March 2016 – make today happy

More days of happy: Birthday Princess 👸🏼

Being grateful for celebrating another birthday:

I love birthdays. I really do love them.

I know some people prefer to hide under the duvet when it’s their turn to become one year older, but I am a self-proclaimed Birthday Princess 👸🏼 and think it’s a day to celebrate and to feel special.

Birthdays are the perfect opportunity to celebrate being who we are. After all, the whole idea of them is to acknowledge the day we were born.

Our lives are definitely worth celebrating. But how often do we really truly celebrate?

Not enough in my book.

There is only one of each of us. And they’ll only ever be one of us. How amazing is that! I think that’s something worth celebrating for starters.

I actually believe we’re all worth celebrating every single day of the year, but let’s start slowly and surely…

Birthdays are our very own special day and we can choose to celebrate them however we like.

Whether it’s a party or an intimate dinner, a pampering spa day or a shop til you drop day, a day trip out or a quiet day in with our nearest and dearest, it’s different for everyone, but that’s what it’s all about isn’t it.

Some of my most memorable birthdays have involved travelling, something I really love to do. I’ve turned a year older in incredible places like New York, Sydney and Bali.

But I also treasure birthdays spent with my family, or a close friend or two. One of my most treasured was going for a walk with my family in an historic country park and it started snowing: it was magical.

However we choose to celebrate, acknowledge and appreciate our special day, it’s important not to feel selfish or guilty.

Which is very useful when it comes to me indulging my sweet tooth.

It’s also important for me to be grateful for the gift of another year. I make sure I take the time to reflect on the past year; feeling grateful for everything that was, and learning from the challenges I’ve faced. And I also spend time thinking about how I’d like my new year ahead to be: my hopes, dreams, wishes and intentions.

So every year on the 29th of March, I try my best to have a joy-filled birthday; a day where I can have my cake, and eat it too!

☆♡☆

Act of kindness #8: Birthday giveaway

Being kind by giving away Kindness Cards for my birthday:

Today is my birthday. And to celebrate, I’m giving away some of my Kindness Cards.

All you have to do is message me your name and address either by leaving me a comment below or sending me a message on my ‘Spreading a little kindness’ Facebook page (your details won’t be published or made public).

Here are a few ideas of what you can do with your Kindness Cards:

1. Write an uplifting message on the back – my favourites are: You are AMAZING; You have a beautiful smile; You are perfect, just as you are – and leave the Kindness Cards for a stranger to find. My favourite spots include: on the bus or a bench; on a bathroom or changing room mirror; on a lamppost; or inside a library book.
2. Pay for an extra coffee and ask your barista to choose the recipient and pass on the Kindness Card with ‘Enjoy this coffee on me’ written on the back
3. Attach the Kindness Card to a chocolate bar and place it on a work colleague’s desk or post through a neighbour’s door
4. Pop some money into a vending machine or parking meter and stick your Kindness Card to the machine with ‘Enjoy free parking on me’ or ‘Enjoy a free snack on me’
5. Attach the Kindness Card to a bunch of flowers and give them to a stranger in the street

Or simply keep them in your pocket to hand out whenever you have an opportunity to randomly do something thoughtful and kind.

And I’d really really love you to hear how you’ve used the cards: why not tell us about your Kindness Acts on my Facebook page, or write about them in a comment below. By sharing your story, you’ll inspire others.

I hope you have fun spreading a little kindness!

Act of kindness #7: Easter Goodie Bags

Being kind by giving away Kindness Goodie Bags filled with all things Easter:

Making up and giving out Kindness Goodie Bags has become one of my favourite acts of kindness.

I relish deciding what to put in them, and then shopping for the goodies.

I enjoy getting lost in the creativity of designing the message which explains what the bag is all about, and writing the messages on my Kindness Cards.

I savour the anticipation of putting them together, and take great pleasure in the mindful act of making them up, carefully deciding where each piece should go.

And I get such a thrill when I can tie the bags up, knowing that they’re all ready to go.

I carefully plot my location and timing, considering where I’m going to give them away, how I’m going to do it, and when is the best time.

And then there’s the actual giving out part. I feel giddy with excitement as I go from car to car, carefully placing the bags onto the windscreens.

It makes me feel really happy to imagine how the owners will get a nice surprise when they return to their car and find my Kindness Goodie Bag waiting for them.

The whole process gives me such joy, and again, I can personally vouch for how the giver benefits as much as the receiver.

Of course, the icing on the cake is hearing from someone who’s found one of my Kindness Goodie Bags, but that’s not why I do it and I don’t expect to hear from them: it’s simply a lovely bonus.

As I really enjoyed making up and giving away my Christmas and Valentine’s Goodie Bags, I wanted to do an Easter Goodie Bag.

As the Easter theme of bunnies and chicks, and the yellows and greens and bright Easter colours is so much fun, I wanted my goodie bags to reflect that.

So, in each bag I’ve popped: a mini creme egg, two mini chocolate eggs; two sweet chews; a teeny fluffy Easter chick and Easter Bunny; a party popper; bright coloured feathers; fun stickers; a message explaining this is a Random Act of Easter Kindness, and one of my Kindness Cards with a ‘You Are AMAZING’ message on the back.

I’m on unfamiliar territory as I’m currently visiting the beautiful spa town of Bath. So I decided to pop most of my Easter Kindness Goodie Bags onto the windscreens of the cars parked in a small city centre car park and the rest I dotted around randomly.

I’m hoping the owners will return to their cars after a busy Easter shopping trip or a relaxed Good Friday brunch and find my Easter surprise waiting for them.

Here’s how I spread a little kindness around Bath this fine sunny Good Friday morning:

Easter Kindness Goodie Bags 1-7: I lay on car windscreens in a small city centre car park

Easter Kindness Goodie Bag 8: I popped in the basket of a bike, just for fun

Easter Kindness Goodie Bags 9+10: I gave to the two very helpful staff at T2 who kindly helped me find my favourite tea I used to drink in Australia. I couldn’t remember the name and with an abundance of Chai teas to choose from, we whittled it down to two and they brewed me a cup of each. Now that’s what I call fantastic customer service

Easter Kindness Goodie Bag 11: I tucked this into the door handle of the coolest car parked along Royal Avenue in Victoria Park

Easter Kindness Goodie Bag 12: As I’m staying in my friend’s flat while she’s on holiday I’ve put one on her dressing table, so she’ll see it when she arrives home.

ps if you have received one of my Easter Kindness Goodie Bags, I’d really LOVE to hear from you in the comments below. If you’d prefer me not to publish your comment on the blog, please let me know.

More days of happy: Spa heaven

Being grateful to bathe in Britain’s only natural thermal springs:

My ultimate unwind and relax activity is going to a spa.

I’ve loved them ever since I visited an upmarket health spa in my twenties: walking around in robes and slippers, lounging on huge comfy sofas reading an unputdownable book, flitting between steam rooms and saunas, and of course sinking into a hot bubbling jacuzzi.

I was hooked.

And living in spa-friendly Germany for a couple of years sealed the deal. The spas are much more accessible and very, very eye-opening if you know what I mean, but that’s another story!

So when I knew I was going to the beautiful spa town on Bath, I was excited to finally be able to visit the infamous Roman Baths. And when I discovered I could actually experience the natural hot springs for myself, I knew this was a not-to-be-missed opportunity.

After a fascinating tour of the Roman Baths, I headed to the Thermal Bath Spa for my two hour session – a very welcome early birthday gift from my folks. I received a towel and a robe, and a pair of slippers which I get to keep, woohoo!

After changing, I headed straight up to the rooftop pool.

As I descended the steps into the natural heated (33.5°C/92°F) silky water, enjoying the gorgeous contrast from the crisp March air, I breathed a heavenly sigh of relief: you know, the one you make when sinking into a hot bath.

Oh my, such bliss.

As I relaxed by the edge of the pool, I couldn’t help but marvel that I was lying in water that had fallen as rain around 10,000 years ago and sank to a depth of around 2km before rising back up.

And how incredible that I was here enjoying the same natural thermal waters that the Celts and Romans did over 2,000 years ago.

The water is well known for its health and healing properties, and as I let my body absorb the 42+ different minerals and trace elements, I imagined how over one million litres of this mineral magic flows from the springs every single day.

After a while, I spotted bubbling over the other side of the pool and headed over to enjoy the jacuzzi-like experience. I even found an underwater seat to relax onto and enjoy the bliss.

I’d found my happy place.

Gazing out over the honey-toned stone of Bath, the chimneyed rooftops, church spires and tower of the Abbey, to the surrounding tree-lined hills, I felt completely at ease and blissfully happy.

What could be better than this?

After a while, I headed down to the Aroma Steam Rooms, four circular glass pods each offering a different aromatic scent: sandalwood, lemongrass and ginger, lotus flower and mint. I followed this with a very quick splash from a very cold shower and it was back up to the rooftop.

I alternated between the rooftop pool and steam rooms for my two hour visit, and left feeling dreamily relaxed; floating on cloud nine for the rest of the day.

Act of kindness #6: Listening to my body

Being kind to my body by taking the rest I need:

With having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I have to rest a lot. Well, most of the time actually. And as much as I’ve made my bedroom my sanctuary which I love, I need a change of scenery now and again.

When a friend very kindly offered me her flat to stay in while she went on holiday, I jumped at the chance. I carefully planned my journey down and thankfully felt well enough to travel last Thursday.

This is my first visit to Bath and I’m excited about exploring this beautiful spa town. And being mindful of my health limitations, I know I can’t see and do as much as I’d like, but there’s a couple of gentle activities that I can hopefully enjoy.

I arrived a couple of days before my friend left so we could spend a little time together. The idea was that while she was out at work all day, I would rest and then we’d hang out when she got home.

But I arrived to find her still recovering from a recent bout of flu and she was still feeling pretty unwell. Poor thing.

As I have a compromised immune system due to the CFS, I tend to get cold/flu symptoms ten-fold and feel even more wiped than normal and for much longer too.

So I have to try and not contact viruses by avoiding contact with people who have a cold or the flu, the expression to avoid them like the plague is very apt for me!

We joked about setting up a convalescence home, and while my friend rested in bed, I rested on the sofa, and we met up at mealtimes to share empathy and sympathy.

This morning, the day after my friend left for her holiday, I’ve woken up with nausea, a slight headache, and am feeling drained; I’m really hoping it’s not the onset of the flu.

My plans for today were to have a gentle walk to see the nearby Royal Crescent and enjoy a soul stroll around the nearby park.

But despite desperately wanting to ignore my symptoms and stick to my plans, I am choosing to be kind to myself by listening to my body and honouring what I know it needs: complete rest.

Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow and will feel enough to explore a little, but if I don’t, I won’t.

And that’s ok.

Act of kindness #5: Appreciating good service

Being kind by writing a thank you message for my lovely waitress:

I’ve just enjoyed a yummy brunch at Bills, thanks to a much appreciated Christmas Gift Card from a thoughtful friend.

My waitress was really lovely. She was kind and friendly and I felt very well looked after.

Having been a waitress in my mid-late teens, I know how hard work it can be. I also know how much a simple thank you from a customer can mean. I can’t bear it when people don’t acknowledge waitstaff or treat them discourteously. And so I always make sure to smile and show my appreciation.

So as well as thanking my waitress personally, I decided to write her a thank you message on one of my kindness cards.

Thankfully, I always carry a blank kindness card or two in my bag. I wrote a message and propped it up on my table as I left so she would discover it when she was preparing the table for the next (hopefully appreciative) customer.

More days of happy: Red Red Robin

Being mindful by looking out for robins:

I love robins. I really really love them.

I’ve loved them ever since I performed a tap dance with my dance school to the brilliant Red Red Robin song when I about 8 years old. Yes, me… on a real stage with real people watching!! Argh!!

I love everything about the nation’s favourite bird. I love their bright red breasts which makes them out from the crowd. I love their year-round melodic birdsong which really cheers my day. I love their loyalty to the area in which they were born, rarely straying. And I love their presence around Christmastime, on cards, jumpers and all-things festive.

Surprisingly and disappointingly I don’t see them very often. We used to have a robin visit our garden occasionally, but I haven’t seen him for a while.

It’s one of the few birds I consciously look out for on my soul strolls.

And I’ve been lucky enough to spot two in the last few days!

WooHoooooooooo!!

On our way back from the health shop we stopped for a short soul stroll through a park, and I heard him before I saw him. I was over-the-moon to spot him and pleased-as-punch to be able to capture him before he flew away.

And I laughed when I got home when I realised I was wearing my robin jumper – now christened my ‘good luck robin jumper’!

This morning was a real treat. On my regular walking route into town, I’ve spotted a robin a couple of times. But he’s always flown away before I’ve been able to snap him – such a tease!

As I passed the spot today, I started to sing the Red Red Robin song as I kept my eye open for this seemingly elusive bird. And to my delight, he appeared a little further along, sitting on a branch, singing his heart out. Clearly he was showing me how the song is really sung! Again I managed to quickly capture him before he flew away.

Happy red robin days.

Act of kindness #3: Sisterly love

Being kind by inviting my sister to join me for a film preview:

As part of my 100 Acts of Kindness I vowed to include kindness acts that I do for people I know as well as strangers.

These are the kind of acts that we all do on a regular basis without really thinking about, and we usually don’t pat ourselves on the back for.

But I strongly feel we should honour and celebrate all kinds of kindness, and while this one feels a bit uncomfortable to write, here we go…

A couple of days ago, I was excited to be offered free preview tickets to see the new Eddie The Eagle film. I was delighted to see that it was a pre-lunchtime screening as mornings are the better time with my limited energy levels, which speed quickly downhill after lunch.

I usually take mum with me as my plus one, but knowing that my sister could do with a bit of cheering up, I decided to offer her my plus one ticket.

As a busy mum of two boys, aged 7 and 3, my sister doesn’t really get much time to herself – something I’m sure lots of mums identify with. She works three days a week and the other days are spent looking after my nephews, so I thought it would be brilliant to be able to offer her a morning away from the madhouse!

She was keen, but unfortunately the time conflicted with her hubby leaving to play in a football match. It was only a frustratingly short 20 minute gap, but obviously the boys can’t be left on their own in the house!

So she sadly had to decline my invite.

Thankfully our very kind mum came to the rescue and offered to look after the boys, and cover the short gap between their daddy going out and mummy coming home.

Hooray for our fabulous mum ♡

As the cinema is only a short drive from home and is manageable for me with the CFS condition, I offered to drive in order to give my sis a break from driving.

It was really nice to see her enjoying the luscious countryside views that she drives frequently past on her way to work but is unable to properly enjoy as she has to concentrate on the road.

Thankfully we both really enjoyed the film – we laughed, we cried, we gasped – and I think it’s safe to say that we both appreciated our rare 1-2-1 sister time together ☺︎

I’m so happy that I could share my good fortune of the free cinema tickets with my little sis, and for having such a lovely, kind and thoughtful mum to help make it happen.

Act of kindness #4: Flowers for mum

Being kind by buying my mum a bunch of flowers:

My lovely mum is going through a difficult time at the moment.

And as you’ll know, it’s really hard to see someone you love upset.

So as well as keeping her in a constant supply of heartfelt hugs, I bought her this bunch of bright cheery flowers to lift her spirits a little and to remind her how much she is loved and treasured.

Act of kindness #2: Warming messages

Being kind by putting up kindness messages around town:

On this chilly foggy morning, I needed to visit my favourite health food shop to pick up a few essentials and thought I’d sprinkle a little kindness around in the hope of bringing a warm sunny smile to the early morning shoppers.

Armed with some of my kindness cards upon which I’d written my favourite message: “You are AMAZING – if you forget that, please read this again” and a blob of Blu-Tack, my lovely mum and I ventured into the town centre.