Unexpected Art: A Positive Blog by Angela Moore » Positive Stories

#30DaysofGood: A Positive Challenge

AngelaMoore — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:33:40 +0000

I’m always on the hunt for things that inspire me to make the world a better place. So when I was scrolling through my Twitter feed this morning, I came across an interesting hashtag that read #30DaysofGOOD. I also noticed the word “challenge” which immediately caught my attention.

GOOD is an organization I’ve been following for a while now because their mission is simple. They support the people, groups, businesses and organizations who want to “live well and do good.” Sounds right up my alley these days.

I have a friend who has a mantra that she lives by to the best of her ability: “Want to feel good? Do good.” I’ve done my best over the years to live up to her example. Let’s be honest, some days are better than others. Especially lately. But if there is one thing that I know above everything else, it’s that when I help others or do some general “good” in the world, I feel better. It takes me out of me, out of my head, out of my pain. It makes me forget what I’m facing these days. It helps me put one foot in front of the other and move forward which is absolutely crucial.

So it makes sense that this tweet caught my eye. Intrigued, I clicked through to find out the story.

Here’s the deal: GOOD is running a 30 day challenge this month to connect with other people. So far, they’re on the third day and the challenges so far have been to send someone a postcard, have a conversation with a service employee and share an old photo with a friend. Simple? Obviously. And I love it. Doing good doesn’t always mean donating a ton of money to a group or jumping on a jet to help refugees somewhere (although those are awesome things and kudos to you if you do this). I love the focus of this because it challenges you to look at your world immediately around you and see what kind of a positive impact you can make. Positive living is made up of the little things, the daily tasks you complete to make someone else’s life easier or a little better. The little things add up. Trust me.

So I’m going to keep an eye on GOOD’s Twitter stream and see what else they suggest. In the meantime, I’m going to go buy a postcard.

What can you do today to connect with the people around you?

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AngelaMoore

Owner and Operator at Unexpected Art, A Positive Blog

Angela is, among many other things, an online junky. Immersing herself into all things related to blogging, writing, social media, and connecting with others that she would not normally meet without the assistance of her trusty laptop is a daily highlight for her. Learn more about Angela.

Our Overnight Adventure at Cleveland Zoo

AngelaMoore — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:54:02 +0000

A little less than two months ago, I got an email from the Cleveland Zoo about some educational and family programs they had coming up. With everything that has happened this summer, I decided that the kids and I really needed something to look forward to and make the summer a positive one. So I signed us up for the Rising Waters Safari Overnight Adventure.

I swear this has to be one of Cleveland’s best kept secrets because I’ve told so many people about it and the common response I got was “I didn’t know they did that!” And let me tell you, it was awesome. The packing list was simple: sleeping bag, pillow, clothes and toiletries. They also recommended rain gear, just in case. We brought bug spray and wipes and some basic things, but everything fit in our backpacks so it wasn’t incredibly cumbersome to bring it along.

When we arrived, we went straight to our tents which were huge… big enough for four bunk beds to fit inside (and this 29 week pregnant woman appreciated the fact that I wasn’t sleeping on the floor). We unpacked our gear then met outside to learn some facts about Africa and a few words in Swahili. The kids loved it from the start. They were engaged and answered questions right away. I was thrilled to see their comfort levels so high.

Our first event involved meeting some animal friends: a barn owl, a snake and a hedgehog. The presenters were excellent and they kept the kids interested with stories about the animals and their habits. To top it off, the kids got to pet the snake and the hedgehog which made them feel extra special.

We got a private viewing of the elephants and the new elephant crossing venue (which is really an awesome facility if you get a chance to see it). They had a scavenger hunt booklet that gave the kids extra educational opportunities to explore their knowledge of animals and we never felt rushed to move to the next thing. We got to do a craft (the kids made bags to carry their water bottles) and roast marshmallows for s’mores around a big campfire. I was impressed at how well the event was organized and how smoothly the whole thing ran.

The last event of the day was the part that I was most excited about: we took a night hike with Night Vision Binoculars (the geek in me couldn’t wait to try them out even though I was already exhausted). The zoo was so peaceful at night and checking out the animals in the eerie green light did give us an “explorer” kind of feel to the whole thing.

Off to bed we went and I don’t think the kids lasted five minutes before they were out for the night. Snuggled in their sleeping bags on the top bunks, I never heard a peep once we turned out the light in the tent.

The next morning we had a basic breakfast (cereal, granola bars, fruit cups) and God bless them, they had coffee. I knew we had some more events that morning, but I had no idea what they were, so I was just as anxious to know what was next as the kids were. First we went to the Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine which my daughter LOVED since she wants to be a veterinarian (and has stuck to it for at least three years now). We got to see what an animal hospital looks like and also find out what kind of supplies the zookeepers need on a daily basis to take care of the animals.

Next stop: The Rhino House! We got to meet the zookeeper who takes care of the rhinos, including the new baby (who still weighs over 1,000 pounds). Again, the presentation was really educational and the kids got a lot out of her talk.

And then, the unexpected happened… they let us pet the male Rhino! Let me tell you, even the adults were pretty excited about that. My son wasn’t up for it, but my daughter stepped up and pet him like a pro!

After the program was over, we were able to wander around the zoo although we only made it about an hour before we were all ready to go home. The overnight was a huge success and I’m so glad we were able to do it. My daughter is already talking about attending the one in the winter and I’m sure it will be just as fun as this one. Great thanks go to the staff members who made it a true adventure to remember.

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AngelaMoore

Owner and Operator at Unexpected Art, A Positive Blog

LoveDrop.us: Positive Site

AngelaMoore — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:00:20 +0000

Ever wonder how you can make a positive impact on someone else but you didn’t have a lot of money you could give? Check out Love Drop. The concept is simple: every month, another cause/person is featured and you can “drop some love” to that person for as little as $1 a month. You can also send encouraging notes and positive support to these people as well.

From the site’s About Page:

Love Drop is a micro-giving network of people who unite as a community to help one person or family a month. By subscribing to the team for as little as $1, we make it easy for our members to change lives in a fun and tangible way. Each month Love Drop delivers a unique combination of unexpected financial gifts, personal encouragement and the support of local and online communities.

In the spring of 2010, Nate and J. Money were invited to a lunch meeting at Google headquarters by the fabulous Jenny Blake (much love, girl!), and immediately realized that working together would not only change lives, but be totally awesome as well. So they discussed their options for the rest of the year, and finally decided on building out the Love Drop project — launching 1.1.11!

Intrigued? Check out the different ways you can get involved with Love Drop and let us know your experience here!

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AngelaMoore

Owner and Operator at Unexpected Art, A Positive Blog

InvisiblePeople.tv: A Positive Site

AngelaMoore — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:00:47 +0000

I love the concept behind InvisiblePeople.tv. On the site there is a warning/disclaimer that says “CAUTION: Some content may be offensive. Our hope is you’ll get mad enough to do something.”

The purpose of InsiviblePeople.tv is to bring attention to the plight of the homeless and encourage people to take action in their local communities. The site gives the homeless a face and a voice.

From the site’s about page:

The purpose of this vlog is to make the invisible visible. I hope these people and their stories connect with you and don’t let go. I hope their conversations with me will start a conversation in your circle of friends.

After you get to know someone by watching their story, please pause for a few moments and write your thoughts in the comments section, or maybe email them to a friend and link back to this vlog . By keeping this dialog open we can help a forgotten people.

You can get involved in InvisiblePeople.tv’s project by participating in their road trip or making donations. All the information you need is on the site on the Road Trip page. If you’ve been active with this project or if this post motivates you to take action, please let us know with a comment.

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AngelaMoore

Owner and Operator at Unexpected Art, A Positive Blog

Pink Glove Dance (Video)

AngelaMoore — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:19:07 +0000

This video was sent to me by my mom and I just had to share it with everyone. I loved it and really enjoyed how involved the entire hospital got in this project. Well done!

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AngelaMoore

Owner and Operator at Unexpected Art, A Positive Blog

Mother & Child Come Back from the Dead

AngelaMoore — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:35:42 +0000

My husband told me about this story the other day and I’m still amazed at this. Imagine, if you can, a woman who goes into labor and both she and the baby die during the delivery. Suddenly and without explanation, both of their hearts start beating.

You can see the whole story here:

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AngelaMoore

Owner and Operator at Unexpected Art, A Positive Blog