Thursday 13 Things: Inspirational Web Sites

I had this post in reserve in case my hospital recovery was longer than anticipated. Happily I was back blogging fairly soon, so here’s a gift from me to you: a Thursday Thirteen Things with 13 web sites I like for a quick inspirational or motivational boost:

1. Be Hospitable: No Good Deed Goes Unmapped (a commercial site, but I like the premise)
   
2. Beliefnet’s Daily Dalai Lama
3. Cheryl Richardson. com (click on Touch of Grace, and thank you to DarynKagan.com for the link!)
4. Chopra Center Daily Devotion
5. Daily Motivator
6. Daily Tao
7. Daryn Kagan.com: Show the World What’s Possible
8. Dr. Wayne Dyer Daily Inspiration
9. Good News Network
10. Gratefulness.org’s Light A Candle
    
11. I Live Inspired (daily inspiration via text messaging)
12. Soular Energy
13. Whack on the Side of the Head from Creative Think
    

Today’s mitzvah: Be kind to yourself!

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Thursday Thirteen: The Gifters

A few months ago Family Circle magazine began arriving in my mailbox. First I thought it was from my friend Enterprising Author, who happened to be profiled in that issue. Now I’ve given up speculating on the source and am just enjoying the recipes and articles. The February 2008 issue includes an article called “The Gifters,” a short profile of three women — Asha Bandele, Ginnny Graves, and Lori Erickson — who spent two weeks performing random acts of kindness. Some acts had unintended results, at least one was rained out, but overall the process helped the women to learn more about themselves and their communities. Since it’s Thursday, here’s a “Thursday 13” from the article:

1. Hid a prepaid phonecard in the babysitter’s purse
2. Mopped the hall of my apartment building
3. Slipped $10 into a friend’s coat pocket
4. Sent candy to a relative who is a “male role model for my daughter”
5. Dropped off dog treats for a friend’s new puppy
6. Weeded a neighbor’s garden
7. Left a message thanking firefighters for making us safe
8. Sent magazines to the troops
9. Left money in a vending machine for the next person to find
10. Placed a thank-you note on a local gardener’s truck
11. Shoveled snow for a neighbor early one morning
12. Donated a bag of art supplies to a local school
13. Wrote the manager of the supermarket naming a clerk who had been especially helpful

Today’s mitzvah: Take Family Circle’s Kindness Challenge with a random act of kindness (or “sneaky niceness”) of your own!

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Thursday Thirteen Things: A Holiday Thank-You to 13 Blogs I Enjoy

One of the fun things about writing a daily blog: it gives me an excuse to wander the blogosphere looking for inspiration and kindred spirits. I’ve also met some terrific bloggers who have been kind enough to send me email about Daily Mitzvah — an extra hurdle I especially appreciate since I’ve disabled the comments feature here (it’s a spam thing). Anyone who knows me in my non-cyber life may have noticed that the Christmas cards just aren’t happening this year (I got started too late for the USPS). I would, though, like to atone partially with a holiday Thursday Thirteen thank-you to the blog authors whose work I’ve been enjoying so much over the past few months:

1. Bob in the Middle East has terrific photos and stories from one of my favorite people and former colleagues
2. Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things, is an award-winning group blog filled with odd and (often) wonderful items they gather for posting
3. Brighter Days for You and Me, a fun and creative personal blog, has one of the happiest home page photos in the blogosphere
4. Dane 101, our sturdy local group blog, includes “Breakfast Links” each morning as a quick round-up of news (and oddities) one needs to begin the day
   
5. The Devil Dog is not a devil at all but a little dog named Roxy Dragon Pebbles who blogs about the humans in her life, and sometimes broccoli
   
6. Dollar Philanthropy hasn't been updated recently, but it's a wonderful concept and worth a look
7. Fun Spirit, by the same author as Brighter Days, is devoted to fun and laugher
8. Marty Finestone’s Activity Book has charmed many award groups and offers a little bit of everything: DIY meets whatever interests Marty at a given moment.
9. Eric B’s Random Acts of Kindness blog features his self-challenge to perform an act of kindness every day for a year. He is on Day 32 and counting!
10. Skeet’s Stuff, another personal blog, introduced me to my new favorite group, Chemo Angels, and features a terrific Tuesday contest, plus it's always a good read
    
11. A Soviet Poster a Day has nothing to do with mitzvahs, it's just a cool and visually rich site
12. Tree Hugger is the all-things-sustainable blog. Like Boing Boing this is in many ways more like a web site, but posts with dates = blog, and it is full of good ideas
    
13. Upgrade: Travel Better is a must-read for frequent travelers (as well as savvy non-frequent travelers)
    

Today's mitzvah: Visit a new blog and post a nice comment.

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Thursday Thirteen: Travel-Size Me

The business trip continues. After turbulent flights and a very rough landing yesterday, I finally made it to the hotel. The high point of the day: a very nice array of HBA (health and beauty accessories) upon arrival. Yet this reminded me I’ve also amassed quite a collection at home, too. So, in the spirit of the blogosphere’s “Thursday Thirteen” meme, here are 13 organizations that would be happy to accept new and unopened travel-size toiletries. (It’s worth double checking before sending.)

1. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (Little Rock), Family Packs
2. AmeriCares, Healthy Kids Kits for international shipment
3. Casa Esperanza (Albequerque, a home base for families of cancer patients)
   
4. Cathedral Shelter of Chicago
5. Crossroads House (Portsmouth, NH)
   
6. The Hoboken Shelter (Hoboken, NJ)
7. Operation Blessing, Disaster Relief Kits (see site for specific instructions on contents & packaging)
8. ROOTS Young Adult Shelter (Seattle)
   
9. Shepherd's Table (Silver Spring, MD)
10. Starlight Ministries (Boston & Cambridge)
    
11. Samaritan House (Atlanta)
    
12. Various “support the troops” sites (Due to military and security regulations, these sites have their own specific requirements. Find the right fit via a GoodSearch.)
13. Your local Ronald McDonald House — most post wish lists on their home pages, like this one

Today’s mitzvah: Consider sending travel-size items on a trip to a worthy organization.

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