Archive for November 2014

Little Merry Sunshine joins Bloglovin

Little Merry Sunshine joins Bloglovin
Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Do you use Bloglovin? In case you’re not familiar with it, Bloglovin is a website that brings all the blogs you love and follow into one feed and lets you know when they are updated. It also helps you find new blogs to follow that you may not know about. Little Merry... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 29, 2014 at 8:07 pm • 

Homeless Helper Bags

Homeless Helper Bags
If you’re a longtime reader of Little Merry Sunshine, you may remember how last December I was inspired by my Facebook friend Scott to make meal bags and pass them out to homeless people. That activity was one of the best parts of my year of 100 new experiences because it reminded me how grateful... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 27, 2014 at 9:37 pm • 

Celebrate Thanksgiving with The West Wing

Celebrate Thanksgiving with The West Wing
Today is Thanksgiving and one of the things I’m most grateful for is the seven season documentary* The West Wing. I know this show backwards and forward, sort of like some people know Caddyshack or Star Wars or the Blues Brothers I. Love. The. West. Wing. Don’t bother to argue with me about Aaron Sorkin. I... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 27, 2014 at 10:38 am • 
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31 Days of Random Acts of Kindness - 2014 Elf on the Shelf Edition

31 Days of Random Acts of Kindness - 2014 Elf on the Shelf Edition
In December 2013, I hitched my wagon to my friend Stacy’s incredible idea of 31 Days of Random Acts of Kindness and spent the entire month spreading joy throughout the land. Stacy even created a hashtag, #31RAOK, which was a blast to use and follow on Twitter and Facebook. Last year was such a success... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 26, 2014 at 6:07 pm • 

Elf on the Shelf turns this hater into a believer

Elf on the Shelf turns this hater into a believer
Unless you’ve been living under a rock without internet access for the past few years, you’ve undoubtedly heard of or come into direct contact with the Elf on the Shelf phenomenon that will shortly overtake the otherwise rational minds of parents everywhere. It appears the Elf on the Shelf began innocently enough, but has morphed... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 26, 2014 at 8:23 am • 

New Holiday: Walk a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes Day

New Holiday: Walk a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes Day
In September 2013, as part of my personal challenge to have 100 new experiences, I created a holiday, International Stay In Bed and Read a Book Day. As you can imagine, it’s become very popular and is celebrated worldwide. Fourteen months later, I’ve decided that it’s time for another new holiday. Therefore, I hereby declare... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 25, 2014 at 9:57 pm • 
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Rape allegations against Bill Cosby have changed his legacy from the one we want to the one we need

Rape allegations against Bill Cosby have changed his legacy from the one we want to the one we need
A friend of mine posted on Facebook about a conversation she had with her daughter this morning that began with her daughter asking, “Is Bill Cosby a rapist?” This question from her tween, made my friend realize that she could no longer separate Bill Cosby the man, who is accused of sexually abusing at least... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 24, 2014 at 12:44 pm • 

It's my 1 Year ChicagoNow Blogiversary!

It's my 1 Year ChicagoNow Blogiversary!
One year ago today I joined the ChicagoNow family of bloggers. As I celebrate this one year blogiversary, it’s important to remember that I’ve actually been writing Little Merry Sunshine for more than seven years. Little Merry Sunshine began over on Blogger as a way for me to experiment with writing. I had no idea... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 18, 2014 at 8:35 am • 

5 Best Apps for Your Guided Meditation and Mindfulness Practice

5 Best Apps for Your Guided Meditation and Mindfulness Practice
One of the best things I’ve ever done is to begin a meditation and mindfulness practice. I suppose I began it almost 10 years ago when I took a hypnosis class with Rev. Jean Kadkhodaian of The Lighthouse Emotional Wellness Center in Arlington Heights. I took to it like a fish takes to water and... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 17, 2014 at 1:43 pm • 
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This I believe

This I believe
A little over seven years ago, I did a Crash Davis-like Things I Believe In blog post on the original Little Merry Sunshine blog. To this day, it ranks right up there with my all-time favorite posts. Oh, you’re not familiar with Crash Davis’s monologue from Bull Durham? I won’t judge you (much), but you... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 14, 2014 at 2:10 pm • 
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    Jessica Gardner

    A native of Chicago's Northwest Suburbs and resident of the North Shore, Little Merry Sunshine comes by her name honestly. The story goes that as a child, she was always so happy that she even slept with a smile on her face. Her mom nicknamed her Little Merry Sunshine. It stuck, along with her insatiable desire to focus on the good in the world and to leave it a little better than she found it. She does this by sharing her passions and dreams, what inspires her, and maybe you too, and furthering the discussion about how we can listen to our better angels. You can reach her at LittleMerrySunshineCN[at]WowWay[dot]com.

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