NICE News: Helping the hungry with Empty Bowls

Students and faculty at the Corcoran College of Art + Design are giving their time (and their talent) to fight hunger in the Washington D.C. area.

NICE Assignment: Have a Merry Christmas!

Can you believe it's Christmas week already??? I can't. This entire year FLEW by! And I suppose since I didn't really have to do any preparation for the holiday, it snuck up on me. I've been so busy lately that I had to settle for a box of holiday cards, meaning no fun Christmas photo this year. But maybe this one will do. :)

Rob and I took this at a photo booth at a roller skating rink on Friday night, so we'll just say this is our holiday picture for the year.

Just a fun little assignment for today. I want you to tell me in the comments here, "What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?"

Mine is definitely decorating my tree. And watching "Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas, which I still haven't done this year. Oh, and singing along to "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses. You'd think that song would get old, but I still love it!

How about you? What makes you smile this time of year???

NICE Testimonial: A Proud Daughter

This testimonial came last week from Summer of Domestic Nest. It reminds me to appreciate the kindness in those that are close to us.

This story brings tears to my eyes because it's about my dad. I think every girl is extra inspired to see her dad spreading kindness. Chivalry and selflessness from the men we love and admire makes it seem like everything in the world will be OK, no matter the circumstances. Here goes...

My dad has a 94-year-old aunt, Irene. Irene embodies peace and kindness and has spent nearly a century spreading hope to those around her. To sit in her gentle, loving presence feels like being transported to a place without worry or sadness. Irene lives in an assisted living home and relies on others for much of her daily care. My dad visits her regularly and goes out of his way to make certain she is happy and comfortable. Every Christmas, he makes her Holiday cards. He digitally designs them with great attention to detail, adding a photo of her face along with her requested salutation. He waits patiently as she personally signs each card and then he addresses and mails them for her. His thoughtfulness enables Irene stay connected with her family and friends. The best part is how such kindness grows exponentially as it is passed from one person to the next. I will use my dad's example to think of ways I can help people to know they are loved and I will cherish Irene's card when I find it in the mailbox.

Summer's dad is a real hero! It's easy to let our busy lives get in the way of something important. Luckily Summer's dad has his priorities in order! Way to go!

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

NICE Testimonial: Shelter from the Storm

Happy Friday! For those of you in the Mid-Atlantic area, are you preparing for the snow? I'm kind of upset at Mother Nature because I had a big holiday party planned for tomorrow evening, but it looks like I'm most likely going to have to postpone until mid-January. Drat! But I suppose that means more pigs in a blanket for me!

I received this testimonial from Marjolein in Amsterdam, and it just emphasizes how annoying weather can be. :) And how a nice stranger can turn a crappy day around in an instant.

Last Friday I (a college student) was going home to my parents, and when I got off the train, it was raining cats and dogs. My umbrella was at the bottom of my bag and reaching for it would only result in getting all of my stuff soaked, so I decided to just hurry home. My parents live in a pretty small town, so it's not a really long walk (But long enough for the rain to drench your coat completely.)

So anyway, when I was rushing home, all the people surrounding me had apparently been smart enough to keep their umbrellas at the ready when getting off the train. Then, the guy walking in front of me, carrying a particularly large umbrella, turned around and offered to share his umbrella with me. This surprised me a bit because even though it's a small town, it's not the kind of small town with a lot of small town charm. Random acts of kindness are pretty rare. I took him up on his offer and it turned out we were headed for the same street, so we made some small talk while he held up the umbrella to keep me dry.

It may not have been a huge and life changing act of kindness, but it's the little things that matter. (Besides, how often does it happen to a girl that a random guy offers her something without ulterior motives?)

I felt like sharing this, because it goes to show how even the smallest things can make your day.

Now if only someone could save me from the snow tomorrow!

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

NICE News: The Harmonica Man

The other day I received an email from NICE reader Amy H. with a link to this news story from CBS Nightly News. I had goose-bumps the entire time I read it. Andy Mackie wanted to spend his final days doing something special. Well, days turned into years, and Andy has been giving the gift of music to thousands of children all the while. It's such a beautiful story. You can watch the video below.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

NICE Site; A FiveOh4 Uplifting

Thanks for everyone's comments so far on the previous post regarding what charities you support! Wow, you are all very passionate and generous people. Two of you alerted me to the Postage Drive currently being run by fellow nice blogger Tabitha (and family) of A FiveOh4 Uplifting.


Here is how Tabitha describes A FiveOh4 Uplifting:
A mission ran by my family and I for the sole purpose of "Spreading Smiles Worldwide" to all children and adults in need of an uplifting. We strongly believe in Acts of Kindness!

She and her family create wonderful goody bags for "Children in Hospitals, Children and Adults battling (ANY) Illness Or Disability, Children and Women living in homeless shelters." Shipping charges alone can become quite expensive, so Tabitha is running a Postage Drive to keep her mission going. As an even bigger incentive, donate $5 to her cause and be entered in a raffle to win one of three prizes! The raffle ends this Saturday night, so get your donation (set up easily through Paypal) in now!

Support Tabitha in her quest to spread smiles one goody bag at a time!

NICE Assignment: Where do you give?

Hi guys! I have an easy assignment for all of you today. Christmas is just about here, and instead of exchanging gifts with Rob's family and my family, we're going to be making charitable donations. So we've been going back and forth regarding which non-profits we should send our money to.

Last year we gave primarily to Heifer International. And I also sent in a contribution to Children for Children. My parents made a donation in my name through World Vision. And in the past I've given to The Humane Society and the Rainforest Action Network.

Also, my company does a campaign with the United Way, and through there, I make payroll deductions to two local charities that support the youth of Camden, NJ.

Today's Assignment: Where do you give?

I want to know where you give! Rob and I are making our final decisions as to where to put our money this holiday season. I'm not sure if any of you out there are doing the same sort of thing, but now is your time to share with my readers which non-profit(s) you support and why. You've heard (well, read) my favorites above!

We're really torn this year. We're thinking about splitting our donation between a national/international non-profit and something local, but we're not sure which direction to go in. I think we could all benefit from sharing our thoughts on this subject, don't you?

NICE Stuff: Philanthropist Boutique

It's no secret that I LOVE shopping. When my husband and I moved into our new home nearly two years ago, I claimed the walk-in closet in the master bedroom as solely my own, and it's packed. So when I found a shop with the tagline, "Where fashion meets philanthropy", I was immediately smitten! And that was before I saw the fabulous merchandise!

Located in the Presidio Heights section of San Francisco, Philanthropist Boutique donates 100% of their profits to Bay area charities.



They have some fantastic designer clothing and accessories. I really wish I had an excuse (and the funds) to buy this dress. So cute.

I love discovering socially conscious businesses. It's almost an excuse to shop, like I need one. :) Check out their website their website, and if you're in the San Francisco area, drop by!

NICE Testimonial: Another One Rides the Bus

My lovely friend Laura forwarded me a link to a fellow blogging resident of Pittsburgh who shared a beautiful testimonial about a man with a warm heart and a warm bus.

This morning marked my first glimpse of snowflakes this season, and the windchill that came with it was not to be ignored. I was a good doobie, and walked by my car on the way to the bus stop as quickly as I could. Though the wall of wind that greeted me when I turned the corner onto Forbes Avenue seemed to be pushing my back to my still-warm bed, I shuffled along.

My lucky stars must have woken up in the cold as well; the heated 61C pulled into the stop just as I crossed the street. I jumped on and flopped immediately to the bench at the front of the bus — lucky again! — and tried to coax the blood to come back to my fingertips. We didn’t move for almost a minute, very unusual during busy weekday mornings, and I realized that the bus driver was waiting for another passenger to make it across the street.

I’ve encountered my fair share of bus drivers over the years, but even the nice ones who wish you a good day on your way out rarely wait for stragglers. They say there’s [almost] always another bus behind them and they’re often already behind schedule. I’m happy to report that this morning was very different. This sympathetic bus driver stopped to wait for hurried but cold passengers, even once in the middle of a block to scoop up an underdressed student. He must have taken pity on us Pittsburghers who haven’t quite acclimated to the bitter cold yet this season … global warming, you know.

On behalf of freezing pedestrians everywhere, thank you Mr. Bus Driver. You made me smile this morning, and kept us warm just a little bit longer.

Wonderful! As someone who has had a bus pull away as I was running to it, I can greatly appreciate what this bus driver is doing. I'll bet he made a lot of Pittsburgh residents very happy that day!

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

NICE News: Pay It Forward in Philadelphia

My friend Emily sent me a link to this news video this morning. It warmed my heart! People might not think that Philadelphia is a very kind city, but this story could make those people reevaluate.

You know how there are stories about someone paying for a person at a drive-thru Starbucks and the kind gesture goes on for hours? That's exactly what happened in a Philadelphia diner.


I couldn't embed the video so click here or the photo above to watch the story.

NICE Campaign: The Angel Giving Tree

Happy Friday!! Yes, I missed a post yesterday, but I'll make up for it with two today. I really appreciate you guys sending me testimonials and links to help me meet my "29 posts in 29 days" challenge! You don't even know how much that helps me out! This is the reason I didn't get a chance to post last night:



I finally got around to putting up my tree! It's always an important tradition of mine. I feel like it brings me close to my grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. This is her tree, and she had more holiday spirit than the rest of my family put together. It's difficult going through the holidays without her, but every year she's the inspiration for my tree, and when I look at it, I remember the time we had together. :)

I'm a little late with this post, and I wish I would have gotten to it sooner. But there's still time to help! The Salvation Army launched an initiative called The Angel Giving Tree Online Program. On their website, you can choose an "angel" (a needy child or senior) and make their holiday brighter by sending them a gift. Unfortunately December 9th was the last day to order gifts, but you have until Monday, December 14 to purchase a JCPenny Gift Card for your chosen angel!



I signed up for a 2 year old boy in Philadelphia who wants a rocking horse for Christmas. So I'm going to send him a gift card that can buy him this:



There are plenty of angels out there that could use a Santa Claus of their own. Please consider helping!

NICE Video: The World Is Just Awesome

I just got home from a crazy busy day, but I had to squeeze a quick post in. I had been meaning to share this for a while. My husband and I are big fans of The Discovery Channel. And every time I see one of these commercials, I get goose bumps! It makes me so happy!


The World Is Just Awesome : Discovery Channel

Posted using ShareThis

So, what do you love? :)

NICE Testimonial: Nicest Customer Ever

I received a few messages from my Call for Testimonials, but I'd love some more if you have them. They always make me smile. Much like this one, which came from Krista of the blog Look Ma No Patterns!

I'm a waitress. One day I was serving an elderly customer. She was alone, and very old. Midway through her meal, a man in another section stopped me to tell me he wanted to pay for her lunch. He paid for it, and the woman was very pleased when I surprised her with the news after she was finished eating. The man came in a few weeks later, and I thought what he did was so nice, that I paid for his meal. :) My shift was over shortly after that so I went home for the day. About half an hour later, I got a phone call from a co-worker telling me that the man came back with a bouquet of flowers for me. We always loves when he comes in. He is very polite, respectful, and smiles at everybody which is something we servers need every once in a while. Every time he comes in, we always refer to him as "the nicest customer ever."

How wonderful is that? There's so much kindness in that one testimonial that I can barely take it! Nice customers are impossible to forget. I still remember a few that I had when I was a hostess for a few months back in 1999. Maybe we should all try to be one of those unforgettable customers.

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

NICE Assignment: Write a Letter to Santa

Hi everyone! Well, I've been keeping up with my blog posts. I did miss one on Saturday because I had three events to attend that day which had me out of the house from 10:30 am until 2:30 am the next morning. But I made up for it with an extra on Sunday. I'm determined!

I thought this assignment from last year was really a lot of fun, so I'm recycling it.

Today's Assignment: Write a Letter to Santa

I could really just copy and paste most of my list from last year because those things I've asked for still ring true. Although I did get Rock Band 2 and a nightstand! Two of them, in fact! But here's my new list for this year.

Dear Santa,

How's it going? I'm sure you're swamped, what with the holidays quickly approaching. Hopefully you'll have some time to review my list and consider making all my holiday dreams come true! Like I mentioned last year, the all-important stuff like world peace are a given. If you could get that done, I'd be greatly appreciative. But there are a few extra things I'd like.

1. Willpower — I don't even have enough willpower to remember to take a vitamin everyday. So when it comes to anything requiring routine, I tend to slip up. I bought that Cardio Funk work out DVD (hehe) and I'd love to actually have the determination to use it. So if you could spare a little, that'd be helpful!


2. Health — I know this actually starts with me, but I have the worst health habits, and I need to fix that. Perhaps this goes along with willpower, but I need the motivation specifically to change up my diet. Big Macs are not my friend!


3. A birthday party — I turn 30 this year, and I'd love it if I could have a get together with my friends.


4. A great job for my dad — He's been out of work for quite a while now. My mom, in particular, is stressed out about the situation, and I want them to be comfortable and worry-free. I know the economy isn't doing so great, but my dad is the smartest, most-hardworking guy I know.


5. A Pavement concert — They reunited to do four shows in NYC, but I'm hoping they tour so I can see them in Philly!


6. A winning basketball season for Rob — Coaching middle school girls' basketball has been a ton of fun for Rob. He cares about his team so much, and I know he really wants them to succeed.


7. A finished sketchbook — Obviously I gave up on my 160 Pages, but I'd like to try it out again this January. So if I could have a little bit of inspiration so I could fill a sketchbook, that'd be awesome!


8. Another full year of Operation NICE — I've been so lucky to have this blog, and I want to continue it for many years to come. Just help me get through the next one!


9. A clear vision — I'm nearly 30 and I don't know what I want to do with my life. A little insight would be great.

Well, I guess that's about it. Oh, and since you were so kind as to bring me Rock Band 2 last year, how about DJ Hero this year?

Thanks so much, Santa!
Melissa

So, do you think Santa reads my blog?? I hope so!

Call for Testimonials! (And one of my own.)

Hi guys! I haven't received too many submissions for testimonials lately, so I figured I'd put a call out for some. Can you think of something nice someone has done for you lately? Or something nice you witnessed? Or even something nice you've done? Send in your tales and I'd love to share them with everyone! If you're so inclined, include a photo of yourself with your story so we can all get to know one another. :) Surely you have an anecdote in your arsenal.

Click here to send me an email with your NICE Testimonial!

And because I don't like to ask for anything I wouldn't do myself, here's a little testimonial of my own.

Yesterday I was at a party chatting with my friends, Justin and Alycia, seen here in their full glory. Alycia was telling me that they remembered my little neighborhood food drive that I did last year, and it prompted them to do their own! They printed out letters and stuffed them in their neighbors' mailboxes along with paper bags to fill. And at a specific date and time, they collected the goods and dropped them off at a local food drive. I was so surprised! Although I shouldn't have been, because they are fabulous and generous people. I only associate with the best. :) Alycia is already planning how she can make it even bigger and better next year!

This was just what I needed to hear because I was debating whether or not to do a second annual food drive in my own neighborhood. I was thinking about how I didn't want to seem bothersome, and I don't want my neighbors to see me as that girl that bugs them annually for canned foods. But Justin and Alycia were right. People shouldn't be upset at a person trying to do a good deed. It's kind of funny because my food drive inspired theirs, and their food drive is inspiring me to do another!

So my testimonial is recognizing my thoughtful friends, who made a difference in their community and also encouraged me to get off my butt and do something good. Thanks guys!

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

NICE Stuff: GiveCard

Holiday shopping has become so much easier since the popularization of the gift card. I'm all for sentimental gifts, but as a fanatic shopper, I love receiving gift cards! Free shopping? Okay! My husband does all of his holiday shopping at two stores. Barnes & Noble, and the gift card rack at the local grocery store. It's definitely a widespread trend.

Well, I've found the perfect gift card for the person looking to give something a bit more meaningful this year. It's the GiveCard®! It has all of the magic and splendor of a regular Visa gift card, but it also comes with a charitable donation that the recipient gives to the charity of their choosing.

The GiveCard has the convenience of a gift card but with a more personal touch. The giver selects the donation amount starting at $5. The recipient activates the card and donates the pre-selected amount to a charity of their choosing, and spends the rest of the card amount anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.

You move the little slider to determine how much of the card goes toward cash and how much goes toward a donation:


I think this idea rocks! Don't you? The recipient gets the great feeling of making a charitable donation and still gets a little sumthin sumthin of their own when they're done! :) I've already been making a list of who I can get these for.

Click here to check out more details about the GiveCard!

NICE Chit Chat: Holiday Gift Ideas

Hi guys! Look at this, third day in a row. I'm on a roll! :) Today's post comes courtesy of of reader Alison, aka blog commenter AlisonBNice. Love that! Alison emailed me the other day with a great idea. Obviously we're smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. Our families and friends aren't the only ones that deserve some Christmas cheer. There are countless charitable organizations and folks in need that are struggling right now.

Alison's gym collects for Toys for Tots, so she was shopping around for some gifts to contribute. Here's what she found:

I was in Walmart yesterday and knowing that giving is tight due to the recession and so therefore need is greater I decided instead of buying two more expensive gifts I would see how far I could spread the presents and yet still give gifts kids would love. Walmart had $5 stuffed animals that were adorable and actually had a note about saving animals attached and they had a few $5 games like CandyLand (a big favorite with the littlest game players in our family) - so I bought 3 stuffed animals (cat, dog, frog that are super soft) and 3 games (candyland a jenga substitute and another I can't recall) and will get 3 art supply kits at another store.

She suggested that maybe we start a list of where people can find great affordable gifts to donate. It's no secret that times are tough. It would be terrible if participation in great campaigns like Toys for Tots suffers because of that. As Alison discovered, contributing doesn't have to break the bank. We just have to give smarter.

So thanks to Alison's tip, we know we can get great games and stuffed animals at Walmart. Candyland for $5?? I'm all over that! I'm curious where the art supply kits are from! Anyone else have any ideas to share?

NICE Testimonial: Operation NICE in Australia

Somebody in Australia is spreading the NICE! I received an email from Meagan last night that said, "Thank you for my flower today it was very nice :) made my day a whole lot better and i think it is wonderful what you are doing."

Well gosh, I haven't handed out flowers since July. Hmmm.

Then I received a blog comment from "hannaandmatt" that read, "I just received a flower at work (Brisbane city) with a label attached with Operation Nice on it and Pass it on. Love it. Thanks! It has been passed on and is most likely making it's way around the whole floor before heading to other floors in our company!!"

Sounds like the Operation NICE flower tags I made for our one year anniversary. A NICE person out there must have passed out flowers in support of Operation NICE!

Well, thanks to a tweet, I have discovered their identities! It's Katy (left) and and Felicity (right) of Brisbane who wanted to cheer up their already pretty sweet city!



Read the entire story of their mission here.

Thanks to a generous flower man who donated gorgeous multi-colored carnations to their cause, they made up adorable tags of their own and spent a lovely afternoon making the people of Brisbane smile. Just as I had back in July, they ran into some skeptics, but overall had a fantastic afternoon.

A message for Katy and Felicity:
THANK YOU! I'm so thrilled that the niceness is being spread all over the world. And judging by the two messages I've already received, I'm not the only one that is grateful! YOU ROCK! As if I needed any motivation to keep up with this blog, your "flower-giving lunchtime stroll" is it. I wish I could have been there with you!

NICE Stuff: Post-it Bracelet

You guys are the best! Thank you all so much for the kind words regarding my last post! Reading things like that pushes me to continue with this project. I am so grateful to have you around!

Kristine gave me a wonderful challenge. Since I was blogging about 29 days of giving, she encouraged me to give you all 29 Operation NICE blog posts in 29 days! It's ambitions, especially since I've never really blogged on the weekends. But maybe I'll just have to double up on some days. I can do it!

I'm starting off with a NICE Stuff post for you, courtesy of my friend Alycia, who sent me a link to these fabulous Post-it Bracelets by Heather Belle. Heather created these line of bracelets because she says, "I’ve always needed daily reminders to keep me on track and get me through the day." And when a tiny, sticky piece of paper just won't do, why not try a fashionable piece of jewelry?

While they are all lovely, one in particular jumped out at me.


Love it! Heather writes:
Try it everyday, in every situation, and everywhere you go. It’s contagious. You never know, one day the stranger that you were nice to just might hold the keys to your cage.

This would make a great holiday gift for the nice person in your life. Or maybe someone you think needs a little reminder to be nicer. :)

Well, there ya have it. 1 down, 28 to go!

NICE News: Giving Is Good for your Health

As you can tell, I took over a week off from blogging. I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut. Creatively. Professionally. Motivationally. I can't complain! Life is great! I'm not going through any drama or anything. But I feel like I need to explain why I haven't been around. I'm not quite sure why, but I feel like Operation NICE has been losing a bit of steam. Maybe it's because I'm distracted. Maybe it's because I feel like there's been less participation. I don't know. Tell me I'm wrong, please! Tell me I'm crazy and I need to get my butt in gear and start blogging again!!

I saw this article in Facebook today and had to share. It's about Cami, the fabulous founder of the 29-Day Giving Challenge. This NY Times article explains how giving is good for your health. Volunteerism, generosity, helping others can all have positive effects on a person's well-being.



And I thought this was pretty interesting:
By contrast, being self-centered may be damaging to health. In one study of 150 heart patients, researchers found that people in the study who had more “self-references” (those who talked about themselves at length or used more first-person pronouns) had more severe heart disease and did worse on treadmill tests.

Check out the article and get into the spirit of giving!