Last week's Kindness Countdown was five years in the making: I volunteered to work the concession stand at The Rivoli, the restored single-screen movie theater in my town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
Friday, October 25, 2024
Week 17: Concession Stad Concierge
Last week's Kindness Countdown was five years in the making: I volunteered to work the concession stand at The Rivoli, the restored single-screen movie theater in my town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
Friday, October 18, 2024
Week 16: Meet Remarkable Mable
I started Kindness Countdown 10 years ago to do some good with my kids. I did another round five years later because 1) It was a lot of fun, and 2) I knew it was the last round before my kids started moving onto all life has in store for them post-high school.
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Week 15: A Labor of Lasagna Love
My life philosophy is to remain curious, all the time. I wonder about everything, I spend time researching randomness, I keep my head and heart open to new things/places/challenges/ideas, I think quite a bit about my life, what my childhood was like to make me who I am, how I can improve myself and the world around me.
All of that has led me to know I am far from perfect. Ha! But I do know that when I'm presented with a way to help others, I figure out a way to say yes. Which leads me to last week's Kindness Countdown activity.
One day, a few months ago, I was scrolling through social media when the ever-present, powerful algorithm (is it in the cloud? 😅) introduced me to Lasagna Love. It was ❤ at first sight in my feed.
Lasagna Love is an organization located in three countries with over 56,000 volunteers who provide 3,500 lasagna meals a week to those who request them. No questions asked, except for those I routinely follow-up with:
- What date and time would be best of your delivery?
- Any specific requests/preferences? (A woman once told me her and her son loved onions so I sauteed extra, just shy of caramelized, to add with the sauce layer)
- Would you like one full pan or two half pans?
- Would you prefer I deliver the lasagna cooked or assembled with cooking instructions?
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Week 14: Like Giving Candy to a Baby
Last week Saturday, as usual, my daughter was a trooper and ran errands with me. My kids were homeschooled until high school/7th grade (for my youngest; the trooper previously referenced) and have run errands with me their whole lives. But I've been witness to a handful of meltdowns over the years by kids (and their parents) attempting to make returns or grocery shop on weekends. Last week, we aimed to help.Before Hazel and I pulled out of our driveway to pick up items we needed, make some returns, and search for the perfect picture frame for our gallery wall (more details on that to come soon on my Instagram - @gilded.living - since they turned out so good!)we decided to empty out our parking meter quarter reserves (about $15 worth) and put them to good use.
As we made our rounds through town that day, we filled every gumball/toy machine we happened across. And it's not often I get to witness these little acts of kindness in person, but I did last Saturday.
Hazel and I had just finished filling the machines above and were about to take the cover photo for social media when a little girl and her parents came out of the store, the mom saying, "Did you decide what you want to get?"
The little girl went straight to the top-left machine; the mom picked up the quarters from her hand and hovered over the machine when she saw some already in place. She looked at me questioningly and I said, "You can use those; I just filled up all of the machines to give them away."She touched her heart and said, "That's so sweet, what a great idea. Here's I'll pay it forward," and replaced my quarters with hers after her daughter secured her prize. And then, here's the best part:
The girl then looked at her mom and asked, "Can I do the rest of them?" 😂
Her mom said no, explaining that they'd make some other kids happy to see them there. But gosh, my daughter and I sure loved the girl boss on display! Between her queen energy and thoughtful parents, that girl is going places!
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Week 13: Free Gas? That's Bananas!
Each Summer, my parents rent a pontoon boat for two hours on a lake about 45 minutes away. They pick up Jimmy John's for everyone, pack a cooler with drinks; I make a playlist for the cruise and we all walk off happier, lighter (until we get our traditional custard at The Kiltie drive-in on the way home), and most of us still damp from the swim. It's one of our favorite days of the year.
Last month, after we got home, that seasonal high we all felt came crashing to a halt when my daughter burst into the bathroom while I was showering yelling, "TURN OFF THE WATER, IT'S POURING INTO THE BASEMENT." We quickly learned the plumbers who had been there earlier in the day inserted the valve incorrectly restricting any water from leaving the property, therefore, pouring through any openings possible. 😠Absolutely not what we needed that night when we all desperately required a shower and had a couple loads of beach towels to launder.
I'm happy to report we all rallied (after my initial panic attack), making even more loads of dirty towels to wash, welcoming another plumber who came to drain the pipes, and staying up way too late cleaning. A couple of weeks later a $100 Kwik Trip gift card arrived as an apology from the plumbers. All was forgiven...and I decided to make some lemonade out of the lemons.
Last week, while pumping gas on my way to the airport at 8:00am, I *heard* a van approaching behind me. It was a sound I knew all too well after driving a similar car for years and I was moved to use the card that had been burning a hold in my pocketbook.I approached the man as he got out and said, "Hi, I was recently given a gift card and I'd like to share it with you. Can I buy your gas?"
He said, "I just got off work and was going to put $10 in to get me to Friday." I said, "That's great news, let me fill it all the way up for you!"
He looked at me and ask skeptically, "How much are you going to charge me?"
I said, "Oh, nothing. I was given this card and want to do some good with it. May I fill up your tank?"
He smiled so big. I took that as a yes.
I inserted my card to charge the gas, told him to have a great day and started to walk away. (Note: the photo was taken separately, away from him, you know, for visual blog purposes. 😅 And the top photo was taken while visiting my daughter in Madison when I realized the Kwik Trip I was at was cute, I was wearing a bandana banana shirt, and had the banana card in my wallet with a future plan in place and it seemed meant to be.)
He said, "I'm so glad I was the first person you saw! Will the rest of the money be wasted since you won't be here?"
I said, "Nope, it'll stay on the card and I'll give it to someone else some time. I hope you have a great day!"
"You too! Thanks again!" he said and that was that.
I think he left feeling better than when he pulled in. I know I did. Funny how contagious happiness can be.
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Week 12: Thank a Hero, Be a Hero
Last week marked the anniversary of September 11th. As the daughter of a firefighter, for me, it is a day of quiet and sadness and reflection and doing my best to honor those lost each year. As a result, last week's Kindness Countdown activity was two-part.
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Week 11: Personalized Packages
I'm really cutting the deadline for this blog post close, whew! Better almost late than never, so here goes...
Last week's project consisted of three personalized packages for different special people in my life; two mailed, one delivered in person. The first was a card and art project for my daughter away at college. I'm going to keep the description for this one short and sweet...and private. ;)
The second was for some awesome repeat clients who purchased their home with me five years ago and now, two kids later, realized their dream of owning a lake cottage. I packaged up some s'mores supplies, of course, and everything needed for them to add a personalized arrow directing visitors to their cottage on the poles that lead to their little community drive.
And the last was a Packers Party in a Box (everyone at the UPS store got a kick out of that when the employee asked me what was inside).My boyfriend's good friend goes out to Colorado to stay for a week each year and they play golf by day and draft their fantasy teams by night. This year, I sent them all the fixings needed for a proper Packers party to celebrate the season's kickoff again the Eagles in Brazil.
I only wish I could have packed a W in there for them (and me) to enjoy. Go Pack Go!!