Promoting niceness in DC!

Happy Friday! Do you guys have big plans this weekend? Maybe some trick-or-treating? I love Halloween. It's definitely one of my favorite holidays because I LOVE dressing up! Last year I was Max Fisher. In 2008 I was a fur wearer and my husband was a Peta activist. In 2007 I was Björk. And in 2006 I was a Robert Palmer video girl. Tonight I'm headed to a Heroes/Villains themed party, so I'll show you my costume next week. :)

As soon as I heard about the Rally to Restore Sanity, I booked my train tickets and hotel room. Yes, I'm a fan of Stewart and Colbert, but I also think the idea of a gathering of people who promote rationalism and tolerance is fantastic. It doesn't matter which side you're on, extremism isn't a good thing. I'm friends with people who have different views than I do regarding politics and religion, etc. but we can still be friends because we respect each other.

I thought it'd be fun to make a sign to promote niceness while I'm at the rally. What do you think??? (I had a major Sharpie headache the entire time I was drawing!)


So I'll be spreading the word in Washington, DC tomorrow. Hopefully some people will take the message to heart. Have a great weekend guys! Also, don't forget to vote for Operation NICE in Amway's Positivity Project! I made it to the finals, but the only way I'll have a shot at winning is if you guys click the "vote" button. It only takes one second and doesn't require any registration. Please help! Thank you!

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NICE Testimonial: 8th Grade Kindness

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a young woman by the name of Maddy. The way she described herself, I thought it might have been me from the past attempting to contact my present self. Bookish, not popular, wears abnormal clothes. Hmm, that actually sounds like me NOW. She shared with me this fantastic testimonial that comes straight out of 8th grade.

In science class last Friday, we were doing an ice cream lab. While we were taking the temperature of the ice cream, this girl across the room, who I hardly know, and who I rarely talk to, randomly says, "Maddy, did anyone ever tell you how pretty you are?" This totally shocked me and definitely made my day. For the next two periods I felt like strutting my stuff down the hallway.

As someone who still recalls compliments that were given to me during my teen years, I'm pretty sure Maddy is going to hold that story in her heart for a long time! Maddy also went on to write, "I read your post about being nice to other girls–not very common in 8th grade, where rumors and gossip are abound–and I've resolved to try to be nicer to my friends and other people." How mature is this girl, right?!

8th grade was definitely the toughest year of my youth. I dealt with teasing and bullying. I wish I could tell every 8th grader out there that their actions, both positive and negative, can end up affecting a person for the rest of their life.

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NICE Video: Positive Pranking

A few weeks ago, I got an email from reader Joanna asking if I had heard of "positive pranking." And she linked this youtube video. It's pretty self explanatory, so watch and smile!



Okay, I WISH someone would positive prank me because I LOVE DING DONGS! This looks like so much fun! I have never done this sort of thing before, but I could see how it could definitely get your adrenaline going, in a good way. This might make a good assignment for a future week, don't you think?

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NICE Testimonial: A Satisfied Customer

This adorable testimonial comes from Laurie Z., a fellow Philly-area gal. Not only do I love the content of this story (yay niceness!), but the way Laurie writes it is just so cute. I can feel her excitement through her words!

I work at DSW part time (you know the place…shoe HEAVENNNN.) I was working this past Saturday and a woman and her daughter came up to me and she said, “I love LOVE LOVVVVEEE this shoe, and I just need it a half a size bigger please help.” I obliged and said I would check every store close to our store to track it down.

While calling all of these places I got to talking with the mom and her daughter, just a little chit chat girl talk. They told me they needed to stop for food for their family and wanted to know if I could suggest a place. I said YES, Cali Tortilla! I said I love every single one of their Chicken Tacos there! So darn good…Back to the shoes--unfortunately after calling ABOUT 6 STORES not one had it. Boo.

They kindly thanked me for taking the time to do that for them and I said, "No big, you really wanted them, I just wanted to help," and then they left.

10 mins later.

Over my headset my manager informed me that a customer wanted to see me. When I got to the front, I found out that the mom and daughter came back and brought me a Chicken taco! They told my manager that I took a good chunk of my time to help them do a shoe check and that I deserved it.

I ran out after them and said, "you didn’t have to do that," and they said, "you didn’t have to do all you did for us, you deserve it." I nearly cried. It makes me SO happy to be reminded that there are NICE people left in this world.

I never had a taco that tasted that good.

I think it's wonderful that these people decided to reward Laurie for going the extra mile. So many people mope around at work because they'd rather be somewhere else, so it's a breath of fresh air when you encounter someone happy to help! Laurie, you totally deserve that chicken taco! :)

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

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Sign up for daily reminders!

A few friends of mine thought it would be helpful if I had daily email reminders to vote for Operation NICE in Amway's Positivity Project. So I made a little form where you can submit your email address, and in doing so, I'll send you a daily email reminder with the link to vote. Voting is super easy! It's only two clicks! Clicking the link, and then clicking the green "vote" button. You don't have to log in or anything like that!

To say thank you for your support, I'm going to enter every email address that I receive by midnight October 31st in a drawing, and I'll pick a random winner to receive a $50 gift card to DonorsChoose.org.

CLICK HERE to sign up!

NICE Assignment: I Need a Favor!

Hi guys! So I hate to bother you all, but I was wondering if you could help me out with something.

A few weeks ago, my wonderful friend Amy posted a link on my Facebook page to Amway's Positivity Project. They were looking for submissions from people who are spreading positivity. So, I whipped up a quick 2 minute video about Operation NICE and sent in my submission.

Well, I just found out this morning I'M A FINALIST!!!!!!

The judges narrowed it down to 25 semi-finalists, and now it's up to the public to decide between now and November 14. The project with the most votes will win $10,000 to use for furthering the spread of positivity. And nine runners up will receive $2500. This is HUGE. This could really help Operation NICE get to that next level that I've been dreaming about.

Today's Assignment: Vote for Operation NICE

If you have faith in Operation NICE, I would be incredibly grateful if you'd take a minute, click on this link, and then click the little green "vote" button.


And check out the other entries. I have some stiff competition, including one of my inspirations, Caitlin of Operation Beautiful. Wow!

Anyway, you can vote once a day, every day, from now until November 14th. It would be awesome if you could vote, maybe tweet about it, or post the link (http://t.co/BZnnFot) in Facebook. I know the Pepsi Refresh Project didn't work out so great for me, but I really think this could be what helps get me off the ground!

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!

NICE Video: Random Notes of Kindness

Want a big smile? Then watch this wonderful video that Laci posted on the Operation NICE Facebook page. It was created by alumni of The Brave Girls Club, which I hadn't heard of before, but it sounds incredible. Anyway, these girls decided to spread some kindness around Chicago in the form of strips of paper with kind phrases. The recipients' reactions in this video are so much fun to watch!



Now I really need to look more into The Brave Girls Club because it sounds like my kinda project!

NICE Assignment: Sharing is Caring

Okay, the title of this assignment is a little on the cheesy side, but who doesn't love cheese? One of the first things you're taught as a child is the importance of sharing. Sharing your toys, sharing your dessert, sharing your nasty germy cold and flu with everyone around you. Well, maybe not that last part.

But sharing is just as important as an adult! I still make sure I always leave the last Oreo for my husband.....as incredibly difficult as that can be.

Today's Assignment: Sharing is Caring

Let's think about what we can do to share something with someone this week. If you're possessive with your desserts, feel free to keep them to yourself.

You can find your own way to share, but if you aren't sure what to do, I'd love it if you shared some of your favorite blogs in the comments of this post! That way people can stop by here and leave with a bunch of links of goodness. What do you think?

I'm going to share with you five of my favorite blogs. I don't have as much time to read them every day like I used to, but these are usually the first ones I check when I open up my Google Reader.

• Making it Lovely - I think my husband was worried that I was cyber-stalking Nicole a few years ago. I was so obsessed with her amazing home, and really, I still am. She has such an amazing sense of style.
• Work Awesome - It seems as if quite a few of these articles may have been written specifically for me. I'm always searching for ways that I can fail to be productive.
• Claremont Road - My friend, Brooke, is awesome. What else can I say? I feel as if I can relate to every single post she writes. Plus she's always showing off cute things that I desperately want to buy (and sometimes do buy).
• Modish - Speaking of cute things that I desperately want to buy, Modish is full of them. Plus I just think Jena is a fascinating person, and I loved reading about her recent wedding.
• Design Work Life - I have a love/hate relationship with design work life. The inspiration is abundant, and every post is gorgeous to look at. But it also makes me feel like a crappy designer in comparison.

Okay, so I'll hope you'll share some of your favorite blogs with me! Or if you have a different story about sharing, I'd love to hear it!

NICE Giveaway #17: And the winner is...

Happy Monday! Sorry I didn't get this post out to you earlier, I'm smack dab in the middle of the Philadelphia Film Festival. I really love taking advantage of all the wonderful things this city has to offer, so I'll let the house chores pile up while I catch as many films as I can while I have the opportunity. :)

Back to the giveaway! I have to start by saying HOLY COW. Did you guys read the comments? If not, go do it now. I'm ordering you! They were amazing. Hearing about the meaningful and priceless gifts that have been given to you all was incredibly moving. Thank you for sharing your stories!

I used the fancy Random Integer Generator to select a winner, and we got.....

That entry belongs to Sharon Poarch!!! Here was her most meaningful gift:
"The most meaningful gift I've ever received? A letter...from my TEENAGE SON...on my birthday. In it, he described every funny, happy, joyful, thankful precious memory that he and I alone shared in his short life. Ashamedly, there were some I'd forgotten...or never knew until then that a certain happening meant so much to him. In that often difficult time in life where a son is changing from boy to man and the usual first battle is to oppose Mom (on most any and every front available) before he takes on the world, this was a beautiful offering of love. I will treasure this letter forever."

That is beautiful! I really love how the most meaningful gifts don't usually cost a penny. So congratulations to Sharon! Click here to send me an email and I'll get your voucher for your free Bellflower Book.


And because Kerry and Heather are so amazingly NICE, they are offering up a special treat to all of you! Just use the coupon code "ANICE10" to receive $10 off your purchase at Bellflower Books! Thank you SO MUCH Kerry and Heather! You ladies are fabulous!

Thanks again to everyone for participating. I really do urge you to read those comments. I promise they'll put a smile on your face!

Guest Post: Now That I Have Your Undivided Attention

I'm so incredibly grateful that Linda Kaplan Thaler, who is a huge inspiration to me, took the time to write a guest post for Operation NICE. I certainly hope that you'll all take her message to heart.
____________________________________

Dear Humans:

For a few minutes yesterday, we all took a short break from our workaday schedules—sending the kids off to school, complaining about taxes, scrounging up dinner—to come together and watch the miraculous rescue of the Chilean miners.

(Others took a few minutes off from planting bombs, trafficking young girls, selling heroin or planning invasions against their geographic neighbors.)

In any case, I know how busy you all are, and it's so darn hard to get your eyeballs all on the same screen.

So, now that we're all together—before the next disaster occurs—how about we use some of this positive energy to combine our resources and start coming up with a plan to make this world a better place… to cure diseases, end world hunger, bloody civil wars, poverty, global warming, border conflicts, domestic violence, prejudice and well, just about any problem we can think of?

I know you’ve got things to do, but are they better things? Before you get back to your regularly-scheduled lives, couldn't we spend just a few short minutes on a game plan to help save the human race?

It's kind of a win-win for all of us.

Linda Kaplan Thaler is the CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the Kaplan Thaler Group. She is also a best-selling author. Her books, written with co-author and business partner Robin Koval, include THE POWER OF NICE: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness and THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference. To learn more, please visit www.thepowerofsmallbook.com, follow her on Twitter, or find her on Facebook.

NICE Testimonial: A Sign of Appreciation

Today's adorable testimonial comes from the equally adorable Katy (aka Katy Potaty) of Brisbane, Australia. This story made me giggle!

This morning, I had a super-serve of niceness given to me, just when I needed it the most. I was driving to work in very heavy and slow traffic on the highway, and generally feeling a bit down about it being Monday morning, after such a lovely weekend. To cheer myself up a little, I flicked on the radio and decided to sing along with whichever song came on first. Yay, it was Taylor Swift's Love Story, and you can't be anything but cheery when you hear that song!

I was warbling away (quite loudly, mind you!) and feeling only slightly better when I noticed that the driver of the construction supplies truck next to me had scrawled a sign on a scrap of cardboard and was hanging it out the window and trying to get my attention. I thought that maybe I'd left something on the roof of my car, or perhaps a brake light was out. But no, he'd written "You made my day, great smile"!

Thanks to that guy, he really made MY day, and I'll be sure to pass on the goodwill all day!

How cute is that?! This stranger was so grateful that Katy made his day that he found a creative way to tell her! And see how powerful a smile can be!? I also love singing loudly to Taylor Swift now and again, and I often wonder if other cars around me notice that I have a daily private dance party in my car. :)

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

NICE Assignment: Give Thanks

Hi everyone! How were your weekends? I continued my massive closet restructuring/cleaning/headache yesterday. I have had this giant cardboard box in my closet forever. It has actually moved through three homes in the last four years, never to be opened. Well, I finally tackled it last night. It was full of wedding stuff, cards, frames, photos. I also found a whoopee cushion still in its packaging, a Debbie Gibson greatest hits cd, and a Slim Jim. Awesome.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there! I thought it might be a good day for all of us, no matter where we live, to give thanks in our own way.

Today's Assignment: Give Thanks

When's the last time you wrote a "thank you" note? It's been a while for me. And yet I come across so many people and businesses that deserve one! So how about this week, we all send at least one thank you note out. Are you with me?! And you don't even have to make a trip to Hallmark if you don't want to. I have printable Gratitude Notes right in the Downloads section of this website.


Don't have a stamp? Send an email or an e-card or call someone up! No matter what vehicle you use, get your message of gratitude out there. So, who deserves your thanks?

NICE Giveaway: Bellflower Books

Last week I received an email from Kerry W, telling me about the company that she and her oldest friend recently launched. Bellflower Books are collaborative keepsakes that can be created online, and the goal is to spread love, friendship, appreciation, and support.

While they can be used for many occasions, Kerry mentions that "they make an especially great gift during times of illness when people most need to hear why they are loved and how they have made a difference in the lives of their friends and family."

Both Kerry and her partner Heather have had their lives personally touched by Breast Cancer, so they decided to form a partnership with The Pink Ribbon Girls, a Cincinnati-based non-profit which provides support to young women dealing with breast cancer. Kerry and Heather are using a portion of the proceeds from their sales to donate books to women, through The Pink Ribbon Girls, who are currently undergoing treatment, as well as "women reaching exciting milestones (like 5 years of being cancer free!) and amazing volunteers."

In order to spread the word about their partnership, Bellflower Books is offering up one of their beautiful books as a giveaway! How NICE is that?!



To enter, just leave a comment here and answer the following question: What was the most meaningful gift you have ever received?

I'll choose a random winner next Thursday, October 14th at 5 p.m. ET.

Want to know my answer? Well, when I was a kid, I was in love with my grandmother's jewelry box. It was small, brown, had an image that sort of looked like an old postcard on top, and it played a song that I will never be able to get out of my head. Every Friday I'd visit and as she'd put her work things away, I'd wind up the box and let the song play.

A number of years ago, my grandmother's cancer had returned, after "beating" it a few years prior, and this time it was much more serious. Things weren't looking great, unfortunately. Just before my birthday that year, a package arrived at my home. When I opened it and saw the jewelry box, I broke down. It was her final gift to me.I keep it on my dresser, just as my grandmother had.

Okay, now that I'm all weepy, go ahead and leave me a comment with your answer and you'll be entered to win the giveaway! GOOD LUCK!

NICE Testimonial: Drive-Thru Kindness

Happy Tuesday! It's kind of a gloomy day here, so I thought it'd be nice to bring tasty Starbucks beverages to my coworkers this morning. I'm hoping it gave their day a little more pep! Two of them already had Starbucks on their desks, so I maybe have contributed to the over-caffeination of my team. :)

Todays testimonial comes from Sandi in Oak Ridge, TN. She decided that while treating herself, she'd treat someone else at the same time. And it went a little further than she expected.

I’m a single working mom and don’t have money to eat out often. So every other Friday when I get paid, I go through the drive-thru at Burger King and have a sausage, egg and cheese croissant. It’s my little treat for working so hard!!! LOL

Anyway, a few weeks ago, when I went through the drive-thru, something made me ask about the lady behind me, how much was her order. It was only a few dollars, so I paid for her breakfast as well, and told the girl at the drive-thru to tell her to have a blessed day and pass it on somehow. I drove away with a smile, wishing I could see her reaction and what she did to pass it on.

Last Friday, when I went to Burger King and pulled up to the drive-thru, the girl said, “Oh! You’re the lady that started it!” She called the manager over, and I thought I had done something wrong!!! The manager stuck his head out of the drive-thru window and said, “After you paid for the breakfast of the car behind you, it continued for the next 10 cars, each paying for the car behind them. The only reason it stopped is because the guy in the 10th car opened his wallet and realized he had no money, his wife had taken it to give the kids for their lunch money. He didn’t have the bank card either, and he was really upset and embarrassed. We were able to tell him not to worry about it, his coffee and biscuit were already taken care of, and there was even just a little money left over. We used it to help a couple other people who were short a little during the day.” I was stunned. HOW NICE!!!!

Love it! It's so great that Sandi got to hear how her gesture affected others that day! I often wonder if kind deeds are passed on, and this is proof that at least sometimes they most definitely are.

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

NICE Stuff: The Small Joys

My friend Jennie tweeted me this link earlier today and I squealed at the cuteness!

It's a printable poster from the etsy shop, The Small Joys. You get the PDF of the piece and can print out a ton and wallpaper your house with it. Or, ya know, print one, frame it, and hang it in a special place in your home. I suppose that would save ink. It also comes in green and pink. Though the blue matches my office. :)


Check out the other adorable printables from The Small Joys. And I agree. It most certainly is nice to be nice when you can be nice.

NICE Assignment: I Miss You!

Phew, it certainly feels like autumn out there in Philadelphia today! I was tempted to wear gloves, but I know that's admitting that warm days are over, and I'm not prepared to do that just yet.

Did you have a good weekend? Mine was FANTASTIC! Why? No reason, really. I got to spend some time outside on Saturday, and it was gorgeous out. And yesterday I actually accomplished some stuff. Horrid houseworky type stuff, like cleaning out the freezer and fridge. But you know what? I felt so good when I was done! I've been neglecting my home for a while now, and it was showing. Just taking care of some things, cleaning up, putting piles of crap away, it felt awesome. There's plenty more to do, but an end is in sight!

I thought that a good assignment for this week would be to tell someone that you care about (who maybe you can't be with) just how much you miss them. Even though in your head, absence is making your heart grow fonder, that person might assume that since they are out of your sight, they are out of your mind.

Today's Assignment: I Miss You!

My "I Miss You" goes out to one of my best friends, Maria. We became friends instantly at a design conference in Chicago back in 2005 and have been in each other's lives ever since. The only bad part? She lives in Arizona. So I can't exactly call her up to go to the movies or to get a pedicure. But we try to visit with each other once or twice a year. And since we have a close bond, it's like no time passes between visits. We pick right back up.

Maria is a special friend. She's truly like a sister to me. When I visit, we can lounge around in our pajamas, just talking about our lives, and I feel completely comfortable. As I've mentioned before, I have some social anxiety issues, so I always feel a bit awkward, even around friends. But not Maria. I can be 100% myself around her.

I admire her so much. She is an amazing wife and mother as well as a talented designer and artist. If I tell her about a problem I'm having, she always makes me feel better while giving me rational solutions. I wish we could be next door neighbors, but I'm honestly just grateful to have her in my life at all! So Maria, I hope you know how much I miss you, and I hope we can get together again soon! You are a one-of-a-kind friend, and I love you dearly!

So who are you missing? And do they know it? Write a letter, write a blog post, call 'em up! Remind them that just because you might not be able to give them a real-life actual hug, you sure wish you could.