30 is lookin' good

Today is my 30th birthday!

Crazy, right??

I still feel like I'm 20.

My friends and family have showered me with love and support and it makes me so grateful to have wonderful, uplifting people in my life. Thank you to all of you that made my day so special.

To celebrate my big milestone today, I decided awhile ago to do something different. I wasn't planning on blogging about this because I didn't want to bring that much attention to my plans, but after talking to my friend, she convinced me to share my journey. Please don't think I'm posting this for any accolades or attention, this is not my intent. But I did want to share my feelings about today and how this birthday week unfolded. 

My 29th birthday was miserable. I was sick, Jack was sick and I had to cancel last minute plans with friends because we were feeling crappy and Mike was traveling. So, I spent my birthday in the emotional dumps, feeling sorry for myself. So, this year I wanted to do something amazing. Mike and I talked about a vacation, or a day of complete indulgence to mark my 30th birthday, but I stumbled across an article of a woman that did 38 Random Acts of Kindness for her 38th birthday and I instantly feel in love with the idea. Birthdays are suppose to make you feel great and what better way to do that then showing service and kindness to others. Plus, as Jack is getting older, I want to set a better example of kindness for him to see and what better day to be selfless than on your own day?

Since I had a few tasks to do, I started my Random Acts of Kindness on Monday and made it a birthday week celebration. I've noticed how happy I've been this week, serving others and trying to brighten someone's day. I'll admit that I got a lot of weird looks and when I explained what I was doing, some people were dumbfounded and not knowing how to react, but Jack and I smiled, Jack gave them a fist-bump and we were on our way to the next act.

Tuckered out from all our R.A.O.K.

So, here is the list I pulled from other women's lists and some that I thought up myself. 

30 Random Acts of Kindness:

1. Letting someone go ahead of me in each store I visited this week

2. Putting exact change in soda machines for someone to use

3. Donating Toys

4. Writing Thank You Notes to under-appreciated church members

5. Leaving Hershey Bars on people's windshields

6. Donating Dog Food to the local kennel

7. Donating Clothes to a women's shelter

8. Tip the drive-thru worker and thank her for all her hard work

9. Pay for someone's lunch

10. Scatter change in the park for kids to find

11. Leave $1 in books at Target 

12. Treats for the local firemen

13. Flowers on a grave that doesn't get many visitors

14. A gift to an elderly tenant in a convalescent home

15.  Making treats for an early morning seminary class

16. Giving a homeless person a blanket

17. Donating books

18. Flowers to someone in the hospital that doesn't get visitors

19. Goodie basket to a woman that has always shown me kindness

20. Christmas gifts to less fortunate

21. Extra diapers & wipes in the Mothers Lounge at a church building

22. Cookies to a family going through a hard time

23. Driving and picking up kids from school for busy parents

24. Helping an elderly women to her car

25. Donating cans of food to a shelter

26. Giving a person in front of me in line my change for his order

27. Treats to our mailman & woman with an extra big thank you

28. Candy canes in my neighbors mailboxes

29. Donate money to our church missionary fund

30. Complimenting strangers and smiling at everyone I made eye contact with

That is what I did to celebrate my 30th birthday and even though I am exhausted, I can easily say it was my best celebration ever. Helping others and seeing the utter disbelief on people's faces made me first, feel bad that kindness isn't popular in the world anymore, but more importantly, it made me feel so blessed, grateful and filled with love for others. Also, it made me realize how caught up I get in my own problems and day-to-day tasks, that I forget to look around me and see what other's may need. I watched a man on crutches return to his car at the gas station to find one of my Hershey bars on his windshield and his smile helped me see that I've been blind in my own busy-ness.

I was dreading 30 a few months ago, but after today and this incredible life lesson, I am confident that 30 will be my best year yet. 

Thank you to all my friends that helped me feel special today and a big thank you to my family for all the birthday love. And a big shout out to my little man, Jack for all the birthday kisses and hugs. 

Best. Birthday. Ever.