So far behind...

Yes I procrastinate...a lot...
So here I am 12 days behind. I am going to be kind to myself and not start the self criticism that always follows my procrastination. How's that for an AOK for me? So here's what I've been doing for the past week and 5 days.
December 2-Payday for me! I'm only working a few hours a week right now and this check will be gone before you know it. On paydays, I treat myself to lunch at McD's. So that was my AOK. Dropped some change in the Salvation Army bucket after grocery shopping for my AOK for others.
December 3-Thank God it's Friday. Visited G&C (the elderly couple my sister and I see) today. Apparently, they love us both and let their daughter know how much our visits mean to them. It makes me reflect on what small acts of kindness can do. I also feel a little guilty getting so much back for such a small amount of time. I'm  counting this visit as an AOK for me and for others!
December 4-AOK for me- hot cocoa with whipped cream! AOK for others: bought one for my daughter, too!
December 5-Stopped by to visit my sister at the pub for my AOK. Cleaned out the nasty computer keyboard for my hubby for my AOK for others.
December 6-I think I'm going to start calling this Meditation Monday! Sat quietly for 5 minutes and just concentrated on my breathing. It's amazing how much better I feel just from deep breathing. For my AOK for others, I said a prayer for all those who are having difficulty facing this holiday season.
December 7-Sent birthday wishes to my nephew! Can't believe he's 23 already. For me, started a new book and took a 30 minute reading break.
December 8-Saw my friend Naomi today. Ran some errands for her; grocery store and post office. For me, a new pair of stretchy gloves at the dollar store.
December 9-For me, found my Christmas songs CD and played it all the way to work. I absolutely love Joan Osborne's version of Children Go Where I Send Thee. For others, complimented a colleague on how what a great job she does each day.
December 10: Job interview today for some more part time work. It would be nice to work for this agency, I got a very nice vibe from the people there. It makes such a difference when you work with kind people. For my AOK today, I took another reading break. For others, I sent out Christmas cards to 25 people.
December 11-Cleaning house and shopping day! Having guests so I better get the house in order. My sister and law and husband needed some kid free shopping time so we're entertaining my nephews tonight. For myself, a solo shopping trip early in the day to pick up some more presents.
December 12-Movie day. For my AOK for others, I'm giving hubby a break to have dinner with his sister while I take the kids to see Megamind. For me, a visit to my secret stash of Hershey kisses with almonds.
December 13-For me, read through my new magazines before the seasons change! For others, dog watching for my sister while she's out of town.
December 14-Home today with a sick kiddo. For me, some extra reading time! For others, I'll be visiting freeflour.com

November 29-December 1

Not so very behind this time! On Monday, it was back to work and school for my family. I really needed something to look forward to so I could get back in the groove. I scheduled some time after work and before my kids got home to read a book.  I was seriously relishing the thought of some uninterrupted quiet time! I usually feel guilty about sitting down to read when there are so many things to get done around the house. The housework had to wait today. My sister lent me An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor awhile ago and I finally was able to sit down with a cup of tea and read. One of my cats snuggled next to me. It doesn't get any better than that for me sometimes! My AOK for others was to pray for children in abusive families. I do believe in the power of prayer and hope that in some small way, a child is helped today.
On Tuesday, I went Christmas shopping. While I was in Target, an elderly woman asked me if I was busy. I said that I wasn't and she asked me if I might drive her to a nearby store since it was raining outside. Normally, I would have declined but I really felt that I should do something. So we agreed to meet in the front of the store when we had finished making our purchases. I learned a lot about Gloria Ann today. She knows every person who works in Target and greets them all. We journeyed to Staples to try and find a writing tablet (without lines). No luck. Next stop, Rite Aid where I was able to find the last tablet and purchase it while Gloria waited in the car. She called me a 'miracle lady'. Last stop-Walmart. She also knew many of the workers and stopped to chat with several. I helped her get some items (from the back, darling) and compare the price of almonds. At the checkout, she was really upset to find that the Ferraro Rocher 3 packs were no longer up front. I went to the back to check but couldn't find them. While I was gone, she asked the manager and 3 associates to find them. A very nice Walmart employee named Sarah located them. The checkout guy said, "these must be some chocolate". I have to admit, being with Gloria was a little taxing. She talked a lot and was quick to give her opinion on a variety of topics and people. "What kind of hairdo is that? A porcupine?" Loud enough that I cringed and hoped the woman she was referring to didn't hear. But then she told a woman next to her that she looked 42 (the number being called out at the deli). This woman was 62 and told Gloria she had made her day. In the end, I drove her back to her apartment and dropped her off. She gave me her phone number and said anytime to call and she'd take me to lunch. Sometimes being kind is a little more work than one bargains for.... And for myself? A free coffee at BK. I really gotta work on that!
On Wednesday, I stopped to visit my friend Naomi. I found a coupon for a product she likes and actually remembered to give it to her today. We had a nice visit, talking about Thanksgiving and family. My own family had been in the local paper on Thanksgiving and I gave her a copy to read. She was so sweet-complimenting our pictures and grateful for the newspaper article. I credit Naomi with keeping my love of volunteering alive. She is a bright spot in my week! For myself, more of my guilty pleasure-reading. I actually finished the book I started Monday. It was a nice story with a happy ending. My favorite.
On Thursday, I researched some other ways to donate to charities online. I was able to visit charitii.com and donate 200 square inches to the Nature Conservancy by playing crossword games. I have a short list of some other ways to donate online that I'll be visiting in the next few days. For myself, hmmm.... Since I'm carless for today (in the shop) I think a brisk walk would be a kind thing for both body and soul.

So Far Behind!

Rest assured I've been keeping up with my AOKs but am awful about posting them. Here's my recap of the last 12 days.
November 17: Me-5 minute guided meditation-loved it!
Others: Donated my 1 credit left on Paperbackswap.com to a needy elementary school. I got a nice note back from the principal of the school thanking me!
November 18: Me-made a list of my strengths
Others: Donated another coat to a local clothing bank.
November 19: Me-went window shopping to get some Christmas ideas. I loved the break away from the kids and got some great ideas, too.
November 20: Me-went out with my sisters to hear a band. I had a great time dancing and people watching
Others: Sent a compliment to one of my favorite bloggers.
November 21: Me-took a quick walk after church.
Others: Signed up on our church's volunteer sheet to visit one of the elderly residents
November 22: Me-okay, I admit it... Another candy bar treat.
Others: Sent a Thanksgiving ecard to a friend
November 23: Me-listened to my Susan Boyle CD on the way to work; I forget how much I love her voice.
Others: Stayed at a client's home for a few extra minutes to listen to her talk about what her family was doing for Thanksgiving.
November 24: Me-went to my sister's house to help make Thanksgiving dishes for tomorrow. Had a great time reminiscing about holidays past.
Others: made an extra pan of stuffing once I got home so everyone would have leftovers to take home.
November 25: Me-reflected on the many blessings I have received this past year.
Others: Wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving of course!
November 26: Me-another quick walk to enjoy the sights and sounds of fall
Others: Gave my hubby unlimited time to shop on Black Friday.
November 27: Me-took the time to actually find the matching earrings and necklace I love but never wear. Wore them to my sister's post Thanksgiving party and got some nice compliments!
Others: contributed a bottle of wine dh had given me to the post holiday party.
November 28: Me-picked up a free cup of coffee at BK with a coupon I had.
Others: Donated some of my Pampers points to Toys for Tots.
Yeah, all caught up!!!!

Day 12

Tuesday. Finally caught up with my posts! I have the day free and need to tidy up the house after surfing the net for way too long. For my AOK for others, I went to freerice.com and played word games. "FreeRice is a computer "game" that tests your vocabulary and for every word that you get right, 10 grains of rice are donated through the United Nations to end world hunger." Today I donated 2620 grains of rice. And now I know the meanings of glister (sparkle), platyhelminth (flatworm) and parvenu (newly wealthy upstart). For my AOK for myself, I'm going to meditate for 5 minutes and try to relax the muscles in my neck and shoulders. It seems that all my tension gets stored there. Be kind.

Day 11

Monday. Today's AOK for others is to donate a coat to the local Coats for Kids drive. I am fortunate enough that my nephews pass down all their clothes to my boys. While I was looking through my middle son's closet, I discovered he has 3 winter coats. So I'm passing on one for a child who can use it to get through this winter. The other 1 will be for backup; he tends to get soaked playing in the snow. My AOK for me was to finally get a physical and my flu shot. My left arm is not feeling like it experienced any kindness but I'm glad to know I won't be getting or passing on the flu to anyone this year. Fingers crossed!

Day 10

Sunday. I went grocery shopping for the week and was able to donate some items I bought to the local food pantry. They have a donation barrel set up right at the door and it makes it so easy to give back to the community. If a store has a buy one get one sale, it's the perfect opportunity to donate without spending a lot. For my AOK for me, I took a short drive in the country and just admired the scenery. It really calms me when I can see nothing but hills and sunshine.

Day 9

On Saturday, I cleaned house. Literally. My AOK for my family was to catch up on the laundry and restore some order to the house. I wiped down the cabinets with a vinegar/water solution (trying to be kind to the Earth, too). Did 4 loads of laundry, vacuumed and dusted the downstairs, cleaned the bathrooms. Went outside and put the garden to bed. Lots of raking and carting dead plants to the woods. My AOK for me was to take some time to read. I love to read but tend to feel a little lazy if I'm curled up with a book. After all the physical activity today, I did not feel guilty at all.

Day 8

I'm a little behind in posting... On Friday, I took a walk on a local trail for 45 minutes. The weather has been unseasonably warm here in the Northeast and I enjoyed being out in the sun and doing something healthy. I realized that many AOKs for myself involve food and I need to treat my body more kindly. My AOK for another was to bake a cake for a fundraiser at my son's school. One of the paraprofessionals recently had heart surgery and needs help with medical expenses. Donating a cake was the least I could do.
Be kind...

Day 7

Hey, I made it one whole week! Today is Veterans Day and me and the kids are off. My husband, who is a Navy veteran, is at work. So my AOK for today is to surprise him with a thank you cake when he gets home. And if I see any veterans out today, you can be sure I will thank them for their service to our country. My AOK for myself today is to visit with 2 great friends who live about an hour away. I lived in a small city in central NY for about 12 years and then moved to our new house about 3 years ago. I really miss seeing my friends Julie and Dawn and am excited to spend time with them again. Added bonus-pizza at my favorite pizza place! Be kind to a veteran today!

Day 6

After working in the morning, I went shopping for an elderly friend I visit each week. After making the rounds of Kmart, Price Chopper, CVS, and the Dollar Tree; I arrived with all the items except the sugar free chocolate caramel Wurther's. We had a nice visit and I was able to program the universal remote I picked up for her tv. I started visiting my friend over a year ago through a local Faith in Action program. I am so glad I decided to volunteer through this program. I look forward to our weekly visits and really enjoy our friendship. I am actually finding it more difficult to plan AOK each day for myself. On my way home from CPR training, I picked up a cinnamon donut at DD. I've got to get better at this.

Day 5

It's Tuesday and back to work for me. No sick kids at home today! I have a staff meeting tonight and our agency is donating food for our local food pantry and also donating items to the local women's shelter. So my AOK for others today is taken care of. I went through my stockpile of toiletries and cleaning products and came up a grocery bag full of items.  I am a 'coupon queen' and was able to get most of these products for free or less than a dollar. I'm glad to be helping my community since our area has really been hit hard with the downturn in the economy. For my AOK for me, I finally opened a gift my sister gave me last year. It's a peppermint based lotion you rub on your temples that is supposed to reduce stress. I don't know if it was the lotion or the temple massage, but I did feel more relaxed at the end of a busy day.

Day 4

Spending the day at home with my nephew and son who both came down with a stomach bug. Ugh! I really need to do something kind for myself today! So I've been thinking of baking some oatmeal raisin cookies for me (no one else will eat raisins in my family). Maybe I'll make a raisin free batch for everyone else. My AOK for another today will be to iron my husband's shirts. I HATE ironing and buy clothing for myself that doesn't need ironing. My husband doesn't really have that option since he's expected to wear dress shirts and pants. He actually has figured out that he can dry his shirts for exactly 9 minutes and then hang them while damp to eliminate the wrinkles. I bought a Mr. Steamy thingamagig at the grocery store in the discount bin last week to test out. You fill this plastic ball with 4 oz of water and toss in your dryer and it is supposed to steam the wrinkles away. My husband's verdict is mixed; worked for some shirts but not others. So I'll iron the ones that are still wrinkled and make his day!

Day 3

Yesterday was so busy I forgot to post! My AOks for the day were taking my middle child to the pet store to see the animals and later to McD's for a treat. This counted as the kind thing I did for myself as well. I don't often get to spend one on one time with my kids and it made me happy to check in with my little guy. Plus I got fries! And I'm happy to report that I was the recipient of an AOK as well. A very nice woman posted an older Cuisinart food processor on Freecycle and I was the lucky one to get it. Thank you Molly!

Day 2

I have to say that I'm really enjoying this challenge already. Today's AOK for me was a little splurge at the Dollar Tree; some scented hand soap and my favorite treat-Diet coke and  a Snickers bar! On a more serious note, a person who is very close to me just told her kids today that she and her husband are separating. We are going to get some of the kids friends together with her 2 for a movie and pizza to help buffer the blow. So that will be my AOK for others today. Be kind.

Day 1 on my journey to make the world a better place

Welcome to my kindness journal. I've been thinking lately about how I can help make things better in this world. I give to charities, do some volunteer work, and consider myself to be a generally nice person. But I don't feel that I am very mindful of treating myself and others kindly. Back in the 90's when I was a young teacher just starting out, I had a bumper sticker that said Practice Random Acts of Kindness. I want to go beyond random and start making it a daily practice. As a married mom of 3 young children, I often put my family's needs above my own. When I do this too often, I begin to feel resentful--"why isn't anyone thinking about being kind to me?" Listen for the sound of the world's smallest violin playing in the background here... So my first act of kindness each day will be something done just for me! Today's act of kindness (AOK) for myself is starting this blog. I will also extend a kindness to someone else each day. I hope to keep these AOKs simple, low cost or free, and maybe even anonymous at times. Today's act of kindness for someone else is to send an ecard to my sister, who is recovering from surgery. I'm excited to start this journey and I hope to inspire others to join me as well. Be Kind!