Most people who know me are well aware of my borderline obsession with the Food Network.  I really got into it when I had a full week off my feet after surgery.  Talk about kindness, I’m not going to get too gushy but Mike really went out of his way to make sure I was comfortable while I was stuck home during the healing process.  So while I was cuddled up in the most comfortable blanket ever created, I tuned in to watch a variety of different personalities creating some amazing dishes, and I was hooked.

We cook a whole lot now.  It’s pretty much a necessity when you are trying to be healthy – so while Paula Deen might not be the best option, there is still a great deal of inspiration I find from the many recipes I witness unfolding on the Food Network.  That inspiration has branched out a bit, however.  Recently I’ve been seeing some promos for the network’s official charity partner, Share Our Strength.

This organization, in their own words, works hard to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry.  I was shocked to learn that nearly 1 in 6 children in this country is at risk of hunger.  The charity has a number of different efforts to end childhood hunger, and the work they’ve done so far is really impressive.

One key nation-wide Share Our Strength initiative that can help you get involved is coming up pretty soon, the Great American Dine Out.  Bestow a random act of kindness on someone you love, and take them out to eat at a participating restaurant September 20-26.  Get involved and support these establishments:  “Some restaurants are donating a portion of sales for the week to Share Our Strength, while others are selling T-shirts and bounce back coupons or even creating special menu items to raise much needed funds.”

I’m a fan of pitching in, helping out, getting involved in anything that will help spread good karma around the world.  But when it truly speaks to your passions in life, it’s beyond win-win.

Major League Baseball is encouraging fans to get involved in charitable work, and is highlighting a flurry of donations throughout tonight’s All Star Game. If you ever wanted inspiration for where you can volunteer or great organizations that accept donations, make sure you hit the site here: http://mlb.mlb.com/gb/

And by the way, so sorry it’s been as long as it’s been without any good karma cooler activity.  I underestimated my ability to multitask some of my bigger life goals, but I’m every bit as committed to this blog as I was in the beginning – more to come soon!

I am always so inspired by a number of friends, online and off.  Marilla over at Cupcake Rehab recently encouraged her readers to support our friend YOYO and I am going to do the same.  Miss YOYO is a wonderful friend, human being and lover of Mother Earth.  She’s one of the craftiest people I know and is doing her part to encourage people everywhere to care just a bit better for the earth – not only on Earth Day but every day.

To raise awareness surrounding Earth Day, on her Topstitch blog, YOYO is giving away totes filled with things she hand made or bought and things that people donated.  Getting in on the contest is REALLY easy and who knows, maybe you’ll pick up some good ideas on how to respect the planet.  Please go check it out and show her (and the environment) a little love!!

photo by hartboy

Spreading good karma around the world is beneficial for the giver as well as the receiver.  Doing good deeds is noble, admirable and sets a great example for people to set free the dormant goodness that resides all around us.  The world as a whole would be a better place if we were all just a little bit nicer and kinder to each other – strangers and loved ones alike.  It’s easy to forget that our homes, our families, our own lives, are included in that very big picture.  There are little things you can do today, and any day, to make someone at home’s day just a little brighter:

1. Do the dishes without being asked – really this can go for any household chore, but since I loathe doing the dishes and would rather watch paint dry, I figured it was a good place to start.  Essentially, be the one to take care of something when the other people at home don’t expect it.  If one person cooks and the other will do the dishes, take care of both from time to time.  Offer to throw in some of his/her laundry with yours, help tidy up the place when your loved one is expecting company.  Does anybody really like chores?
2. Bring home flowers – surprise someone else at home with something they really love and wouldn’t expect on an average day.  I suggest flowers because I support the act of giving flowers on random occasions and not commercial holidays.  This idea can be expanded to include bringing home a DVD that came out that day that you enjoyed in the theaters, grabbing a fresh loaf of bread to have with dinner that night, bring home someone’s favorite dessert.
3. Have a drink ready – Many people come home and want to wind down with a drink.  So get your loved one’s favorite beer, have a glass of wine poured, or if you can, set out some shirley temples for the kids (and don’t forget the maraschino cherry, that’s the best part) – point is, have a tasty beverage ready for your loved one, so they can take a sip and relax.
4. Put on their show – don’t wait for someone to ask if they can change the channel so they can watch Heroes.  Learn when these programs air, and be the first to make sure they don’t miss a second.  Offer to go into the other room, bust out the laptop and Tweet, Blog or Facebook or hell, go pick up a book you’ve been meaning to get back to.  It’s a pretty selfless act that shows you respect your loved ones and their preferences.
5. Leave little notes – it’s one of the easiest, simplest ways to show someone how important they are to you: a little handwritten message that says “I love you” or “Cash this in later for something sinful” or “Kick ass at school today”.  Hide them in places they might not expect but will easily find (in a cabinet, under a pillow, in their lunchbox, in a drawer, in the freezer, behind their toothbrush, under their keys, in their purse)  Personally I think the more crafty you are in choosing hiding spots, the more fun it can be for you and them.  Oh and be sure you leave the right notes for the right people – you wouldn’t want to offer your child the “sinful” invitation!

What are some of the little things you do at home to spread a little bit of kindness?

photo by garr1s0n

A few weeks back, before we shipped off for spring training, I made some suggestions for how to spread good karma while traveling in my Travel Karma post.  Something I witnessed as we prepared to settle in to our tiny little airline seats made me smile.  Partly because I was glad to see selflessness and courtesy happen right in front of me, and mostly because it was my brother who was responsible for making it happen!

A woman went to put her large bag in the overhead bin and before she had to struggle with it, he offered to put it up and away for her.  She graciously took him up on the offer and settled into her seat next to me.  What happens next was actually the best part.  She reached into her purse, pulled out a little piece of paper and handed it to him.  She said, “Here, have some free ice cream on me, thank you for being so nice”  It turns out that she carries coupons for free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and gives them to people who go out of their way to extend kindness to her.

What an amazing idea! If you could arm yourself with something to say “thank you” to kind strangers, what would it be?  And keep it PG, readers.  I know some of you!!

photo by Noeluap

Karma Cooler is shipping off to warm, sunny Tampa Florida for quality time with family and YANKEES SPRING TRAINING!  The timing of the trip is perfect when you need to escape the bitter cold and are ready to trade in NFL Draft speculation for Fantasy Baseball draft plans.  We’re bringing the love to Tampa and are poised to spread lots of good karma!

So here is one idea for spreading good karma when traveling – inevitably, you’ll be sitting next to a complete stranger on a plane at least once in your flying life.  Be aware of them, and try not to focus on the fact that they are hogging the arm rest, but try to be kind.  I don’t suggest incessantly chatting your seat mate up, but offer to lend a magazine, offer a piece of gum during the descent, and don’t get pissy when they need to get up and go to the bathroom.  These aren’t random acts of kindness, but they certainly can go a long way in your good karma spreading efforts.

I heard about a pretty ambitious effort through Twitter today, one that I felt compelled to participate in.  I’m not sure what struck me about it – though I suppose the name is provocative enough to tempt one into wanting to learn a little more.

The Global Hope Network is asking for help in their 48 hour quest to change the life of a Boy Without Arms, and the town where he lives.  Please visit the site http://boywithoutarms.org/, read about their plan and decide if it’s something you’d like to contribute to.

There are thousands of people in need right here “at home” and around the world.  This was just one opportunity.  Just keep your eyes and ears open, and if you want, help out when you can.  Every little bit helps.

In a moment of silliness last night, my sweetheart told me I should blog about the torture device pictured here on my foot.  We spent a solid minute going back and forth about this; I wondered aloud what “Das Boot” has to do with Karma Cooler and he went on about how I would figure it out.  I really think he was messing with me, but because I’m stubborn, I’m taking him up on the challenge.

Now, continuing with the “stubborn” theme, I hate relying on other people.  HATE.  I like to learn, I like to do things for myself, I like it when other people feel they can lean on me.  But I have to make a concerted effort to be gracious and accept the help of others because I’d rather be the one to help.  This mentality has affected me to my detriment in the past and I have to believe that by recognizing this flaw, it better equips me to deal with situations of helplessness now.

Which is precisely my predicament currently.  Foot surgery isn’t catastrophic, but the help of others makes recovering a whole hell of a lot easier.  You take for granted how much effort it is to get your breakfast, have a cup of coffee, situate yourself on the bed with most of the things you could possibly need being at arm’s length. I could have gotten about on my own though I could have risked falling, doing damage to my sewn-up surgical wounds or spilling any number of things and making a complete and total mess.  So here I am feeling pretty helpless in a lot of ways and chances WERE that I would be willing to push myself stubbornly to do whatever needed to be done to avoid the debate in my mind on whether or not I would seek his assistance.

But here’s the thing:  I was never faced with that decision.  I never had to ASK for help from the beginning – because he was there to make every last task as pain and worry-free as possible for me. I never had the chance to really debate whether or not I’d just take care of things on my own because he was so selfless, and kind, and didn’t think once (let alone twice) about leaving me to risk messing with the healing process.

And now, because I want to make myself better and be the type of person who is as gracious as she is giving, I’m learning to ask for help, even when I don’t have to – hell, BECAUSE I don’t have to.

I share this story with you because I believe in my heart that it is just as noble to ask for help as it is to lend your hand.  It’s brave to be that selfless and come to someone’s aid, but it’s also brave to have a little faith in others (especially those that love you the most, like your family, friends and significant others).

What do you think?

Sometimes I come across things and wonder how it’s possible that I haven’t yet heard of them.  Enter Wish Upon a Hero.  This website was featured on the front page of the Newark Star Ledger today, and with good reason.  The site exists for people to post their wishes, and others to help grant them.

This online community operates under the ideal that “No wish (is) too large and no hero too small” – and everyone is encouraged to help anyone.  It’s an excellent opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, with real needs.

Getting on here and helping each other out is stuff for everyday heroes.  Take a peek at the site and see if it’s a good fit for your philanthropic selves!

No kind gesture is too small, and no giver is too big.  Here’s a surprising example of an awesome random act of kindness:

It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn’t be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:

When it was finally Mary’s turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.

-You’ll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had traveled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.

-I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.

As tears streamed down her face, she heard a “gentle and friendly voice” behind her saying, “That’s okay, I’ll pay for her.” Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.

-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?

Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.

-He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.

She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

Who was the man? 

Barack Obama.

Twenty years later, she is thrilled that the friendly stranger at the airport may be the next President and has voted for him already and donated 100 dollars to his campaign:

-He was my knight in shining armor, says Mary, smiling.

She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

Mary even convinced her parents to vote for him:

In the spring of 2006 Mary’s parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

And Obama replied:

In a letter to Mary’s parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped ‘United States Senate, Washington DC’, Barack Obama writes:

‘I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I’m happy I could help back then, and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States Senator’.

excerpted from here.  photo courtesy juicyrai.