Abby Quillen

Freelance Content Marketing Writer and Editor

Giving

Count Down to Christmas with Random Acts of Kindness

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My kids start counting down to Christmas the day after Halloween. I know they’re not alone. Many of us have an eye on the calendar this time of year (some with glee and some with a nervous glance at the to-do list). A Christmas countdown calendar is a great way to give you and your family a visual reminder of how many days are left before December 25.

A few years ago, my family started a kindness countdown tradition, and it’s become one of my favorite parts of the season. The holidays can get a tad overly focused on receiving. (Sorry about the 10-page list from our house, Santa.) Random acts of kindness put a little more of the focus on giving.

Count down to Christmas with Random Acts of Kindness #holidayRAK #kindness

This season is stressful enough, so my family sticks with simple, inexpensive acts of kindness. But we hope they make a difference to someone’s day. Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Picking up trash around our neighborhood
  • Leaving $5 in a library book for a stranger to find
  • Paying for a stranger’s coffee
  • Taping a dollar to a random vending machine

My kids aren’t always thrilled about every activity. But I try to make it fun, and they usually get into the spirit of it.

Random acts of kindness aren’t entirely selfless. It feels great to go out in the world and do some good.  Researchers have found that volunteering and doing small acts of kindness actually improve the health and well being of the giver.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”The last month of 2020 needs some cheer! Check out these fun ways to countdown to Christmas with random acts of kindness. https://abbyquillen.com/holiday-kindness/” quote=”The last month of 2020 needs some cheer! Check out these fun ways to countdown to Christmas with random acts of kindness.”]

Want to take part? Feel free to use our Holiday Kindness Countdown and/or download and print my 2020 Christmas Kindness Calendar (link). Don’t feel like you have to do everything on the list. Pick and choose what resonates, or come up with your own random acts of kindness for the holidays.

Kindness is contagious. A person is more likely to give when he or she sees someone else giving. Share your random acts of kindness on social media, and more people may get excited about adding kindness to their holiday traditions. Use the hashtag #holidayRAK, and we can follow along.

Random acts of kindness Christmas countdown

Download and print a 2020 Christmas Kindness Calendar

(Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a post originally published December 1, 2016)

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13 Ways to Spread Holiday Cheer Without Spending a Dime

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I’m not stressing about the holidays this year. We’re planning to exchange some gifts, go for a hike, and eat a delicious dinner, but mostly we’re aiming for a relaxing day.

Around now, I’m always thinking about where I want to put my attention in the new year, and this year I am zeroing in on our finances and paying off debt. So a simple Christmas is exactly what we need. But we’ll be on the look out for ways to spread holiday cheer all week. If you’re in the same camp, here are 13 ideas for spreading joy without opening your wallet:

1. Leave a note on your mail box thanking your mail carrier for all of the hard work they do over the holiday season.

2. Send an email to old and new friends, catching them up on what you’ve been up to, and thanking them for being part of your lives.

3. Donate some of your extra clothes, books, and/or canned food to a homeless shelter or group home.

4. Give your friends, kids, or your partner the gift of your undivided attention for a few hours. Make a point to really listen.

5. Go caroling.

6. Invite some friends over for dinner or dessert.

7. Write to a few of your coworkers or colleagues and thank them for their hard work.

8. Smile and say hello to everyone you pass.

9. Visit someone in a nursing home.

10. Make a Skype date with a faraway friend or family member.

11. Make paper snowflakes to hang in your windows.

12. Leave a greeting on one of your favorite blogs. (We bloggers love connecting with readers.)

13. Take some time out alone to do something you love doing this time of the year, whether it’s going for a long walk, drinking eggnog, or reading a novel.

If you liked this post, you may like these related posts:

What are your favorite ways to spread joy without parting with your cash? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

 

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