Hold a Closet Swap Soiree

    You can share your surplus clothes with friends and acquaintances by throwing a “naked lady party.” This is a fun way to exchange clothes as well as other items. First, set a date, and invite a group of friends to your house (we do ladies only, but men could be included, too) and ask everybody to bring some clothes that they don’t want anymore. Set up your living room as a shop, designating different areas for guests to deposit their items-dresses in one pile, sweaters in another, and so on. Be sure to make a bedroom available to those friends who are too shy to try on clothes in company. We usually have wine and some snacks, and we end up bags of new-to-us clothing. Don’t be bashful-things that you are heartily sick of will be starring in somebody else’s wardrobe, and the surplus can be dispatched to the thrift store.

Share the Positive

    When you read an online article that you found helpful, moving, or enlightening, take a  moment to leave a positive comment at the bottom of the page. Acknowledge the writer for their style or content, or even add some additional information that you have about the topic. The writer- and other readers- may appreciate what you have to say. If it inspires you, share it too. I started subscribing to lifehack.org and every morning, I come in to read some truly excellent and uplifting ideas in my inbox. I share the very best ones and have heard from Facebook friends and fellow Tweeps that they love ‘em. So as the old saying goes, accentuate the positive!

Power for the Planet

    Turn off your computer at night instead of leaving it on or in sleep mode, since this wastes energy. By doing so, you can save an average of 40 watt-hours per day, which adds up to four cents a day, or $14 per year (50waystohelp.com). In addition, the life of your computer will also be extended, as the amount of available time for virus contamination will be greatly reduced. This act of conservation is a great idea you should share with your office-mates.

Share Your Skills

    Teach someone a craft or skill you are good at. Sharing your talent with someone else may allow them to discover their own potential. Whether it’s cooking, archery, or photography, spend some time doing what you love with another. Teaching people how to do something new will help you maintain your interest and establish a connection with the person you are with. No doubt you will learn just as much from being a teacher.

Book ‘Em

    

Give a book to someone out of the blue. Consider their interests and buy them a book. Recently, one of my friends said she wanted to cook more at home instead of eating out most nights. I got her two cookbooks on one-pot meals and slow cooker recipes. Much to my surprise and delight, she’s been sharing some delicious soups and stews she discovered in her reading, and sharing these makes for truly high-quality time together.

The Good Old Days and the Good New Days

Share happy memories. Keep in touch with a friend by sending an old photo to them via snail mail and write a short note about the day it was taken on the back of the photo.

Plant Flowers in Abandoned Lots

    May Day was a sacred celebration of Spring in ancient times and remains a special day for common folk. I have attended several marvelous festivities complete with garlanded Maypoles; one held by Z Budapest is a treasured memory. I have my own tradition for this merry month, which is a really simple and easy way to celebrate spring: I plant flower seeds in neglected plots of land all around the Bay Area, particularly nasturtiums, which thrive on neglect and can bloom anywhere and under any circumstances. I could give a driving tour of San Francisco and the East Bay and show you the brightly colored patches that are the result of my Johnny Appleseed-style scattershot approach. You can even eat them! I always have a lot of nasturtiums growing in my garden and I collect the seeds once they have flowered in plastic baggies. I joke to my friends that I would like my legacy to be that I was "Fiesta Brenda," the name of a mix that yields a riot of color that can turn any former parking lot or weed patch into a pocket of red, yellow, and orange sunshine. I will add that some of my tenth-generation crop mutated into a lovely variegated leaf, which only adds to the glory. This bit of freeganomics feeds my should like almost nothing else. I would say it is a sensible act of beauty.

Top of the Mornin'

    One of our fabulous interns here at Viva Editions,  Sara Wigglesworth, has a lovely way of saying "Good morning" upon arriving that ensures that it will actually be a better morning. I have to admit that greeting coworkers sometimes slips my mind, so it's helpful to be reminded of the power that a simple, well intentioned, and sincere greeting can have. It is a wonderful way to start the day with elegance and ease.

Spread Kindness without Care

Start a chain of kindness around you. 

Buy your copy of "Random Acts of Kindness" by Brenda Knight and Becca Anderson now on mango.bz: https://mango.bz/books/random-acts-of-kindness-1484-b 

Hold a Closet Swap Soiree

    During the pandemic, we may be buying more than what we need, including clothes. Once everything is lifted, you can share your surplus clothes with friends and acquaintances by throwing a "naked lady party." This is a fun way to exchange clothes as well as other items. First, set a date, and invite a group of friends to your house (we do ladies only, but men could be included, too) and ask everybody to bring some clothes that they don't want anymore. Set up your living room as a shop, designating different areas for guests to deposit their item-dresses in one pile, sweaters in another, and so on. Be sure to make a bedroom available to those friends who are too shy to try on clothes in company. We usually have wine and some snacks, and we end up with bags of new-to-us clothing. Don't be bashful- things that you are heartily sick of will be starring in someone else's wardrobe, and the surplus can be dispatched to the thrift store. 

Make Up Your Own Holiday

    Invent a special holiday to celebrate someone you love- be it your spouse, your dog, or your closest friend. On this day, make them a special socially-distant dinner, take them to a drive-in movie, and write them a letter saying how you feel about them. You can even create a fun holiday to share with your household so everyone can participate.

Share the Positive

    When you read an online article that you found helpful, moving, or enlightening, take a moment to leave a positive comment at the bottom of the page. Acknowledge the writer for their stye or content, or even add some additional information that you have about the topic. The writer- and other readers- may appreciate what you have to say. If it inspires you, share it, too. I started subscribing to www.dailygood.org and every morning, I come in to read some truly excellent and uplifting ideas in my inbox. I share the very best ones and have heard from Facebook friends and fellow Tweeps that they love 'em. So, as the old saying goes, accentuate the positive!