Monday, February 6, 2012

Spread the Love: My Story

Last week Anna, Megan and I challenged our readers to start a movement of Kindness.  We threw out a bunch of ideas of how to spread the love throughout the week. I'm super excited to read what you all did! Here's what I decided to do...


Since my favorite tea shop went out of business, I've been going to Starbucks every-other-day to get my zebra hot-chocolate. On Friday I went in to get my regular, and decided to pick up a gift card and put $5 on it.


Me {to the cashier}: This is going to be a little weird, but can you actually keep the gift card and give it to the next person who walks in the door after I leave?
Cashier: Are you serious? This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done. How cool! I've never witnessed someone doing this.
Me: Yeah, I write a blog and we're trying to spread some love this week with random acts of kindness! 
Cashier: Wow, that's awesome. I'm totally going to do this today for someone else at a restaurant or something!
Me: That's what we were hoping it would spark!


So I took a pen and wrote "Pay it Forward" on the envelope, hoping to encourage that person to do the same for someone else someday!


Isn't that amazing?! I hope she followed through and did it for someone else :) It's so neat to feel so much joy in my heart just by passing along a few dollars to someone at Starbucks. There's a sense of mystery to it, too, which I love, because I didn't know who would end up with it.


I also wrote a few hand written notes and even picked up a little something for my BFF Megan. Don't tell though cause it's in the mail. Okay I ruined the surprise...oops! :)


What did you do to spread the love?!


Be sure to tell me in the comments, write a post about it, and link it up with Megan at Mackey Madness. Anna, Megan and I will be reading through them today. Thanks to everyone who's joining in on the fun!


Feel free to include this graphic in your post!


Let's make it our goal as a community to share smiles, laughs, kindness and love throughout this whole month-even to people we've never met!


Happy Monday!
Love,
Photobucket

PS. I'm over at Amy's sweet blog today answering some fun questions. Pop over to Five Kinds of Happy to get to know me more! She writes the cutest design blog...you are missing out if you've never visited!

30 comments

  1. Such a sweet idea - I hope she paid ti forward too :)

    xxx
    Jenna

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  2. You are the sweetest :) And that's why I heart you. Catch up soon ok lovey dovey? xo

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  3. What a sweet, sweet idea. One time a man paid my toll in a toll booth line. I thought that was so special and it inspired me to pay it forward. I know the next patron at Starbucks will be blessed by your kindness!

    XO,

    Sam
    www.ThePeakofTresChic.com

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  4. Brilliant.... I think I need to 'copy' for my blog and get the love going over there too! Thanks for starting a great trend! Have a 'giving' and beautiful Monday.

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  5. This is such a great idea! Can't wait to be part of the "pay it forward" movement.

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  6. I love this idea! One time this happened to me in the Starbucks drive-thru. The barista said it started with one customer paying for the guy behind him-then that guy paid for the person behind him and then it kept going on & on for about 6 cars!

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  7. Love this, Michaela! You're seriously the sweetest! This weekend I sent my neighbour a little card asking her around for tea this upcoming Saturday, so hoping that she takes me up on it!:)

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  8. Isn't it amazing what a small act of kindness can do? Love that you did this!! :)

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  9. Michaela, this is pretty spectacular. Thank you for sharing your heart and starting this initiative! Such an incredible idea.
    <3
    Anna

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  10. aw loved this so much!!! you are the sweetest!

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  11. What a fabulous thing to do Michaela! So sweet! :)

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  12. We have a local radio station (the Fish) that has a letter online you can print out. Basically, someone prints it out, pays for the person behind them's meal at the drive-thru, and tells the worker to give them the letter to explain things. So cool! Good job Michaela!!

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  13. Paying it forward....love this....very inspiring....just to think that if we all did this each day...how much better this world would be :)

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  14. What an awesome conversation!! I love that such a simple act inspires others to do the same!!

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  15. i love that it inspired someone right on the spot! that's really the power of it! Thanks for encouraging us.

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  16. this is so sweet! and i love that it is contagious!

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  17. Definitely a great thing to do! Making people's days in unexpected ways is such an awesome feeling. Tis truly better to give than to receive. :)

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  18. LOVE this idea! Awhile back, I was at a fast food restaurant going through the drive through, and told the cashier that i'd pay for the person behind me (their meal). He thought I was crazy, but really? This should happen more often - we need more kindness in the world! :)

    New follower here!

    Sam
    http://petitefemmejolie.blogspot.com

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  19. That is absolutely the sweetest thing! You're definitely inspiring people to pay it forward- I want to do something like this and soon! Such a great way to celebrate February and spreading the love :) Amazing!

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  20. That is such a sweet idea, i love it! I'm definitely doing this :)

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  21. oh you sent me a gift card too... perfect ;)
    lovey loove!

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  22. I am so inspired, I am linking up tomorrow as I have already done my act of kindness. Thanks for such a sweet story, what a great reaction from the coffee gal at Starbucks. Sweet. Dawn Suitcase Vignettes xo

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  23. So sweet. I definitely want to do something like this soon!

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  24. I'm positive you made that person's day! Such a good idea!

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  25. Inspiration! I love the idea of a little act of kindness. I will have to do this sometime in the very near future!

    Rachel
    http://alongthewaywithrae.blogspot.com/

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  26. LOVE THIS IDEA!

    Hey, thanks for stopping by Shes.No.Martha the other day! Appreciate the comment! My settee is from West Elm -- it's the Elton settee. He completes me....

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  27. such a sweet idea :) love your idea of leaving the $5... that totally would have funded my latte addiction and brightened my day ;)

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  28. This is so great of you guys to do this! One of our local radio stations does this every Monday... you're supposed to pay for someone's coffee or lunch or toll or something in hopes that they'll pay it forward. Some of the stories that comes out of it are so incredible!

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Thank you for stopping by! If you have a specific question, please email me at hello@michaelanoelledesigns.com. I always reply to emails! Have a blessed day! xoxo

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