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19. let a couple go in front of me to order at Panera Bread. Probably one of the most disappointing ones, the couple hardly looked at me, let alone thank me while they marched ahead of me. oh well!

20. I offered to watch one of my nieces while my sister spent some alone time with the other one!
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21. Paid for the order behind me in the McDonald’s drive thru

22. Left a thank you note on a car parked in the ‘staff parking’ lot of our local hospital

23.left a dollar on the vending machine at the hospital

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24. left some new crayons and a coloring book in the waiting room of the hospital

25. stuck a dollar in a children’s book at the library

26. put a note on a car parked in the ‘staff parking’ lot at Gray’s school

27. brought my dad a cookie at work

 

{obviously I have a thing for cookies :)}

The over all experience was super positive, I had a lot of fun coming up with different ideas at the different places we went each day. I felt a little sneaky at times, hiding things and then quick running off before someone would see me! I parked in the Walgreens parking lot for awhile waiting for people to finish using the redbox so I could tape the popcorn to it, and then I watched for awhile to see who took it :)

It totally gave me a high and I hoped it filled the people with kindness who received these random acts!

I specifically had to make sure my husband and family members received an act of kindness for putting up with me for the past 27 years!

Maybe you’ll consider doing this on your next birthday! I’d love to hear about it if you do/already did!

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33 Responses to “ 27 Years = 27 {random acts of kindness} ”

Mindy Roelofs said...

Very cool!!!

Daniels Five said...

you are and amazing person and a great example to us as a woman and mother as well as a follow of christ. Keep up raising the bar for us to reach. Thanks for all you do.

TanaLee Davis said...

This is a great idea...totally want to do this some time. hugs-
Felicia

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

@Daniels Five, thank you for such a sweet comment. I definitely have areas to work on, but thank you for the encouragement!

Erin said...

This is amazing! I'm totally stealing it for next year! :) Thank you for sharing and setting an amazing example for us!

Kerry @ Our New Normal said...

What a beautiful idea!

Mrs.HVK said...

Loved this! What a great idea!

Deb said...

So fun to read, and what fun it must have been to see some of the recipients. I was on the receiving end recently at Rivertown when I got up to the register at Subway and she told me my bill was paid for by the woman in front of me. Funny story that I had let her go infront of me because my kids and I were taking awhile. She was no where to be found afterwards though - I about started crying! She must have known the young mom in me needed a pick me up.

I'm sure others will be taking your suggestions, thanks for brightening people's days.

~Amanda~ said...

That is the COOLEST thing I have ever heard of!!! Think of what this world would be like if everyone did that!! Great, great, great idea!! Thank YOU for making 27 people smile and think of all the wonderful people out there! It's the little things in life that make the biggest impacts!

Elyse said...

That is so amazing! You are a true inspiration! Happy Birthday!

shellycoulter said...

Love this! I used to be so intentional with doing stuff like this. I've totally let it slip since having kids. Thanks for the inspiration to make this a regular practice and mindset in my mind again!

Sarah said...

This is the sweetest idea! I think I want to do that for my next birthday! :)

Haffner's World said...

I turn 30 this year and was trying to think of a way to give back - I LOVE this idea! I work in a school that is in need of some major random acts of kindness. Thank you for sharing!

Breanna said...

AWESOME!!!!

I did this a few weeks ago for my 28th birthday!!!

Wendy said...

I think that's really nice. Love that you got to see some reactions, too!

Anonymous said...

This is amazing and I love it. You probably made so many people's days. It's so important to give back. Thank you for reminding me of this! God bless you.

Jeannie said...

What an amazing idea!! Way cool!

Jessica said...

oh my gosh that is so awesome!!!! i love it!!

Jackie said...

Wonderful idea. You are a special person. Thanks for sharing.

DianeTaylor said...

What a beautiful gesture for your birthday Katie - happy (belated) birthday to you! If that has been me in line at Panera I would have hugged you for that (lately it is the little things that count).

Elma said...

You are so sweet!!! What wonderful ideas!! I once paid for the car behind me in Mcdonalds:)In fact last week me and two of my girls went to Ohio to the country living fair and we had dinner at Olive Garden. It was so busy and we had to wait and hour and half. The gal that waited on us (Betsy)was so sweet and was just so flippin busy and whenever she checked on us and we wanted some more breadsticks she would say MY PLEASURE!! So when the bill came we left her a 22:00 tip and she said are you sure?? Then left us a note saying we made her day. What fun!!!

Tiffany said...

Great idea!! I love your list; might steal a few of your ideas! ;)

Kathy said...

What a sweetheart you are. God bless you for making someone's day!!!

Rachel C said...

Great post! Thanks for the inspiring ideas. I love the coins at the playground idea - it makes my kids' day when they find a penny on the ground :)

Made By Laks said...

Wow.. im goin to do this with my kid...you have such a beautiful heart

Made By Laks said...

You have such a beautiful heart..im gona do this with my kid

Shannon said...

This was the best post I have read in a long time. I may need to steal this idea. :)

Amanda said...

What great ideas! Think I might try this :)

Kelly said...

Probably the coolest and sweetest thing I have ever heard of! What a great idea! I am going to take your idea, love it! Thanks and Happy Birthday {late}!

Cyndy Bush said...

I love this!
I think my favorite is the dollar in the children's book. I can just imagine how excited that kid will be to find that!

Little's said...

What a great idea!! You are such an amazing woman! I am happy to say my kids were the recipients of the $1 in the library book. They were so excited that a $ fell out when we were reading a book. I am so glad I stumbled upon your post this morning:)

Kat Sighs said...

What a great idea! I think I'll do this for my next birthday. Thanks for the idea. Actually, I might just be random about the random acts or they wont be very random, ha ha! xx

Meg said...

This post made me teary-eyed! What a blessing to so many people (and also to you!). I am turning 30 this year (gulp), and you have inspired me to do a similar project! Thank you :)