A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - V is for Virtual Hug / W is for With

B(e) Kind 366 is a year long project where I perform an act of kindness (random or otherwise) each day of 2016. Last year I blogged A-Z with lists of potential acts of kindness. If you're interested here's the V list and the W list. A headache got the best of me yesterday so today's post contains two letters.

Yesterday, V was for Virtual Hug. I've been on an emotional roller coaster this week so yesterday was the perfect day for this act of kindness. I posted it on my own personal Facebook and on the profile of a family member who is part of this roller coaster.

Today W is for With - go With and wait With. I went with a colleague to drop off two strangers. It might not have been the smartest thing to do - two women dropping off two unknown men - but we believe in the good in people and went together. Following that little jaunt, we waited with another colleague while she waited for CAA. Her car wouldn't start after our meeting so after we dropped the two gentlemen off we came back to the office and waited with her. 

Stop by my G is for Giveaway post and enter to WIN (one of my favourite W words)!

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - U is for Unplug

We're in the final week of A-Z! B(e) Kind 366 still has 36 weeks left to go! I'm performing an act of kindness (random or otherwise) every day in 2016. Last year I blogged A to Z with lists of potential acts of kindness. Due to an illness I had to combine my S, T, U, and V posts, but if you're interested you can find that post here: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "S," "T," "U," and "V."



U is a tough letter. I only had two ideas listed under U last year: unplug and upside down. Earlier this year I performed the "upside down" act by building this snow person. I saw a grown man walk by, do a double take, and smile. Mission accomplished!


Since there's no snow (thankfully) left and I already performed the "upside down" act, the only one left was unplug. Before bed tonight, I unplugged all of the electronics, lamps, phone chargers, etc. that we leave plugged in all the time. I'll save a little power tonight and do the environment a small kindness.

If you like winning free things, stop by my G is for Giveaway and enter to win!

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - T is for Take What You Need

B(e) Kind 366 is me being kind 366 days of this year - 2016. I've been planning this project for a few years now and while I try to be kind whenever I can, whenever the opportunity arises, this year, I am making a point of doing something consciously every day and keeping track of it.

Last year I blogged A-Z with lists of potential acts of kindness. I ran into some illness around this time last year so my last few letters of the challenge are combined. Here's my S, T, U, V post!

T is for one of my favourite random acts of kindness to perform: Take What You Need.

I made these posters and posted them on three random bulletin boards in the city. The last time I did this act of kindness was a few years ago when I was working at a university. A few days after I had posted these a colleague sent me a photo of "what she needed" - courage - and it made my day. I hope these 24 slips of paper find their place with someone who really needs them!

For a bit of fun, stop by my G is for Giveaway post and enter to win a Blind Date with a Book!

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - S is for Save the Earth

B(e) Kind 366 is an initiative I've been planning for a few years and it's finally here. Every day in 2016 I'm performing an act of kindness (random or otherwise), taking on monthly challenges (like blogging A-Z), and raising funds for three organizations that have effected my life. 

Last year I blogged A-Z with lists of potential kind acts. Here's my S list, if you're interested: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "S."

It's Earth Day today so S is for the Save the Earth. 

My act of environmental kindness in honour of Earth Day was to sign up for the city's compost program. In a week or two we'll have a green bin and be ready to compost! I recently learned that food garbage doesn't decompose inside a regular trash bag. I feel like that is something that I should have known, but I didn't. In the near future, between recycling and composting we should have relatively little garbage!

Earth = Green, Green = G, G = Giveaway! (Visit my G post and enter my giveaway!)

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - R is for Recognition

Every day in 2016 I'm performing an act of kindness (random or otherwise) and calling the project B(e) Kind 366. Last year I blogged A-Z with lists of potential acts of kindness. If you'd care to take a look at my R list, here it is: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "R."

Today - Day 112 of B(e) Kind 366 - R is for Recognition.

I attended a large meeting today and as I was leaving I made sure to thank the woman who was recording the notes for the meeting. Often the people who do some of the most important work go unnoticed and therefore unrecognized. I try, in every instance that I can, to extend proper recognition.

Be sure to stop by G is for Giveaway!

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - P is for Politics

B(e) Kind 366 is all about doing kind things! 366 kind things - one for every day of 2016 - to be exact! In 2015 I blogged A-Z with lists of potential kindness ideas. Here's the P list from last year if you're interested: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "P."

Today P is for Politics.

It was the Provincial Election in Manitoba today so my act of kindness was expressing my right to vote. It's just that simple today!

There's a really fun giveaway over on my G post that you should enter!

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - N is for News and Nigeria

Every day in 2016 I'm performing an act of kindness (random or otherwise) and that is what B(e) Kind 366 is all about. In 2015 I blogged A-Z with lists of kind acts. Here's the N list if you're interested: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "N."

Today I took an idea from last year's list and spent some time reading news articles and watching news videos about Nigeria's Boko Haram. It's very difficult for me to watch videos and read articles about human rights atrocities so I avoid them for the most part, but today I watched and today I read.

It's been two years since the militant group invaded a school and kidnapped more than 200 girls. We don't hear about #BringBackOurGirls much anymore, but for the families of the young girls in Nigeria the nightmare is still very real.

On April 14, 2016 Boko Haram released a video of 15 of the kidnapped girls reading their names and explaining that they are all alive and well. The Nigerian government confirms that they remain in negotiations with Boko Haram for the release of these girls.

(There's a giveaway over on my G post! Be sure to stop by and enter to win!)

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - M is for Mom

In 2015 I blogged A-Z with lists of potential acts of kindness for each letter. Here's the M list if you're interested: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "M." All of that was leading up to 2016 when I started B(e) Kind 366 - an initiative where I am performing an act of kindness (random or otherwise) every day of the year.

This year and last year the letter M fell on April 15th, my Mom's birthday!

My Mom is the most important person in my life so today especially I celebrate her. 

(There's a giveaway over on my G post this year that's easy to enter and one more way that my blog is contributing to B(e) Kind 366.)

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - J is for Journal

My B(e) Kind 366 act for today is one that I've loved ever since I stumbled across it. I left this kindness journal in the library at the university where I teach in the hopes that someone will find it and pass it along to keep the kindness going!

Last year I blogged A-Z with lists of potential acts of kindness for each letter. Here's last year's J list: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "J." Every day in 2016 I'm doing an act of kindness (random or otherwise) and raising funds for three incredible organizations. It's my hope that blogging about this project will encourage others to join the effort in some small (or large) way!

Don't forget to stop by G is for Giveaway and enter to WIN!

A to Z Challenge: B(e) Kind 366 - G is for Giveaway!

Last year I blogged A-Z with lists of acts of kindness. Here is G's list: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "G." This year I'm doing an act of kindness (random or otherwise) every day in 2016 - that's where B(e) Kind 366 comes from - and blogging about it for the month of April.

Today, G is for Giveaway!

For the rest of the A-Z Blog Challenge and until the end of May I'm hosting a giveaway for all of you wonderful visitors! The prize is a Blind Date with a Book. The winner will receive a random book of my choosing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A-Z Challenge: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "P"

Throughout the A-Z Challenge I'll be blogging through the alphabet using each letter to create a list of Random Acts of Kindness. I've been collecting RAK ideas for some time now as I gear up to the 2016 launch of a project dear to my heart: B(e) Kind 366. I'll be performing an act of kindness every day of the leap year starting January 1st, 2016 while raising funds for World University Service of Canada (WUSC), an organisation that changed my life.

I'm starting each post with a synonym (of sorts) for kindness. I added this part to my posts because of an amazing movement I am a part of 1000 Voices Speak for Compassion. We link up monthly and blog about changing the world for the better. It's magical really. We're even on Twitter! @1000Speak

A sample Pay It Forward card

P is for Peace

Paper FortuneCookies

Pay It Forward - read the book, watch the film, but most importantly do it! If someone does something kind for you do something kind for someone else. 

Pet Cloud

Photo - send an old one to a friend or family member, offer to take one for a group of strangers, take on a Photo-a-Day Challenge.

Plant - a garden, a tree, flowers, something in a mug!

Play - with a child: make faces, peekaboo.

Poetry - read some, write some! (I will write a poem for everyone who donates to B(e) Kind 366 in April 2016.)

Positive - Free Thought Sign

Positivity Challenge - For 5 days post 3 positive things that happened to you or that you are grateful for that day. At the end of each day, tag/nominate 3 people to take part in the challenge.

Purple Box of Power

I have to give a special "P" shout out to Pinterest as part of this post. Most of my ideas for my RAK lists have come from boards on Pinterest. I've been linking to most of the pins when the opportunity arises on each post, but if you're interested in finding all of the pins in one place follow my new B(e) Kind 366 board and my 365 Days of Kindness board - a board I have been collecting RAK ideas on for over a year!

A bit of a longer list for "P", but I am still always looking for more RAK ideas so if any come to mind please do post them in the comments!


"P" also happens to be for Pride and Prejudice and while P&P is not my favourite Jane Austen novel, it tends to be the favourite of most people. It is also the subject of Master's of Arts thesis so I finally took the time to include a photo of the swag up for grabs in my super fun "If Jane Austen Blogged A-Z" giveaway! The more entries I get, the more swag I'll add so go and test your Janeite knowledge or even just venture guesses!

A-Z Challenge: Random Acts of Kindness beginning with "A"

Throughout the A-Z Challenge I'll be blogging through the alphabet using each letter to create an inspiring list of Random Acts of Kindness. I've been collecting RAK ideas for some time now as I gear up to the 2016 launch of a project near and dear to my heart: B(e) Kind 366. I'll be performing an act of kindness every day of the leap year starting January 1st, 2016 while raising funds for World University Service of Canada (WUSC), an organisation that has changed my life.

I'm starting each post with a synonym (of sorts) for kindness. I added this part to my posts because of an amazing movement I am a part of 1000 Voices Speak for Compassion. We link up monthly and blog about changing the world for the better. It's magical really.

A is for Acceptance & Appreciation

Random Acts of Kindess Foundation

Adopt - an animal from a shelter (but only if you're serious about caring for a pet), a family during the holidays (a number of different organisations run programs like this), a star!
Advice - give some to someone who asks for it, take some from someone who gives it.
Allow - someone to go ahead of you in line, to cut into traffic.
Ally - become one! Take ally training.
Ask - before you borrow something, if you can help, if everything is ok.
Assist - someone, anyone with something, anything!

Astronomy - find out if there is a local astronomical observatory in your community (usually located at a university) and take part in a public star gazing event. You won't regret it!

Attend - a fundraiser, an advertised event.   

Some of these letter lists will include an item that has extra special importance to B(e) Kind 366. For "A" the special RAK is Art - make it for a gift or for yourself, visit a gallery, enjoy it! (I’ll be sending mail art to everyone who donates to B(e) Kind 366 in the month of May.)

That brings me to the end of my A-list! Please help me build my list of Random Acts of Kindness by leaving suggestions in the comments!

Want to win some Jane Austen swag?! Who doesn't?! Check out my super fun "If Jane Austen Blogged A-Z" post and test your Janeite knowledge!