Show Us Your Life - RAOK

Today I am participating in Show Us Your Life, hosted by Kelly at Kelly's Korner. Today's topic is:

Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness is a way of bettering someone's life through small gestures, kind words, or small favors. I really believe in the power of RAOK. Not only does it make the other person feel better, but it also makes me feel better about myself. It's a win/win situation!

You don't have to spend huge amount of money or time on someone to make their day. Here are some ideas for ways I try to commit RAOK in my everyday life:

• Occasionally, when I'm going through the Starbucks drive-through, I'll pay for the person's drink behind me. I did this the other day, and the cashier gave me a free gift certificate for what she called my kindness. See - what goes around comes around!
• When I am able, I go around the parking lot and gather up loose carts. You might not directly impact someone's day, but the person whose car didn't get dented or scratched that day has you to thank.
  
• I try to always use coupons when I'm shopping. When I'm able, I print or clip extra coupons. At the store I look for people who don't have coupons and hand out my extras. Do you shop at Michael's? Print out an extra 40% off coupon and give it to the person behind you in line.
  
• I always participate in the "You've been BOO-ed!" gift giving at Halloween. No one in my neighborhood reciprocates, but that's alright with me. It's the thought that counts!
• Email several of your blog friends and find out their addresses and anniversaries. Send them a card to remember their special day.
  
• Cut the address labels off your magazines and take them with you to your doctor's office or hospital next time you go. The patrons will thank you!
  

Here are some other ideas that I'm going to try and work on:

• Call your local animal shelter and find out what food they feed the animals. Buy a bag and donate it next time you are at the grocery store.
  
• The next time you are baking, make an extra batch of cookies and deliver it to your local fire station or police station.
  
• If you have your blower or lawn mower out to spruce up your own yard, spend 15 extra minutes in your neighbor's yard.
  
• Buy a potted plant at the store and deliver it to a nursing home or hospital. Tell the nurses you want it to go to the person who needs it most.
  
• The next time your child is coloring, take the picture and mail it to an elderly person from your community and church with a short note.
  

The most profound RAOK I have ever experienced was from a young teenage boy. I had received some devastating news and I went out for a drive alone to cry and get my feelings out. After driving for about 30 minutes, I pulled into the Subway drive-through to get dinner to take home. The young boy who served me couldn't have been older than 17. He saw that I had been crying, and refused to take my money. "I don't know what's wrong, but you look like you could use some kindness. Let me pay for your dinner." I'm convinced God was working through that boy to offer me comfort.

You never know how your actions can impact others, and we all have the power to leave a positive or negative influence. What do you do to positively influence others? What are your ideas for Random Acts of Kindness?

Show Us Your Life - Books

Today I’m participating in Show Us Your Life, hosted by Kelly of Kelly’s Korner. Today’s Show Us Your Life is all about books.

I love to read. I’ve loved to read since I was a child. I started reading adult fiction when I was in elementary school. I devour books; I can read a novel in a 3 hour sitting. Pre-baby, I read 5-6 books a week. Now it takes me about a week to make it through a book because the only time I can read is at night before bed. The best present my husband has ever gotten me is the Kindle, which he gifted me with for my 30th birthday last year.

I hope Cooper inherits my love of reading. Reading really served to improve my writing skills and expand my vocabulary.

My favorite children’s book is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. I also love the Rainbow Fish books, Little Women, the Ann of Green Gables series, Shel Silverstein books, and anything Dr. Seuss.

It took me awhile to succumb to the Twilight craze, but once I did I was hooked. (Same with Harry Potter.) I started searching for other young adult books with similar content, and I found quite a few series I have fell in love with. If you liked Twilight, you will probably like these series.

The Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

The Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine

The House of Night series by PC & Kristin Cast

These authors write adult fiction with a supernatural bent.

Ilona Andrews – the Kate Daniels and The Edge series

Gerry Bartlett – the Real Vampires series

Mary Janice Davidson – I like all her books, but the Undead series is my favorite. Her books are hilarious chick-lit.

Charlaine Harris – love her Sookie Stackhouse series. Have you read Dead in the Family? Thoughts?

Kim Harrison – The Hollows series is excellent reading.

These are my go-to authors for romance with a little bit of mystery and suspense.

Mary Kay Andrews – my favorite author, hands down. She writes Southern fiction.

Jennifer Crusie

Jude Deveraux

Julie Garwood

Sophie Kinsella – the Shopaholic series is just good, lighthearted fun. It’s a very cute and fun series.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Karen Robards

Jennifer Weiner

In case you can’t tell by my selections, I am not an intellectual type. I like to be entertained when I read. Please don’t read too much into my book choices – I promise I don’t wear black lipstick and fake fangs. Although I do have a little crush on a werewolf (Taylor Lautner from Twilight – he’s legal!).

What are your favorite authors? What kind of books do you like to read?

Show Us Your Life – Baby Names

Today I’m participating in Show Us Your Life at Kellys Korner. Today’s topic is:

Your children’s (or future children’s) names

Jason and I went round and round about baby names. I wanted to get started as soon as we found out I was pregnant. After all, there were things to monogram, people! Hello, priorities! My husband, on the other hand, was content to just wait around and decide on a name in the delivery room. I think not.

I had a short list of names I liked, but he shot most of those down. My absolute favorite girl name is Ava Olivia (a double name – we would call her Ava Olivia, not Ava). He was not fond of that idea. (He’s a Yankee and doesn’t understand us Southerners love double first names.) Baby names actually became a real bone of contention between us, and we actually started to get tense with each other about it. (Ok, I started to get tense. He was really getting on my nerves, wanting to be involved and all that. Hello, I had it covered.)

While we were visiting a friend of mine one weekend, she suggested we choose something Charleston related since that was where we met, married, and conceived our first child. We thought that was a great idea and stuck it in the back of our minds for later.

One week before my 4D ultrasound to determine gender was scheduled, we went to the beach with our family and friends. While we were there, I made a list of about 20 boy and 20 girl names I liked. I numbered my favorites and told Jason we absolutely would have names before we left the beach. He went through and crossed out all my favorite names, which resulted in a big pregnant hormonal blow out. Needless to say, we didn’t leave the beach with names.

To make matters worse, we shared the list with our family, and they put their two cents in. Don’t do this, y’all. Don’t announce the name until you are 100% certain, and possibly not even until the baby is born. Everyone has an opinion and when they don’t like the name (and trust me, they will say they don’t like the name) your feelings will get hurt.

Right before the ultrasound, we ended up with a short list of names.

Boys:

• Mason Rowland (Rowland is my maiden name)
• Cooper (pulled from the Cooper River, a very well know Charleston landmark, which is where we met, got engaged, and conceived our child)
• Ethan James (James was my grandfather's first name and is my father's first name as well)

Girls:

• Madeline
• Caraleigh (Caroline is my grandmother's name and Leigh is my middle name)

After the ultrasound, we went to lunch with my parents to celebrate. While we were there, they asked the name, and we both agreed on Cooper. However, we didn’t have a chosen middle name and neither one of us had any ideas. I ended up going through my baby name book and highlighting names I thought sounded good with Cooper. Jason, once again, was procrastinating, so I finally said one night “it’s Brayden! Cooper Brayden! This discussion is over!”

And there you have it: Cooper Brayden.