Tag: generosity

100+ acts of kindness for others, animals, and the planet

100+ acts of kindness for others, animals, and the planet
Step one in spreading kindness throughout the world in 2017 is performing one act of kindness each week for another person or people, animal, or the planet. The list of possible acts of kindness is endless, but to get you started, I’ve listed 100 of my favorite acts of kindness below. I’d love to hear... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
January 3, 2017 at 4:39 pm • 

2017 is the Year of Kindness

2017 is the Year of Kindness
After a tumultuous 2016, it’s time to get back to basics. And, in my opinion, nothing is more basic than kindness. Kindness to others. Kindness to ourselves. Kindness to our pets. Kindness to our planet. I am making a new personal commitment to kindness and I invite you to join me. Can you imagine the... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
January 2, 2017 at 2:07 pm • 

Full Moon Restaurant: Where everyone receives a free Thanksgiving dinner

Full Moon Restaurant: Where everyone receives a free Thanksgiving dinner
Do you dine at the Full Moon Restaurant? I first discovered the Full Moon as a first year student at Lake Forest College in 1989 when an upperclassman friend introduced me to this wonderful 24-hour truck stop just north of campus. Since that time, the Full Moon has been my second favorite restaurant. Second only... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
November 25, 2015 at 3:17 pm • 
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I received a Pay It Forward and it FREAKED ME OUT

I received a Pay It Forward and it FREAKED ME OUT
We’re all familiar with the idea of “pay it forward” where one person performs a random act of kindness for another person with the hope that the recipient will be inspired to “pay it forward” and perform a random act of kindness for someone else in the future. We may have seen the movie, probably... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
June 21, 2015 at 2:36 pm • 

31 Days of Random Acts of Kindness: Week 1 Results

31 Days of Random Acts of Kindness: Week 1 Results
Have you been performing 31 Days of Random Acts of Kindness? I’ve had so much fun in the past week being extra kind and seeing the reactions of strangers. I’ve also noticed many people performing random acts of kindness for me. What have I done? I’ve . . . Treated my favorite 1st year Foresters... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
December 8, 2014 at 1:14 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 • 
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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 • 

Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm and My Friends Were There

On my way to Skokie this evening, in the heart of rush hour, I was in a car accident on Interstate 94 and it appears I’ve totaled my car. It doesn’t really matter exactly what happened. Well, I suppose it does, but for this post, those details are meaningless. What is important is that there... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
April 3, 2014 at 9:22 pm • 

Changing Lives With McDonald's Hamburgers

Never in my entire life did I think I’d type the words that appear in the headline of this post. Given all the bad press McDonald’s has received recently, it’s almost difficult to believe that McDonald’s can change lives for the better, but that’s just what happened on Friday night. I had just walked out... Read more »
By Jessica Gardner,
December 15, 2013 at 10:58 pm • 
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    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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