day 213 : {kindness received} and DOG TREATS

last week, i blogged about my sweet friend tiff, who biked 150 miles this week in the name of finding a cure for MS! 

a few weeks ago, we got together for a bike ride & she gave me a bag of handmade dog treats that she made for daphne.

awesome bonus: the hand-sewn reusable pouch!

{we treat-train daphne because she has so many social issues, so we are always carrying around a bag of treats whenever we leave the house. the cute bag beats the plastic produce bags from the co-op that we use!}

the coolest part of these treats? 

they are made from spent-beer grains! tiffs husband brews beer & the grains that we leftover went into making these treats.

daphne absolutely loves these & i feel really thankful for friends who think about her! 

day 212 : bike date & stopping to smell the flowers {well, trees..}

after one of the longest and coldest winters in minnesota history ; nobody needs to tell me twice to get outside and get on a bike!

a couple weekends ago, blake & i got on our bikes and spent the afternoon riding.

the weather was so beautiful and gosh, these trees were just unbelievable! the smell, the colors, all the petals on the ground..

usually when we ride for speed and distance, we don't spend a lot of time stopping, taking pictures and slowing down. 

i had my good camera with me & these trees were the perfect excuse to slow down and enjoy the scenery! 

one of my absolute favorite moments was each time a bike rode by, all of the petals on the ground flew up, so it looked like all the bikes had cute pink tails! ;) 

day 211 : the perk of NOT having a car

did you know that blake & i sold our only car a couple months ago?

thats right, we are car-free! 

later this month, i will go into more detail about our choice, what it looks like and how we are doing without {car} wheels.

do you know car2go? 

if you live in a large city, maybe you have seen them around. they are white smart cars, with blue accents. they are a pay-by-the-minute car service. in minneapolis, there are almost 300 of them. 

you become a member {we are}, reserve the car you want {they don't have designated parking spot, so chances are, there are at least a handful within walking distance of where you are}, open it up & drive away. the super-awesome thing about car2go, is that as long as you are in city limits, you can park it and leave it on any city street. you don't have to return it to the place you picked it up! 

a couple weeks ago, i heard about these guys in austin, texas who are making bike racks for smart cars. i tweeted car2go & mentioned that i know my one//no-car family friends and i would love an option for a car with a bike rack. we tweeted back and forth & it ended with a 'maybe someday.'

a couple days later, i get a phone call from the guys at car2go. they said they have something for me as a thank you for my feedback.

what the what? anybody who knows me knows that i just fall so hard for good customer service. kindness from a business goes SO far & i really think that companies are catching on.

that same day, i get a hand-delivered package. inside is a cupcake from a local food truck, a squishy car2go toy, a handwritten note {LOVE} and a 30-day pass for nice ride {our local bike sharing program.}

so awesome, right? 

constructive feedback and awesome customer service for the win!

{always} 

day 210 : seed coins & chocolate chip cookies

one of the raddest things that has come from launching this blog & business? the people i have met! seriously. when i grow up, i want to be like my friends! i have met some of the most positive, inspiring and awesome humans in the past year+.

{it makes me all goosebump-y just thinking about it!}

anyways, a couple weeks ago, i was getting together with some of my friends and wanted to show them how much i appreciate them.

the night before, i made a batch of super awesome cookies {dry mix from great harvest bakery!} & put a couple cookies into individual bags.

on top of each bag, i taped a packet of plantable seed coins.

{the coins will be available in the shop soon. and you guys, they are really cool!}

super easy & always a great reminder to tell your friends // family how much they mean to you!

everybody loves cookies, right?

day 209 : kindness carousel {week16}

its been over a month since i have done a round-up of rad things around the internet!
lets do it!
{kindness carousel is {usually} a weekly round-up of some of the happiest news on the web!}

1) i think the deadline for this has passed, but ohmygosh, you could be a panda nanny in china!
2) minnesota is the very first governing body IN THE WORLD to pass a 'beagle freedom act!' did you know that thousands of beagles {around 75,000 A YEAR} are used for lab testing? if you are purchasing items from any of these brands in the poster below ; they are testing on animals {mice, rabbits, rats, beagles, ect} hopefully this will be the first law of many, until eventually, animal testing will be banned!

3) a step-by-step tutorial of how to be a good deed do-er!
4) looking to donate to your local food shelf? here is a list of pantry staples to donate.
5) since launching the be nice box, i have been SUPER lucky to work with some amazing artists! janell donated soaps for the december box and made HUNDREDS of seed bombs for the may box. she has a great etsy shop ; my favorite item? this necklace!

6) know someone who is getting married or planning a wedding? here are 50 wedding acts of kindness
7) the cutest! this pup 'paws it forward' and paints pictures for charity!
8) have 10 minutes and want to do something awesome? send someone a letter! dajon runs a site called 'shine circle.' on it is a list of people who are fighting a battle {everything from illness to bullies} and a po box where you can send them a sweet note of encouragement!
9) yay!

Note & cash left on bicycle in Japan. “I knocked over your bike & broke the bell. I’m very sorry” pic.twitter.com/chrIXEX0tA

— Byron Kidd (@tokyobybike) May 29, 2014

10) where does your state rank? // the states where people are the most {and least} generous with their time & money. honestly, i am not at all surprised to see that minnesota is in the top 5. we seem pretty nice around here... {except for the guy who looked like santa who cut me off on my bike the other day. him? not so much!}

BONUS // i feel really lucky to have gotten some great press // reviews // write-ups by some super-awesome folks! you can check them all out: cautiously d // small biz spotlight from offtract // insert classy here // yes and yes web time wasters // subscription box mania

have an awesome link to share? let us know!

day 208 : JUNE Be Nice Box Reveal

you guys! 

this months Be Nice Box is my all-time favorite!

the first box went out in November & as we were packing up the boxes this month, Blake said to me, 'wow, you can really see how far you // the boxes have come!' and i totally feel it! i am proud of this months box. i am so proud to be friends with so many amazing small business owners. i had NO IDEA that this little blog would bear the idea for this business. NO IDEA that the dream job i have been searching for would fall right in front of my face. i feel so lucky & what an awesome thing to be able to share it with others?! 

June Be Nice Box Reveal

theme // 'full bellies' {all of the good deeds use food to make the world better!} & charity // meals on wheels AND no kid hungry & gift inside the box // handmade summer garland

this months good deeds //

1) collect your spare change all month long. at the end of the month, donate to your favorite food charity

2) kindness is contagious ; pass it on. INCLUDED // two KIND bars

3) going grocery shopping? buy extras & donate them. {usually at the front entrance, there is a donation box} // best items to donate : peanut butter, noodles, canned fruits & veggies, nuts and seeds 

4) leave a sugar book at the table of your favorite cafe. INCLUDED // two sugar books

*i will be doing an entire post on the awesomeness of the sugar books later this month. seriously, so cool!* 

5) friday the 13th : show folks that kindness isn't scary ; do something awesome!

6) june 17th is fresh veggies day. have fruits or veggies left over from your farmers market run? share with a friend or neighbor

7) surprise someone with cupcakes! INCLUDED // cupcake liners and toppers

8) support your local farmers market ; everybody wins! farmers, your health, local community and more!

9) back at the grocery store? leave a coupon you don't plan on using next to the item. be the 'coupon fairy'

10) wake someone up with a cup of awesome coffee. INCLUDED // 2oz bag of organic coffee

11) treat a stranger to something sweet ; YOU DECIDE! purchase a drink, pay for the muffin or dessert, ect.

12) june 29th : celebrate sunday morning by bringing someone breakfast in bed! 

items included in the box //

KIND bars from KIND Snacks {the dark chocolate cherry is SO GOOD!} // 2oz bag of organic Ethiopian coffee beans from Kindly Coffee // cupcake liners + washi tape cupcake toppers {made my my mom!} // sugar books from Leafcutter Designs {each book is a sugar packet with pages hand-sewn inside. there is a prompt inside each book, encouraging the finder to leave a note & place the book somewhere for the next stranger to find!} // everyone also received a hand-made summer paper garland that i handmade

i am so smitten with the amazing companies we worked with this month ; please please please check out their websites and support what they are doing! 

the july boxes are now for sale! head here to sign up! 

day 207 : support a friend and wipe out MS

june!

almost halfway through 2014! 

this one is easy! {thats usually the theme around here, right?}

my sweet friend tiff {and her husband chris!} are biking 150 miles this weekend, all in the name of finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis!

i always think its so amazing when people do big things to help others! 

tiff's goal is to raise $500 and she is almost there! 

if you have $5, send it her way!

i met tiff a few years ago through community ed. she was my zumba instructor & she is just one of those people. you know the type. the people who inspire kindness and positivity! the people who make you want to be better! without a doubt, she is one of my favorite people i have met since living in the cities! 

she is committing to biking 150 miles in two days to raise money for people around the country who are battling MS every day! 

you can head here to donate!

{every single dollar makes a difference!}