Make Every Monday Your Vacation Destination

If you are working for the weekend, you are doing it wrong.

Make every Monday your vacation destination.

Life is too short to not have a little umbrella in your drink. // Some days, you have to make your own magic. Today, I gave away more than 100 drink umbrellas to those who needed help getting back into the weekday grind after a week of freezing weather. There are 52 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Mondays don’t have to suck! #thehappymondayproject Happy Monday- PASS IT ON!

Good Vibes And Warmest Wishes

When a customer came into the store with a loom for me, I had no idea how much it would take hold of me. It was mid November when I made my first hat, and I was hooked. Every spare moment gave me opportunity to get a few rows in on the current hat I was working on- breaks at work, school pick-ups, putting my kids to bed. I would even take it out of my bag while I was in line at the grocery store. I made it my mission to create as many hats made as I could. When strangers would hear that I was trying to make 100 hats to give away, I was met with a lot of doubt. That doubt could have easily broken my spirits, but instead it fueled my goals. I was able to make 113 hats, even after taking a few weeks off around Christmas.

When you say that you don't have time, is that accurate or is what you are trying to do just not a priority? Most phones have a metric that says how long you spend on your phone each day. If the only thing you changed in your life was to put the phone down, it is wild the amount of literal hours you can reclaim in your day. Stop doom-scrolling and take back your life.

When I heard it was going to be a record 10 degrees in Nashville, I knew that hat Monday was here. I was pumped to spread positive vibes all around town. I made a promise to help 113 strangers stay warm by giving away hats to those who needed to know that they matter. There is nothing like a hand-made hat to make you feel loved, even on the coldest of days. I gave hats to everyone from teachers on school car-line duty, first responders, and caffeine fueled commuters. At sunset, I finished the day by warming the heads of those on the pedestrian bridge downtown. Nothing prepared me for the stories shared to me by the displaced wanderlusts that live on the street in Downtown Nashville. You never know who needs help to stay afloat. Kindness can be a lifesaver. If you are waiting for a sign..THIS IS IT. I'll forever be the one with the flower headband and endearing enthusiasm. Mondays don't have to suck!

If You Are Waiting For A Sign...

“If you ever get to Nipper’s Corner on a Monday…”

Come visit me to get your caffeine jolt this morning and I promise to make you smile. After that, catch me spreading positive vibes all around town. Nashville! If you need to stay warm in this ten degree weather…one of these 113 handmade hats is meant for you. If you are waiting for a sign…THIS IS IT.

I’ll be the one with the flower headband and endearing enthusiasm. Mondays don’t have to suck! #thehappymondayproject PASS IT ON!

Feel The Love

Warm Hands // Warm Heart

Every soul encounters those who brave the cold- a crossing guard, a mail carrier, or even a stranger waiting at a bus stop. If you have a grateful heart that is warm indoors, pass this hand-warmer on to a stranger to warm up their hands and their heart.

When it's cold outside from a winter storm

And it's hard to keep your fingers warm

Toss this in your pocket or in your glove

And with its warmth, you'll feel the love. //

Today, I gave away 100 hand warmers to strangers who needed a reminder that they are loved and they matter. There are 52 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday- PASS IT ON! #thehappymondayproject

Get Weird And Take Some Dance Breaks

Maybe you experienced a magnificent start-of-the-week revelation today. Maybe your biggest accomplishment was getting out of bed. Wherever you are in life, it is right where you are suppose to be. Embrace it and don’t forget to take care of yourself.

You are allowed bad days. You are justified in your struggles. I want you to know that you are loved, seen, heard, and understood. Being an adult is literally jumping from feeling like you are on top of the world to feeling like you cannot even take another step. Just take a breath! You are not alone. You are alive and you are doing the damn thing and for that, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU.

Eat ice cream unapologetically before noon and bumble your way through the rest of the day. Just do it while dancing and smiling so hard that your eyes close. Make your mindset this year to get weird and take some dance breaks. Dance it out- find your groove and always stick with the humans who pull the magic out of you.

WORK HARD. DREAM HARDER.

There are 52 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday- PASS IT ON!//

I kicked off the first Monday of 2015 by handing out fresh flowers and positive vibes to those around me. Attitudes are contagious, and it was incredible to see how quickly I was able to brighten someone else’s ordinary day with only the smallest of gestures. As each week passed by, I turned it into my personal mission to see how many people I could get to smile back at me every Monday morning.

The project quickly evolved from a personal mission into an entirely new lifestyle. I now spend days preparing with “Happy Monday” stickers, countless handwritten notes and 100-200 little pick-me-up gifts to give out to strangers each and every week. My efforts to get people to be as stoked about Monday as they are about Friday have proven difficult on some days, but the positive feedback has been so encouraging.

I may not be able to change the world, yet, but inspiring this kind of human connection with strangers the last ten years is the beginning and end of everything. My heart is bursting at the seams and I cannot wait to embark on the adventure that is year eleven of #thehappymondayproject

Monday is coming…are you ready?

High Fives And Good Vibes

High Fives and Good Vibes // Stop waiting for the world to give you a round of applause.

Give yourself a high five-

It changes the way you walk out into the world.

Clap back at self doubt. You made it!

Life is tough, but so are you.

You deserve to be celebrated- hands down.

Make some noise for the light chasers, the world shifters, the daydreamers. I made the last Monday of the year count by giving away more than 100 hand clappers to strangers who needed a reason to smile. There were 53 Mondays this year and how you spent them was up to you. End this year and begin the next knowing how powerful you are. #thehappymondayproject PASS IT ON!

The Triumph Of Light Over Dark

Attitude is Everything;

Everything is Temporary

Shorter days - Longer nights

out of darkness emerges the light.

This is your start-of-the-week reminder to celebrate the brighter days to come.

Happy Monday. // In honor of the Winter Solstice this week, I handed out 150 tea light candles to strangers as a reminder to always chase the light. No matter what happens this week, daylight will begin to return and your darkest days will soon be behind you. The triumph of light over dark. It quite literally only gets brighter from here. There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday- PASS IT ON! #thehappymondayproject

When You Have A Bad Day...

Monday Fit Monster

When you have a bad day,

When nothing goes right,

Don’t lose your temper and get uptight.

Just leave those breakables

Where they sit,

Then pick me up and throw a fit.

Happy Monday. //

Never forget that the smallest of gestures can make all the difference in someone’s day. Today, I was able to give away more than 100 “fit monsters” to strangers who needed a reason to smile. Life is tough, but so are you! Sometimes, all you need after a super rough day is to just throw something. Toss that negative energy away from you and start over. It’s just a bad day, not a bad life. There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Monday is coming…are you ready? #thehappymondayproject

Emergency Dinosaurs

“Dopamine Dinos”

Tiny dinos, big grins, Mondays are more than just head spins,

In pockets, on desks, they’Il boost your dopamine on a whim,

A dash of joy, a reset for your brain,

Each little dino, a cheerful way to stay sane, Life’s too short to fret, let’s share dino delight,

In every corner of this silly adulting life, let happiness ignite. Happy Monday! //

Never forget that the smallest of gestures can make all the difference in someone’s day. Yesterday, I gave away more than 100 “dopamine dinosaurs” to strangers who needed a reason to smile. Atticus taught me early on the importance of always carrying emergency dinosaurs in your pocket. Life is tough, but so are you! I’ve loved hearing the stories about the adventures strangers took with their dinosaurs this week- everything from costco runs to big team meetings to first therapy appointments.

Reset your brain in silly ways to add more joy to your life in tiny bursts. Keep your dino in your pocket or on your desk within eyesight. When you see them, I guarantee you will get a ping of dopamine. Sometimes, all you need is a silly little companion in your pocket to remind you that all this adulting bullshit you have to do today is really not that serious.

Monday is coming…are you ready? #thehappymondayproject

What Magic!

When the doctor told me to ice my foot today…do you think this is what he meant?

I wished very hard that something wonderful would happen and then it started snowing as though some fairy godmother had done it just for me.

I smell snow. Flakes, flurries, swirls, crystals…whatever form it comes in- I’ll take it. What magic! There is nothing in the world like rushing outside to catch those first snowflakes of the season on your tongue. The crisp air. The stillness. Take a deep breath and take it all in. What magic! Happy Monday.

Frazzled Holiday Relief

Time around the holidays can be hard. Life is tough, but so are you! You are not alone. Don’t let yourself sink. Today, I gave away almost 150 mini holiday stress relief kits to frazzled strangers as a reminder that we are all in this together.

Maybe you experienced a magnificent start-of-the-week revelation today. Maybe your biggest accomplishment was getting out of bed. Wherever you are in life, it is right where you are suppose to be. Embrace it & don’t forget to take care of yourself.

Work hard. Dream harder. There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday- PASS IT ON! #thehappymondayproject

Be The Change- Lucky Pennies

Be the change!

Never forget that the smallest act of kindness can make all the difference in a stranger’s day.

I couldn’t afford to spend any money on the Monday project this week, so I decided to get creative. I had to remind myself that life is tough, but so are you. Some days you just have to create your own magic. It is amazing what you can do with just ketchup, an old toothbrush, and a little bit of elbow grease. Even the few dollars in change you find stuck between the seats of your car can be turned into more than 200 contagious smiles for those who need a little whimsy to help them get back into the daily grind.

There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Mondays don’t have suck! #thehappymondayproject PASS IT ON!

Fall In Love With Mondays

Fall In Love With Mondays! The world is changed by your example, not your opinion. You will never influence the world by being just like it. Autumn is a beautiful reminder of how to let things go and dance on a windy day. // Never forget that even the smallest of gestures can make a world of difference in someone’s day.

Today, I was able to give away almost 150 autumn leaves to strangers as a start-of-the-week reminder that attitude is everything and everything is temporary.

There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday- PASS IT ON! #thehappymondayproject

You Are Shifting Atmospheres and You Don't Even Realize It

“Hey you!
Let's just say you are like me and are not crushing it today. You set good intentions for the week and even though it's only Monday, your to-do list already seems daunting. You're exhausted. The ignored dishes are filling the kitchen sink. The clothes are in the dryer for the third time. You truly feel like you are running on empty- just like that low fuel light that you have ignored for days. You are late to work. Your body and your heart are both overworked and overwhelmed. Then a stranger throws you a genuine smile. They don't know about any of your troubles, but they are truly moved when your presence hits the room. Energy does not lie- you are shifting atmospheres and you don't even realize it. You're a vibe.
Give yourself some grace. Have you eaten something today? Have you had something to drink that isn't coffee or Diet Coke? Have you wiggled your toes in the grass?
Sometimes all you need is to have another soul look you in the eyes and say, "Thank you for waking up today. In a sometimes cruel world, I see you."
Maybe you experienced a magnificent start-of-the-week revelation today. Maybe your biggest accomplishment was getting out of bed. Wherever you are in life, it is right where you are suppose to be. Embrace it and don't forget to take care of yourself.
Happy Monday- PASS IT ON!”#thehappymondayproject

Mondays Can Still Be a Treat

Don’t let the calendar trick you, Mondays can still be a treat. The day is what you make it- Rise up and make today spooktacular. //

Spooky week is upon us! Today, I was able to give away more than 100 lollipops dressed up like ghosts to strangers who needed a little whimsy to begin the week. There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday- PASS IT ON! #thehappymondayproject

I Dare You to Look Up

I dare you to look up.

You are missing out on the magic that's happening around you every single day.

In a world full of people looking down at their phones- look up.

Find the miracle in the mundane.

Recapture your childlike wonder.

Be aggressively curious.

Stand still for a moment and soak it all in.

Look up more.

Look up.

Happy Monday. //

Today, I gave away 150 sets of emergency googly eyes to strangers as a reminder stop looking down at your phone. In a society full of constant memes, disheartening news, and tik tok tomfoolery- don’t forget to look up and reclaim your sense of wonder. There are so many tiny miracles in the mundane and every second you wait is another second you are missing out. There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday. #thehappymondayproject

It's Just A Bad Day, Not A Bad Life...

Attitude is Everything; Everything is Temporary

"You know the beginning of Moby Dick, when the narrator says that when he finds himself growing grim about the mouth and wanting to knock people's hats off, he takes to the sea? Well, I feel like knocking people's hats off." -Rory Gilmore //

You never know who needs help to stay afloat.

You are not alone! Don't let yourself sink.

Sometimes, all you need after a super rough day is to write down anything that is bugging you or weighing you down, fold it into an origami boat, ship it off to sea, and let it go.

It's just a bad day, not a bad life.

A Glimmer of Hope in the Storm

Don’t let Monday be the villain-

Everything that you are is enough.

Be you, Bravely. //

I unexpectedly took The Happy Monday Project to the Florida beaches and beyond last week. I gathered a smorgasbord of my favorite projects and cruised all around Brevard County looking for strangers who may need a reason to smile in the midst of Hurricane Milton coming. Hurricanes are no joke- and sometimes when things are tough, a little reminder that you are not alone is enough to give you a glimmer of hope that you need. There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday- PASS IT ON! ✨#thehappymondayproject

Happily Ever Laughter

Happily Ever Laughter.

Stop taking Monday so seriously.

Feel free to clown around!

Life is better when you're laughing. // Never forget that the smallest act of kindness can make all the difference in a stranger's day. Today, I was able to give away almost 150 clown noses to those who needed some humor to begin the week.

There are 53 Mondays this year and how you spend them is up to you. Start off the week knowing how powerful you are. Happy Monday. PASS IT ON! #thehappymondayproject