Being an adult is tough. There's no arguing that.
Responsibilities...things to be fixed...bills to pay.

Going to work can be tedious and exhausting, but yet we do it.

Well, who says going to work has to be mundane EVERY day?
Today, I decided to make the work day a little sweeter (no pun intended) for my husband and his office by sending a Mrs. Field's Gift Basket for all of them to enjoy.
Sometimes people just need a little dose of sugar to get to the end of the day.

I know I've made chocolate chip cookies for several of my posts.  But today, for my Conscious Act of Kindness, I baked a whole batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies for the group of teachers that I work with.

Just a little "Happy Monday" gesture.

Just Ten Days to go......

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the conflict in Syria has caused over 1.6 million Syrians to seek refuge in neighboring countries, including a rapid expansion in the number of refugees fleeing to Egypt. As the conflict continues and more Syrians flee, increasing pressure is being put on already strained camps and host communities. Refugees and the poor families in these communities face many critical needs, ranging from food and water shortages to children being unable to continue their education. Children are especially vulnerable, and of the estimated 6.8 million people affected by the crisis in Syria, almost half of them are children.

For my Conscious Act of Kindness today, I made a donation to help this cause.

Ok everyone, here's something that you should know about me...I'm No Quitter.  (Yes...I, the English Teacher, just wrote that grammatically incorrect statement, but it's the truth).

If I say I'm going to do something, I generally do it.
So, knowing that, you can understand how out of character it was for me to totally quit today.  Well, I don't know if it's quitting if I never actually started, but I did back out of something that I had promised I would do.
A group of friends and I decided a year ago that we would participate in the Warrior Dash today.  If you don't know what that is, well it's basically a 5K torture run with obstacles of walls to climb and fire pits to cross.

I backed out.  Firstly because I just have too much on my plate right now, but mostly because I'm just way out of shape.
It sounded like a good idea a year ago.

Anyway, I am counting this as my kind act, because I did register and pay for this event which helps fund the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
And I am supporting my awesome group of friends that are completely crazy enough to tackle this monster event.

I feel as though it's about time that I do another Conscious Act of Kindness for a complete stranger.

Today I had a burst of Yellow Inspiration.  I decided to put together a box of goodies that are packaged in bright yellow.  The box has Peanut M&Ms, Juicy Fruit Gum, a box of Dots and a Happy Yellow Figurine.

Then I sent it off to a random address.  I have no idea who lives at this address, so hopefully they appreciate this little surprise of sunshine.

I was doing some grading today and unfortunately had to put some zero's in the grade book.

This dragged the student's grade average way down.

I have no problem giving out failing grades, but these are freshmen and it's their first big assignment.  I thought about it for awhile.  I could be the hard ass and give them what they deserve, or I could be a softie and help them out this once and give them a second chance.

With this project in mind, I decided to give them a second chance. I told them that this is their one "Freebie" and gave them the option to do the assignment again to help bring their grades up.

We'll see how that works out...

Is it a problem when you take on a personal project and then your mother yells at you for not keeping up?

Yes, I'm late with this post.  I've been pretty good up until these last few weeks.  I realize that I'm in the home stretch here, but I'm also completely overwhelmed with my Student Teaching position.  It's a poor excuse, but a reality.  I'm hanging in there though.
I did do my kind acts, I just didn't have the energy to get on the computer to do the post.

Anyway, yesterday I was in Old Navy buying some clothes for my kids.  My daughter picked up a shirt and both of us said that her cousin would like it because he loves the game "Plants vs. Zombies".  Instead of putting it down, I put it in my cart for my nephew.  I think he'll love it.  Then, to be fair, we went and found a shirt to give to my niece.  It's not their birthdays, but I think they will be happy with the random gifts, even if they are only clothes.

Did you know that research has shown that when we give to others it activates the areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust.  Altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain and boosts happiness for us as well as the people we help. Studies have shown that giving money away tends to make people happier than spending it on themselves.

I'm just saying....

Today for my Conscious Act of Kindness, I sent someone I care about a card...just to let them know that I am thinking about them.

Pajama Program provides new pajamas and new books to children in need,
many who are waiting and hoping to be adopted. These children live in
various situations including group homes, shelters and temporary housing
facilities and are shuffled often from one place to another. Many of them
have been abandoned, abused or neglected. Most of these children have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a mother or father tuck them in at bedtime with warm, clean pajamas and a bedtime story.

This is one of my favorite charities. 

So, for my Conscious Act of Kindness today, I made a donation to this charity for some pajamas and bedtime stories.