29.7.13

Making Dreams a Reality


“One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.”
Henry David Thoreau

Thank you to everyone who did "something" to make this family's dreams come true. With help from www.gofundme and word of mouth, we were able to raise $200 to help pay for these kid's school uniforms and supplies. 

They are your normal happy little kids -Robert is 10. Amanda is 8. Anika is 8. Mya is 6. The girls love to read and write... All four of them live for getting muddy... yeah for mom:) They love realtree camo and dresses with mud boots...ahaha. Robert is a great big brother, loves to build anything he can get his hands on and is fascinated by anything that has to do with electronics. And now they have a new set of uniforms each. No more pulling down the hem and repositioning the buttons ;)


Thank You for all your love and support!


The place where dreams are not just dreams

Saturdays Attitude of Gratitude

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”
John F. Kennedy

"Help yourself by helping others. People feel good when they do good. Research now shows that giving is good for you emotionally and physically. ” 

So we spent our morning Saturday baking and decorating little cupcakes. Then we headed to our local Police station to pay them all a Thank You for their service. 



Thank you LAPD for keeping our streets and neighborhoods safe. #spreadlove and #payitforward

25.7.13

Together We Can do MORE



"We are different by design, but together we can shine." - unknown

 Sometimes a little word of encouragement is all we need. How about a cute little animation to show us Unity is Strength. Together we can make a change and impact those around us for the better. Watch it here: Together We Can do More
“Teamwork is the secret that make common people achieve uncommon result.”
Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

Great teamwork!

"There are two kinds of light: the glow that illumines and the glare that obscures." - James Thurber
Lets illuminate our world together with kindness. Take a minute to share a smile, its affordable. Pass it on. Whats your #RAK for the day?




Thank you TheLucky1992sc for the video
and wondersofanimals.tumblr.com for the picture. 






22.7.13

Be the Angel You Are


“Your thoughts, words and deeds are painting the world around you.”
Jewel Diamond Taylor 
 
     We all do random acts of kindness and paying-it-forward deeds...now you can track them and follow others good deeds. Become an Angel today at angelact.org. It takes two minutes to sign up and every time you do a good deed snap a picture of it, upload it to your instagram or facebook, tag #angelact. Be inspired by seeing other people #spreadlove and inspire those around you to join in.


About AngelAct:
"The mission of AngelAct.org is to show that one person doing one good deed can indirectly touch the lives of many "Because We Can".
Our "Angels" randomly help out friends or strangers for no reason at all, then share their "AngelActs" with everyone.
We challenge you to become one of our "Angels" and perform at least 3 AngelActs. An AngelAct is a selfless act performed for the purpose of: Assisting, helping, guiding, motivating, and simply putting a smile on one's face"

Sincerely, Angel Arielle

18.7.13

Make a Ripple and Grow the Circle

"Good deeds have a ripple effect in society. When you show kindness to one person, you inspire the kindness in others. Who's to know what the next person will do for someone else?"
Ripple Effect
One good deed will lead to another, and that to another and so on.

An interesting note - a study(read about that study here) found that people who watched a documentary on Mother Teresa felt more loving afterward and were more likely to volunteer for charitable work than a group that saw clips from America's Funniest Home Videos.
So my deductive logic from that is; People who watch Short clips on Paying it Forward are more likely to do a good deed ! :D 
So watch away and start spreading love!







17.7.13

Pay it Forward - commercial



I loved Liberty Mutual's Pay it Forward commercial and wanted to share it with you. No deed is too small! And you never know who you might impact.

Watch the commercial here:



Pretty Pricey - Not Today

You know the quote, "It's not about brand, it's about style."

I will prove that I (and you) can conquer a "look" for half the price. How to look like a dimepiece with out spending a dime piece... (Btw I LOVE www.dimepiecela.com clothing...be sure to check them out)

I am going to show you several outfits/trends from this year and show you my version at a reasonable price. I do about 90% of all my clothes and shoe shopping online. The key to shopping online is read read read other people's reviews. If there are none, I wouldn't trust that item. Most of the time people will write something along the lines of "this is a perfect fit and I am 5'4 and weigh 125lbs." That way you know if you are around that body type, it should fit you. And always know there is a chance you may have to return the item. I have amazon prime which means I get two-day free shipping!! Most sights after you spend $50 to $75 offer free shipping as well.

Neon:
I saw this skirt ranging from $585 to $68... I was determined to find this under $20 and I did. I purchased this for $15.20. And the top I got for $18
Get this look at www.makemechic.com


Camo is Everywhere... and better yet make it Camo Harem Pants:
I got my pants for $35.80. and I paired them with a black racer back tee and a denim vest. I am wearing black heel sneakers to complete the outfit. 


I really wanted a white bikini for my birthday party. And I loved this criss-cross one.
 I purchased mine for $24.90...and I'm in love with it.


The one piece swim suit. Growing up I hated having to wear a one piece and couldn't wait till I was old enough to wear what ever I want. I swore I would never wear a one piece again! Well, its back in style...and I am wearing one.
I purchased this same one for $19.99.
www.amazon.com

Jumpsuits and piece outfits are a huge trend this yeah. Celebrities are spotted wearing them everywhere.
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/cm/cosmopolitan/images/dC/cos-jumpsuit-0711-cameron-diaz-de.jpg
I bought mine once again for under $20 at www.milanoo.com
Got to love a cute strappy heel, especially a two tuned one. 
My Heels were under $25 at www.makemechic.com


Personal Favorite Store: NastyGal.com
I picked out my movie premiere dress from them at a very good price. They offer great quality clothing while being extremely stylish and comfortable. I love me some nastygal.com !!


Now you know all my secret shopping sights! Happy Shopping :D

16.7.13

There's an App for it #payitforward



Get the App! And lets follow each others good deeds

"As the Official App of the Global Pay it Forward movement, it was developed to remind us that helping others is the best way to make this world a better place. Simple, small acts are not so little when done by millions across the globe so Download today and start impacting the lives of people in your community and around the world.

How it works:
The Pay it Forward app will send you a daily suggestion with an act of kindness that is designed to be simple, fun and effective. Keep track of your progress as you go and share your progress with your friends and family.

View a map of the world and see where the most deeds are being completed and If you are a teacher or student, you will love our classroom section. The daily deeds are designed for the classroom. It is our way at emphasizing pro-kindness vs "Anti-bully" in our schools.

Our app is designed to be a gentle reminder for you to help make the world a litte bit better. Our team has worked hard at creating the app to be effective and social. The idea is simple, the app is simple, and imagine the difference in your community if everyone was doing these simple deeds on a daily basis."

It is available for the iphone and android as well

http://www.pifexperience.org/app/

Pay it Forward - screenshot thumbnail

Pay it Forward Ideas

Here is a short video by a design student. It lists some really good ideas if sometimes you get stumped on what your #RAK (random act of kindness) could be for the day.

pifexperience.org/pay-it-forward

Lovelution


Start a Lovelution in your neighborhood. It doens't take much to #spreadlove and make a little difference on your streets. We live in Hollywood and love our summers but if you've stepped outside recently its quite hot. So we decided to spread love this past sunday by handing out cold water to anyone standing in the heat on the Blvd. We had two sweet little helpers join us in handing out the water bottles. We were met with lots of "thank you" and "God bless you" making it a good positive experience for the kids.




Sometimes we get so caught up in our own little worlds rushing from one thing to the next. We brush by so many people on a daily basis but do we ever stop to see if the person we are zooming by is extremely thirsty or feeling down. 

Join us and start a #lovelution in your neighborhood.
I'd love to hear your stories.


15.7.13

#26ActsofKindess -Updated

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“One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.”
― Henry David Thoreau

     This blog is about pursuing your dreams and helping others do the same. After all isn’t life really about the people we share it with and not so much the materialistic things we acquire? We can all make a difference in the little acts we do everyday.
     Thank you to everyone who participated in a small Act of Kindness. I loved receiving everyone’s pictures and short stories. I could not wait to share them all with you today. I posted my stories along with the messages you all sent to me; some with pictures and some without. 
    It just goes to show how one small dead NEVER goes unnoticed and kindness can travel the world in minutes. Enjoy Reading! And don't stop #payingitforward.

Random Acts (With Pictures):
1.) "We were parking our vehicle and noticed the meter next to us was getting low. So my daughter and I took a minute to go to all the meters with cars parked in front and plopped a quarter or two in their meters. The one spot that was still open, we left a couple quarters for the next person. Hopefully we saved a few people from receiving tickets on Fathers Day. - Ken (Santa Monica, CA)


2.) "I gave this to an older man walking down the street as he was pushing all his belongings and dragging a sign the said 'homeless and hungry'." Chelsea (Lacey, WA)

3.) "I'm sending a box going to Afcrapistan (Afghanistan) to a soldier whose family disowned him for joining the army. " Kathy (Worcester, MA)

4.) "Oh don't we all just Love finals?! Hopefully this will make everyone's grades a little bit better or at least their day. Wishing everyone luck." - Justina (Clarksville, TN)

5.) After a long day in the sun, who doesn't want a Veggie Burger?! These young men just received a gift card and haven't realize it yet. Thank you Juicy Burger for making yummy healthy food… and for your excellent service!! - Jenny and I (Hollywood, CA)

6.) "This gentleman got up and moved out of his seat when he noticed some young children upset about not being seated next to their grandmother.  I was so touched and asked him If I could take a picture just to send it to you because it was very kind of him. The whole plane clapped and cheered. I just had to share this story with you. Everyone on board this airplane just shared in on your birthday celebrations. "Jenny (mid-air Southwest Airlines)

7.) "I was grabbing my daily iced coffee at McDonalds when I noticed homeless man on the side of the street holding a sign. I decided he would prefer food rather than a coffee and handed him a $1 I happened to have in my pocket with #26actsofkindness pre-written on it." - Heather


8.) Left the cashier a little gift card while I was purchasing gift cards for this weekend. The one I left was to the fabulous star bucks right behind him---he just hasn't realized its sitting on his conveyor belt still. - myself (Hollywood, CA)

9.) Standing in line purchasing our food and of course we donated to Prostate Cancer research.  We love keeping our men healthy! - myself (Hollywood, CA)

10.) Nothing like some birthday frozen yogurt at the end of a long day at the pool. While at Frog we tipped the cashier with a pre-written dollar bill and then left his lucky self a gift card as well!  - Jenny and I (Hollywood, CA)


11.) I pulled into McDonalds to get an ice cream today and there was a woman behind me with a little girl who was asking very politely if she could get an icecream. I felt the need to urge for their food and treats today as a random act of kindess. Thank you for your inspiration." - Sophie (University Place, WA)


12 & 13.)  Left a couple gift cards on some lucky cars sitting in the parking lot.- Myself (Los Angeles, CA)



15.) Left someone "you are 'mint' to be" envelope with change on someone's car window. (Los Angeles, CA)

15.)  Left an envelope with cash at a DIY car wash. -Myself (Hollywood, CA)

Random Acts (Without Pictures):
16.) “I went through a drive-through for my morning coffee and I remembered Arielle’s request for giving forward this weekend. So I turned to the cashier and handed them cash asking to pay for the man's coffee who was behind me. It felt very rewarding. Thank you Arielle for the reminder to do good deeds for others.” - Stephanie. (Hollywood, CA)

17.) “OK you little angel, in your honor I picked up a Starbucks, took it to a friend who was having difficulty getting motivated, and spent a couple hours with him making him laugh. But it wasn't me that spread the love, it was YOU! Xoxo.”  - Seph (West Hollywood, CA)

18.) "I did one the other day for you, here it is  – I was pulling out and noticed a young man and his mom waiting at the bus stop. I gladly handed them both a couple dollars for bus tickets just because. It was a rewarding experience!!” - Sophie (Tacoma, WA)

19.) "Thank you for being a positive force in life! I was walking out of target this past Sunday and passed by a young dad. I gave him cash to buy diapers for his baby for Fathers Day.”  - Melissa (San Diego, CA)

20.) Upon pulling into our local CVS a young man was picking up cigarette butts straight off the dirty ground and attempting to re-smoke them. He said he had been waiting for a friend to show up all afternoon to pick him up and he was hungry. He was hoping the cigarettes would take away his appetite. Well he was lucky enough to cross our path this beautiful Sunday, and he received a gift card as well. - Jenny and I (Hollywood, CA)

21.) We decided to have a Redbox night…whoop whoop. With us standing in line was another young man on his skateboard. We randomly handed a dollar bill too him. We had pre-written #26actsofkindness on it. His immediate response was, “Thank you. I will gladly pass this on to the next person.” You have got love it when someone’s initial response is gratitude and they want to pay it forward as well.  - Jenny and I (Hollywood, CA)

22.) Tipped our wonderful valet man a little extra at Paradise Cove on Saturday. - my girls and I. (Malibu, CA)

23. While paying for parking at the beach, we randomly left the attendant a gift card. - my girls and I. (Malibu, CA)

24.) On our way walking to the W Hotel, there was a group of three homeless people sitting holding their hands in prayer. I secretly set a gift card next to them, leaving it sitting on their bags. It felt so rewarding thinking maybe I was playing a part in answering their prayer asking for money for their next meal. - myself (Hollywood, CA)

25.) We started our Sunday morning with a trip to Starbucks...thank goodness they are walking distance! It was extremely busy in there. And of course I had to order a somewhat difficult coffee because I don't like milk...yuck! So we slid the barista a random gift card while he was busy making someone's coffee. - myself (Hollywood, CA)

26.) We decided to have some yummy sushi in West Hollywood on Monday. While sitting there enjoying our food and drinks and older man walked by with a sign asking for help. Of course we gladly passed him a $1 bill that we happened to have on us. He was very grateful! - Jenny and I (West Hollywood, CA)


Ohhh so much fun... we haven't stopped #payingitforward. Join us and do a daily #RAK (random act of kindness.)

11.7.13

Shhh... It's Quiet Time

Hey Moms check out this new app for your phone. It's available for android as well.

"It's the Quiet Game and it's even more fun than it sounds. See how long you and your little ones can stay stealthy and be careful not to fall for any of its tricks. Download it for free here."play.google.com/store/apps

It has a little time your child can watch and it shouts congrats after a certain period of time. The quiet game time goal increase with each level. Make it a game and turn it into an opportunity to win a reward. 

Have fun and enjoy the peace and quiet.


The Quiet Game for iPhone and Android




9.7.13

What the mind can conceive, it can achieve!

     Sometimes I read a book, listen to an inspirational speaker, tune into a good song and I get all hyped up; I feel like I can take on the world...or that I am on top of the world. Then the very next morning I am dragging myself out of bed griping about how I didn't get enough sleep. Where did all the inspiration I felt the night before disappear to? This is not the energy I want to start my day with! I immediately start counting blessings with my daughter and as we drive to school we look for an opportunity to do an #RAK (random act of kindness)

     One of my favorite blogs I read almost every morning: goodvibeblog.com It's my go to for a daily dose of inspiration and learning more about Laws of Attraction (LOA) It's full of juicy articles and practical ways to apply LOA to your life right now. In reading it today, I was tuned into this article which I felt needed to be shared! "How to Get Money to Pour in."

    Today I am starting my Income Journal inspired by Jaqueline Gates. Find the full article on her blog at www.jacqueline-gates.com  Stop counting your bills and penny-pinching! "If you focus on the money going out, then you are going to have money GOING OUT!" Plain and simple. Count everything coming in and start tracking it. Go to her article to get the how-to and get started!

Let's watch the money flow in together!!

5.7.13

"I'm Broke" ... No More

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Even after all this time,
the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me!”
Look what happens with a love like that,
it lights up the whole sky.
-Hafez
Giving, without breaking the bank.
I am a young mom of a 3 year old. I work full-time and attend school part-time.  Money-wise I am not the richest at this moment in life… but we are happy and are grateful to pay our bills.
            The biggest excuse I hear about Paying it Forward is “ I’m broke.” These two words inspired this weekend and writing this article. I want to show you how you can give and make a huge difference in someone’s day in very small ways.
            You if operate out of desperation, a poor mans mindset, than you will always feel poor. Think of your funds like a big pot of gold sitting at the end of the rainbow. Its already yours, it has been sitting in the same spot waiting for you. All you need to do is reach in and grab a handful. If you know the big pot of gold is always sitting there for you then you can be free to give give give.  Create opportunities in your daily life… you will be surprised that once you start operating from a rich man standpoint how the finances in your life will line up around you.
Start a kindness jar and every time you see a coin on the ground collect it. Be grateful for the free money you found. You can now add to your jar and make that your way to Pay it Forward.
           Follow me, join us, and share in on the fun of our weekend of #payingitforward.

Here is an idea to get you started (if payday is not today for you:)
 - Leave a quarter or two (quarters are like gold in CA! leave one at the meter, laundry mat, in the drink machine...)
 -
Leave your mailman a thank you note
 -
We wrote little cards up that say "You are 'mint' to be. Smile" and stapled a mint candy to the card. We have a bag of them sitting in my car so I can hand them out whenever we are out and about.  

Went through the drive-thru to bring my mechanic a fruit smoothie and bought the family's meal behind us


Two young men waiting at the bus stop just got a smoothie !! ...yummy


This past Sunday morning my daughter and I got up and made several batches of frozen dessert cupcakes. And threw a whole bunch of water bottles in the frig the previous night to get them nice and cold. 


We stacked up all water bottles and cupcakes in her little stroller walked around Hollywood Blvd giving them out to anyone we saw in need.
  
At first she wasn't all excited about walking around in the heat, the swimming pool sounded like a much better idea of fun to her. 


But once she started receiving all the positive feedback and seeing how happy people were when she gave them water, she was all about it. In fact, she became sad once we ran out saying that we needed to go home and make more.


We had a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyed this experience. The goal was to show her how much we have to be thankful for and how easy and fun it is to give back and pay forward. The smallest things can put the biggest smile on another person.

Join us and see for yourself!