Sustainable September 2018 Day 22

Hi everyone, the weekend is here! And i am out today to explore my new city!

And I am doing most of it on foot!

Todays idea follows that theme...

Day 21. Stop driving everywhere –

For most places in the world this is not a hard switch to make. For some remote communities in Australia, and other remote places getting on public transport is impossible. However, here in the UK, and even back home in Perth, Australia, public transport is a viable option, and is often a much cheaper option than driving.

For example, whilst I was living in the little town of Llanharan, Wales I would pay £24.50 for a weekly pass to travel by train as many times as I needed to in a week and I would make good use of it.

(The view from the bridge of my closest Welsh train station from my old home!)

To own a car here is much more expensive. £24.50 would probably only cover the fuel cost, not to mention that the additional expenses for owning a car – insurance, maintenance, washing, registration, parking permits, MOTS (its like a health audit for a car that happens yearly in the UK), etc. – costs a lot more than public transport does.

However, there are times when I have needed to use a car to get things home from a shop, or get places at weird times when trains or busses aren’t running. I have often been able to carpool with someone in most cases. I think I have used Uber/taxi 4 times since being in the UK and that is because i was moving bulky suitcases! Everything else has simply been about managing times for public transport.

There is also the added bonus of it helping the environment. Nice little bonuses. I must admit there is a certain freedom about having your own car, however, using public transport in city areas is much better financially and environmentally.

Did you know that in London (& here in Reading to a certain extent), it is rare for people under the age of 25 to have their drivers licence? This is because getting public transport is sooooo much better to use and a much cheaper alternative than owning and driving your own car. In Australia it i almost weird if you DONT have your drivers licence before 25 years!

Hope you are well,
Love Daena x

ps. I had a great night out last night celebrating a new friend/collegues birthday. I helped celebrate it by making her a cake at work! :)

Sustainable September 2017 - Day Thirty

SEPTEMBER 30 (SATURDAY)

FASHION & BEAUTY - OPSHOPPING/UPCYCLING

Welcome back Sustainable September-ers. It is the last day of the month of Eco Kindnesses. What a crazy wild ride it has been.

One thing I have to say is that it is my Mums birthday today. It is always such a lovely way to end Sustainable September by honouring the woman who gave birth to me. 

You, Mum, are the best, most couragous, genuine, compassionate, determined woman I know. You make other people see the best in themselves even when they didn't realise there was more to them. You have championed so many causes, helped so many people, affected so many lives and you have done so much of it quietly, in the back ground. You are a marvel. I am so blessed that I was put on this earth with you. Thanks for being my mum!

Back to the blog post now...

I love that every September I learn new and interesting ways to reduce my waste and make my life, and everyone else's lives a little better. I forget how much I have done and continue to do for this great planet of ours. It is like a journey I forget I am on. Iimpliment small changes that I forget about as they become normal. It is only as a result of doing Sustainable September that I realise just how far I have come in my journey to reduce my waste. I am a long way off being Zero waste but each year I get a little closer to living with no waste. It is by no means a fast swap. I feel like my small changes are sustainable though. I like it like that. After all this is Sustainable September for a reason. Small changes that can be sustained for a long time to come. 

Kindness is always my priority when it comes to this blog. Kindness to our planet equates to millions of people in poverty having support. People living in poverty are the first casualties as a result of climate change. Being kind to our planet is simply thinking more about our actions so that we can help those who need it most. So everytime you choose glass packaging over unrecyclable plastic... just remember you are doing a kindness for those less fortunate than yourselves. 

What is Sustainable September all about on the last day of the month? It is about FUN!!!

Two of my favourite ideas when it comes to being environmentally friendly...

Sustainable September Day 30 - Op- Shopping and Upcycling. 

The idea and the ACTIVITY are one in the same today. Go Op-shopping (go to the thrift store, buy second hand, even look up pre-loved or used items on ebay). or Upcycle something that needs new life.

Oh... how I love Op-shopping. Usually when I am looking for something specific now though. By now you will have figured out your Capsule Wardrobe and decided if there are a couple holes in your wardobe. I know that as the summer months come into it I have a few more holes in my wardrobe because I have changed shape and a lot of my clothes.

I went to a local op-shop today. My family and I have been blessed with the most amazing gift of a holiday away. My niece, nephew and I went into the local town and went to the local op-shop... like you do! We didn't buy anything but had a look around. My nephew was looking for something very specific, so when that something wasn't to be found, he was out of there. It was probably all of about 4 minutes in the shop, but thankfully it was just a look around. I thankfully didn't need anything and the only thing my neice wanted they didn't have either so we all left. 

Normally I probably would have spent more time riffling through the back rooms to find little treasures... but not today. My nephew is pretty determined when his tummy rumbles... I guess that serves me right for not feeding him BEFORE we went into the opshop. oh well. I wasn't really looking for anything and I don't need to add to my piles of stuff at home... a lot of which is already destined for the opshop.

This is what i look at when I need something new.... Use what i have first... borrow second, swap third, then thrift, make is the next option leaving buy new a final resort. It takes into account all of the Zero Waste principals too.

If you have nothing that you need when it comes to opshopping/thrift shopping, then look at your waste and think of creative ways to Upcycle some of that waste. Have an old flannel shirt with paint stains? then turn it into a couple of gift bags, some hand warmers and a Apron.

Or you can thing about other types of waste too. What do you often throw out that can be upcycled and given new life, without going to the tip? Can't figure out what to do with an old tyre? Turn it into an ottoman. or a swing for your kids in the back yard, or a planter box. There are so many ideas for giving old things a new life... and therefore keeping them out of landfill. It just calls for creativity.

If you are interested in Upcycling then there are a huge range of boards and ideas on Pinterest.

I know, for those of you who have followed this blog ALL month, that Upcycling is not a new idea. But tomorrow is a saturday when people are most likely to be able to do fun things like op-shopping and upcycling... so i thought... why not bring it back again! :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Sustainable September for 2017. I always intend to do so much more stuff, be more creative and more informative... and then life gets in the way and you end up with a interesting shorter version of what i had planned in my mind. I guess living life and living this sustainable ecofriendly lifestyle is what the whole month is about so I guess that is part of the fun... not knowing what life will bring in a month.

I hope you will all continue to work to make this world better for everyone who lives here... make it kinder for everyone.
Sending love to you all.
Love Daena xx

ps. if you need a challenge for October starting on the 1st... it is "Buy Nothing New Month". Which puts another spin on reducing what you buy in Fast Fashion and also looking at alternative ways to help the environment.  Give it a go. I really enjoyed doing this last year. It was a little bit of a challenge but ultimately it was worth it. 

Sustainable September 2015 - Day Thirty

Its the final countdown... "dah dah dah duh di di di di de dah dah dah duh di di di di du da dooo" *Sings the final countdown song like a pro - including the instrumental!*

Well my lovelies, we have almost come to the end of Sustainable September for 2015.

 I hope you have found it really worth your while checking in regularly and seeing what small things you can adopt to change the way you think about our beautiful planet.

So today is My mums birthday.

This gorgeous lady has been supporting me to get my Sustainable September blogs written, inspiring me, letting me hash out ideas, giving me ideas when I had writers block, encouraging me to keep going, telling me to go gentler on myself when I was sick, being my champion and my companion. She is a wonderfully tough cookie who keeps me motivated when I really struggle, and lets me do the same for her when she needs it most.

So this idea is both a tribute and a thank you to the woman who has heard incessantly about the Zero Waste Home, who has been with me through sickness and health (it appears I passed my flu on to her too! Sorry mum) and to the woman who loves to be creative.

Sustainable September idea number 30! Also known as...

September 30: Upcycle something. 

Even though this one is not in English, it is pretty easy to see what the steps are to make this awesome Pencil Case/Bag. Check out link here. The image is about half way down the page.

I love this idea, because the glass often breaks in my house in picture frames. Check out the link here

I love this one so much. I know its a book that has effectively been destroyed, but sometimes the pages are ruined but the cover is fine! :) I love the idea of turning something i love (books) into something useful (a purse/handbag). Check out link here

For those who follow me on pinterest you will know that I have so many different folders for different types of up-cycling - a few of the folders just have a couple of up-cycling ideas in them... but there are a few folders none the less. . I have one just called Up-cycling, then there are Eco & Environmentally Friendly, Pallet Crafts, Glass Crafts, Bottle Cap crafts, Centrepieces, Cutlery craft, Gardening Ideas, Mosaics, Pets, Sewing, Tie crafts, Tyre ideas and even Wedding Ideas. That is not forgetting the HUGE Up-Cycling projects like Shipping Container Houses and Tiny Home Ideas.

You can tell I have saved the best Sustainable September Idea for last. I also add to these folders regularly. I love Pinterest a little TOO much! hehehe. But I love the creativity and ideas that end up on that site! :) So my passion for turning unusable stuff into usable is such a blessing. SO here are some more form the archives!

CD Mosaics are awesome and sort of holographic! So cool. Check out the link here

This is a simple and awesome way of using a couple old belts and a way to store all those magazines you may need in the future. Check out the link here

This one you can even buy pre-Up-Cycled for you. However if you have a whole heap of drawer units that the legs fell off... keep them, stack them and you have an awesome unit like this! Check out where to buy this here

So many fantastic ideas. The last note i might make about Bea Johnson and the Zero Waste Home is that she does mention that if you upcycle something it often looses its ability to be recycled. So check some of the recycling regulations are in your suburb or city.

KINDNESS IDEA: make something beautiful and give it to your friends/family/co-workers/acquaintances. 

Whether it be a bottle bag made from an old (clean) sock. Or a Pallet Chair (like my best friend did for me last Christmas), there are so many wonderful Up-cycling things you can create. However this idea also allows you to make anything beautiful, not just up-cycling things. It could be a quilt or a pot mitt, or even a spunked up pot to put a clump of bulbs from your own garden, or even a delicious and beautiful smelling pie, cookies or some delicious bready-thing (that I sometimes wish I could but I cant eat any more). It is your choice, creativity is key. And the aim is to bring a smile to that persons face.

It has been such a delight sharing Sustainable September with you all. And thank you for sticking in there with me.
Much Love,
Daena xx

30 years young and celebrating 6 years of kindness

Hi everyone,
So it turns out that the posts I have been putting up through the app have not been working for some reason. So sorry to have missed these posts. I will try and copy them and get them back up to date in the future. :)
You didn't even get to see my short hair (well in the picture below you might but not yet the one straight after the "Big Snip")! :( I will rectify this as soon as possible.

If you want to catch up with good news stories and Kindnesses alike on a daily basis, please check out the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/365daysOfKindness, my sister helps my update this regularly... well more regularly than here!

On Thursday I had my 30th Birthday. It was busy and involved kindness for others as well as the fact I got thoroughly spoiled. I am completely blessed with the friends, family, acquaintances and complete strangers who wished me a Happy Birthday in their own ways.

My birthday is always an anniversary of sorts. This is originally how this project got off the ground. I wanted people to do kind things (and i gave everyone a year to do it) for me & my birthday and then I would share it all. It didn't go to plan, but it was still beautiful.

6 years this project has been going. People have been doing kindnesses for others and themselves under the guise of this project. It means the world to me that people have taken Project 25 and 365days of kindness and run with them in their own lives. I like to think even though they may not blog about it, like it do, others are doing the 365days of kindness, or 52 weeks of kindness, or 26 fortnights of kindness or 12 months of kindness. Expressing kindness and sharing this journey with me.

I just want to wish you all a happy Anniversary. Kindness is still a priority for me. A daily one.

I do have to be honest, I have fallen off the wagon though... the recording wagon. I stopped writing the kindnesses down on a daily basis. Which is not what I had intended, however i have not stopped my kindnesses. They are so ingrained into my nature now, i do not think i could stop even if i wanted to! hahahah! What a way to live! :)

I hope this finds you all well! :)

Love Daena x

A new year of kindnesses from 1st Jan 2015

Hello beautiful friends. 

I am back! I hope you haven't worried about me not being back blogging this year yet? If so don't worry! I have been doing my kindnesses this year again. I've been on Facebook to keep people posted and I'm really sorry it's taken me this long to get to the blog. 

This year I am asking people to join me in my kindnesses. Think you could do a kind deed a day? Or a kind deed a week? Or maybe a kind deed a month? Well this year I'm asking you to join me with your kindnesses. 

#365daysofkindness

#52weeksofkindness

#12monthsofkindness 

I urge you to take on the challenge. 

I've found it such a true pleasure to do a kind deed that I want others to experiment and experience that joy! :) 

I know it's already into the new year and I have started my 365days of kindness already but you don't have to go from 1st of January to 31st of December. You could do whatever date you want to start and continue for a full year. I'm happy to support you along the way.

Mum this year has decided to join me. Her kindnesses will be different and also sometimes the same as mine. But it's always lovely having someone to join you. And I want to walk with you on the journey. And celebrate the good things in life! :) 

My kindnesses so far this year: 

January 1, 2014 - I detailed our car for my mum. It's not a job she can do. So I scrubbed and waxed our car so it is now all shiny. 

(I think I was pretty tired after the last photo! Who guessed detailing the car would be so tiring! But it looked amazing!)

January 2, 2014 - I supported a friend who needed some advise and needed someone to listen. It was an honour and a privilege to be there for them when they needed me. 

January 3, 2014 - today was my brother in laws birthday party. So I made dip for my sister so she could finish other stuff ready for the party. 

I played a couple of games of chess with my nephew because it kept him out of his parents hair whilst they were busy doing other things... Amazingly I lost at chess, twice! Clearly need to brush up on my chess skills! 

I played "hangman" spelling game with my niece whilst cooking.

I made cups of tea for my mum, sister, nephew and niece. I also offered to my brother in law but he kindly declined!

I also helped move the new "family" guinea pigs safely away from where all the noise would be for the party. I also had a cuddle with Chocolate and Prince, the two male guinea pigs, helping my niece and nephew continue to get used to holding them. 

Okay... So today was a busy day! :) but it was lots of fun and totally worth it! :) 

I hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations went splendidly. And I hope and wish for a year filled with love, joy and kindness for you all! 

Let me know here, Facebook, or twitter if you are joining me for one of the kindness challenges! I look forward to hearing from you! 

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

It's my birthday... 5 years of kindness

Hello my beautiful friends, 

So today is my birthday and I'm left remembering what the last 5 years have brought me! Why only the last 5 years you ask? You see the last 5 years have been such an interesting experience for me, because 5 years ago today I started what was to be a year Long project, called Project 25 -Random Acts of Kindness. It started on my 24th birthday & was to be completed by my 25th birthday! I asked people all over the world to do a kind deed and report it to me! Then I could have (for my next birthday) a book (I'm a bibliophile after all) of all these awesome things people had done because I'd asked them to do it! And I was going to participate too! :) 

I wanted a 1000 kindnesses over the space of a year! 

What I got was...36! 

Okay so it didn't quite go to plan, but I learnt something so profound that I decided to give it a go. I learnt that if I wanted people to do a kindness, I had to do it too! I had to show them that they weren't alone, that I wasn't just asking them to do something I wasn't prepared to do myself! I had to lead by example! 

So I decided when the new year came around i would start this whole thing a fresh and show people just how simple, easy and yet life changing kindness could be! And this is how 365days of kindness begun! And the way I was going to show people how easy this could be was by doing a kind deed a day and blogging about it! 

I am the first to admit I am not a "regular blogger"! And by that I mean, I write everyday for two weeks and then not again for a few months. I'm as unpredictable as a busy woman trying to hold onto a scrap of sanity (perfect description for this year in particular). But you have stuck in there and supported me. People from all over the world have started following me, on this blog! whether they started following me by accident or on purpose I'll never know, but i am grateful for your encouragement and support! I'm not perfect, or regular in my blogging but I have shared photos, stories, friends, family, inspirations, books, cakes, weddings, celebrations, links, blogs and videos with you all in my attempt to tell you what kindness means to me! 

Life has not been easy, and I know there are people out there who are struggling with a thousand times worse problems than I have! That's why kindnes is so important. We can share the loss, sadness, grief, but also the hope, love and gentleness we have found in friends and strangers who have helped us & given us kindness in our hardest and even in our best times! 

I want to acknowledge a few people, the original supporters! The few who had followed me from day one, (mainly because I originally brow beat you in to it! Lol) And they are... my family! 

To my mum who I most definitely wouldn't be here without! She spent 26weeks in the hospital trying not to have me! She survived with a semblance of sanity after those 26 weeks of bed rest away from the rest of her family so I could be born! And Even then I wasn't a well baby! And she's been working pretty hard to keep me alive ever since! This is a woman who believes all mums should get the presents on the child's birthday because they put all the effort in on the day the child celebrates! And after all the effort she put in to making me a reality... Well...I definitely agree! mum, about the present, I'll see what I can do for you! ;) lol! Thanks for encouraging me and pointing out those kindnesses I don't see sometimes! :) You are one of the strongest women I know & you are beautiful! :) thank you for all your hard work, your love and support! :) 

My sister, who was one of the first people to do a kindness for the original project, and who continues her support today with the Facebook page! She is a gem! Another tough woman who is filled with a strong sense of justice and a willingness to make the world a better place! Thanks for being an encourager and a champion for this world! Thanks babe! 

My dad, who is no longer with us, would listen as I read out my blogs and dutifully flip through the pages of my kindness albums (even when he wasn't too sure what was going on)! Thanks for being a great role model and leading by example! You were always there to help anyone who needed it! Thanks dad! Miss you! 

My brother in law... One of the best men I know! Thanks for supporting all of us. And agreeing with V to let me stay so I has somewhere to go when my life was falling apart! Thanks for being strong for your wife and your kids through some really hard times! For leading by example and doing lots of "extracurricular activities" to support your kids! :) thanks for being a rock! Us gals, we ain't easy to be around! But you've done a great job! :) 

My niece & nephew continually teach me what kindness is! They have placed such trust in me as a "good role model" for them! Thank you for reminding me to have fun & "bounce", for sharing in kindnesses, nerdiness & books! And for loving me even when I'm grumpy or I tell you off! You really are great kids! :) don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise! 

To my "adopted" family who have and continue to encourage & support me in both my kindnesses & in my day to day "ordinary life": Tanya, Isaac, Eva, Liam, Taylor, Laura, Jamie, Big D, Ben, Lisa, Bobbie, Sandie, Terry, Paulene, Bev, Judy, Faye, Sarah, Dino, Autumn, Bel, Cat, Lance, Kayleigh, Matthew, Lorraine, Chris... And I know there are so many more! Please forgive me if I haven't names you specifically (it's 2.30am my brain isn't working at it's optimum). But please know I am so very grateful to you all for you love, support and encouragement! 

Who would have thought a little idea 5 years ago would have been so successful! Maybe not every one has taken up doing a kindness a day... But imagine if they did?! There would be so many lives changed and more lives altered for the better! :) even if everyone did an intentional kind act this week? it won't make any real difference to me, but to a stranger their lives will be a little lighter and a little better for a little while! And that's all we can ever hope to do! 

Hope you all enjoy my 29th birthday with me and that you bring a smile to someone's face, today in particular! :) it's a good day to be kind! 

Much love to you all 

<3 Daena x

January 11, 2014

Hello my lovely blog followers, 

Today was a friends 21st birthday party so mum & I made him a cake! A pretty awesome Drum Cake! He's a drummer after all! So mum & I finished decorating it today (made the cake part last night) and then I took it over to the party location in 42*C heat! In Perth today it was a scorching 45*C in the late afternoon! 

I also helped the hosts of the party in the kitchen & got people drinks & such too! Fun was had by all! 

Hope you all had a wonderful & cooler day than we did!!! 

Much love, 

Daena x

January 4th 2014

Hey everyone, 

So today was my brother in laws birthday  and we went to an adventure park in Perth called The Maze! 

My kindness today was helping my sister & brother in law with their kids (mainly the smallest one) at the water park part of the Maze! I had a lot of fun and spent a lot of time helping small people (not just those related to me) in and out of water slides or pushing them so they went fast (at their request of course - child safety is very important)! 

My 5 year old niece was the best! She and I had lots of fun running up the stairs & speeding down the smaller slides so that her daddy, mummy & older brother could have free reign on the bigger slides! We had a blast! 

We also played on one of the parts that this place is famous for... A Maze! :) it has lots of mazes actually but I was most impressed with the one I did all by myself!  it was amazing as lots of people didn't finish it! :) here is the proof... (That's me in the middle)! 

Anyways, I also chatted to the staff working at the tops of the slides... It seemed like a thankless job, so I made the effort to chat & thank them for their efforts! :) lovely people! :) 

Hope you are all well, 

I should sleep very well tonight! I'm exhausted! 

Luv Daena 

Ps. Thanks to my sister Vandra for the photo! :) 

Hello my lovelies...

Hello my lovely people,
How are you all? I hope you are all well!
So last you saw of my posts was that it was my birthday. I had a wonderful birthday celebration and was thoroughly spoilt! Thank you to everyone who sent messages and birthday wishes! :) It was grately appreciated.

So there are several things coming up for me, and some of them are things that I may need YOUR help with. As of this time next week I will be in hospital having surgery. And the doctors have warned me that it could take a little while to get everything back up and running. But that I should be well recovered in 6 weeks time... which is good because in 8 weeks I am leaving on my round the world trip! :)

As I am not sure I will have regular access to internet connection whilst I am jet setting about, I am actually looking for someone to keep the page on Facebook and this blog going! It would only be for a couple of months. But if anyone is interested to be a "Guest Blogger" on this page, let me know. I am looking for someone who is willing to undertake a month or two of doing a kindness everyday... like I do but in miniature. :) I am not sure yet, what this will look like or how it will work, but if you are interested... please let me know! :) You can send a private message to act_positive@hotmail.com or contact me through the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/365daysOfKindness

My round the world trip was paid off, amazingly, yesterday. So excited about all the places I will get to visit again and some that I will see for the first time! :) I leave Perth, Western Australia (my home town) on the 30th... so its all very exciting and a little nerve racking! Not long now.

So some awesome stuff has happened in the world of kindness this week with the launch of the Thankyou Waters expanding range! So those who have read last years Kindnesses (and if you could read this years ones... it is also in there), Thankyou Water is a product which is helping people all over the world! :) If you want to see what i mean, check out the video. 



The most exciting part is that they are branching out into food and body care... which will provide food and hygeine to those who need it most. One of the best bits about that is that you dont have to go out of your way to give to charity, as of this week the two major AUSTRALIAN supermarkets have agreed to provide the Thankyou Product range in their stores, which means you can buy them whilst you are doing your weekly shopping. And the lives that will change as a result is amazing! :)  It encourages me that we can make a difference in a HUGE way by doing something so very simple! 

For those of you in other countries, perhaps you could contact Thankyou.co and get information or something to start your own version in your own country. Its an idea at least?!

For those who have been hanging out for news on my Kindnesses this year (Feb to now), i'm afraid you will have to wait a little longer for them. I decided that i wanted to finish putting last years kindnesses in the album (as i have a dedicated scrap book album - like year 1 of this project). I did however have a slight glitch. Every night I write ten or more blessings about the day and then I add what I have been doing for 365days at the end. Every night I write the date and year so I can put them online at a later stage. My little glitch came when I was writing the kindnesses into my album, which is all based on 2012 and I was careful for the first ten or so entries in the album to make sure the date was right. But the next 30 days or so I completely was acting on auto pilot and wrote 2013... so i'm hoping not too many people notice as they read the books! lol!

Anyways, Thank you all for your continued love and support! I always appreciate your words of encouragement and enthusiasm.

Much love to you all,
Luv Daena x

Happy Birthday to me - Happy Anniversary to Kindness

Hey everyone,

Its my birthday today... which means it is a bit of an anniversary to this project and to its predecessor Project 25. It was on my birthday in 2009 that I asked my friends to go about doing kind deeds for my during the year (end date was June 25, 2010). We had about 35 Kindnesses completed and over 300 people interested in the project. It was of course 6 months after this project that I started 365days of kindness, because I had realized if I wanted to make a difference I had to lead by example. And its 2 and a half years later that I am still trying to inspire you all to do kind acts for those in your community.

So today, for my birthday, for me, please do a kind deed for another person! If you want to share it you can. Facebook has messages, here has comments. I love to hear from you all. It can be as simple as a kind word to a stranger, a smile, some money left for a stranger to find, a hot meal to someone who needs it, a hug for a person who lives alone, make a cup of tea for your mother (I do this all the time... she loves it!), cook a meal for your friends, give a stranger a bunch of flowers (or a single flower - a bunch could make lots of peoples day better), make someone laugh (good clean silly jokes are awesome)... really the more you want to do, the better. Kindness is a way to make your day better too! :)  I would wish you a happy birthday too... but apparently that is just a little weird! So, I hope you have a wonderful "Daena Day" (As some of my friends call it). I have been enjoying a nice warm snuggly sleep in and later I will do a kind deed for someone else! :)

Much love,
Daena x
(p.s. I turn 28 today... wow time flies when you are having fun!)

Thank you to all those who participated!

Hey everyone,
Just so you know I had a WONDERFUL birthday! I got very spoilt and had a great time with my family and friends.

Some highlights:
Supanova- this was my birthday present to myself and its Perth's version of Comicon (Pop culture convention)! But much much smaller. I met some of my favorite authors and actors from television and movies. I got signatures from 5 of them! So I am a very very lucky girl. I also learned about the book industry and how to write/edit/publish books... which is exciting and very interesting! (I will share more of this when I can get the photos off my camera!)

Visisting my dad in his nursing home - He had no idea what was in the presents he was giving me... but he did remember how to sing "Happy Birthday" to me!


Dinner with my Niece, Nephew, Sister, Brother-in-law & mum - My favorite part was the presents my Niece and nephew had made for me. My 4 year old niece had made me a plastic tube that had been beautifully decorated! It was covered with sticky tape (Cello-tape) and beads. She gave it to me & decorated it because she liked playing with it, so she thought I would too! She had also put some of her bracelets in it too, because she wanted to give me something pretty (I managed to tell her that i couldn't take her pretty bracelets away... but thanked her so much for the thought!). I did however score a necklace out of it... which is now living at my house... in the dress-up box! So she can use it next time she comes over... after convincing her to take the bracelets back... I didn't want to push making her take her necklace back :) My 8 year old nephew on the other hand made me a beautiful decoration for my scrap booking! Because he knew I would like it and would use it in my photo albums. He is such a sweetheart! It was incredibly cool too! He did an excellent job!

Going to the Movies with my mum and sister -The girls in the family don't often get to go out for a movie... but for my birthday my sister V, had her husband look after the kids, and she, mum and I went to see the movie BRAVE by Pixar! It is an excellent movie! However I wouldn't think it is really a kids movie, and can be quite scarey in parts. But it was a lot of fun - particularly because my mum is from a long line of Scottish people. And it is based on a Scottish myth. And some of the things that are said and done are very true to form! I loved it!

Dinner & Poker with extended family & friends - I had a lovely dinner with my friends, where I was embarrassed to be given a huge gift (kind of like a single persons version of pass-the-parcel). There were about 15 layers of paper to unwrap and some of them had dares on them so that I had to Sing a version of "Old MacDonald had a farm... and on that farm he had a Daena... ei, ei, oh" and then make appropriate noises. I also had to get up and do the full version of "The little bird-y dance". And all of this was in a restaurant & Bar full of people! Had a great time though! The food was lovely too.

After Dinner, a couple of friends stayed with me and we played in the free league in a tournament of Texas Hold'em Poker. With which I didn't do particularly well, and one of my friends won the tournament! He was just about as surprised as I was, because he had never played in a tournament before... so winning was an awesome surprise! :)

Sleeping in - Now many of you know that I am a particularly bad insomniac. However for the last few weeks it seems my body remembers what sleep is and how important it is... I have been able to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night... and on my birthday I got a whole 12 hours of sleep... which was very exciting! :) So I count that as one of my highlights! :D YAY!!!



Anyways, I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to those of you who participated in "Daena's Birthday Madness"! I got messages through the Facebook page, and through email! So Thank you!

For my birthday, I also made the effort for "Daena's Birthday Madness" and so everyone who sent me a message on Facebook or via text I personally sent them a thank you response! After all you can never be too grateful for your friends! :)

Thank you to all those who regularly read this, I keep watching the number of people who read this blog grow! And it encourages me to keep going! :)  So thanks!

Luv Daena x

Happy Birthday to me! :)

Hey Everyone,
Today is my 27th birthday! Hooray!

But not only does it mark another year of my life starting, it marks an anniversary of sorts for this very project!

3 Years ago I started what I called Project 25 - Random Acts of kindness! What it was all about was that instead of people giving me gifts for my next birthday I wanted them to do something far cooler, I wanted them to do something meaningful in their communities & tell me about it! This was to be their present to me on my 25th birthday!

So on my 25th birthday I had people all over, those that knew me, & some that didn't doing kind deeds in their communities because I had asked them too!

I got over 30 awesome birthday presents that year! That was also when I decided that as much as I wanted people to do acts of kindness in their communities, i began asking how can you encourage & inspire people when you are not living what you want others to do?!

That was how 365days-of-kindness was born!

And I love looking back and seeing what others have done & what I have done through this amazing project that I happened to be blessed to write & share!

So what I am asking of you today is that you do a "Daena's Birthday Madness" & go into your community & do a kind deed & share it here or on the 365days-of-kindness Facebook page & give me the best presents in the world!

I hope you have a lot of fun as I have in the last few days!

Much love,
Daena-the-birthday-girl-Guest!

Ps. If there is attrocious spelling I must appologize as I am using my iPhone to write this post as opposed to my computer! There are first times for everything! :)