NICE Tips: Support the Competition

The other day I received a really cool email from Laci of Zigs-Zags with a tip for being nice.

So, I like to buy handmade stuff. It supports small businesses, it supports locally, and it supports "the little guy" in general. I love Etsy.com! (I myself have a shop on there ;D).

It can be hard for handmade artists, trying to make a living, or ANYTHING at all. Any help they can get is super appreciated. Amidst my handmade buying frenzy, I acquired TONS of business cards. A lot of the times sellers gave me more than one. I held on to them for the longest time, until I realized, I should DO something with them! (after all, I would want someone to spread the word about MY shop If my buyers really liked my stuff!)

I found a way to not only recycle, but to help these handmade comrades as well. From that moment on any business cards I received through my purchases went straight into my purse. Every time I made a trip to the store one or two of those cards would end up on a bulletin board somewhere for someone to find.

I also made it a point to help anyone who needed some direction or advice on their shop. I found one woman who I not only gave some advice, but also provided web addresses to help, and also started a forum thread to get her even MORE help. I have done that sort of thing several times now, and I never get bored with that.It just feels to darn GOOD to stop! They are always so gracious of my help, and I am always so honored to do that for them.

People might think it is strange that I would help the competition. I don't think of them as competition, just friends I haven't met yet! I am myself having a hard time selling my wares, but that doesn't stop me from being courteous to my "online" neighbor. I may not really make any sales from doing this...(although I HAVE made ONE :D) I definitly HAVE made friends, and for me, that is worth all the effort.

I think that's awesome! I've had people ask me about Operation NICE competition. Wha?? There's no such thing as competition! The more people spreading the word, the better. And the more people supporting handmade, the better! I tend to inadvertently collect business cards as well, and I never thought about posting them somewhere for others to find. What a great idea! Thanks Laci!

NICE Photo: You tell 'em, Mickey!

I was in NYC this past weekend for a friend's birthday and to see the Tim Burton exhibit a the MoMA (which was AWESOME, by the way), and I had to stop in my most favoritest store in the world....Uniqlo. It's kind of like an H&M for Asians, which is perfect for me since, being half Asian, all of their narrow clothing fit me to a tee. And since there is only one of them in the entire United States, I stock up when I visit.

Getting off track!

Anyway, I wandered into Uniqlo last Saturday and right by the front door I saw this shirt!



If they had it in my size, I would have picked one up! But it's so true. I think most people think that by being nice, they have to let their guard down, and allow themselves to be walked all over. Not the case! There are plenty of strong nice folks out there! I'm a tad bit on the wimpy side myself, but nevertheless! Mickey is right!

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

NICE Assignment: Send a Postcard

I have to admit to you all, I sucked at the last assignment. I really wanted to be a better listener. And sometimes when I was midst conversation, I was able to ask more questions and keep the focus on the other person. But it is SUCH a tough habit to get into. It's just so easy to tell stories of personal experiences! Did anyone else have as much trouble as I did? But anyway, it'll be something I need to work on.

Because last week was such a challenge, I thought I'd make this week a bit easier. :) That's me being selfish. Haha!

When I was a kid, I started collecting postcards. Everywhere I went, I'd grab two or three or thirty. Eventually I had a collection of more than 1,000 postcards, some in an album, some in a box. To this day, my grandfather still saves them for me and sends them my way. Who doesn't love getting a postcard in the mail? Well, why wait until a vacation to let someone know that you wish they were there?

Today's Assignment: Send a Postcard

I have quite a few friends and family members that don't live within driving distance. I think it'd be nice (and simple) to pick up a postcard from my home state of New Jersey, or maybe my work city of Philadelphia, and drop a little love in the mail. C'mon, it doesn't even require licking an envelope! And it's good because it really limits you to a few sentences. I have a tendency to ramble. Like you guys don't know that!

I'm going to try to find the cheesiest postcards I can! Hopefully it'll put a smile on the faces of my friends and family! Want to join me for a little postal campaign to spread kindness to our loved ones? If so, let me know how many you plan on sending out and to who! I'll shoot for a minimum of five, and if I'm ambitious I'll do more. Happy writing!

NICE Giveaway #15: And the winner is!

Just got home from my final book arts class, and I knew I had to squeeze in the Night Owl Paper Goods drawing before I even put on my pajamas. So I asked you guys who you would send three thank you note to, and the results were fabulous! You all certainly have a lot to be thankful for! I hope your significant others realize how appreciated they are. :)

But onto the winner. There were 61 entries into the drawing, and I used my old time friend, the Random Integer Generator to pick a comment for me. The winner of the Sunny Happy Thoughts Jotter and a set of Danish Deco Rosette Sunny thank you notes is..........


Comment #43 is My Owl Barn who said "Lovely giveaway! I'll send one to my mom (who lives thousands of miles away), one to my hubby (who makes my everyday special) and my sister (who gives me her unconditional support)."

WOOHOO! Congratulations to you! And I hope that you use those thank you notes wisely! Click here to send me an email with your contact info so I can forward it along.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

No sir! The kind folks at Night Owl Paper Goods are so generous that they are offering a 15% discount to Operation NICE readers through the end of the month! WHOOPIE! Just use the coupon code "operationnice" when you check out. I know I'm going to make good use of that coupon code.

Thank you to everyone who participated! And a special thank you to Night Owl Paper Goods for sponsoring the giveaway AND providing everyone with a special discount!

NICE Photo: Store Window

This past Saturday was a gorgeous day in my neck of the woods, so my parents visited for the day and I took them to the adorable town of Collingswood, NJ. We grabbed some lunch, got some coffee, and wandered around the main street, peering into shop windows.

Just before we got back to the car, I noticed a used book store (The Book Trader). I'm sure I had been in there with my book-obsessed husband in the past. Not wanting to keep my parents waiting, I just glanced inside to see if anything caught my eye. Well, something did!!! I stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed the Operation NICE sign hanging in the window! WHA?!

After squealing to my parents, I peeked my head inside and saw a woman sitting behind the counter. She said, "Oh, do you like the sign?" I told her, "That's MY sign! It's for my website!" She told me that the owner, who wasn't there at the time, hung it up last year. I'm still so stunned by the fact that I saw Operation NICE at work in public! It made me feel so proud. My husband Rob suggested that I send the shop owner a thank you note. Great idea!

On an unrelated note, the 2010love folks updated their etsy shop, in case you were looking for a size that they didn't have listed yesterday. :)

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

NICE Campaign: 2010love

Last week I saw a post on the Operation NICE Facebook page from Tiffany, alerting me to her campaign 2010love.

It was started by the Handshoe Design Collaborative and is all about promoting positivity and love.

From their site:
We’ve made the decision to be present in our thoughts, our business and our lives with a dedication to creating positive change, one tiny step at a time. Collectively, small changes can make a remarkable difference, and if everyone took a moment to reevaluate the simple choices they make everyday, the world quite possibly, could be a better place.

One of the ways they are doing this is by selling 100% organic 2010love tees with a fabulous logo that I could NOT resist! This may be the design geek in me talking, but it's BRILLIANT! So I went ahead and ordered one from their etsy shop.

And here I am sporting my new 2010love tee! It's beautiful!



So please visit the 2010love site, and take their advice. Love what matters.

NICE Assignment: Be a Better Listener

Wow, what a gorgeous weekend we had in my area! I love being able to walk outside without a coat! My parents came to visit me, and I let my mother read the living eulogy that I wrote for her last week. She gave me a big hug for that. :) Also, I seem to be experiencing a very unusual lucky streak. I'd like to hope this has something to do with karma, but I keep winning contests! I even won the first part of the NCAA pool at my husband's school for having the most teams in the Sweet Sixteen....and I probably know the LEAST about college basketball! But I will ride out this good-luck-wave as long as possible. I even won Powerball! (Okay, I had two numbers and won $4, but still!)

Today's assignment is going to be nearly as difficult as not complaining. I mentioned in my post the other day about The Power of NICE that I really need to work on my listening skills. I think it has something to do with my avoidance of uncomfortable silences, but I've really noticed that I blab about myself WAY TOO MUCH. Oh, you're telling me about your house? Well, let me tell you about MY house. Oh, you were in marching band in high school? Let me tell you about MY experience with high school marching band.

What I've learned is that sometimes it's better to shut up and listen!

Today's Assignment: Be a Better Listener

I could be missing out on learning something new if I keep flapping my gums! And I also have to really listen because I'm that person that forgets your name as soon as you say it because I'm thinking about something else, like trying to remember my own name. I need to ask more questions. Stop interrupting. Make eye contact. All that great stuff.

Livestrong has a great article on improving listening skills, including roadblocks to effective listening. I enjoy their "Reasons to Improve Listening Skills" because they really show that being kind and being a good listener go hand in hand.

So this week I'm going to try to keep quiet and let everyone else do the talking. With my husband, that's easy. I can barely get a word in edgewise! Hmm, I wonder if that's the reason I'm so chatty about myself with other people. It's like I'm starved for self-centered conversation! Haha! But anyway, I'm going to make this week about other people. And maybe I'll learn a thing or two.

Starting now! So, what do YOU think about that? ;)

Flashback Friday!

Hi guys! Are you experiencing the weather I am?? It is 70° and sunny! It's too bad that the only way I know that is by visiting weather.com and not actually by enjoying it first hand. But there's always tomorrow! Since I am drowning in work today (repeat to self: job security, job security) I thought it might be fun to reuse, I mean, reminisce on an older blog post.

I know some of you have been around since the beginning of this site, almost two years ago. But for those of you who haven't, you missed out on some fabulous stuff! Unless of course you've visited the archives. In that case, thank you. :) But for today, I thought I'd link to the first Testimonial posted on Operation NICE, back on July 18, 2008. It features a topic near to my heart....road rage.

Check it out!

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

NICE Giveaway: Night Owl Paper Goods

I am so thrilled to be doing another giveaway this week! And even more exciting, it's sponsored by one of my absolute favorite online shops, Night Owl Paper Goods!

Based out of "Owlabama," Night Owl Paper Goods creates "handmade letterpress cards and eco-chic wooden goodies." You might remember that I showed off their wooden calendar in my March Love List post. Their products are so original and adorable!

Aside from their stock of fabulous items, they also design custom orders and will even print your own design on their wooded cards! I wish I knew about that when I was getting married, because I'm sure receiving a wooden invitation in the mail would have knocked everyone's socks off. I guess I'll just have to renew my vows at some point.

In addition to being innovative, talented, and brilliant people, the crew at Night Owl Paper Goods are also extremely NICE! Especially for you wonderful people, they are offering up these goodies for a giveaway. A Sunny Happy Thoughts Jotter and a set of Danish Deco Rosette Sunny thank you notes (to encourage positive thinking and gratitude, of course)!



How to Win the Giveaway:
All you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me THREE people that you would send one of these lovely "thank you" notes to. Simple! The giveaway will end next Thursday, March 25th, at 8 p.m. ET. Good luck!!!

As for me, well, I'd send one to my Starbucks baristas for always making me smile in the morning (and drawing cute pictures on my cup), one to my husband for doing my laundry and picking up after my messes, and one to the fine folks at Night Owl Paper Goods for making this giveaway possible!

NICE Stuff: The Power of Nice

I mentioned to you guys last week that I was lucky enough to score a copy of The Power of Nice written by two of my favorite nice people, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, at a used bookstore. I took some time this past rainy weekend to read a bit, and I ended up getting through the entire book in two sittings! I found myself nodding my head as I went through each section, as if Linda and Robin could see my agreement. :)

The best part is knowing that they used the concept of kindness to propel themselves to immense success in their industry. So you don't need to be cutthroat. You don't need to step on others' backs. It gives me hope that I can succeed in life being good ole nice gal Melissa. The anecdotes included in the story are inspiring, including one about Linda's son's honesty which made me tear up! The book gave me some fabulous ideas for ways that my current company could approach our clients (and prospective clients) differently, and I'm going to encourage my superiors to read it as well!

There are also little "Nice Cubes," which are exercises that I may have to borrow for future NICE Assignments. I noticed one area I need to work on. The chapter about listening. I've realized throughout the last few months that I really can't help but talk about myself. I don't know if it's overcompensation for my shyness, but in conversations, someone will mention something that reminds me of a story about something in my own life. And yeah, it's good to share, but sometimes it's better to listen. Like they said in the book, I can't learn anything new if I'm not listening.

Another thing I picked up on in the book is how great it must be to work at Linda and Robin's agency. To know your superiors put such great value on kindness has to feel great. So yeah, uh, Linda and Robin, if you ever find yourself in need of a designer, you know where to find me! :)

Click here to pick up a copy for yourself!

NICE Testimonial: Honoring an Anonymous Elf

Hi guys! Having a good day? This week is a busy one for me, but a forecast of sunshine should help me get through it! Plus the extra hour of daylight is a nice treat. Now I can resist the urge of putting my pajamas on when I get home from work at 6pm.

Today's testimonial comes from a reader who preferred to remain anonymous, much like the kind, generous person in her story. It's pretty incredible.

Many years ago my first husband was dying of pancreatic cancer. We had two very young children. Christmas was coming, I had just finished my Master's degree days before the diagnosis, I could find only part time work, and the bills were mountainous. My husband's health benefits were not as good as we thought they were. We were on the road to losing our home and I was having a hard time purchasing food for our family. Christmas was looking very dark emotionally and financially -- and another surgery was scheduled just before the holidays. Christmas Eve the kids decided to play outside. To our amazement we found several laundry sized baskets of food on our doorstep along with one basket full of Christmas gifts for my children. To this day I have never found out who left them there. The baskets of food continued once a week through the month after my husband died and I found a full time job.

To honor that person or the people who were so generous and gave of their hearts, I have tried every year to do something special for children during and after the holidays. Now that my current husband and I own a business, we are including our customers for an annual event to make toys for children. This past year a Boy Scout decided to use our venue to earn his Community Service award toward his Eagle level. He coordinated a toy making activity among his peers and constructed 78 toys to donate!

NICE does spread. Sometimes slowly. One person at a time. But it happens with amazement!

It's wonderful that she has used that kind gesture as inspiration to pass it on! Now hopefully the recipients of her kind acts will do the same, and so on and so on! :)

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 Living Eulogy

Hi everyone! Did you have a lovely weekend? I did! The weather was kind of crummy, so I spent most of the weekend indoors. I was able to accomplish a lot of chores, finally. And I even read an awesome book that I'll talk more about later. :)

So how did your week of no complaining go? I had a tough time! I never realized how often I complained about silly little things. I even had a pretty awesome week, so it should have been easy! But being aware of my negative comments definitely helped me evaluate my attitude. I'm going to try my best to stick with it!

I was poking around Twitter last night before bed, and I came across a tweet from one of my favorite tweeps, Diana of our.city.lights. that said, "People always say the greatest things about you at a funeral. Why can't life be celebrated everyday like this?" So true! And then I remembered back to an assignment I had in my 10th grade Creative Writing and Speech class, which was to give a eulogy to someone living. I thought this could be a great assignment for the week!

Today's Assignment: Write a Living Eulogy

Diana is right. We need to celebrate the amazing people in our lives while they are still around to feel appreciated! So pick a person that you feel needs to be praised, and write them a living eulogy! It doesn't have to be too long. Just a little something honoring that special someone. Here's mine:

Warm and loving are not usually the first two words that usually come to mind when people meet my mother. She tends to come across as a little, well, gruff. You definitely do not want to mess with her. Despite barely breaking 100 lbs, this is a woman that once broke a beer bottle and threatened to stab a man that stole her purse. She can negotiate anything with no fear, usually convincing salesmen to give her extra discounts or free gifts. And as her daughter, I knew that if I broke any of her (strict but reasonable) rules, I was in for it.

But I also saw a side of her that most people would never discover. She ALWAYS put her child and her husband's needs before her own. Every morning she woke up early, made lunches for me and my father, prepared breakfast, even started my dad's car on cold mornings so it would be nice and toasty when he left for work. My father and I had it easy. She kept the house spotless, always had dinner on the table at 6:30, folded the most perfect creases in our clothes. If I whined about waiting at the bus stop in the rain, she'd get dressed and drive me to school. She really was Super Mom.

Her generosity is immeasurable. When I was young, I used to wake up in the middle of the night with terrible growing pains in my legs. All I would have to do is whimper, and less than a minute later, my mom would be at my bedside, massaging my legs. Sacrificing her own sleep, she wouldn't leave until she knew I'd get mine. And the next morning, she would never complain or make me feel guilty. For my mother, taking care of her family is her purpose in life.

Even now, as a 29 year old woman, I know that I can't call my mother when I'm sick or she'd pack up a cooler of food and be at my house in 90 minutes! So I usually wait until I'm getting over the flu to call her in order to save her the trip. In her eyes, I'm still her baby.

I could have never gotten to where I am today without her support. She wanted me to have everything, and she encouraged me to take whatever lessons or classes I wanted. She went to all of my recitals and school events. And she always wanted me to know that she was my biggest cheerleader, sometimes to a fault. Like that one time in 9th grade when I was marching in the Halloween Parade, and my mom thought that it would be "cool" to walk alongside me for the entire parade route while pumping her fist like Arsenio Hall. A little embarrassing, yes. But looking back on it, that was pretty awesome of her.

So I'd like to take this moment to celebrate my own personal superstar. My role model. My inspiration. My mother! Thanks Mom!

I hope you'll all play along!

NICE Giveaway #14: And the winner is!

It's time for a video blog! I haven't done one in quite a while. Feel free to compare with previous ones and see how I've aged. :)

Want to find out who won the copy of Change the World, Change Your Life: Discover Your Life Purpose Through Service? Well, you're going to have to watch and find out!


(Haha! Nice freeze frame!)

If you're the winner, click here to send me an email with your contact info. Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who participated!

I love doing giveaways for my readers, so if you are a "nice" business owner and would like to sponsor a giveaway on Operation NICE, please click here and send me an email.

NICE Stuff: Gratitude! iPhone App

One of my designer pals, Christian M., posted in Facebook yesterday, "I'm grateful that I have an iPhone app that allows me to sit down, once a day to write down (type more like it) my gratitude for the gifts, love and challenges I have in my life. It's called 'Gratitude!' if you're wondering." So of course I had to look it up asap!

It's perfect! All you do is add five things that you're grateful for. And I like that you can even add a little photo with your entry. See, like yesterday, I was thankful for a funky new pair of shoes I got on clearance, and I took a photo of them. :)



There are a bunch of neat features as well. You can search previous entries, email entries to people, change the theme design, pass code protect it (if you want), and export it. I also think it's cute that you can rate your day! Although I have a feeling that most of mine will be five stars. And there is also a daily inspirational quote. So cute!

I'm always on my iPhone, so taking two minutes to jot down 5 things I'm thankful for should be a piece of cake! This app is totally worth my dollar.

NICE Site: You Rock

I don't have much time today, so I thought I'd share someone else's blog. My friend Alycia sent me over this post from the king of inspiration (and marketing), Seth Godin. I'd have to say I agree with his sentiment, YOU ROCK!

You. Yes you! Sometimes I don't feel like I rock, but I'm going to bookmark his post and reread it when I'm in one of those funks. Because you know what? I rock too. :)

Oh, and just a reminder. The "Change Your World, Change Your Life" Giveaway ends tomorrow night, so make sure you enter soon!

NICE Testimonial: Fast Food Gratitude

How's the "no complaining" going for everyone? I caught myself last night whining about how cold I was. Drat! Well, at least I'm more aware of the negativity I spewed. I'm back on track though. And every time I think about saying something negative, I try to turn it around into a positive statement instead. It's definitely more challenging than I thought it'd be! Not that I'm complaining. ;)

Today's testimonial comes from the gorgeous Melissa P. of Huntington Beach, CA. I love this one because it includes TWO acts of kindness!

About 2 months ago, I was having a not so great day. I own a Scrapbook store and it seemed like everyone who was coming in that day was grouchy. Of course, as the store owner, I have to be smiley and upbeat all the time, but it gets more difficult when I'm dealing with unhappy people. Maybe it was the weather, or something in the air... I don't know.

When it came time for dinner, my husband and a friend of mine who were at the store decided In-n-Out Burgers would be a yummy treat to have, so I hopped in my car, alone, and headed to the drive through across the street. Now this place predictably has crazy lines at the drive through, and more than once I have seen people cursing each other out for pushing into the line (it comes from both directions in the parking lot).

That night, I came from the direction that had no cars and needed to merge into the line that had 4 cars coming from the other direction. Of course I decided I would wait my turn and move my car into the line after the 4 car passed me. The first car I came upon that I was planning on waiting until it passed, was a woman who waved me into the line with a happy wave and a big smile. I could hardly believe my eyes! I waved back at her and happily accepted her invitation. I can't tell you how much that meant to me after a day of dealing with difficult people.

When I got up to the window to pay, I asked the guy at the window how much her order was and I paid for it. I asked him to please delay getting her payment at the window until after I got my food from the next window and drove away and then tell her she made my day with the way she let me into the drive through line... I just wanted her to be happy with the surprise of the treat of dinner being taken of for her. Well, he didn't listen and she pulled up behind me and rolled down her window and waved and said thank you. This whole thing took place in only a few minutes and it made not only my day, but my whole entire week.

So, the moral of the story is... niceness counts!

Reciprocated kindness is awesome, don't you think? I would love it if my kind deeds were rewarded with cheeseburgers!! Okay, this story made me hungry. Hungry for kindness! Badum-ching!! (Sorry.)

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

NICE Assignment: Stop Complaining

Hi all! Did you have a good weekend? I did! I actually got outside both days this weekend and enjoyed some sun. There was even a period of time on Sunday where I was able to walk around outside without my coat. Unbelievable!

On Saturday, my husband and I participated in his favorite activity...used bookstore shopping. Even though he's definitely the reader in our relationship, he left empty-handed and I ended up getting three books. Typical. I found some great stuff though. Here's what I got:



For a while I had been searching out The Power of NICE by my kindness-promoting heroes, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. So I squealed with joy when that yellow cover jumped out at me from the bookshelf. Can't wait to finally dive into it. I also found Snark by David Denby, because I figure I should know what to avoid. :) And at a separate store I was drawn to Moral Minds by Marc Hauser. I love a book filled with social experiments and their results. So all in all it was a good day! Now if I could only find time to read.

So I FINALLY started adding links to my NICE Sites section. I know, I have been a major slacker. But I did about 50 the other day, with about 150 left to go. I'll get there! Anyway, as I was adding links, I noticed one site sent to be by Kate O. called A Year of No Complaints. It's exactly what it sounds like. Kate is dedicated to go through a year without complaining. Phew, I'm exhausted just thinking about it! But seriously, how amazing is that? I am definitely guilty of being a Negative Nellie at times...okay, a lot. It's not that I'm not thankful for my awesome life! I guess I just appreciate a good vent. :) But you know what? Kate has inspired me!

Today's Assignment: Go one week without complaining
While a year seems intimidating, I think I could make it through one week. One week without Tweeting about how tired I am. One week without posting in Facebook about how terrible traffic was. One week without whining to my husband about how I don't feel like cooking. And maybe if it's successful, I can try a second week, or maybe a month. Baby steps!

So? Who's with me?!

NICE Photo: Just the Way You Are

Happy Friday! Phew, I made it to another weekend. And I'm excited about this one because it's supposed to hit 50° out here in Philadelphia, which relatively is like a tropical wonderland. Can I getta "woot woot!" I might be able to forego my bulky winter coat for at least a few days.

Speaking of awesome, I got an email from Corrin F. the other day sharing some graffiti she found in her new home town of Austin, TX.


Love it! Much nicer than the majority of the graffiti I see around my area. Although, at the base of a billboard at the end of the Ben Franklin Bridge on the Philadelphia side, there is graffiti that says "ROB LOVES MELISSA." I flipped when I first saw it years ago! I tried to convince myself that my husband did it as a grand romantic gesture, but really, it was another Rob that loves another Melissa. Or maybe another Rob that loves me! Anyway, sidetrack. :)

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

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

NICE Giveaway: Change the World, Change Your Life

Fourth day of posting in row! HOLLA! ;)

My friends over at Weiser Books / Conari Press are so kind as to send me books for review every few months. It's such an awesome treat to receive their inspiration titles in my mailbox. It's enough to put anyone in a great mood!

The most recent one to arrive seemed like the perfect book to share with you all, and I thought that instead of keeping the goodness for myself, I should put it up for a giveaway!

The book is called Change the World, Change Your Life: Discover Your Life Purpose Through Service, and it encourages young people to get involved and improve the world.

Laced with stories of individuals who have found ways to give, large and small, Change the World, Change Your Life is exactly the right inspiration for these times--as young people face a difficult employment horizon and are looking for meaningful ways to be of service in the world.

And author Angela Perkey practices what she preaches. In 2006, just after her freshman year of college, she began Students Serve, "a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides money to college students so that they can make a difference in their communities." How inspiring is that?!

I'm giving this book away to one lucky reader! All you have to do to win is leave a comment here and answer the following question:
If money and time were no object, what would YOU do to change the world?

For me, obviously I'd turn Operation NICE into a massive global movement. Billboards, media, books, workshops, THE WORKS! I'm workin' on it. But ya know, in the real world, money and time ARE an object. Haha!

So go ahead, leave me your comments and at 8:00 p.m. ET next Thursday, March 11, I'll draw a random winner. Good luck!!! And in the meantime, be sure to check out all the other fabulous titles available at Weiser Books / Conari Press!

NICE Campaign: Peace Rocks

The other day I received a comment on here from Liz. She wrote, "Love your blog! It reminds me of my twin Sister's quest to spread peace. She paints peace signs on small rocks and spreads them everywhere in random places for people to find."

So I checked out Liz's sister's blog, Peace Rocks. What a great idea! Sasa started the blog back in April of last year with a goal to spread one million Peace Rocks all over the world in hopes that it will remind people to be more peaceful. She encourages people who have found Peace Rocks to comment on her blog, and they do!

As of January, Sasa has painted over 1,750 rocks. Impressive!

Imagine finding one of these on the side of the road or in your yard or at the beach. It would be like finding a special treasure. I'm sure if it were me, I'd think that the world was trying to tell me something! But really, it'd be Sasa trying to tell me something. :)

Take a look around Sasa's blog, and keep an eye out for one of her painted goodies. And remember, peace really does rock!

NICE Stuff: Candy Card Designs

I've been meaning to write about this for over a month! It's not only about NICE Stuff, but it's also kind of a NICE Testimonial.

I have this former coworker, Nick. He is a sweetheart to say the least. When he worked here, he'd always check in on me to make sure I ate lunch, since I had a terrible habit of skipping meals if I were busy. He'd bring me in chocolate frosted doughnuts (my fave!) in the morning. He was always super supportive of Operation NICE, even hanging the NICE sign on his door. He eventually moved on to another opportunity, but thanks to the power of Facebook, we've been able to keep in touch.

Anyway, back in January, Nick asked for my address because he had something he wanted to send me. A little while later, at one of my busiest weeks when I was not in the best of moods, there was a package in my mailbox. When I opened it, I saw this:



"Bee Nice," get it??? :) Along with the notecards came a wonderful letter from Nick, letting me know how Operation NICE has become important to him and has even affected his behavior. So he wanted to send me this gift to say "Thank you for being nice." How sweet is that??

Aside from the heart-warming letter, there's a great story behind the note cards as well. They are from Candy Card Designs which was started by one of Nick's friends and her mother. It was founded in memory of her Aunt Candy who passed away from lung cancer, and a portion of all the proceeds is donated to the fight against cancer. As someone who lost a loved one to cancer, I appreciate this gesture very much.

I encourage you to take a look at the lovely personalized note cards that Candy Card Designs offers! And I want to say "thanks" to Nick for all the support!

NICE Assignment: March Love List

I have been a Señorita Cranky Pants lately. I'd like to blame a mild case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. This weather stinks! Snowstorm after snowstorm, and unlike my fortunate husband who has had like 80 snow days off from school, I still have to brave the icy conditions or work from home. (And "work" and "home" are not two things I like to mix together!) I spend my weekends wanting to stay in my warm house, wrapped up in a Slanket™, so I rarely accomplish anything.

I am so ready for spring!!!

So I thought that my grumpy self could use a love list. And since it's the first of March, why not list all of the things I love about this month.

Today's Assignment: Write a March Love List

So here are a few things I love about this month:
It's Women's History Month • My grandfather's birthday is the 5th • The sun is staying out a little later in the day • Being able to go outside without my giant down coat • Wearing green on St. Patrick's Day (I am half Irish afterall) • Hearing birds chirping for the first time in what feels like forever • Waiting for daffodils to bloom • Daydreaming about tank tops • Napping to the sound of March winds • March Madness bracket pools, even though I stink • The end of my husband's basketball season at school, so I can finally start seeing him again • Perfect scarf weather (I am a scarf addict) • A weekend trip to NYC is in the works • First day of Spring!

What are some things you love about March? Please share in the comments!


* The photo is my 2010 Night Owl Paper Goods desk calendar.
** Just a note: I submitted my Pepsi Refresh proposal at midnight. Turns out the voting starts the following month, so hopefully April will be a great month for casting internet votes. ;)