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Celebrating 36 through RAOK

If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed acts of kindness popping up for the past month randomly in my stories. I was looking for a way to celebrate turning 36 this year and I had read of a couple people who chose to do as many random acts of kindness as they were turning, cue the beginning of 36 RAOK.


I started to make my list of ideas and my son was super curious about what I was doing and became eager to help me with as many as he could. I also realized it wasn't realistic with my families schedule to expect to complete them all in one day, so I scheduled out what acts I would accomplish each week, with the goal of having them all done on February 17th, exactly one month after my birthday. At the time of this post, I still have 3 left and just over a week to complete them.

So, what were my 36 RAOK?


1. Donate new socks and craft kits to Daycare
2. Leave money on a toy at the Dollarstore
3. Deliver storm chips to neighbors
4. Leave treats for hubby in the car
5. Leave positive notes on public change tables
6. Leave money on a Children's Wish well
7. Buy a coffee for a stranger
8. Donate clothes
9. Let someone go ahead in line
10. Send soup to a new Momma


11. Donate a winter coat
12. Leave a present for someone with the same birthday
13. Leave notes in my favorite library books
14. Leave donuts for coworkers
15. Give someone a lotto ticket
16. Surprise someone with cookies
17. Write a review for a business
18. Leave positive notes in a change room
19. Share a business page
20. Leave a treat for the mail carrier


21. Bring treats for my students
22. Write a letter to my future self
23. Adopt a Koala from Australia
24. Give flowers to a nursing home resident
25. Surprise friends with coffee
26. Inspire others to do a RAOK
27. Leave coins in a vending machine
28. Make Valentines cards for veterans
29. Choose an abandoned cart at the grocery store
30. Donate food to a food bank

31. Hide a kindness dinosaur
32. Pick up litter
33. Put coins in a parking meter
34. ~ coming soon 
35. ~ coming soon 
36.  ~ coming soon 


To say I loved doing this would be an understatement. Having my son complete many of the acts with me, was hugely rewarding, I will never forget his encounter with Grace at the nursing home.

As someone who struggles to maintain a positive mood around her birthday, for no apparent reason, this certainly lifted my mood. Starting my morning completing a RAOK or planning on completing one later that day certainly put me in better spirits for the day.

Now, the whole point is not to complete RAOK for selfish reasons, but I think just the act of completing them is an act of kindness for yourself too, one that I plan to continue throughout the year. My daughter has even asked if she can help with some of them next year. #newfamilytradition

Who has some new RAOK ideas for us for next year?     

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