Bake Someone a Cake | Random Acts Of Kindness

Who doesn't love a delicious, homemade cake ?

When you're feeling down, a thoughtful gesture from a friend can mean the absolute world. I personally think that when somebody goes to effort of taking the time to make it themselves, means even more. I while a go one of my friends was feeling a bit rubbish, not for any particular reason but we all have those days. So to cheer her up I made her some white chocolate cupcakes and she was so grateful it made my heart melt :) It doesn't even have to be a cake ! You could make a batch of cookies, brownies, or fudge. There are loads of things that would easily make someone's day and would only take you half an hour !

This week, try and make something nice for a friend who's going through a rough time, feeling down or just needs to know how loved and appreciated they are !

Let me know in the comments some of your ideas of things to make to cheer up a friend or tell me about a time somebody has made you something that got you smiling again :)

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Leave Money In Vending Machines | Random Acts Of Kindness

A great way to make someone's day is to give them a little unexpected treat ! But when you're trying to make a stranger smile, how do you know what they'd like ? An Aero? No, a KitKat? ... Perhaps a Crunchie ? Don't panic, there's a simple solution. Leave a pound in the vending machine or in an envelope and sellotape it to the machine for a stranger to find and use ! It would definitely make their day and is so quick and easy to do :) I know it would make my day !

So there's a challenge for this week, go out and pop a pound in an envelope and stick it to a vending machine, you're bound to make someone's day! Why not right a nice message on the envelope wishing the finder a nice day ?


Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :)


Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Hopeful Notes | Random Acts Of Kindness

The idea of hopeful notes started with Carrie Hope Fletcher and her followers 'The Hopefuls' who decided to leave post it notes everywhere and anywhere with positive quotes and messages for strangers to find that will hopefully make them smile. All you really need for this is a pad of post it notes ( .... well that's £1 if that ... ) and a pen ( ... you can steal that from work , you know, in the name of kindness and all that ;) . I wrote a post a few months ago with detailed instructions and lots of ideas for hopeful notes which you can find here. And if you're stuck for positive quotes to write on them then check out my post, Positive Quotes For Hopeful Notes!  I often write about 50-100 of them and  go out for a whole days to cover a town in them. It gives you so much positive energy to commit a random act of kindness and you can leave them anywhere at anytime ! If you're bored on the bus, find a piece of scrap paper in your bag, write a sweet message and leave it on your seat and who knows whos day you might make !

So this week go out and leave at least one nice note for a stranger , if you write @thehopefulnotes on the top of the note the recipient might even share it onto the hopeful notes twitter page !

Let me know in the comments what positive quote you'd want to share with a stranger or what message you'd write on a hopeful note :)

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

30 Day Happiness Challenge !

I personally believe that happiness is very important for a persons well being ( hence the positivity blog ) I also believe that happiness and kindness go hand in hand . Not just kindness to others but to yourself ... but also others because you wouldn't believe what a lovely feeling it is to make a random stranger smile :)

" If your compassion doesn't include yourself it's incomplete"

So I thought I'd put together a months worth of simple little challenges to see if they can make you, me and any strangers who get affected by some of the challenges, HAPPIER :) Wouldn't that be lovely ? 

Day One : Leave a hopeful note somewhere ( If you don't know what they are click here )

Day Two : Make a list of three things you like about your body

Day Three : Compliment a friend

Day Four : Treat yourself ! Let yourself have an extra scoop of that chocolate ice cream, or get yourself a new book , whatever you fancy, you deserve it because you're awesome :)

Day Five : Start a notebook where you write one good thing that happens everyday , no matter how rubbish the day, you have to find something .

Day Six: Make a list of five things you're grateful for

Day Seven : Have an early night, just turn your phone off an get some rest

Day Eight : Make a list of four positive words your friends would use to describe you

Day Nine : Make a commitment to accept all positive compliments ( It's not arrogant if anything it's way more polite than disregarding someone's positive opinion of you )

Day Ten : Make time for breakfast ... How about Nutella on toast, YUMMY !

Day Eleven : Find three positive quotes that you like

Day Twelve : Think extra carefully before you speak .

" If you propose to speak, always ask yourself. Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind ? "

- Buddha 

Day Thirteen: Make a list of three things you like about your personality

Day Fourteen : Have a little bit of "me time " . Why not just snuggle up with a good book or have a duvet day ? As long as you're happy :)

Day Fifteen : Woo ! You're halfway there ! Celebrate by buying some new clothes that make you feel good or a new accessory .

Day Sixteen : Make a list of five things that you're grateful for

Day Seventeen : Write a positive letter and leave it somewhere random for a stranger to find !

Day Eighteen : Let someone you love.. well, know that you love them ! You'd be suprised at how much your mum or best friend or even that boy who you keep staring at in class needs to know :)

Day Nineteen : Let you know that you're loved ! Take a few minutes to think about all the people who care about you

Day Twenty : Find three more positive quotes

Day Twenty-one : Leave some money in the change part of a sweet vending machine

Day Twenty-two : Tell who-ever serves you at the shops or in a cafe to have a nice day

Day Twenty-three : Get some fresh air  ! Go for a quiet walk and clear your mind

Day Twenty-four : Make a list of five more things you're grateful for

Day Twenty-five : Make a list of one thing in each month for the rest of the year, to look forward to

Day Twenty-six : Tell someone that you like there outfit

Day Twenty-seven: Make a list of five things you're good at

Day Twenty-eight : Leave another hopeful note

Day Twenty-nine : Compliment a stranger ( The person next to you on the bus, the person who serves you at the till, whoever's behind you in the que , ANYONE )

Day Thirty : Write up all the lists, quotes and stick pictures of any hopeful notes you left in a notebook to look back on when you're feeling down !

I really hope this helps add a little extra sunshine to your month :) if you try it out then let me know what you put on your hopeful notes, in the comments !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :)
Love, Marianne xxx

The Hopeful Notes

Helloo there !

On my last blog, I talked endlessly about a wonderful woman called Carrie Hope Fletcher whom I absolutely adore .. and now you just the pleasure of another awe fuelled blog post on my idol! Arn't you lucky ;) Today I wanted to talk about Carries hopeful notes!

What are they ?

The hopeful notes are named after Carries' middle name, Hope. Quite a while ago, her fans began calling themselves the Hopefuls after her. So it only seemed fitting that Carries new idea to add a little extra kindness to the world was called the Hopeful Notes ! Hopeful notes are little positive messages left on post it notes to brighten up a strangers day when they find them :)

Why ?

Wouldn't it make you smile to know that a complete stranger cared enough to take time out of their day just to let you know it's all going to be okay ? You never know who will find the message that just took you a few seconds to write. It might find just the right person at just the right time when they need a little pick me up to get them through a rough day :) Plus a set of post it notes and pen isn't really going to set you back that much and it's definitely worth it , I pinkie promise ^.^

Where ? 

You can leave them anywhere and EVERYWHERE ! Just don't get caught ! My friend and me sometimes write out around twenty and get in a lift and cover the lift with little messages of hope, the challenge is to finish putting them up before the lift stops and someone else gets in ! If you're nervous about people noticing you and thinking your weird, just remember they probably wont even ask, and if they do then just say you're doing a little project to cheer people up :)

Here are a few ideas of where you could leave them :

• In changing rooms ( a cute "You're Beautiful " message on the mirror would be nice, don't you think ? ^.^ ) 
• On the stairways 
• Stuck on random pages of notebooks in stationary stores 
• Inside books at the library, especially self-help books ! 
• Behind food at the Supermarket 
• On your table after you leave a coffee shop :) I always leave a little note for the waitress/waiter 
• The Bathroom mirrors 
• Dotted around shops anywhere you can find a space that isn't too noticeable :) 

But What Do I Say ??? 

Whenever I've spoken to anyone about hopeful notes, people have said that they just don't know what to write ! I've worked out that it's easy to know what to write as long as you stick to one simple rule. Write what YOU need to hear, right now . Believe it or not, however rubbishy you're feeling, you're not alone and that means other people people are feeling like, they're not quite good enough or their nose is too big ( just an example, I'm sure you have a wonderful nose ) Give them the support you need. Whatever anyone tells me, you CAN ALWAYS give someone a hug with words . 

I also keep a little notebook where I jot down positive quotes for hopeful notes to keep for whenever I need one quick :) You could even use one of Carries quotes : 

" Things haven't always been this bad, therefore they wont always be this bad " 

If you're struggling to think of quotes then let me know in the comments and I'll do a Top Ten Quotes For Hopeful Notes post ...ooo that rhymed ! ... Wow, I'm easily amused aha :) 

Spread a Little Kindness ! 

So why not go for it ? You're a lovely human being, and there's lots of other lovely human beings on Earth , even if we all do silly things sometimes and upset people . We all deserve a little Kindness ! There's a quote that says, " Happiness is like jam you can spread some without getting a little on yourself " You will be amazed how good doing the odd random act of kindness will make you feel ! 

You can find the hopeful notes twitter page here. If you know any positive quotes then I'd love to hear about them in the comments ! Lets add a lil bit of sunshine to someone's world ! 

I hope you enjoyed this post, I've wanted to write it for a LONG time :) Have a lovely day ! 

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Love, Marianne xxx