631 - Fill a laundry basket full of gifts for someone you love. This is my daughter, Maribeth, and when she and her brother, Kevin, were about 3 and 4 years old, we took a trip in a station wagon to Colorado and back. I wrapped toys and put them in a laundry basket in the car. Whenever Kevin and Maribeth got a little restless, they got to open a present. They still talk about that laundry basket on that trip! This year I thought it would be fun to fill a laundry basket full of gifts for Maribeth's birthday. She opened them all day long as we went about her birthday adventures.
632 - Wear a birthday button (see above) all day on your birthday so you can increase the number of birthday wishes you receive! You can even find blank buttons at the craft store, and make your own personalized buttons.
633 - Find out what birthday freebies are available in your town and spend the day collecting them! Maribeth, Nate, and Andrew (grandsons), and I drove all over the Akron area in a "Birthday on Wheels" Subaru participating in lots of birthday giveaways. This was Maribeth's idea, and she researched the internet to find her free birthday fun. She got free Krispy Kreme donuts, a grand slam breakfast at Denny's, $20 worth of free bowling, and free frozen yogurt at Menchie's. It was a birthday celebration that none of us will ever forget!
634 - Think your way through a problem before you tackle it. Sometimes when I am working on a project around the house, I imagine what it will look like when it is done, and then I take the steps required to make it happen. You can eliminate a lot of awkwardness by just taking the time to figure out different angles and approaches in advance of your action steps.
635 - Meet change with change. If you are having a lot of new things happening in your life, especially if you did not invite them, sometimes it is a good idea to institute some other more welcome changes to balance everything out.
636 - When you are faced with worry in your life, remember this quote -- "It's not that you worry, it's that you care so much." -- Mike Dooley. One time I was getting ready to go to a conference, and I had a million things to do when this quote appeared in my life. It was a huge relief to embrace the idea of being someone who cared a lot, instead of being a worrier. I got all my pre-conference things done with time to spare -- it was amazing! I still remind myself of that quote whenever I lean in the direction of being worried.
637 - Make fun food for kids. If you look on the internet, or check the library, you will find all kinds of ideas to make food appealing for children -- pancake sunshines, cupcake ice cream cones, sandwiches cut out with cookie cutters, and more. Often these creations become a wonderful childhood memory.
638 - If you are thinking something good about someone, you might as well say it. I read that in an article many years ago, and I really enjoy giving people compliments regularly as a result. Let no kind word be unspoken!
639 - Frame a favorite quote and give it as a gift. You can pick a good font on your computer, and print it up yourself.
640 - Ask other people for their favorite books, music, and movies. This is a great conversation starter, and you might get some really good ideas.
641 - Leave a really big tip once in a while and make someone's day! I still remember the gentleman who gave me a $1.00 tip when I was a waitress in high school (yes, that does indicate that I was in high school a LONG time ago!).