From 2011 to 2016 I was pleased to be able to have done 365days where I did a kind deed every day(& 366days in the leap year)!
In 2017 I am doing it again...my aim is to inspire others into action by showing them how simple it is to do kind acts for others. I do this by doing a kind act a day. I do this by sharing my story and some ideas for living a kinder life. Kinder for others, kinder for ourselves, kinder for the planet. Welcome to 365days of kindness!
So We are coming up for a New Year again. Another chance to take up the challenge again of 365days of kindness, if you want. Or 52 weeks of kindness (like others have done) or 12 months of kindness or any other kindness challenge that I haven't thought of here!!! 30 days of kindness?!
I was so pleased this year I was not the only one undertaking the 365day challenge. A friend of mine was doing it also in another country. They have done most of theirs secretly though so no name will be mentioned here! I am so proud of their work & kindnesses. I received a letter and small gift from them during the year and it made my day, week, month and year. The letter told me that they were joining me on my kindness adventure & that was a huge blessing for me.
I also realised that because I have stopped writing all my kindnesses down (I gave up writing them down after having an issue finding- my Kindness books/records again after moving house and/also when I did it digitally i had issues and lost a whole heap) so I feel less connected to my kindness journey. I cannot tell you what I did on which day this year. I can tell you some of the big things. I can tell you some funny stories that left the greatest impressions on me. But the little things I did for others will be only remembered by those I had been kind too.
So this coming year, 2017, I decided to go back to writing it all down. I even bought a special book to help me write in my Stories.
What I am saying is... bring on 2017! And bring on kindness!!!!
I hope you all had a happy holiday season and I wish you all a KIND new year! 😁😍😘❤
I saw this video on Facebook and it really got me thinking about Gratitude. How gratitude is a form of kindness and how gratitude can be so powerful when it is genuine.
It started with me seeing this video on Facebook:
I love this. Acknowledging the amazing efforts of those teachers who made an amazingly positive impact on our lives.
My favourite teacher sadly and unexpectedly passed away a year after I left school. But the best thing was that about 3 months before she died I had found a whole bunch of her books and decided to return them to her. 9 Months after I had finished school, I got to see her to return her books. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to thank her for sticking by me in one of the hardest times of my life. In my final year of high school I was a mess. My dad was being diagnosed with dementia, my mum was still really sock and in a wheelchair a lot of the time and I had to move out of home. My English Literature teacher, Mrs Colcott, pushed me to do the best I could and never give up.
When I went back to see her she got to see me following my dreams of going to university (I had been doing a bridging course and had been given the proviso that I would be doing uni if I finished the bridging course well. And Mrs Colcott had supported me and pushed me (within my limits) even though my home and family situation was complicated at that time.
She kept encouraging us, all of us to love books, stories and words. I think she is a big part of why I love books so much. I am so grateful that she fought for me (she stood up to other teachers on my behalf), she taught me and listened to me when I was struggling. I don't know if I would have stayed in school without her. Thanks Mrs Colcott, you were the best! :)
I really want to say...Thanks to all those teachers out there who might not know the big impact their lives/actions/words have on their students. Those who fight for the hard cases. Those who encourage, support, motivate, move, challenge, teach and educate... thank you!!!! It is often a thankless job. But it means the world to us.
Kindness idea: write a thank you letter to an old teacher or go and thank them in person. Tell them how their words have helped shape who you are today! ❤️
Why a skateboarding lobster? Why not! Mainly because any time I write "final countdown" I think of this song! But I do enjoy a bit of frivolity! Hahahha.
It's my mums birthday today! She having a significant one too! I am so blessed that she is in my life and she has been such a rock for me. But I'm too nice a daughter to give away her age... Oh yes... Hehhehe.
Oh well... Maybe not! Lol. I am so grateful she has lived this long. So for me it is an age to be most proud of because there have been so many times where my mum has almost lost her life, her fight and her hope. I am so proud of her. And even though I might stir her about her age, I am so proud of her.
I was leaving the gym with a friend today (and yes, I do go go the gym occasionally - hahah) and we found a baby bird.
So we took this adorable little guy to the Fauna Rehabilitation Centre today.
I wrote about this the other day. And as I went there I had to photograph the front entrance to show you. It has changed a lot since I volunteered as a young teen. But it was awesome. The little bird turned out to be a little swallow.
Today is also the last day that I need to post for Sustainable September.
Sustainable September Day Thirty: keep making small changes.
So we have talked about lots of little changes this month. Sure you could get greater and grander with wind power, solar power, or even buying electric cars, but the smaller changes make the most difference.
Front Lines: Bea Johnson & Lauren Singer... And any of the "Waste Free Life" people. These people are amazing. Less waste makes the world of difference. It helps is simplify our lives and helps the environment too. It's awesome.
Last year I posted this little TED video from Lauren Singer. And I found it so good.
You can also follow either of these women on Facebook, YouTube, and a bunch of social media platforms (that I don't use so can't really comment on).
These women and their families and friends are so inspiring and they have lots of little hints and tips to make life easier and better for us and the environment!
Got to love that!!!
Kindness Idea: Celebrate the end of Sustainable September by going to an environmentally friendly restaurant.
I love the different places that are popping up with environmentally friendly practices. One of my favourite places in Perth is The Green House. I have talked about it in previous years during Sustainable September. It's awesome. I love going in and seeing all the sustainable ways that they use and have created their space. It is awesome. Plus their chai tea is pretty awesome. Oh and if you get there when they are making their locally sourced and made donuts... Oh my, you are in for a treat. So delicious!!! I just wish I could eat them now!!!
Tomorrow is my mums birthday and she is so cool. She inspires me to be the best person I could be. She has stood with me through some of the hardest time in both of our lives. Without her I literally wouldn't be here. Hehehe. So... Happy birthday to my beautiful mum!
Today is also my favourite of all types of Sustainable September ideas. Because it has so much possibility.
Sustainable September Day Twenty Nine: upcycle!!!
This is seriously my favourite idea. There are literally thousands of ideas online so I found a video of a few ideas.
I have a few hundred on my Pinterest page too. You can check that out here. I am a bit of a passionate Pinterest person, so I keep adding a lot pins regularly so you can follow me there if you like.
Front lines: "upcycling, a business for the future: Stephanie Adams at TEDx.
Kindness idea: upcycle something for someone.
Turning my own and other people's junk into a treasure in its own right. Keeping more stuff out of landfill and repurposing it and giving it a new life.
My mum came home with a beautiful upcycled cup and saucer. It has been turned into a sewing pin cushion.
It's gorgeous and it was made by a friend for mum for her birthday. And it's the type of thing you could upcycle and give to someone, either for a birthday or just to make someone's day special.
I had one of those days where I sat down to write the entry for Sustainable September, I got cold so wiggled into bed to write it on my phone. Then I woke up several hours later. I fell asleep whilst writing the following resource. So if there are a few mistakes, forgive me please. Clearly I was exhausted.
Today's idea can be simple, depending on what you choose to do.
Sustainable September Day Twenty Eight: repair or mend something instead of chucking it out.
Last year I mended a tea towel (with my mums help - mainly so I could photograph the progress).
So I have the perfect project for this one. It is a slow one because of the size of the project I have already started. It won't all get finished in one bit but it will be good once it is finally finished.
Earlier this year I found a gorgeous arm chair on the side of the road. It has a lot of problems, the least of which were the colour, which I have already removed.
I have been doing research about how to upholster it. YouTube is fantastic for educating people about a range of hands on projects. And so I keep watching videos to help me figure out how to rebuild it and make it last for another several years.
I got this one for free and in the shops they can range from $300 - $1500AUD for this type of thing. So I figure I could spend a lot on it and still be in front. Particularly because I have always wanted a chair like this one.
Environmentally speaking getting rid of something instead of repairing something just adds to landfill. The more stuff we can keep out of landfill the better. Less methane and less Co2 emitted to the atmosphere. :)
Plus I love getting someone else's "rubbish" and turning it into a loveable item again.
Front lines: 'The Story Of Stuff' with Annie Leonard.
I saw this and thought it was really interesting and about the same type of thing as this days idea.
Kindness idea: encourage another.
We have enough people acting as critics already and encouraging each other's is so important. It doesn't have to be elaborate. It just has to be simple.
How are you? Have you given any of the food preservation a go today?
I did. I roasted some Beetroot, sliced it and then put it in vinegar. I also put a whole heap of whole peeled garlic cloves in oil. I went with simple easy ideas.
And I want to continue with the simple ideas make a big difference theme...
Sustainable September Day TwentySeven: borrow books from the library instead of buying all your books new.
So this is one I need to remember. As anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE book lover. The last few years I have bought hundreds of books. Often from second hand book stores or opshops. But I have bought them none the less. Instead I could saved myself a lot of money and space and borrow them from the library instead.
Libraries are like fountains of knowledge and stories. Stories to me are really important. Everyone has a story to tell. And so is knowledge.... Because knowledge leads to wisdom.
Books and stories can transport us to far away places, educate us on new subjects and cultures, share philosophies on life, give us hope for the future, break our hearts and make us feel all the emotions we don't often notice in our own lives.
When it comes to the environment, my most precious resources when writing the Sustainable September blog are a couple of my favourite books: "Zero Waste Home" by Bea Johnson and "Life Changing Magic of the Tidying" by Maria Condo. I used these two books consistently last year and I still consult them from time to time to remind me what I am aiming for "living simply so others may simply live".
Books of course come from paper and often Rain Forests are destroyed to make the paper that the stories of our generation are written on. That tragedy has made me stop buying NEW books. Not buying them but borrowing them is really the most environmentally friendly version because instead of only one reader buying it then sitting it on the shelf for years without ever reading it, this time the books get read by lots of different people. The books then get to share their stories with everyone... which is why books were written in the first place.
Front Lines: Malala Yousafzai. This extraordinary young woman is leading the way in her country and around the world. Helping other your women take their own education into their own hands, even at the risk of death. She was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace.
I love books and I love reading. I am very blessed to have been born in Australia where girls get the same access to education as boys. But in a lot of places this is not the case.
For those who don't know Malalas story you can check out her book "I am Malala". Or here is a short version of the story that made her a house hold name.
There is also a full length documentary called "He Named Me Malala" which you can rent from good online stores.
Malala has shown me the true power of peaceful protesting and education. She is one of my role models and she is so very young.
Kindness idea: buy someone a book.
I know I've just said don't buy new books but this is still an amazing kindness. It can be second hand or new or even one you donate to a school or library. Like we have talked about already... Books can be powerful. Not to mention that books are just cool.
I laughed a couple years ago when someone suggested the following. Because it's the best way I can think of finding a partner. Lol.
Hahahah. I really am a Bibliophile because this sounds like a perfect way to meet someone. Well to me anyway. Hahah.
I hope you are all well. I hope to hear about what books you borrowed from your library and also what you are reading now.
Today's sustainable September idea is about buying seasonal food.
However some times when you buy seasonally you can often get a lot of the same type of thing at once. So when you have an abundance you need to think about how to store it so when it isn't in season you can still enjoy it without so many painful environmental impacts.
Which leads me to my next idea:
Sustainable September Day Twenty Six: preserve your own food.
When I talk about preserving food, I'm not just talking about making jam with excess fruits... Coz that's what I think about when talking about preserves. But I am talking about making our excess foods last longer.
Freezing some things is an option. Particularly meats for up to 6 months (but you could also cure meats for a longer preservation date). For a better guide to Freezing foods check out this one from Good Housekeeping.
You can do literally hundreds of different things to preserve and prepare food for the future anytime you have excess.
Right now I have a lot of lemons so we have done a range of things so far: juiced the lemons and stored the juice in the freezer for when someone wants "fresh lemon juice" or for a hot tea; we have peeled the skin of the lemons and cut it into fine strips to make lemon essence; we have turned some into lemon butter; and we have also made a light lemonade.
However I have been eyeing off a lemoncelo recipe ever since tasting the drink in Rome three years ago. I found a good one to use from this blog
Confessions of a Foodie. I know it's not for everyone (particularly those under the age of 18 in Australia & 21 in the USA), however storing some things in alcohol is one way of preserving the flavours. I also preserve and make vanilla essence with vanilla beans in vodka.
There are then fruits to preserve... For example strawberries are in season here at the moment. Strawberry jam/jelly is amazing. And also using strawberries to make frozen smoothies or ice lollies/icy poles are delicious too. And then there is always the option of dehydrating strawberries , with a dehydration machine. Or turning it into fruit leathers for kids (or grownups) to take to school (or work/Uni).
Then there are foods like tomatoes. When in season we use them to make chutneys, and a delicious roasted tomato sauce that seems to last for ages even though we eat a lot of it when we make it.
And then there is preserving things in jars. There is more information on the Green Living Australia Website. You can get all kinds of information about canning from here.
Front Lines: Judy Price is one (of hundreds of people ) who is educating people around the word on the safety and ways to preserve food through canning. I really enjoyed the short video she did with the support of the American company Tractor Supply Co.
Kindness idea: make up some extra jams and/or preserves and donate it to a local fete, cake stall or charity event.
We often make up chutney and jam for an end of year CWA stall to raise money for charity.
However we often make some jams to use as swaps/ bartering for other produce. Recently we were given a whole heap of grapefruit. We turned it into marmalade and I was able to take some to a Transition Community event which I used to swap for a heap of other food from people in my community.
It was amazing. I swapped a couple excess jars of Grapefruit Marmalade and 10 empty egg boxes for a range of things seen in the picture below:
It was wonderful. All the food was local, seasonal and organic. It was the trifecta of environmentally sustainable porduce. All the things brought on the day were the excess from people's gardens and homes. We were truely blessed.
What I am saying is... bring on 2017! And bring on kindness!!!!
