Aww shucks!

On Friday I came home from work to see a package in my mailbox. There's really nothing better than that. Even if it's something I ordered myself, packages always improve my day. But this one didn't come from me. It came from Operation NICE supporter, Jodi C., one of the NICEST gals around! Lookie what she sent me!



It's just what I wanted! It came with the two cutest Moleskine notebooks and a Wouldn't It B Nice (one of my favorite websites) bookmark.

Jodi, I can't thank you enough! I hope you can see the excitement and appreciation on my face! :)

NICE Photos: lululemon Store Front

I went for a little walk during lunch time today. As I was walking up Walnut Street, I noticed the lululemon had a big banner in the store window that read, "Choose a Positive Thought," and it was filled with hand written quotes.

I thought this was absolutely wonderful, and I stood there on the sidewalk reading as many as I could while everyone else seemed to pass by without even noticing.



My favorite is the purple quote in the upper right that reads, "Be the reason someone smiles today."




And of course I'm fond of "Kindness is contagious."

Do you have a NICE photo that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Testimonial: Much Needed Cookies

Happy Friday! Having off work on Monday and Tuesday made this week fly by at lightning speed. Tomorrow we're going to a wedding, and I love any excuse to dress up, so I'm really looking forward to it! I hope you all have fun things planned for this weekend!

Today's testimonial comes from Operation NICE regular, Jan C. She sent me an email this morning, and as soon as I read it, I knew it was going to be my post for today.

Yesterday I was in a baking mood and made a couple of different kinds of cookies. My husband and I had choir rehearsal, and there is one gentleman in the choir who gives a lot of extra free time up to organize all of our music. He is super sweet and had joked with me via email about how he accepts bribes of baked goods in exchange for extra copies of sheet music. So I thought I would play along, and I put a few cookies in a bag for him to share with his wife (also in choir). My husband slipped them to him on the sly between songs.

Today I got this note from his wife:

"The bribe wasn't for me but I happily took it anyway. Yummy. Was especially nice since I had a really sad day--had to have my dear old canine buddy put to sleep and I didn't know if I would make it through rehearsal.

You never know when one little thing you do will brighten someone else's life."

Sort of made me stop and think. You just never know when something as simple as sharing a smile or a couple of cookies can make a difference to another person. And you have to wonder what kind of a negative impact even a few harsh words or an angry gesture could have on someone too. I'd much rather make the effort to be nice and have a positive impact on the world!

And that, my friends, is what Operation NICE is all about!

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Person of the Week: Diane Eaton

Gosh, I haven't done one of these posts in a few weeks. Better get back on track!

Today's NICE Person comes from Ashley Eaton of Phoenix, AZ. She nominated her beloved mother, and from what Ashley has written, her mom deserves the honor!

What makes Diane so NICE:

I am sure lots of people would say their mom is deserving of the title “Nice person of the week” but I promise you, my mom is the best! First things first- a while back her friend’s husband was in a fatal car accident. With three small girls my mom, the hero, jumped to her assistance. She set up a fund to provide the family with money each month, to allow them time to mourn and still be able to pay the bills and provide the girls with special treats every now and then. And my mom still does that to this day.

Ok so that’s pretty nice but there’s more!! My mom is such a party lady. She will use any excuse to have a party and is always thinking of others. From my cousin’s going away party, to my niece’s birthday, to my GREAT grandparents anniversary, my mom does everything she can to make others feel special and puts thought into every aspect.

Recently she found out her best friend- someone almost as nice and thoughtful as my mom- is moving away. She was crushed; her friend is the only other person who shares the same passion for putting love and thought into everything she does. She has been a little down in the dumps since finding out her best bud is moving.

I just want my mom to win so she can realize how great she is and how much we all really do appreciate all of the amazing things she does.

So sweet! The awesome thing about Diane is that she really takes initiative to be nice. She doesn't sit around and wait for someone else to take charge. Way to go! And as a gal who has friends that live thousands of miles away, I can tell ya, all it does is increase the number of vacations I take. So Diane, even though your best friend won't be physically nearby anymore, I'm sure you'll find ways to be closer than ever!

Do you have someone that you'd like to nominate as the NICE Person of the Week? If so, CLICK HERE for more details.

NICE Testimonial: Cheers!

Today's testimonial comes from me! Someone I know did something really sweet this weekend, and I had to share the tale.

One of the best things that ever happened to me was stumbling across the HOW Design Forum in 2004. Working in-house as the solo designer can be a bit lonely, so I went looking for fellow designers who understood my rants. What I found there were lifetime friends. I don't participate as much anymore, but a group of us from that time keep in touch through email and occasional visits.

This weekend, two of my friends came to stay with me and visit Philadelphia. Because of their visit, a few other (former and current) forum members also decided to come to the area, and we had a lovely get-together of 11 at my home on Saturday.

As we were standing around, chatting up a storm, the doorbell rang. Earlier in the day, when I went to pick up the catering trays, the grocery store informed me that they had never received my order, so they rushed to put it all together while I waited. When I opened the door and saw a young man standing there holding a box, I assumed that maybe the grocery store had accidentally delivered the missing order.

"What is this?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's champagne," the young man replied.

I grabbed the box and signed the delivery slip. Inside, indeed, were two bottles of champagne and a card. They came from another member of the forum who wanted to send along a little something (which she calls a "surprise sneak attack") to help us celebrate. I was absolutely blown away by the gesture.

Here we are toasting her generosity and the friendships we've made. The internet is an amazing place!

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Assignment: Treat Yourself!

Is it Tuesday already? Oh how I love long weekends. Thanks for all of the kind words about the NY Times article! I'm still totally stoked!

On to business. So, I'm a day behind with my assignment this week, but I think you'll all like this one. You know, when I create each assignment, I do it selfishly. I think about what I personally want to do. How do I want to better myself? What do I want to encourage myself to do? And really, I just bring you all along for the ride. And this week, well, I just want to be nice to myself!

Today's Assignment: Treat Yourself

What good is being nice if you can't be nice to yourself? You're a great person, and you deserve a treat! Something you wouldn't normally allow yourself. A giant hot fudge sundae maybe? A really long midday nap. A few hours of trashy tv? Sometimes we need a little reward, and we can't always count on other people to provide it. But we CAN always count on ourselves. So go ahead. Do it. Whatever it is you've been wanting to do. You know, unless it's against the law or involves harming other people or animals. :)

As for me, I'm going for the sundae/nap/trashy tv trifecta. Oh, it's gonna be a GOOD day!

NICE News: Operation NICE in the NY Times!!

Guess what. Nice is "in" according to The New York Times! Finally, right?

Operation NICE was lucky enough to get a mention in this wonderful article, and I couldn't be more proud!

The article reads:
But consider that the snarly blog world has made room for some new make-nice citizens. While sites devoted to politics, celebrities and the media are rife with invective, an expanding parallel universe of blogs catering to young women and mothers unfailingly offer encouragement and support.

OperationNice.com links to news articles about good deeds and asks bloggers to take an oath of niceness. The blog was created 10 months ago by Melissa Morris Ivone, a 28-year-old graphic designer in Cinnaminson, N.J., who was inspired after a stranger held the door for her in an elevator. She wanted to create an oasis of good vibes online.

“Blogs, message boards and comments sections are just settings for people to verbalize their (usually negative) opinions,” Ms. Ivone wrote in an e-mail message. “Personally, I wanted a little corner that was free of all that.”

So far, more than 1,100 readers, many of them fellow bloggers, have taken her oath of niceness, allowing them to post an Operation Nice seal of approval on their blogs and Facebook pages.

Maybe that Nice seal will come to rival the original bright-yellow smiley logo, which became a popular sensation in the early 1970s, a period of acute societal division over war, race and politics, when people apparently needed to force a smile."

How awesome is that?? If you stopped by from the NY Times article, pleased to "meet" you! I hope you'll have a look around and maybe share a story or two.

Read the entire story right here. Thanks so much, NY Times!

NICE Testimonial: Going Above & Beyond

It's Friday! And even better, it's the start of my five day weekend! Two of my good friends who I don't get to see very often are flying into Philadelphia tonight. That means I have about seven hours to make my house spotless. It's a tough task for a lazy procrastinator, but I'm pretty sure I can do it.

Today's testimonial comes from Natalie. Well, technically, it comes from a woman named Mary, who had written a letter of praise about Natalie's two amazing coworkers, Jerry and Charles. Natalie forwarded it along for you all to read.

Have you ever accidentally left your wallet or purse somewhere? I've done it more times that I can count. I've left my purse in dressing rooms. I've left my wallet in restaurant booths. I can be a little flaky at times. About six years ago, I dropped my wallet in the middle of the Museum of Natural History in New York City. I was pretty sure it was gone for good. But I checked with guest services and some kind soul had turned it in, without leaving their name and number so I could properly thank them! (If you're reading this blog, thanks mystery stranger!)

Well, Mary had a similar situation. When trying to recover her lost purse, she encountered two employees of the Metropolitan Transit System who went above and beyond their call of duty.

Here's her letter (click to enlarge):


Thanks, Jerry and Charles, for being such nice guys!

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Campaign: A Little Me

Thanks for all of your comments on my little poem! I feel like it describes my youth to a tee. I wonder if I value kindness so much as an adult because of the ridicule I endured as a child. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't anything other than ordinary teasing, but kids can be harsh. Nerds of the world, unite!!

The other day I received an email from Toni of Melbourne, Australia. She told me about a goodwill project that she started on her blog. It's absolutely wonderful, and I needed to tell you all about it so you could get in on it too!

She's calling it "a little me," and basically, Toni is vowing to send a little something, something small but lovely, to anyone that emails her their name and address. It's as simple as that! It could be candies, an embroidery, even vegemite (which I've never seen in person). She's making a list (and checking it twice), and she'll work her way down until every single person has received a treat.

Why is she doing this? In her own words, "To be nice, and to give people something for nothing, and I love old fashioned mail. There is nothing nicer than seeing something good in your mailbox rather than bills." Couldn't agree more! Click here to read her post about "a little me," and click on her profile to find her email address. Who knows what you might find in your mailbox?!

NICE Words: A Poem for You

When I was growing up, one of my heroes was Shel Silverstein. In fact, The Giving Tree is still my favorite book of all time. So when I was a kid, I'd occasionally pen a goofy poem. They usually involved potty humor or teased my friends. And even as an adult (and I use that term as loosely as possible), I'll get the urge to write up a silly little poem every now and then.

About seven years ago, I wrote this one below. I had posted it publicly a few times...Facebook, my other blog, a design forum. But I thought it might be nice to share with you all, since the theme is kindness. I hope you like it!

{Untitled for now}

Once upon a time, in a faraway world
There lived a kind and beautiful girl
Her name was Michelle and all things in her town
Were a bright, vibrant color, from the sky to the ground

The lampposts were pink, the buildings were blue
All things there had color, the people did too
Some folks they were orange or purple or cream
But most of the people that lived there were green

Michelle, however, was a bright shade of red
From her tippity toes to her toppity head
The strange thing was that in the entire town
Not one other red kid was there to be found

All the greens were alike, they talked the same talk
They laughed the same laugh and they walked the same walk
They sang the same songs, they read the same books
They wore the same clothes and they gave the same looks
Michelle didn't want to be green just like them
But she wished all her life to have just one red friend

The greens wouldn't dare even chat with a red
If they were together, not a word would be said
So Michelle made friends with a pink and a teal
They aren't red, she thought, but at least they are real

At sleep-over parties, when they were in bed
She'd try to color her sleeping friends red
But they'd wake up, laugh, and wash off in the sink
And that's okay, she thought, I like teal and pink

She didn't want them to change, she liked them as them
But she wished all her life to have just one red friend
"Michelle, what's wrong?" her teal friend had said
"I wish," she replied, "to have one friend that's red."

And wished she sure did, everyday and all night
She wished on the stars that would shine on so bright
She wished on all wishbones, and made sure she'd win
She wished on the fountains she threw her coins in

And this year an extra wish she did make
When she blew out the candles on her birthday cake
But days they'd begin and days they would end
And Michelle still couldn't find just one red friend

One sunny day, along with her class
Michelle went outside to have lunch on the grass
She grabbed her red lunch box and red backpack too
When she noticed the lace was untied on her shoe

She knelt on the floor to tie her red lace
When she saw two green feet coming at a quick pace
Before she could rise and move towards the door
WHAM! – a green kid knocked her onto the floor

The green kids were laughing as they walked outside
And Michelle just wanted to run home and hide
But she brushed off her clothes and held her head high
She wouldn’t let any green kids see her cry

So she sat by herself as she always had
At the edge of the school, feeling sadder than sad
She ate her red lunch with red tears in her eyes
When she heard a strange voice she did not recognize

"Hello, I'm new here," the stranger had said
And when she looked up she saw that the young boy was red!
"What that kid did in the hallway was mean
Those kids only care about things that are green

We should love every color we have in this world
Every color of boy, every color of girl
Because inside we're red, orange, purple and blue
We're brown and we're even a little green too
So although on the outside you can tell us apart
On the inside we all have a colorful heart."

I feel like I need something else in there at the end. Maybe something like this:
Michelle was thrilled about the red friend she got
But even more so about the lesson he taught.

I often get the urge to illustrate this story, maybe use Lulu and have a few copies printed for children of friends and family. I always get stuck on the first page and give up though. That might be a good project for when I retire. You know, in 35-40 years. :)

NICE Stuff: dazeychic Prints

I edited the post below, but I found out that the minimum donation for Great American Bake Sale is $5. I hope you'll all still consider donating! We're up to 28% of our goal!

I realized today that I haven't really done a "NICE Stuff" post in a while, so I thought I'd give you shopaholics a treat. I had bookmarked Shelli's etsy shop a long time ago. Since I hadn't visited in a little while, I was happy to see some beautiful prints that I hadn't seen before!

In particular, I'm in love with this one.

(image courtesy of dazeychic)

But honestly, all of her prints are delightful and filled with positivity and happiness! So go check her out. Your walls could use some love!

NICE Assignment: Buy a "Virtual" Cupcake

Hi everybody! Did you guys have a nice weekend? I did. Mainly because I'm preparing for a visit from two of my favorite people, who will be visiting this upcoming weekend from faraway lands. (Faraway lands=Pittsburgh and Winnipeg)

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Alice over at Share Our Strength. Remember them? Alice wanted to let me know about an initiative they have called the Great American Bake Sale. This effort encourages Americans to host bake sales in their communities to help end childhood hunger.

Well, my first thought was, "I stink at baking." Seriously, I can't even get those Toll House pre-cut cookie dough cookies to come out right. What's wrong with me?? But then a phrase on their site caught my attention.

"Bakeless Bake Sale."

Genius! A virtual bake sale to raise money for children in need...without the messy (and possibly poisonous) results. Well, I can do that. So I signed up to host a Bakeless Bake Sale. I set the goal at $250. At first I thought that would be too ambitious, but then I thought about all the wonderful people who subscribe to this blog. According to Feedburner, that's over 1000 people! So even if I can get 25% of those people to donate $1, I'd hit my goal. How easy does that sound??

Today's Assignment: Buy a "Virtual" Cupcake



Get 'em while they last! For $1, you can buy an Operation NICE "virtual" cupcake! It's delicious, I promise. And the best thing about imaginary cupcakes?? It's fat free and sugar free! If you're hungry, buy two! I started the bake sale out by purchasing ten, and boy oh boy, am I stuffed!

EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that a dollar is an "invalid" donation amount. Hmm. So it looks like my imaginary cupcakes got significantly more expensive. They are now $5, I guess. Not really what I wanted to do, but hopefully we can still hit our goal!

To donate, CLICK HERE to visit the Operation NICE Bakeless Bake Sale web page. Click the little "Make a Gift" button and enter a dollar. That's all I'm asking! One little dollar. Remember, something as small as a dollar can make a difference if we all do it. Let's hit that goal and help end childhood hunger!

Please visit the Great American Bake Sale website to learn more about this wonderful effort, and maybe you can sign up to host a bake sale of your own!

NICE Site (and Stuff): room6

Woohoo! It's Friday! Hopefully you all have some fun events planned for this weekend. I'll be getting the house ready for some guests that will be arriving next Friday. Awesome! And helping our friends move into their first house on Sunday. Congrats to them! Other than that, it'll be chill.

The other day, NICE reader Michelle emailed me a link to a store that she thought you and I would love. She was right! The store, located in North Vancouver, is called room6, and as the tagline reads, it's "special things for nice people." Hey! That's us!


This is what Michelle had to say about room6 and it's founder, Megan.

Megan includes stories about her love of animals and dogs, her love of Deep Cove (where the store is), and her love of beautiful things she surrounds herself with. (Maybe it's that she sees beauty in so many things and that is why she is so lucky to be consistantly surrounded by beautiful stuff!) Last year one of her dogs died, she sent a note out to her customers and It really touched my heart that even her dog was so NICE! She sells 'special things for nice people.' I thought it would be great to pass it on!

I especially love their 6th FAQ.
6. Room6 says it's "special things for nice people"--what if I'm a meanie?
You should really try to be nice. It will make you and everyone around you happier.

How cute is that?! Aside from being super nice, room6 sells the loveliest items. As if I needed another shop to be obsessed over. (I'll take one of these, and one of these, and definitely one of these.) But I'm all about supporting the nice folks of the world. We have to stick together!

Thanks to Michelle for sending this our way!

NICE Testimonial: Paying It Forward

Happy Thursday, everybody! I hope you all are having a wonderful week. I'm really excited today because I'm finally getting my hair cut after eight LONG months. Split ends be gone! My days of spiky pink hair are behind me, so I'll most likely just get a trim. But even a trim can feel awesome, am I right ladies?

Today's testimonial is awesome! It comes from Miss Elly of New Zealand, and it wonderfully illustrates the power of paying it forward.

On Sunday I had to drop some stuff off at Sibling’s work. This wouldn’t be so bad if Sibling worked anywhere else but where she does (ie, Middle of Town, with no free carparking within walking distance, and prowly Parking Wardens around every corner). So, hoping for less carparking drama and some form of swiftness, I parked in a public carpark that you have to pay $8 an hour for.

Lucky for me, as I got out to pay for a ticket a women approached me, and asked if I’d like her ticket as she was leaving. A ticket which was paid up till 6am the next morning.

I thanked her, and took her ticket and was astonished (and grateful) for her generosity.

I locked up my car, left the ticket on the dash and rushed off to do my thing. Just like I expected, dropping Siblings things off took all of ten minutes, and I was back to my car in no time. Just as I was about to leave, another car pulled in. I waited till the gentlemen got out, and approached him as he went to go buy himself a ticket.

I offered him my ticket. He, like I was with the woman before me, was a little flustery, and super grateful. He even offered to pay for some of it, and when I said that another lady had given ME the ticket free of charge, and I was just paying it forward, he held my hand to tell me how lovely it was that I was doing so.

He said that it wasn’t often that people display such random acts of kindness, wasn’t I such a lovely soul for passing on something that was given to me.

His praise took me back a bit, I didn’t do it for the praise, no matter how heartfelt he was. But the grin he walked away with? That was pretty damn rewarding.

I don’t doubt that when he was done with his ticket, that he gave it to someone else. Paying it forward seems to be a pretty awesome thing to do. :)

This reminds me of a few times in my own life. Someone did the same thing for me a few years ago. I had to run into a store in downtown Philadelphia, and the section where I parked had just implemented a new ticket system for parking. I was befuddled! As I tried to read the directions on the kiosk, a woman wandered up to me and offered her ticket, which still had a good hour left. I was so grateful!

Also, there have been a few times when traveling where my husband and I bought all-day subway passes. I believe it was Washington DC and Boston. When we were finished for the day, usually by 5 pm because we're early birds, we always handed off the cards to someone else. Oh, and if you work for the department of transportation for either of those two cities, I'm sorry. :)

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Stuff: Always Looking Up

I have a new book on my wish list. And now that I finally finished Outliers (which was excellent, by the way), I might bump this one up on my "to read" list because the subject matter is right up my alley.

It was penned by one of my first celebrity crushes when I was a wee lass, Michael J. Fox. (Come on, could Alex P. Keaton be any dreamier?) His new book is titled, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.

To accompany this book, last week ABC aired a one hour documentary special by the same name. Did you guys watch it? I thought it was wonderful! Definitely brought a tear to my eye and warmth to my heart. And now I have a dream of moving to Bhutan. If you saw it, you'll know why.

Didn't get to see it? You're in luck! The folks at ABC have the entire special online right now for your viewing pleasure. Just go to the ABC website, click on "free episodes" and select "Michael J. Fox." If you like this blog, you'll love this special.

If you did happen to see it, or if you read the book, I'd love to hear what you thought!

NICE Testimonial: Love for a Grandmother

Have you ever wished you could have told someone you loved them before it was too late? That's what beautiful Bel's (pictured on right with her sister and grandmother) NICE Testimonial is about. She decided that some things aren't better left unsaid.

Over the past 6 months in particular I have been very mindful of just how much of an impact you can have on somebody's day or life by performing even the smallest acts of kindness. I wanted to share with you an example of something nice I did that had an enormous effect on my nan (grandmother).

My nan is 81 years old and I love her to bits. She has a great sense of fun, is young at heart and her sarcasm is hilarious. I have so many great memories and she has contributed enormously to who I am today, yet it occured to me that I had never actually told her that. I had thought about it often but never really said anything personally to her as no-one tends to do that (we all think things in our head but don't often share them). But it really hit home to me earlier in the year that when she is no longer with us, I would forever regret that I hadn't told her these things. So I made her a little box and filled it with folded pieces of paper upon which I wrote things that I thank her for and things that I admire about her. One day I was at her house and I left it sitting on her pillow as a surprise for her to find later.

The following day my nan called me and told me she had been crying all night over the things I said and that I had made her feel as though her life has been worthwhile. She has told everyone she knows about it and the box now sits in her living room. To have my nan say that that one little act had made her feel as though her life has been worthwhile will stay with me forever and I feel so lucky that I was able to do that for her and bring that kind of joy to her. Even though I was nervous about doing it in the first place (my family aren't that forward when it comes to sharing emotions etc), I am so glad that I did and it was extra meaningful because it was so unexpected.

This testimonial really tugged on my heart strings because I did something eerily similar for my grandmother before she passed away. I made her a little box and filled them with pieces of paper that had memories of our times together. She was very weak then, but my grandfather had told me that they went through the box together. I wish I would have said something sooner, when we could have laughed and cried about those memories together. But hopefully she knew the incredible impact she had on me. She was always the epitome of "nice", and I know she'd be proud to see me today.

Don't neglect to let those in your life know how much they mean to you.

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Assignment: Thank Yourself

Hey folks! Did you have a nice weekend? Mine was lovely. Spent some time with my parents, which is always a great time. Oh, and Rob and I booked a trip to San Francisco for the last week of August (22-28)! I'm so excited! Neither of us have ever been, and it seems like the kind of city we'd love. So I'll be looking forward to that all summer!

I was trying to come up with a new assignment for this week. I know everyone has fun with the Love Lists, and little tasks like that. Today's assignment is along the same lines. Everyone deserves a little thanks, even yourself.

Today's Assignment: Thank Yourself

We could all use a little appreciation. And who tends to be harder on ourselves than, well, ourselves! Take some time this week to write yourself a little thank you note for being wonderful. It can be short and sweet or long and detailed, but either way, it's NICE to give a little thanks.

I went the "short and sweet" route, writing up a quick little thank you note. Just a little something to get me through the day.

You don't have to do this publicly, of course, but if you do, I'd love to see it!

NICE Testimonial: Jan's Mom

Happy Friday! Like I mentioned yesterday, I thought it would be nice to post about our NICE moms today. Last night I received this one from Jan, who designed this gorgeous scrapbook layout in honor of her mother. The text from the page is pasted below the image.


My mom would laugh if I told her that I think she is beautiful. At 86, she has silver hair and many wrinkles. She wears practical clothes and little or no makeup. If you saw her in the grocery you might think she was ordinary. But if you knew her, you would realize she is extraordinary. She’s got what it takes, inside and out.

My mom has lived through the Depression, attended a one-room schoolhouse, and missed out on high school because there was no bus service, and the school was too far away to get to on foot. She has raised four children, seen a son enlist and serve in Vietnam, and lost her husband to cancer. And here’s the one you really need to know about: when my older sister suffered a stroke at age 21 and became paralyzed, my mom rose to the challenge. Thirty-four years later, my mom and sister still live together, and my mom is still her primary caretaker. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Literally.

So if you do see my mom in the grocery, take a good look. I’ll bet you will agree. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?

How sweet is that?! Do you have a NICE mom story that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Testimonial: A Special Mom

It's almost Mother's Day. Do you have something special planned for that special lady in your life? The one who birthed you? I'll be headed home for the weekend to help my mother suffer through her seasonal allergies. I thought it might be a good homage to finish out this week with some mom stories! If you have a NICE Mom testimonial, click here to send me an email, include a photo of you and/or your mom if you have one, and I'll post it tomorrow or Saturday (or save it for later).

Let's start off with this one from Emily, who had some lovely things to say about her mom (pictured below).

I was thinking about your 'operation' and all the niceness I have encountered in my own life. I am blessed to have been mentored by two incredible loving people, commonly known as mom & dad.

The story I would like to share here is something that my mother did years ago that has really left it's mark on me.

My mom isn't someone I would call "nice". I don't mean to sound not nice by saying that but it's true. She's not one of those sticky sweet people that is just always trying to make people feel "good". At the same time, my mother (along with my father) is perhaps the most generous person I have ever met. She is constantly looking for ways to bless other people. The woman could write a book on random acts of kindness. Many of which she had done with no audience the recipient never knowing where the benevolence had come from.

One of my favorite stories though is of her dear friend, Kathy's, moving day. Her friend was moving to the town where my parents lived. My mom agreed to meet the movers at the house to show them where to put what. Kathy & her husband were spending the day and into the night driving to their new hometown with a car full of things. My mother, unbeknownst to Kathy, assembled a small crew of workers. Each box that the movers brought into the house was swiftly unpacked and put away. Dishes were washed, furniture was arranged, pictures hung. When the weary couple arrived that night there was a fire in the fireplace, soft music playing and a full fridge. They were home.

I think it's funny how she said she wouldn't typically call her mom "nice". I sort of feel the same way! My mom can be kind of harsh, tough, blunt. But really, she's the sweetest most generous mom in the world. She did a great job of raising me. Look at how awesome I turned out!

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NICE Tips: 10 Simple Ways to Show Kindness Online

Social Media Rockstar, Brett Borders, posted his 10 Simple Ways to Show Kindness Online. It was so cute that I had to share it!

There are some really interesting points in his post. Just like we always talk about the importance of compliments, and how nice it is to compliment a stranger on the street, the same goes for "virtual strangers," e.g. people who's blogs you read or tweets you follow. So chiming in now and then to say, "Thanks! What a great resource!" or "Very well written, good job!" is thoroughly appreciated. I probably don't have to tell most of you. You are always quick to chime in and say when you enjoy one of my posts! And I'm the luckiest gal to have you all stopping by!

I need to improve on a few of these points. Like responding to everyone. Lord knows I have trouble keeping up with that! But I try to be as nice as possible in the virtual world. I am certainly a serial exclamation mark user, so hopefully my sentences come off as friendly and happy (and not shouty).

I love when people comment on my Tweets, so I need to do the same. Like this morning:

Be sure to check out the 10 Simple Ways to Show Kindness Online and start putting them into effect, if you haven't already!

NICE Assignment: Let it Go

I try to be nice. Really, I do. But one aspect I have trouble with is letting go. I am a professional grudge-holder. It's true. Wrong me once, and I have serious difficulties getting over it. Especially if it involves someone being not-nice. It's like I'm a Niceness Avenger! I still talk about how my teenage arch nemesis threw little crumpled pieces of paper in my hair during English class.

So those of you who stopped by here on Friday night might have seen a post from me regarding my plea for votes, saying how I was going to throw in the towel because another contestant seems to be involved in foul play. (I eventually deleted it.) All weekend it consumed me. I even had a dream that I tracked this girl down and asked her why she's doing this. I'm crazy, I know.

Eventually it became less about winning and more about this other girl NOT winning. Ms. Nice versus Ms. Shady. If you want to see me being not-so-nice, read my vent here.

But you know what? I need to get over it.

Today's Assignment: Let it Go

What good is stressing about it doing me? None. It's just giving me bad sleep, headaches, and chest pains. Over something so silly! Why do I care what someone else is doing? Obviously she must want to win very badly, and maybe she doesn't have all of the luxuries that I do, and this trip would be an amazing experience for her. So she's doing whatever she can to win. Or maybe I really wouldn't have a great time because it will be too hot or too crowded or too much of a hassle, and the universe is protecting me from that. There are many ways to look at the bright side!

In fact, I'm still amazed at how many of you have rallied behind me! So many people have voted and even encouraged other people to vote. It really warms my heart to see that support from you all! So really, as cheesy as it may sound, I'm already the winner! Come on, my nice army is giving an alleged rule-bender a run for her money! How cool is that?!

Don't get me wrong. I'm still going to try. If you haven't voted yet and you'd like to, I'll take all the help I can get! It might not do any good, but at least I'll give it my best shot....legitimately.

But in the meantime, I'm going to let it go. I'm not going to have any more anger building inside of me. In fact, I feel better already! So, do you guys hold grudges? Do you still obsess over something that happened years ago? I'd love to hear your story! Maybe telling it will help you let go!