How I Celebrated My Big Day

What did I do for my birthday?  The way I figured it, I was given 86,400 seconds to celebrate so why not do so by doing the thing that makes my heart sing the most?  For many years now I've used my birthday as the day where I "save the world" by making all my donations to various charities that are calling to me.  This year, I decided to step it up a notch.  35 good deeds in one day.  Woops, now I just gave away my age.  Shhh....  try not to tell anyone.

Here are the results:

1. Drove girls to school & camp for hubby
2. Went back inside the house to get something for daughter #1.
3. Went back into the house AGAIN to get something for daughter #2.
4. Left big tip for lady at the bakery shop.
5. Bought muffins for 6 teachers at school, which ended up becoming....
6. Muffins for 12 kids in daughter #2's classroom.
7. Shared my new-found beloved drink (coconut chocolate) with daughter #1. This was a biggie for me. Yummy!
8. Donation to Best Friends Animal Society for a Gniffer's Gnomes fan.
9. Donation to American Cancer Society for a Gniffer's Gnomes fan.
10. Donation to Eagle Mount Great Falls for a Gniffer's Gnomes fan.
11. Donation to Autism Speaks for Gniffer's Gnomes fan.
12. Donation to United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham in honor of a Gniffer's Gnomes fan's son.
13. Bought my sister lunch (Ok, so she also bought me lunch, but I'm counting it!)
14. Left large tip for lunch waitress.
15. Bought Starbucks gift card for innocent bystander.
16. Donation to Wounded Warrior Project for 2 Gniffer's Gnomes fans.
17. Donation to Home at Last Animal Friends for a Gniffer's Gnomes fan.
18. Donation to SOS Children’s Villages Illinois because it brings tears to my eyes.
19. Bought an online friend a massage. She could use, and certainly deserves, a break more than many Mommies I know.
20. Agreed to host a catalog party to help a friend with her business. It counts since I agreed today, right?
21. Told 3 coaches from our Team Beachbody coaching team how much their mentoring has meant to me.
22. Tagged 5 of my all-time favorite pages from my Gniffer's Gnomes page and from my personal timeline.
23. Donation to Kristin Brooks Hope Center (suicide prevention) for a Gniffer's Gnomes fan.
24. Gave an unsuspecting, but very loyal fan a little gift.
25. Gave a 4 year old boy who shares a birthday with me a little gift.
26. Free shipping to an unsuspecting customer.
27. Gave a clay gnome to someone for their birthday today!
28. Left piece of candy and a note at an ATM.
29. Left a happy pick-me-up note on someone's car.
30. Gave piece of candy to random guy in coffee shop.
31. Called an old friend to catch up with him.
32. Had dessert and supported a friend in need.
33. Left happy note for waitress at restaurant.
34. Donation to Cookies for Kids' Cancer for a new, yet dear, friend.
35. Doubled up on many of the above, so it counts!

And what did I get in return? Of course I got some wonderful presents here and there - an Amazon gift card, some lovely napkins for our new patio set, a sundress, tickets to see Cirque de Soleil... But my most prized rewards of the day were my birthday hugs...

My birthday hugs are now hung with pride.

Last night as I fell asleep in my hubby's arms, I felt very loved indeed.