Kindness continues...

Hey everyone, did you miss me? I sure missed you. Life has been crazy and all my plans of blogging daily have gone right out the window. But at least I'm back writing again. :) 

For those who don't know, this month is NaNoWriMo or, to the uninitiated, National November Writers Month. It's been going for years and I've been doing it for years but this year I have come full circle and am writing fantasy stories about characters I've written about in the past! But I have to tell you writing, whether it be blogging or story telling, keeps me happy. I have so many ideas and often I find life get in the way. But that just adds more inspiration!

 I sometimes wish I had a job as a writer then I'd get paid to do what I love, which would also mean I would have accountability to others. Plus i work so well to a dead line! :)

Anyways, that wasn't what I was really wanting to tell you about. Seeing as I haven't has a chance to upload the hundreds of kindness ideas yet (for the last several months), I thought I would share with you today's kindnesses (and yes there was a few more than one).

So today I went to help mum at her MU (Mothers Union) meeting. It's a group of Christian women who come together and have a good time, eat food and try and support local community groups. Well, today was their Christmas craft day that mum was helping with. I volunteered to help the ladies, aged between 60-95 years young, make Christmas crackers! And amazingly it's much harder than it sounds. But not too complicated! I didn't take any photos I'm afraid but it was very successful. :) there was other crafts too, ready for next months MU Christmas party! 

Not only did I make Christmas crackers for all those that were working at other tables as teachers for the craft I also made crackers for those that couldn't make today's meeting and I helped others make their own. I also helped the ladies organising the event (mum included) to pack away, then I did a load of washing up, dryed up and even brought the rubbish bins in from the road!

I was very busy and I'm exhausted now but it was a lot of fun! 

I just wanted to share this with you so you knew I was keeping up with my kindnesses! :) 

Simple kindnesses are the best. Today cost me a bit of time, but no money. Sometimes your time is the most valuable asset you have! :) 

Hope this finds you all well! :) 

Luv Daena x

A kindness for me... and a bit more...

Hey my lovelies,

I have been thinking a lot about what to write... as I haven't had time yet to sit down and type up all the kindnesses from those 8 journals! So when today happened I just had to share!

I got "Kindness-ed" today! I know its not a word... but I like to think it applies.

Today I was wandering home from work... I have about an 800m walk to the train station. On my way two cyclist were stopped on the side of the bike path. One was looking bored, whilst the other fixed his bike, so I did what I always do when approaching strangers, and I smiled at him. He smiled back. That was cool. A little kindness done.

I walked past and had to basically walk back past him as I walked up the ramp to go over the bridge to the train station. At which point I smiled at him again. And he smiled back.

Then he yelled (as I was almost past him, if not above him)... "You have a beautiful smile. Keep smiling".

I yelled "Thank you" and possibly blushed and then was out of sight.

It was really nice to receive a compliment!

Giving compliments is one of the simplest ways to encourage someone. It is also one of the simplest and quickest kindnesses a human can do. You can give them to strangers and loves ones... and those in between!

"You look beautiful today!"
"I love that colour on you!"
"You are an incredible multi-tasker."

 One of the things I have had to learn as an adult is to actually TAKE a compliment. In this day and age we often negate what others say about us that is positive because it is unfamiliar territory. But you can embrace the "amazing-ness" in yourself. And embracing you own "amazing-ness" means you can then share it with others.

The following are not the best ways to respond to the compliment someone gives you... because you are actually negating the compliment.
"Oh, this old thing?"
"You must have me confused with somebody else"
"Yeah, but I could do better."
The best way to respond to a compliment (at least the way I have found) is to look them in the eye and simply say "Thank you." That is all it takes to receive a compliment.

Don't ever doubt that you are wonderful, beautiful, and creative. You are all those things! Those attributes exist in each of us and they are different in each of us. I love finding what makes someone creative because for me it is art yet for someone else it might be the way they write, dance, sing, play a musical instrument, build a boat, tell jokes, build Lego, plan adventures, spray paint, decorate cakes, build computer generated worlds, make clothes, create culinary masterpieces... oh the list goes on... and on... and on...

Which reminds me of the Albert Einstein quote about trees and fish... you know the one...

What i am trying to say is that everyone has something that they can be complimented on. Yes sometimes it is a little harder to see than it is for others, but everyone has something that is wonderful about them.

I love starting conversations with hard people! you know the ones who insist on being rude to you even though you have only just met them? My game is that I try to find something to compliment them on by the end of the conversation. Sometimes, it is not appropriate to say "I love your amazing eyelashes" or "Wow, you are a formidable person", yet as I am looking for something to be happy about them, it is like a light in the other person shines for me. Yeah... I know that sounds corny. But I love corny. I love that I can see the beauty in someone, that maybe others may not see. I hope that one day everyone will see that beauty in everyone they meet along their path. It isn't easy... but it is a wonderful way of living.

One thing that complimenting Kindnesses remind me of is the story of The Warm Fuzzy's and the Cold Prickly's... if you ever want to read the story you can here. It is all about how being kind to others means that there is more kindness to give out. Being generous means there is more generosity around you. The story also addresses people who give out things that look nice but actually leave a cold and prickly feeling on the inside. These could be seen as kindness, but is masking the rude intent behind it. Anyway, it is a very good story and has been translated into lots of languages. I love it. So you should totally check it out.

It is funny really... this was going to be a little post about how I got complimented on the way home from work. I love that it turned into a little more. I hope you enjoyed my enthusiastic sideways jaunt because I believe giving compliments as an act of kindness is simple and can be done almost all the time. If you gave one compliment a day, your kindnesses would start stacking up around you... just like me... and other people would be touched by your kindness too.

Hope this finds you all well,
Love Daena

Zucchini Slice Recipe... because i forgot in Sustainable September!

Hello my lovelies,

when I was doing sustainable September I was talking about what you can make food with the things that are in season. One of my favourite things to make when zucchinis are in season is to make Zucchini Slice.

I promised the recipe... so here it is! Finally! :) Lets think of it as my little kindness of today... but I'm sure I'll probably do something else too! ;)

Zucchini Slice

Ingredients:

375gm grated Zucchini

1 cup grated Cheese

3-4 slices of chopped Bacon

1 medium Onion

1 cup Self Raising Flour

½ cup of cooking oil

5 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together. Put into a greased and lined tin. Cook in a medium oven for 30-40 mins on 180*C

For a vegetarian option leave out the bacon and add some grated carrot and corn kernels. 

Hope you enjoy! Because it is truly delicious! :)

Luv Daena 

Becoming a blog junkie...

Hey everyone,

Are you surprised to see me back again so soon?

I don't know about you but I am surprised to see myself back here... writing again so soon. After all I thought I would fall straight back into my no-blogging-unless-I-really-should-ness.

But I have some Good news! I have now got internet at home! YAY! :) I guess you are now wondering how I was posting on here daily for a whole month without the internet at home... well for the most part I was writing everything I could before hand on my laptop with out internet access... uploading photos from my phone and when the blog was almost ready to post I would upload it whilst using my mobile as a modem. I have to say this internet at home thing is a lot less complicated and a lot easier to do! :)

Well yesterday... I had to make the active choice to not blog... and it was harder than I thought (am I becoming a blogging junkie?). However, I was over on the 365days of Kindness Facebook page giving away another set of 3"x3" cards for people to give away as their own kindnesses. Tonight is another draw... so if you want to you can go over to check out the last two GIVE AWAYS!

I cant stay away from Blogging for long, now that I have gotten in to the habit (not nuns habit because that would be weird!). So maybe I can keep going! :) After all I am like 22 months behind on my day to day kindnesses. And thankfully I found my 8 journals (Yes that was a whole 8 Journals) that will help me catch up and share.

There are only 7 journals in the picture, I know. But the 8th is almost filled so its still in my room waiting to be finished.

Now I just have to sit down and actually type them all out... add photos and links (if there are any) and then BAM! Done! Okay... I wish it were that simple! So be kind to me when I am slow to get these blog posts out.

What did you think of Sustainable September? Do you think we should do it again next year?

I hope you are all well.
Love to you all,
Luv Daena x

Sustainable September ... its over!

Hello my lovelies,
So tomorrow is October... which means the end of September! Which means the end of Sustainable September! Which means... well... I don't now HAVE to post every day! lol. But hopefully the trend will continue! :)

But on a fun note... Today was all about up-cycling! :) One of my most favourite Sustainable September ideas EVER!!! lol!

So many awesome ideas! :) And there are so many more on Pinterest!!!! I have actually started typing in something I have excess of plastic bottles, tins or anything else really... and then get all the awesome ideas people have already made with those things!!

For all those who are interested...Here is the follow up from Sustainable September in case you missed any of them!

Sustainable September Kindness Ideas

Monday - 1 September – Take public transport or ride your bike to work/school/uni.

Tuesday - 2 September – Recycle any recyclable materials.

Wednesday – 3 September – buy a KeepCup (Or other reusable coffee mug)

Thursday – 4 September – When you shop try and buy local products.

Friday – 5 September - Sign a petition to protect the environment

Saturday – 6 September - Start a Worm farm or Compost bin

Sunday – 7 September - Buy seasonal produce.

Monday – 8 September - Use Reusable Shopping Bags

Tuesday – 9 September – Buy organic and/or Fair Trade products

Wednesday – 10 September– Find a place for eat that is eco-friendly and has sustainable practices

Thursday – 11 September – Do some research into which brands are environmentally friendly

Friday - 12 September – Use a reusable water bottle

Saturday - 13 September – Go Op-Shopping.

Sunday – 14 September – Go for a walk in the bush, on the beach or a naturally beautiful place

Monday– 15 September – Do Meat Free (or Meatless) Monday.

Tuesday– 16 September – Create a “plastic wrapper free lunch” by using these ideas.

Wednesday– 17 September – Buy Environmentally friendly clothes

Thursday– 18 September – Look at the Green Vehicle Guide when looking at buying a car

Friday– 19 September - Look at the water-wise website for ways to decrease your water usage.

Saturday– 20 September – Plant some vegetables and herbs in your garden

Sunday– 21 September – Look at Power utilities websites for ways to minimise power usage.

Monday– 22 September – Buy in bulk.

Tuesday– 23 September – Use a Hankie or Handkerchief rather than tissues.

Wednesday– 24 September – Use Paper Shredding in garden or for pets.

Thursday– 25 September – Look into Solar Power.

Friday – 26 September – Do research into where your money goes. Consider ethical investments.

Saturday– 27 September – Reuse your old woollen clothes/accessories to make blankets.

Sunday – 28 September – Borrow books from your local library instead of buying them.

Monday – 29 September – Plant a tree to offset carbon emissions.

Tuesday – 30 September– Upcycle!

I just wanted to say thank you for encouraging me with everything. This was a new project I wanted to test out! And it seemed to have worked well! :) Let me know what you think of it all.

I hope this finds you all well! :) 

Much love, 

Daena x

Sustainable September Day Thirty - the final Kindness Idea!

Hey beautiful people,
I cant believe Sustainable September is coming to an end! Where has this month gone?

Firstly... An actually happy birthday to my mum... On her birthday!!!

Love you mum! You are one of the many reasons I keep doing this project. I love seeing the kindness you bestow on everyone you meet. You are strong and compassionate and brilliant! :) After all you had me! ;) heheheheh. Just Kidding about that last bit! I love you so much and am blessed to have you in my life!

So tomorrow's Sustainable September kindness idea is the LAST Eco-kindness for this years Sustainable September!!

And awesomely... It is my favourite!!!!!! :D

Tuesday – 30 September – Upcycle! This is possibly my most favourite Sustainable Kindness Ideas ever. The term 'Upcycle' basically means to “Reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original”Read More.

I love creating treasure out of trash so much! So much so that I have a whole folder full of ideas of how to do this on Pinterest. Click here for the link to my Pinterest Page. Not to mention that there are folders full of ideas on "Eco & Environment", "Kindness ideas", "Tyre Ideas" (uses for old car tyres), "Pallet Crafts", "Glass craft", "Cutlery Craft" and so much more.

All I did was strip off the tuna labels, removed the glue marks and wrapped some red Christmas cord around it and popped a tea-light candle on the inside (You could use a battery operated one if you have kids - in fact I recommend it!). An instant and cheap Christmas decoration that has more value and beauty than it did before! :)

These are some awesome ideas, from the simple to the extreme. I love the amazing ideas when it comes to upcycling! :)

What is the coolest thing you have ever upcycled? 

I have a whole lot of old plastic water bottles that I think I will turn into bird feeders for around my house.

 

I want to create the project in the top right! Looks pretty simple. Plastic bottle, some string (or wire) to hang it up with and a couple of wooden spoons! Not to mention the Bird seed! :) and maybe a stanley knife to cut out the spots for the wooden spoons. Pretty awesome, and quite simple, really! :)

A lot of trees have been cut down in my area and they used to be a source of food for a range of birds. I love hearing and seeing birds in my area that it might entice them to come back and enjoy my garden a little more! :)

I cant believe this is the last idea for Sustainable September!!!!

But don't worry I will check back in tomorrow to see how you are all going!

Much love to you all!
Luv Daena x

Sustainable September Day Twenty-Nine kindness

Hey my lovelies,

So tomorrow is my mums birthday! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!!! :D 

Today I went to the Farmers Market and bought a whole lot of fresh fruit and veggies to make yummy food for my mum and I. Yesterday I bought a new-to-me Thermomix. I bought it second hand, which is another way of saving the environment because there is less waste in landfill!!

I took this whilst hiding from the rain under the coffee stand tent! :) Mmmm... Soy Chai Latte... Any excuse will do! ;)

I have to say I am a little bit of a Thermomix convert! In 24 hours of having owned it I made chocolate dairy free custard, hummus, two batches of strawberry jam, vegetable stock, zucchini slice, and strawberry sorbet! So I think it's been a good investment! And something I can tick off my goals list! :) Which is awesome! I always feel so blessed when I can tick something off that list! :)

My first ever time using the Thermomix I made Chocolate Custard for mum to go with some home made Jaffa Cake (To use up some of the excess oranges we had in the house! So YUMMY!!!

5 jars of Strawberry Jam and 2 Jars of Home-made Vegetable Stock! Lots of the stuff from the stock came from my own garden!!! How awesome is that! :)

Literally straight out of the oven, my Zucchini Slice - looked more like a loaf here because I over blended it! (Accidental Thermomix accident, that actually turned out alright!).

Made fresh Strawberry Sorbet for my mum and niece tonight! Turned out alright! Yay! :) Learning! lol

Anyway, back to Sustainable September!

Did you borrow a book from the library? Was your library even open today?

I may have not planned the library day very well! As some are only open on weekdays and occasionally a Saturday! But If you DID manage to get to the library, what book did you borrow? 

I saw this one in the library and was keen to read it! :)

Me undertaking my favorite pass time - READING! Not Selfies! lol! You all know how much I love BOOKS!!!!!

So, tomorrow is the second last day of Sustainable September! Time has been flying right? So tomorrow's Sustainable September kindness idea is...

Monday – 29 September – Plant a tree to offset carbon emissions.

You can use a carbon calculator to figure out how much carbon you are emitting into the atmosphere. You can do that here through Carbon Neutral. You can then also plant trees to offset that amount of carbon you emit each year through the same website... check out the specific link.

Or join a group like Men Of the Trees. The plant seedlings to “prevent the spread of deserts, erosion and salinity.” They have made a huge difference when it comes to planting trees in Western Australia specifically. To read more follow the link here. 

I hope this finds you all well. Only one more Sustainable September Kindness to go! And Its my favourite one of all!!!! 

Much Love, 

Daena x