Carts of Kindness

David and I both love grocery shopping.  In fact, going to the grocery store was part of our very first date!

But we are privileged.  We can basically put whatever we want in our cart and know that, come pay day, we should have enough to cover it.  That being said, we are thrifty shoppers, always hunting for deals and using coupons.

Yeah – COUPONS.

A grocery store in our area, Harris Teeter, built a new location.  They mailed people in the area coupons – usually a set of 4, one for each week of the month.  They vary in amount, but normally they are $10 off a $30 purchase.  Isn’t that a great deal??  As grocery lovers, we have made a game out of spending as close to exactly $30 as possible each trip (so after coupon, $20).  One time David hit it RIGHT ON THE NAIL (and danced a jig as we giggled at the register).

But in these very uncertain times in our country there are many households where grocery shopping is NOT fun.  Many people are laid off, furloughed, or simply out of work because of the pandemic.  So, I got the idea to use some of the Harris Teeter coupons for others!

First, I asked neighbors if they had any of the coupons they were not using and coupons poured in!  Then the fun part started – figuring out who to grocery shop for!!  Two people were easy to identify; they are both out of work right now yet are still volunteering to help OTHER people in the community as much as they can!!!  Their kind hearts amaze me.  Another neighbor told me about someone else who needed assistance, so they got added, too.

I asked them to write out shopping lists.  Whatever they wanted – totaling $30.  I said there was no judgement – if they wanted to spend the entire $30 on a fancy steak that they had been craving, or on bags of Doritos, it was their choice. 

And off we went!!  We got bacon, cheeses, eggs, waffles, tortillas, honey, ground turkey, ground beef, chicken, juice, bread, butter, cottage cheese, green tea, ricotta, and so much more!!  Whatever was on the lists, we put in the carts.  One recipient made me realize how fortunate we are when they told me, “We’ve been able to get eggs, rice, beans, pasta, milk, potatoes etc. from the free food distribution sites, but they don’t give any meat so this is such a great help”.  That made me think about how little CHOICE they have had in their food these last few months.  It is not like walking down grocery store aisles – it is taking whatever is given.  These are not families that are used to waiting in line for food assistance.  These are strong, proud, contributing members to our country who have been thrown for a huge loop with this pandemic.

I am glad the families were willing to accept the help.  Asking for assistance is not easy. 

We are looking for 5 or 6 more families in the Arlington area that could use a special grocery shopping delivery.  I feel like this is the perfect use of money raised at the Kindness Yard Sale.  If you know someone who is out of work and could use some groceries, please message me. 

Total of Kindness Yard Sale money spent on grocery deliveries so far - $79.66

P.S. - this would be a great act of kindness for you to take on, too!!  If you know someone out of work right now, have them write out a grocery list!  Pick up the food.  Deliver it to them.  It takes a village. 

 

 

Secret Ikea Kindness

Often people think of ACTS OF KINDNESS as huge, elaborate things that require preparation, time, and money.  But many times they can be simple, spur of the moment, and not that pricey!  And on the very rare occasion, they can be a bit magical and mysterious!  Here is the quick story of one of THOSE acts of kindness…

The other day my sweetheart and I were heading to Ikea.  I saw a neighbor post in a Facebook group that she was hoping someone had an Ikea shelving unit to give away.  I commented on her post that I would be happy to pick up a new one for her while we were at Ikea if she would repay me.  She replied that she didn’t have it in the budget to buy one right now, but was hoping someone had one they were no longer using that they would pass on.

I thought that was the end of my interaction on the matter and had my fingers crossed that someone would give her their old one.  But I never imagined that a different person in the group would see the short exchange and volunteer to be a “mysterious kindness fairy”!

Someone messaged me and said, “Susan, if you go to Ikea and they have the item she wants, grab it and I will reimburse you”.  Just out of the blue!!!  I replied and told her she was amazing, to which she humbly said, “Nah, it’s just been a crap year and this stuff makes me happy”.  AMEN, mystery kindness fairy!!!

THEY HAD IT IN STOCK!  Ikea for the win

Ikea DID have the item, so we bought it and delivered it to the person, telling her that someone wanted her to have it but not giving any names.  She was REALLY SURPRISED and delighted.  Later that evening she wrote, “Some faith restored in the kindness and generosity of stranger(s) this evening.  Thank you, whoever you are!”.  And the next day she sent me this photo of her brand new, fancy storage area!

PERFECT!!!  Printer stand.  Storage boxes.  Ahhh, organized!

So, you see, kindness doesn’t have to be elaborate.  It can be done in secret if you like!  All it has to be is heartfelt.  Your actions can make a difference.  Especially NOW, in this time of turmoil and anxiety in our country, little actions mean a lot.

What can YOU do to make a difference?

The Kindness Yard Sale Funds Are SPREADING!

It’s time for a KINDNESS YARD SALE UPDATE!!  Because the sale was soooo successful, there’s a ton of kindness to spread this year, and it is exciting!  So, let’s take a peek at the recent kindness that has gone down:

A woman named Tracey in my local Buy Nothing group posted that she was looking for white shoes to wear to nursing school.  Wait – what??  You can’t wear USED SHOES when you are learning to be a NURSE!  I pictured her standing on her feet all day, walking the hospital hallways, learning how to chart and take blood pressure, etc.  No, used shoes would not do in that situation.  She needed BRAND NEW ONES – shoes with good support and in perfect condition!

I contacted her and asked if it would be ok to get her some, and she was thrilled.  She looked online and found just the ones she liked.  I ordered, we waited, and VOILA – new white shoes!!!!

Nurse-to-be rocking her new white COMFY shoes!

Tracey - I hope nursing school goes great.  I know from experience that nurses are some of the most IMPORTANT people in the healthcare industry.  I bet you will be an awesome one!

(Spend on the nursing shoes: $64.26)

A neighbor sent me a message recently asking if I take nominations for people to receive kindness.  Hmmm.  The woman contacting me had both donated and shopped at the yard sale, so I didn’t have to think long before saying, “Well, sure!  What do you have?  I would love to consider it!”.  She explained that she had a friend who was feeling isolated during Covid.  My neighbor wished she lived closer to her friend so that they could visit in person, but wondered if perhaps a little kindness from a stranger would bring some joy.  That sounded like a perfect fit for a Kindness Activist act, so I started online shopping! 

Before long I landed on the website Uncommon Goods.  Boy oh boy, if you ever want to get someone an interesting, unique gift, check it out!  I asked my neighbor a couple of questions about her friend, then narrowed my search down to a few items.  My favorite was this bracelet, so I was glad it was my neighbor’s favorite, too! 

Here is the description of it from the website:“Shooting stars. Birthday candles. Found pennies. The perfect moment to make a wish doesn't have to rely on chance. Hidden within this bracelet's clasp is a secret compartment to stash your personal wish - whether it's a daily intention, a meaningful reminder, or exactly what you've been wishing for. Simply write your wish on a tiny bit of paper (a set of just-the-right-sized sheets is included), roll it up, and tuck it into the opening. Wear it as a daily reminder to keep at it and stay focused on your goal—because putting what you want out there is the first step in making your wishes come true. “

Just a few clicks, a little note to insert with the bracelet, and then we waited!! 

I was so excited the day my neighbor messaged me and said, “IT ARRIVED!  And she is trying to figure out who it is from!!”.  The mystery of it all made me giggle.  Eventually my friend revealed the back-story, and the bracelet recipient might even be reading this now!  If so, hope you liked your special gift.  I hope you wear it in good heath and tuck a special wish or dream in the secret compartment.  And I hope when Covid is over and you come to visit Arlington, I get to meet you!

(Spend on the bracelet - $54.64)

Website: https://www.uncommongoods.com/

You may remember a story I wrote about a young man I met at the Kindness Yard Sale and really took a liking to.  His name is Langston, and he is in the ASL (American Sign Language) club at his school.  I am an ASL interpreter, so I encouraged him to keep studying and come work with me someday!  The field needs more male interpreters and interpreters of color.

He and his mom bought several things at the sale.  One thing he picked out for himself was a Fit Bit.  He walked by a couple of weeks after the sale his dad and they stopped to chat.  I was thrilled to hear that Langston is using that Fit Bit every day!  His record is over 23,000 steps in one day!

Anyway, to continue to encourage him to study ASL, I used Kindness funds to buy him a t-shirt made by a Deaf woman.  It says “equal” in ASL.  It can also mean “equality”.  I thought it was really fitting with the Black Lives Matter movement happening now.  I wore my ASL shirt when we delivered Langston’s so we could take a photo together.  On mine, the “O” in the word “vote” is the sign for vote!  Isn’t it cool? 

EQUALITY!

(Spend on t-shirt - $24.45)

Website:  https://shop.spreadshirt.com/erryb/?fbclid=IwAR1MpPD49Nb1j2HEZg6-z9HqChi515eKFXe9PtZpUYO2tX_kCyGwkuPN5ZU

A woman in town is taking care of her mother who has memory issues.  That duo has such a soft spot in my heart - watching their relationship is beautiful.  When there was a little wicker desk/vanity left over after the Kindness Yard Sale, I hoped her mom could use it!  She likes to write cards and letters to mail to people.   Sure enough, it was a size and style that would fit in their home, so we put it in the back of our car and brought it to them.

But you can’t have your own DESK without a little PLANT on it…  So, we got a little potted mini rose bush.  And if you are going to have a desk, you need PAPER…  Got some memo pads.  And if you are going to write cards, you need CARDS!  Grabbed some cards. 

Desk with supplies - all ready for the new owner and lots of letter writing

It was very fun to drop everything off at the house.  Because of Covid we socially distanced and set it up in the front yard (they brought it in later that evening).  But we talked a while and the mom smiled.  She was very curious about the tiny roses.  And as we pulled away I saw her move the desk a bit so she could sit at a bench in the yard and “work at the desk”.  Made my heart very happy.

(Spend on desk supplies - $14.52)

And finally for this update – a MYSTERY GIFT!!!  I read somewhere that someone bought something for a stranger off of their Amazon Wish List.  I do not use an Amazon Wish List, so I wasn’t sure how that would work, but I called my big sister on video, shared my screen, and off we went!!  It was FUN!

We decided a BABY GIFT would be good, so we went to the Baby Registry.  Then I made up a name (a common-ish sounding name) and typed it in – VOILA!  There were about a dozen women with the name I entered who were having or had had babies and had wish lists!!!  We chose a woman whose baby is due soon (September 3^rd) who lives in Kentucky.  We could tell from looking at her wish list that she is having a boy, and it looked like it was probably her first baby. 

Nothing on her list had been purchased so we had lots to choose from!  We debated which route to go – diapers would be PRACTICAL but also maybe something local friends and neighbors would give her.  In the “go big or go home” department – we decided on the most expensive item on her registry – a video baby monitor!!  It looked really nice and I bet she will get a ton of use out of it.   And it is also something that would be hard to buy out of a pocket when you are also dealing with getting all of the basics.  We also bought a little board book about animals. 

New baby monitor for a brand new baby

We included a note that the money used to buy these gifts was raised at the Kindness Yard Sale in Arlington, VA and we had chosen her at random on Amazon.  The gifts were delivered this Saturday!  I wish I could have seen her face when she got them.  She doesn’t have my name or contact info, but who knows, maybe she will Google “Kindness Activist” and end up reading this!

(Spend on baby gifts - $179.83)

That's the 2020 update so far.  More Kindness Yard Sale news as it happens!! 

Kindness Yard Sale 2020 - REALLY the Final Total (Leave a Trail of Kindness)

It is hard to explain it to people.

The Kindness Yard Sale.

But the thing is, it is SO MUCH MORE than that.

Yeah, it’s a yard sale, big deal…

And for the last month and a half, my life has basically been consumed by it.  Asking for donations of items.  Begging for hangers (and more hangers, and more hangers…).  Borrowing tables and clothes racks.  Washing load after load of clothing, stuffed animals, blankets…  Coming home to new bags and boxes on our porches - treasures donated by neighbors, some of whom I do not even know.  Our front porch got so filled with donations that for a couple of days there was only a skinny walk-way IN and OUT of the front door (and this is a wrap-around 3 sided porch we are talking about!!).  Driving around picking up donations.  Setting up bookshelves and tables.  Posting little on-line auctions on my Facebook page to raise some money before the actual sale and give out of town friends and family a chance to participate.

This is probably about 1/5 of the jewelry donated to 
this year's sale!  So pretty!!

In the end, all of the work was supposed to be for ONE WEEKEND.  But oops, that first weekend went so well that we stretched it into TWO weekends.  But those two weekends were magical!

I met SO MANY fun people.  People from many different countries, speaking different languages and having different traditions.  If you have never tried to explain the concept of “Nothing has a price tag, you pay whatever you would like to pay, and we will use your money for kindness…” to someone who does not share a common language with you, well, let’s just say the concept is a tricky one!  I did a lot of mime, gesturing, and sometimes sounded like – “Shirt?  You buy.  Money – you give.  Money big, small – you choose.  Your money I take – help other people!!”.  Often I was met with what can only be described as a, “Those nutty Americans…” look of disbelief. 

That first weekend we had NO slow times at the sale.  People were waiting (pacing!) when we opened the “doors”, and we had a steady stream of shoppers well into the night both days.  I thought I would have enough reusable shopping bags to last the whole sale, but I think they were all gone the first day!  The 2^nd weekend was calmer but still busy and productive. 

There are so many things I love about the Kindness Yard Sale.  Here are just a few:

1. Some parents use the sale it as a teaching tool for their children.  It DELIGHTS me to see kids being taught the concept of kindness.  The children would show up (with masks on!) and their own money in their pocket.  They would look around (usually for a very long time) and decide what they wanted to buy.  Then I would ask how much they wanted to pay, and many of them were so thoughtful.  They really considered the value of the items and paid generously (and I often rewarded that by giving them another item they had been eyeballing for free – a gift with purchase if you will).

2. The sale quite literally SAVED things from the landfill.  I know this for a fact, because one evening as we were on the porch organizing donations some people rode by on bikes and declared that they had just passed a dumpster that had loads of CDs and book ends in it.  They asked if we would like them to get in the dumpster, get them out, and donate them to the sale.  “Sure!” I said, not know exactly how MANY CDs they were talking about!!  They brought back tons of music!  It was both fun and funny!  And do you know what?  Those CDs sold!  People were excited to sort through them and find their favorite artists or music genres that they liked.   The sale also saved things off the side of the road, because the months leading up to it, I would holler, “Pull over!!!” whenever I saw something good being thrown out.  We carried a lot of “treasures” in our car these past few months.  😊

I found this lantern on the side of the road and rescued it.
Rehabbed it and its' twin and sold one at the yard sale!     

3. The sale gives people the opportunity to be HELPFUL and KIND.  Whether donating items, shopping and giving money, or helping set up or tear down.  Opportunities to be helpful are sometimes hard to find, believe it or not.  And I think we all crave them.  I am so very thankful to friends and neighbors who helped with it all. 

4. The sale re-homes SO MANY items.  You know the old phrase, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”.  It is so true!!  A Pilates ball.  A board game.  A swimming suit.  A hula-hoop.  A set of dishes.  All things no longer needed in one household, but now treasured by another.  I love when things find the perfect home.  I kept a couple of larger items inside our home during the sale and kept my eyes open for a good fit for them.  One was a horse from the American Girl Doll series.  The horse was really nice – it even came with accessories like a bridle!  I wanted it to go to the “right home”.  I asked several kids during the sale if they had American Girl dolls, and I wasn’t finding a good fit.  Then I asked one little girl who told me she had a doll like the American Girl dolls and she really liked playing with it.  Well, you should’ve seen her eyes light up when I brought that horse out for her to examine.  She loved it!!!  And soon after she left with it (and other purchases) her parents sent me photos of her playing with it.  Perfect fit!! 

5. And finally, the sale brought the neighborhood together.  I don’t know if it was because we were all jones-ing for some face to face interaction with people or what, but people TURNED UP in the heat.  We masked up.  We stayed socially distant.  They shopped.  And we TALKED.  We laughed.  And it.  Felt.  Good. 

So now we are a week out.  I am nursing a sore back (from all the lifting, standing, and heat I think), but my heart is still joy-filled with the whole experience and when I think about it I get giddy.

Last year the inaugural Kindness Yard Sale raised $1905.76.  That was a LOT of money and it allowed me to spread kindness around the world for an entire year!!  We did so many things with it and I wrote about them in my blog so you could follow along.

Well, this year’s Kindness Yard Sale more than QUADRUPLED 2019’s total!!! 

The Kindness Yard Sale 2020 raised $8,265.10!!!!!  Yes, over $8,000!!!!  It raised $8,265.10 to be precise.  Now you can understand why I am giddy!!  The possibilities of kind things we can do with that amount of money seems almost limitless!  We can spread it so far, so wide.  And I can’t wait!!!

As promised, I will keep clear records of where the money goes and share the stories here.  We began spreading the kindness yesterday so I will leave you with the first three stories for 2020’s accounting.

1. We bought this fun basket of goodies and delivered it to an amazing family.  The mom lives with her two adorable kids and her very soon to be born 3^rd child.  They are so kind and generous to others, in fact the American Girl horse that I talked about above was donated by this family for the sale!!  The mother is a shining example of kindness for her children.  She told me that they have a neighbor who is, how should I put it, very cranky.  But instead of being cranky back, these kids wanted to bake COOKIES and make “happy cards” for the neighbor!  So that’s just what they did.   And one time the little girl gave a child she saw with too small shoes the SHOES OFF HER OWN FEET – her favorite sparkly sandals!!  (She DID tell the new owner to keep them clean because they needed to sparkle 😊.)  Anyway, this mom and her children spend a lot of her time being kind to others, and I thought a little kindness needed to come her way.  She was surprised and excited to get the basket.  (Accounting - $179.78)

Basket of goodies for the whole family

2. A little neighbor girl that I am very fond of came to the Kindness Yard Sale a few times.  She was spending her own money and using it very wisely.  I happened to know she is a fellow mermaid fan, so I set aside a few mermaid items for her to look through.  While at the sale, unbeknownst to me, she begged her parents to let her buy “Corny”, our inflatable unicorn with glued on googly eyes.  They kept explaining that the unicorn was NOT for sale…  Her mom told me that she must’ve asked to buy it 1,000 times.  😊  Finally, the mom said that they could take a picture by the unicorn, but not buy it.  That was good enough for then, but once I heard the story I knew she needed her own unicorn.  So, we ordered one, glued on some eyes, and snuck out last night to leave it outside her home.  (Side note – apparently her dad got spooked by it when he saw it in the dark!)  When she found it today she was thrilled!!!!  I am certain it will be the most well cared for unicorn in the neighborhood.  She has named her Uni, shaded her with an umbrella, bathed her, and given her a nap (all in one day!).   (Accounting - $24.45)

   

At the sale - she wanted to buy that unicorn SO badly!

Click here to see video of secret UNICORN KINDNESS in action

TADA!  Her own unicorn, with mataching mask!!

We made a donation from the yard sale proceeds to a lemonade stand run by Graeme, a little warrior who, though still having to go to doctor appointments himself, raises money with his brothers to help Connor’s Heroes, an organization that supports pediatric cancer patients and their families (that has been instrumental to Graeme’s family).  Those brothers did a great job fund raising this year!  (Accounting - $50)

Seriously, WHO could resist this cuteness??

We have the next kind act all lined up, just waiting for the right time to do it!  And there will be soooo many more this year, thanks to generous donors and shoppers.

It’s not too late.  If you still want to pitch in for Kindness, you can donate via PayPal or Venmo.  All donations appreciated, accounted for, and used wisely for spreading KINDNESS.

PayPal – thompsongaines@msn.com

Venmo - @susan-thompson-gaines

THANK YOU.  Thank you neighbors.  Thank you donors.  Thank you shoppers.  Thank you rain for holding out and only dripping on us a bit during the sale.  Thank you woman who ran and got ice for the cooler.  Thank you person who translated into Spanish for me one time.  Thank you online friends and family.  Thank you to people who loaned things.  Thank you to the kind stranger who volunteered to sew masks from donated fabric (that everyone loved!).  Thank you to the woman who grew and donated little plants.  Thank you to my sweetheart for indulging this huge “disruption” in our home and being so supportive.

See you at the Kindness Yard Sale in 2021!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindness Yard Sale 2020 - GRAND TOTAL!!

My body is bruised, exhausted, and sore.

But my HEART, my heart is happy.

The Kindness Yard Sale 2020 is in the books!  We started at 8:30 am Saturday and Sunday, and we didn’t have a slow time the entire weekend!  You know how with most yard sales you expect to be busy the first 3 or 4 hours, then have long lulls between customers?  That is what we EXPECTED, but oh that is not what we got!  People just kept coming and coming and coming!  We had a large supply of re-usable fabric bags that we planned to put purchases in for the whole sale.  Those puppies didn’t even make it through the first day before we had to switch to plastic and paper bags.  It was amazing!!

If you know me (and you probably do because you are reading this) you know that I often have my camera in hand and I take photos (literally) every day.  So, it might help you understand how BUSY the sale was when I tell you that I didn’t take a SINGLE PHOTO of it!!  It wasn’t until we were starting to pack up that I even thought of photos!!!  So here it is – the terrific signs David made.

Speaking of the signs, that and posting in 4 Facebook groups was the only advertising I did.  As much as I planned ahead on the sale aspect, I sorely lacked in the advertising.  I can only imagine how much busier it would have been if we had found time (and remembered…) to hang up the signs we printed!  😊

I have so many fun and poignant memories of the sale.  Let me tell you about a few of them.

-          A little boy (age 2 I think) was with his parents.  His dad came to the sale on Saturday and was interested in a small child sized table, but wanted to come back with his wife.  So Sunday the 3 of them came to look.  After checking out he table, the parents shopped while the little boy played with trucks (his dad told me he loved anything with wheels…).  I decided to see if he would join me for a TEA PARTY.  I brough the tea set of Disney princesses down to the kid table, took a seat, and set up the cups, saucers, plastic silverware, and tea pot.  Then I invited him over.  He sat opposite me and I showed him that I had made some (pretend) tea.  I poured us each a cup and pretended (through my mask) to drink mine.  He wasn’t sure at first, but soon enough realized that tea parties are marvelous fun.  We drank “tea”, he stirred “sugar”, and a good time was had.  When it was time to leave, his parents were leading him out with their purchase of the 2 small chairs and kid table.  But he was having NONE OF IT.  He cried and cried.  And he had been so cheerful and attentive the whole time, but now he was S A D.  Turns out, the mom had packed up the tea set in the baggie and BOUGHT IT.  But my little friend thought packing it up meant leaving it at the sale.  Poor fella.  I hope he had a good tea party when he got home.

-          A woman was shopping for clothing and asked me if there was a place to try it on.  There was not, so she asked if she could maybe take a few things to her house to try on.  I asked where she lived and she gestured 2 houses down.  As we talked I learned that she is an au pair for a neighbor.  She moved to America from Mexico the DAY BEFORE the quarantine started!  She brough very little with her, thinking she would buy used clothing when she got here.  But everything has been closed.  So I asked her sizes, needs, and preferences, then headed toward the basement to look through the stacks of clothing that I didn’t have space to hang outside.  I filled up a big plastic tub of clothes for her to take home and try on.  She took pictures of the ones she wanted to buy and brought the rest back.  She ended up with sweaters, a winter scarf, a winter headband, snow boots, a swimsuit, and some all season clothes!  It was so fun to be able to welcome her to the neighborhood and the country.

-          Many items found the RIGHT HOMES.  Lots of people were careful about their purchases, really looking things over, considering them.  It was obvious that they would value and care for them.  One of those was a little girl whose parents bought her the American Girl horse.  It was a beautiful horse and came with horse accessories, too!  The girl beamed when I showed it to her.  And about an hour after they left the sale they sent over a photo of her playing with her new toy.  Heaven.  These items also found perfect homes!

Who doesn't love a good Todd Parr book?? 

A Minnie Mouse fan and his new stuffie

-          A man who I never met volunteered to sew MASKS for the sale!  Someone had donated really pretty fabric, and this man said he would make masks with it.  We required all shoppers to wear masks (and were glad that people respected that rule).  So even though people already had masks ON, they still wanted to buy the pretty handmade new ones.  It was great.

Great handmade masks

-          A couple of nights before the sale a group rode by on bicycles.  They asked if we could use CDs for the sale, and bookends.  Ummm, sure!  Why not!  Off they rode, only to came back an hour or so later with almost every cd known to mankind!!  They had spied a dumpster full of TREASURES and rescued some for the sale!  Isn’t that fantastic??  And you know what?  So many people wanted those CDs!  There was music of every genre!  And lots of the book ends sold, too.  Thus proving, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

-          Many people involved their CHILDREN in the sale this year.  Some kids came with their own money (little kids!) and the assignment of choosing something to buy.  One brother and sister duo had the sale concept explained to them before arriving, then the mom asked me to explain it, too, so that they clearly understood what the money was for, how prices were decided, etc.  Then they set about perusing games, toys, jewelry, and clothes.  When they came up to pay the mom asked them how much THEY thought the price should be.  Each child carefully considered the items.  One said, “Umm, I think $21.”  The other said $24.  So the mom and I decided to split the difference - $22.  But as the mom was pulling the money from her wallet, the little girl said seriously, “Mom, wait.  I think it should be $25”.  So that is exactly what they paid.  I loved that those children learned about so many things – kindness, generosity, value… 

-          Sooo many families donated this year.  It was INCREDIBLE.  And trust me, this yard sale had the widest variety of items of any sale ever!  There were cat beds, bundt pans, sleeping bags, a Scarlett O’Hara doll, a grown your own avocado set, books on a very wide variety of topics, Easter decorations, a food truck for kids to play with, furniture, a huge selection of jewelry, even a SQUATTY POTTY!!  But here are a couple of MY favorite donations (and yes, of course I bought them!)

Hey look - a wrestling singlet!  Can't pass that up!

Wait a gosh darn minute...  Did whoever donated this know that I am a MERMAID??

-         And so many people helped.  The general consensus is that next year, we need to schedule people to work in shifts.  But even without that, I had TONS of help this year.  Neighbors who came with their kids to help put merchandise out.  A neighbor who bought us dinner after the first day of the sale (and stayed super late the night before the sale to help finishing putting things out).  Neighbors who loaned tables.  A neighbor who stopped by almost DAILY for 10 or so days before the sale delivering finds – tables, clothes racks, etc.  Neighbors who delivered bottles of wine!  Neighbors who did not complain when I repeatedly begged for more hangers.  Seriously too many people to thank.

We still have a LOT of items left.  We miiiight open up again this weekend.  You will for sure see me auctioning off more items during the year on my Facebook page.  I might sell a few items online and put the money in the Kindness fund.  And I will for sure pack some things away for sale at the Kindness Yard Sale 2021.

Here is what you likely have been waiting for – THE GRAND TOTAL….  This will go up after we close out 3 auctions tonight, but for now, the grand total of the Kindness Yard Sale 2020 is….

(DRUM ROLL….)

$5,543.69!!!!

Can you believe it????  We almost TRIPLED the amount that we raised last year!

That money has been safely deposited in the bank.  And pretty soon, after we are no longer stiff and sore and the house has been tidied up, I can start to mull over ideas for KIND WAYS TO SHARE it.  I can’t imagine how much kindness that amount of money will spread!  It makes me giddy to think about it.

THANK YOU.  Thank you shoppers, online auction bidders, people who donated, people who helped, people who shouted out encouragement as they drove by.  THANK YOU.

Be on the look-out for KINDNESS coming your way.

Chalk It Up To Kindness

One of the primary purposes of Kindness Activist is to show how KINDNESS RIPPLES.  When people talk about kindness – share it with others – it ripples…  I believe that the people who hear about the kindness are subconsciously affected.  Kindness moves more to the forefront of their mind, and therefore, they are more likely to DO something kind.

But the recent ripple I witnessed was much faster and more intentional than I remember seeing!  It was a beautiful, sweet, ripple of KINDNESS!

Photo of original chalk art in the community (not the artwork that was washed away).  Photo credit unknown.

It all started with CHALK.  A family in my community (Arlington, Virginia) had chalked Black Lives Matter statements on their driveway.  Someone in the neighborhood was apparently offended by the chalk art, and they called in to report it and ask that it be removed. 

That someone would be offended by a child’s CHALK ART speaks volumes to how tense our society is right now.  Anyway, the county sent workers out and told them that they HAD to remove the drawings.  To add insult to injury, this all happened on June 19^th (Juneteenth), th holiday that celebrates the day the slaves in Texas finally received the news that they had been proclaimed free 2 and a half years earlier.  And even worse, the county employees who were dispatched to erase the work were African American…  (Link to the story about the incident here: Washington Post story on this incident)

Chalk art on a sidewalk in Arlington.  Photo credit unknown.

As word got out throughout the neighborhood, people were livid.   Arlington is a very diverse and progressive community and this type of hatred and intolerance are not in tune with “the Arlington Way”.  So, neighbors reacted in an amazing manner – they went to the girl’s neighborhood and chalked and chalked and chalked!  Her artwork doubled, tripled, grew into many many many times larger than the original pieces as more and more families added to the messages.  People throughout Arlington joined in and chalked their own sidewalks and driveways.  It was a glorious show of support.

A simple and sincere message.  Photo credit unknown.

I wanted to help out, so we went to Target to buy some chalk sets to share.  I hosted a Kindness Yard Sale last summer where all proceeds raised went to spread kindness, and I had a little bit left in the “Kindness Bank”.  I bought all the sidewalk chalk Target had left – 3 sets.  I am guessing they had a big run on it after the Juneteenth incident!!

This was the only sidewalk chalk I cuold find at Target 2 days after the drawings were destroyed

Then I posted in a Facebook group asking who would like some chalk to write their messages of support.  I delivered the 3 sets of chalk – one to a neighbor I know who asked for some, and 2 sets to people I do not know.  At one house the mom told me it was going to be her daughter’s 6^th  birthday soon.  She sent me this sweet message:  “Any chance you would be inclined to do sidewalk art with us on Wednesday?  Our girl is turning 6 on Saturday and we’re looking for creative ways to teach her some community members want the best for everyone."  I couldn’t join them in their drawing because I had to work, but was so honored to be invited.  At another house, the three little girls had come up with what they wanted to chalk, “We are all children of God” and draw a bunch of people holding hands.  More positive messages of equality!!

Let FREEDOM ring indeed!  Photo credit unknown.

But that is not the kindness I wanted to write about here.  What happened NEXT is what I love.  A person who I only know through a Facebook group sent me a message saying that she would like to help me spread the chalk messages.  She asked for my address and today, THIS CHALK ARRIVED via Amazon!  Isn’t that fantastic?  It was an immediate ripple!!!  Giving away chalk resulted in having MORE chalk to give away!  And that is perfect because tomorrow has been declared Chalk for Justice in Arlington and people are going to hit the pavement with chalk!!  I can’t wait to see the drawings and quotes.

(Edit - after I wrote and published this story, ANOTHER Amazon delivery came!  The kind stranger sent 3 sets of sidewalk chalk!!)

MORE CHALK TO SHARE!  Sent from a kind stranger.  

See how quickly the ripples can happen??  It doesn’t take tons of money (I only spent $30.74 on 3 sets).  It doesn’t take a lot of time (I just bought the chalk, posted about it, and delivered it to 3 houses).  It doesn’t take a lot of effort.  What it takes is heart.  Small acts of KINDNESS can cause big ripples.  Ripples that can reach out into the community and spread…  Spreading kindness everywhere they touch.

What can YOU do to start a ripple today?

Black Lives Matter.  Photo credit unknown