Showing posts with label Others RAKs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Others RAKs. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

keeping up the kindnesses...

Hey everyone,
I realised that I didn't post anything last week so I thought I had better keep you all in the loop!

Okay so for the last two weeks or so (give or take a few days) my mum has been out of action because of her Iritis. I know that one of the funny stories I posted last time was about this, so I wont explain it all again. Needless to say mum has practically be been blind for a while now, so my responsibilities have gone through the roof... not that I mind, I mean I am a full time carer and a kindness ambassador to boot, its just that my time has been a little more taken up with the practical day to day activities that mum cant do herself! :)

I have also had several special events this last week too. Including a hens day, a wedding where i was the Master of Ceremonies(MC), a baby shower for my childhood best friend, a few birthday parties, a farewell party for a friend moving interstate and that's the things I can think of off the top of my head and doesn't include the regular day to day & weekly activities!

This week I also started a kindness project for my mum too. Recently one of our neighbors did some work in our front garden and cleaned it all up, making it look all pretty and cleaned up the mess of my gardening (im not a very tidy gardener! lol). What really stood out after their wonderful job was our front bench in the porch! Everything else was all clean & pretty looking except the decrepid paint-peeling front bench. Mum and I discussed throwing it out and getting a new one... but after careful consideration I decided it would be more environmentally friendly and cheaper if I just restored the old park bench to its former glory. This has meant I have spent lots of time sanding back the old slats and scrubbing back the ends, then staining and varnishing the slats so that the whole things looks like brand new! and brand new it looks too! :) I am pretty impressed with the job! It was something that mum couldn't do for herself, it gave me a project so I didnt go stir crazy (as mum hasn't left the house much because of her eyes) and also meant that we have a shiny new park bench in our porch! Kindness completed! :) 
This is me doing the second coat of the stain! looks pretty good here! looks even better now! :D

This week has also had me witnessing a few kind deeds... (I love this as it makes me feel like the little things that I am doing is having a knock on effect).

Yesterday our car refused to start so one of our neighbours helped us out by giving us a jump start! Thank you! :) this meant we made it to an important doctors appointment on time & i am really grateful for that!

Also I was very proud of my mum, because yesterday we went to a little cafe we love for afternoon tea and where we were sitting meant I had my back to a couple of ladies who were chatting. I was happily munching on the delicious cake we had ordered, but mum was paying attention. Later as we went to pay mum told the waitress she wanted to pay for the two ladies to have their afternoon tea, as apparently they were concerned about spending too much on afternoon tea and not having enough money for something else. The waitress was thrilled, and told us she would tell them right away. Mum was awesome because she asked the waitress to wait until we had left the store so that they didn't really know who had done it, but that a kind act had been done for them! So proud of my mum!

The last of the kindnesses I witnessed yesterday was by the owner of the little green grocer near our house. Mum and I usually go to the large supermarkets but noticed the special on fruit & veg was much better than in store so we bought all our fruit & veg at the local green grocer. The owner of the store was the one serving us and after we spent quite a bit of money she gave us eggs for free "as a gift" she said. I love the fact that she was so generous! I will be going back to that store not just because of her generosity but because of the good value of their produce, and their excellent customer service! I love that I can also support a local food producer because in recent months I have seen several disappear under mounting costs put upon them by rents and by being unable to compete with the big stores!

Well I think that's probably all from me at the moment! I will be posting the next kindnesses as soon as I have enough time to go through my gratitude diary and type them all out! :D

I hope this finds you well!
Luv Daena x

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Keep up the good work...October Kindnesses

Hey everyone,
I just wanted to share some of the kindnesses people have already done and share what i got up too! Appologies, as photos were not taken at any of these kind acts, but that does in no way belittle the effort these kind people did! :)

These two came to me on the same day, and I have slightly edited the story so no-one know who is who, but the first one was...

A lady was having a drink at a cafe and a man arrived not long after her, and stood just near her and got out his violin and played it for the guests of the cafe. The music was described to me as "breath takingly beautiful". So not only did she give him the little coin she had in her purse, but she wrote him a not telling him how much his music had meant to her and how beautiful she found it! KINDNESS ACHIEVED!

A young woman was working at a shopping center late into the night, and the security guards were keeping watch over the place and making sure everyone got in and out safely. This young woman told me she had been baking the day before and had surplus, so instead of keeping it in the freezer, she offered it to one of the amazing security guards she had gotten to see regularly. The security guard was very touched and told the young woman "that was the nicest thing anyone had ever done" for the guard.
KINDNESS ACHIEVED!

My Random Act of Kindness I had planned, was to put a couple of dollars on to a kids shopping center carousel, preferably with a note to say "Have a ride... Merry Christmas" or something to that affect. However, I was on my way doing another kindness (someone had left one of their shopping trolleys in the upstairs car park and I was returning it to the concierge and center management) when I saw two kids playing on one of the carousels that I was planning to putting the coin and the note. I checked to make sure I had enough money and then I walked over to the kids (whose parents were chatting nearby) and asked if they wanted to have a ride on the carousel they were climbing on. The eldest of the pair was a little braver than his stunned sibling. He said yes, he would love a ride, but his parents wouldn't pay (i laughed because my dad used to be stubborn about it too!). So I said Merry Christmas, put the money in to the carousel and pressed the start button and just walked away. From a distance, I looked back and the kids were laughing and playing on the carousel! What a wonderful way to celebrate christmas! with brightening the day of kids! I didn't take photographs of this, because you all know how inappropriate it is to take photos of children who aren't your own, and without their parents permission! But I love that I can still share this with you all regardless!
KINDNESS ACHIEVED!

Well, after those Random acts of kindness shared by some of this blogs followers (and myself), I hope you really enjoyed them, and can see just how simple it is to do a kind deed for another this Christmas season. I will check with these wonderful women, but there is still AT LEAST one book of "The Magic" left for grabs! So if you want to share your kindness story with me, with or without a photo, then I would be happy to send the book to you!

I have to say that i have been rather busy, and i apologize for not being completely on the ball. I had hoped to have all the kindnesses for this year completed, and I have written up October and Novembers at least. I shall be posting them in the next couple of days! :) I may have to post them without photos and add the photos later though, so I am sorry about that!

Anyway, Here are the Kindnesses for...

OCTOBER 2012

October 1: I had a migraine today but still managed to make mum and I cups of tea and also made lunch and dinner – they weren’t flash but they were food! :)

October 2: I had car troubles and I waited outside with the car so the RAC man could find me whilst mum was at craft. I also put the heavy comfy chairs away at Craft. I also stacked chairs, packed cards and sorted them ready for next time at poker. I also bought THANK YOU WATER.

October 3: Today I sponsored the Ronald McDonald House Charities WA's Ride for Sick Kids, by donating loose change. I also said “bless you” to a sneezing stranger. PHOTO


October 4: I helped a lady at IKEA who had her hands full with her son, as she had just had her purse stolen. I helped her son in the bathroom by turning on the taps (he was a little kid and couldn’t reach) and also by reaching the hand towels and giving him one to use too, all whilst his mum was on the phone, and under her supervision.

A friend and I also helped mum out by providing her with amusement as we constructed her new bedside table (its taller so she can easily get to the things she regularly needs with her bad back).

October 5: Helped a new lady at poker and helped the poker league staff by helping sort and pack up the cards and tables and by stacking some chairs and putting empty bottles and glasses on the bar. 

October 6: Today I was very busy! My sister asked me to pop over to her house (whilst she and the family were on holiday) to check on their chickens and pet fish. So to help out I did 2 loads of washing, bought in the washing on the lines, emptied the dish washer, repacked it with dirty dishes, washed them, cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed the oven, washed the windows in the kitchen, fed the fish, cleaned out the chicken coop, added fresh shredded paper. I also set the dinner table all fancy and wrote a welcome home letter from me!

I also helped a friend sort out her beauty room and hang out some washing and helped a friend at her birthday. 




October 7: I had another migraine but I made the effort to medicate then do some much needed vacuuming because it was a quick job and the vacuum cleaner was out.

October 8: Made the effort to push through the pain and occasional nausea to celebrate a friends birthday by taking her out to lunch. I also helped up a couple of quilts to be photographed before they were donated to charities. I also shared some craft ideas with a friend who does a lot a craft ideas for charities.

October 9: I helped wash up at mums craft group, helped sort and re-roll balls of wool. I also put away chairs for the older ladies. I helped out at poker by sorting and stacking the poker cards so they were ready for next time. I also put some chairs away to help out.

October 10: I bought dinner for mum and I. We also attended another meeting for the community day at dads nursing home. And made more crafts including these salt dough decorations. 




October 11: I did a lot of running around today trying to source cheap craft materials to make crafts to dads community day. Today I also made a button Christmas tree, reindeer candy canes, and finished the angel Christmas tree decorations.



 
October 12: I helped out my sister by distracting her kids by doing out door craft with them which gave her some time, in peace, to finish a few jobs. I also made two more tie crafts and also helped finish of mums crocheted tea towels (the Christmas ones were discovered in a Christmas box from last year – they were supposed to be a gift last year)

October 13: Today I worked on a completed a whole range of crafts for dads community day; including more reindeer candy canes, salt dough tree decorations, tie roses, finished off some of mums crochet topped tea towels. 
I also was offered last minute tickets to see Mumford & Sons, (a popular band). Instead of going myself, I passed them on to my sister and brother in law who often miss out on concerts like this because they have kids but as their kids were staring at their grandparents house mum sister and brother-in-law could go! They had a blast and felt like I had given them the best treat in the world.

October 14: I made “Button Tacks” for the community day. I also photographed and priced all the things I had already made. I also went and bought special “coffee” for dad – Chai lattes and took them to his nursing home and spent the afternoon just hanging out with him and watching a Ballet. I also invited a neighbour in for a coffee.
 

October 15: I got up early and took mum to a ladies luncheon. I dropped off 3 of mums blankets to the church. I also washed up, packed up and stacked chairs after the luncheon mum was at. I also helped one of the organisers by taking a heavy bag to her car. I also went to an art store closing down sale to buy some canvases I knew my sister needed.

October 16: I acted as a chauffeur, I even took mums shopping back to the car so we didn't have to have it with us whilst she was with the doctors. I also drover her to craft where I put away some chairs and made drink/tea for several ladies. I also made 3 tie roses before I went to poker, where I helped out by getting the cup holders out from under the table (they had rolled away) and sorted out cards and personally packed up 2 tables worth of chairs that I stacked. I also returned glasses and bottles, that were empty, to the bar so the staff didn't have to. 

October 17: I made a tie rose ready for the community day but I managed to burn myself pretty badly from the hot glue gun, so got banned from hot glue gunning for a while! (Mums decree for my safely). I also made mum a BIG cup of tea and chatted happily to a store worker who was bored at work.

October 18: today I had a day at home, making crafty things. Like two more tie roses, and bananas in pyjamas. I also made mum multiple cups of tea and spent time encouraging mum when she was having a hard day.

October 19: I drove my 8 year old nephew to the shops so he could do some shopping for our entrees. He is a budding chef so his interest and enthusiasm for creating and beautifully presenting an entree is just delightful. I also read to him the last two chapters if his book so his dad and mum had more time to themselves and to help their daughter with her nightly routine. I also took mum for a longer walk than she has been on for a while.

October 20: today I made the effort to ring and talk to people I hadn't seen in ages and make a time to catch up for a BBQ on the beach. I got to catch up with a few people and met a few new people. I also lent my jumpers to several of my friends on the beach who were freezing because of the wind.

October 22: I invited a neighbour in for a cup of tea and a chat. I also did some gardening in out communal garden today and petted a different neighbours cat. I also went to a pub gig to see a friend play in his band “Blatjang” with Isaac Mead.


October 23: Today I spent some time in the communal garden and invited my fellow gardening neighbours into our home to share a cup of coffee with us. I also made stuff for dads community day and made cups of tea for the craft ladies. I also made these Reindeer Noses for the community day!

October 24: I gave dad a manicure, so the staff can save time and not have to do it for him. I also made more stuff for the community day. I took chocolate to my best friend who was in need and sent love and condolence messages to her as she had just sadly lost her grandmother.

October 25: I made the effort to apologize to friends I had been rude about someone else too. That is not who I am nor who I want to be. I also bought mum a nice breakfast out at a nice Cafe.
I also called my best friend regularly to check and make sure she was okay because her Grandmother had passed away. I also made her dinner and dessert. I made sure she got home safe after she was sick. I helped mum ice Christmas cakes for dads community day and started packing up all the crafty things I had already made, ready to go for Saturday. 

October 26: Today was busy. I helped mum get cakes and cup cakes iced. I went to dads nursing home and dropped off stuff for the white elephant stall. I went and picked up stuff at the shops to complete the last minute jobs for the community day. I made the effort to drive and hour and a half to a friends house to return her stuff and pick up some crates for tomorrow. I then drove the hour and a half home during peak hour. I came home and finished the roses and the tags/decorations for the jams, pickled onions and soup mixes. And I even had enough time to invite a neighbour in for a drink! 

October 27: today all the hard work came to fruition. Mum and I ran the cake stall at Dads nursing home for the community day. We donated our time, money and resources to have it be a success. I handed over my crafts to the craft stall and they sold a lot. But not all. The cake stall alone raised $800 and the whole day raised $3000. A great day and very successful. (If you want to see the blog all about it, check it out HERE)

October 28: Today was my rest day so I looked after myself and rested a lot. I also made mum several cups of tea. I made the effort to drive 40 minutes to see a friend for her birthday party.

October 29:We spent the day catching up on housework. I also made several cups of tea for mum, invited a neighbour in for a cup of coffee, spent some time gardening in the communal garden, & sent messages to my friends in the USA who are about to be hit by Hurricane Sandy.

October 30: I helped mum out by doing lots of housework in preparation for some visitors. I also bought mum lunch, washed up after afternoon tea and wipes down the kitchen. I also helped a lady with her trolley on a travellator and chatted with her all the way down.

October 31: I made the effort to say "thank you" to those performing any form of services for me. I also let a lady in front of me at the coffee shop as she was in a 15 minute break from work and I had plenty of time. So she went first and was very grateful. 

I hope you enjoyed this lengthy update! :) 

I hope you are all surviving the Christmas seasons! Its called the silly season for a reason, so please be safe! :)

Much love
Daena, 

p.s. Aren't you all glad the world didn't end yesterday! :) lol!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Awesome other blogs... Kindness Ideas!

Hey everyone,
I don't know if you do this too, but occasionally I log onto Google and type in Kindness 365 to see who else is doing something crazy like me! I am not the only one who decided to make a difference in the world! In fact there are several other Kindness Blogs that would be worth checking out, if you find mine fascinating.

Each has a different specialty, and I am in awe of some of the things these people do! :)

One I came across recently is http://yearofkindness.wordpress.com/about/
This is a blog by a fellow Aussie (from Sydney) who decided like me "to be the change you want to see in the world"(quote by Ghandi). I found her final summation to be wonderful! I read it and thought... i know exactly what she means! :) Seriously... worth a look! :)

Another one I found recently is http://lauragraceweldon.com/2012/07/17/25-ways-to-spread-some-kindness/  Laura Grace shares 25 simple ideas of how to spread kindness in the world. And some of them are ones i have used on this blog... but they sure are good ideas! :) plus there is a video by the Soweto Gospel Choir too! :) (Saw them when they came to Perth a while back and they were awesome).

Lastly... this is already up on the blog in the recommended websites section of the blog but not sure if you have seen it yet... So i will draw attention to it here. I actually found this Blog through Pinterest of all things! :)  http://thumba-lea.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/28-acts-of-kindness.html  
This is a wonderful site full of amazing ideas! She also includes a sheet of Random Acts of Kindness cards that you can give out or leave for people who you have been kind too! :) I am printing off some of these myself! :) So well done!

Another thing I have to share is a video I saw recently! It is GORGEOUS!!! You just have to watch it to see what I mean... it cracked me up but I felt much better after watching it! :) We should all do this every morning! :) here it is...


Anyway, just thought I would share with you some of the thing that inspire me to keep going! As we all know sometimes its hard to keep going! :) Enjoy!
Luv Daena x

p.s. if you have something that helps inspire you and keep you acting with kindness please feel free to share this with me! I love hearing from you guys and girls! :) x

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

A little bit about me...

Hi everyone,
Well i have been writing this blog now for over a year and have realized that unless you know me personally, you probably know very little about me. Apart from the fact I'm a lunatic who is starting her second year of kind acts!

I am a woman (i'm pretty sure you would have gathered that by the photo at least!), and i am 26 years old! I have just completed my Master of Arts in Archaeology degree and and working occasionally for one of the Western Australian Universities.

I have a wonderful family. I have two parents (still married) and i have a special older sister (and by special i mean awesome!). Both my parents have disabilities, however both are not related to birth defects of anything and are things that they have aquired later in life!

My mum has spinal injuries which cause her to be quite ill a lot of the time (so i do a lot of kindnesses for her!). I live with her and act as her "carer". She is an amazing woman who has taught me so much! She has always encouraged me to live my dreams and challenges me to challenge myself. She is also the woman that everyone loves and asks for advice or help. And even with her disability she doesn't let that stop her and she does the best she can for everyone she possibly can! I am inspired by her and what she puts up with and what she achieves as a result. I kind of find it funny when she tells me she feels like she isn't making a difference in the world! You just have to look at the people shes supported and she makes all the difference in the world!! She will often also do random acts of kindness with me, or as well as me!  I love my mum so very much! Thanks Mrs Guest! :)

My dad is in a high care facility with a rare and debilitating brain disease called CerebralAmyloidAngiopathy (yes that is a mouthful to say!). For those interested in reading about it you can check out this link:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001735/
This disease causes my father to have mini strokes and have FrontoTemporalDementia (yes i like my big words!).However, this disease was only diagnosed in the last 5 years.
My father is/was an extraordinary man! He used to do so much for me and my sister that he was always considered our "House-Dad". He, coming from the country where he grew up in a country town, used to treat everyone as friends. He would bring home strange and interesting people he had met in his adventures, he would talk to people all over the world on the computer (my dad was one of the first people to have internet access in his area). He made/makes friends easily. He used to do what we call "bread runs". which basically means that he would collect the day old bread from local bakery's (that they couldnt sell that day) and take them to families in need and to halfway houses and shelters. He did this everyday for about 6 years, then he cut down a little as more people offered to help. Our little old car used to smell like bread as a result! My father supported Indigenous churches and he would sit and have a chat with the "bum" in the city, usually buying a cup of coffee to share with them. He has always challenged me to treat everyone equally and to share what little we had with everyone. He is part of the reason that i started doing this project!
My dad is still a great man, even though the disease has affected him alot, sadly. I still love him and visit him regularly... so often you will see little notes about visiting the nursing home. Or me talking to people there! I have discovered that even a kind word or gesture can be enough to make one of those other patients smile, as they rarely get visitors! I have come to love some of dads fellow "inmates" (as he calls them) and love to chat to them or give them "lifts" in their wheel chairs to the dining room for dinner. Thanks Dad for the love and support even from the comfort of your bed! :)

So enough about my parents... they are awesome! What more could you possibly want to know!? lol. Apart from the fact that they gave birth to me! :) hahaha!

Well, I have an older sister! V is about 3 inches shorter than me so i call her my "little sister" even though she's almost 6 years older than me. She is married to G who is a wonderful guy and en excellent brother-in-law! Both of them have supported me through so much in my life. Including letting me live with them when I was 17 for a few months, when dad first got sick. My darling sister V helps me run the Project 25 Page on Facebook! And i am grateful for all the things she has found that encourage me to keep going! Thanks guys! I am very grateful for everything!

V& G have two lovely kids, a boy AJ (whos 7 and three quarters) and a girl AV (who is almost 4 but thinks she 30... oh and she thinks shes the queen!). Both kids crack me up and are beautiful kids! AJ sat me down the other day to share all the Kind deeds he had done so i could write them in my book! And AV is such a funny little munchkin but when the time for hard work is come she's right in there with the rest of them. I love them dearly and they seem to think I'm the coolest thing since sliced bread, which is nice for the ego! lol!

That is my immediate family! But i have some awesome "aunties" who with their families treat me and mine like we are blood! These people are so treasured that without them i would probably not have done half the stuff i have done or wanted to do!

One encourages me verbally supporting me & my mum emotionally! She has also found every article written about Kindness for me! You are a champion! She has done a million kindnesses for us all that she may never know and she sends the ones she intentionally does to me for Project 25 so that i can be inspired too! :) She has supported me financially, emotionally and even physically. She does RAKs and kindnesses for those around her! And the love with which she gives them is profound!

One of my other "aunties" is so awesome she let me live in her house for a few years whilst she lived in a country town. She has supported me financially and practically over the years. She is one of the most practical people i know! She also leads by example. She is the one who in previous notes i have written about as she just makes quilts! And by "makes quilts" i mean she made almost 100 of them last year alone for the neonatal clinic at one of the hospitals. The quilting group she belongs to makes them for the postnatal deperession unit, as each new mum gets to take a quilt home with them. Apparently they are not in as much demand now, as they have a large stockpile! :) But she keeps making quilts, as its something she loves to do and that she can freely give to someone. i find it funny that she also doesn't consider what she does as Kindnesses or RAKs. She does it as its fun for her and it can practically help someone out!

There are so many people who help inspire me with what they do and who they are for me. I am so very greatful!

I wanted to share this because even though i have been writing about what i'm doing, I haven't been writing about who I am! and I am my family! They love me, cherish me and encourage me to do stuff that no ordinary person would do!

Like my mum dared me to shave my initials into the back of my hair when i was 12 and i did it! Well... maybe not all the things i have done have been such a brilliant idea! lol! But i will do things for a laugh or to prove those who say i cant do it that i can! I'm pretty stubborn. But I'm also passionate, creative and encouraging. I know that not all of my qualities are what everyone fit with but i try to follow my fathers example and treat everyone equally. Regardless of the skin color, sex, creed, religion, race, age or sexual orientation, i try to encourage and love those that i meet to the best of my ability.
I don't always succeed but like 365days of kindness... i take one day at a time and do the best I can!

Well now that i have written an essay about my life and family (even those NOT blood related) i hope you might understand what i do and why i do it a little more.
Thank you for reading this, and if you know me a special thanks for the support!
Cheers,
Daena Guest

Monday, January 30, 2012

August 2011 - RAKs (& Project 25)

Well in an attempt to clear the back log, I am uploading the August RAKs here too! So i hope you like! 









I have found it quite satisfying to have been able to write out my RAKs in my "Scrapbook". Not only does it act like a diary for me (as i don't keep a regular one of my own) it reminds me of all the different things YOU CAN DO for others. I know that some people believe that one person can make a difference, and i agree but the more people we have making a difference, no matter how small, the difference happens faster! I ask that if you want to make a difference like me, that you make a small commitment to doing so. It doesn't have to be something as crazy as doing a WHOLE YEAR of kindness but if you make a commitment and stick to it, you too can make a differnece in your community!

I love hearing about what others are doing in their own homes, towns, cities and countries! So please, if you have done a kind deed for another and want to share it with me I would love to hear about it! As i am sure a lot of others would too. That's why i originally created the group Project 25 - Random Acts of Kindness, so we could share our kind deeds together and inspire each other to make a difference!
You can use the - Project 25 Facebook Page and share your good deeds there or in the comment section of this blog. You can also email the Project 25 Email address.

I hope you are enjoying the ideas and the journey i have been on! Its been hard, challenging and most of all fun and rewarding!

Thanks for all the support so far and i look forward to hearing from you in the future!
Cheers,
Daena x

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Wishing you all a safe and Merry Christmas/Hannukah/Holiday Season!

Hey Everyone,

Well the New Year is creeping decidedly closer - And the good deeds are mounting!

I love that the Christmas Season brings kindness and love to the forefront of our minds. Yesterday i witnesses a pair of people performing random acts of kindness, they were stopping all the cars from going down a road that had a major car accident on it! They were giving people advice about where the best way to go around it was. But they were ultimately helping the 4 police cars, 2 ambulances, and the fire engines that were there (So you can tell how big this accident was). I know it wasn't their job but they were helping our emergency services and i was very grateful that i didn't have to witness any of the gory details!

I appologise for not putting up any more RAK - but my computer seems to not want to add the photos! :( So will have to try again another time! :)


And please... drive safe on the roads! Your family and friends want you around for years to come! :)
Have a great day tomorrow (Christmas)!
Luv Daena