Teacup of Kindness - Randomness #25-21

Below are my random acts of kindness for April. I really enjoyed this month as it was a mix between doing something personable for people I know and acts of kindness that were fun!

#25 - I left a 100% tip for a server at the Early Bird Diner in Charleston, SC. I was passing through for breakfast, and thought the server was awesome. I worked as a server for 15+ years and know that the job has its up and downs, more so then most sometimes. Our server was friendly, kept my coffee filled, and wasn't overly annoying with checking up on us. This was first thing in the morning so hopefully it made the rest of her day happy. Next time I go I'll be trying the Oreo pancakes!

#24 - My boyfriend headed over to the local library to pick up the latest installment of 'Game of Thrones'. While he was waiting in line to pick up the DVD, I wandered around the library leaving surprises in some of my favorite books. I left four $5 Starbucks gift cards in books throughout the library. I figured whoever checked out the book could also enjoy a nice beverage!

#23 - An old friend's little brother was having some down luck. Even though I could not donate material items I was able to lend a helping hand for groceries!

#22 - For work I had to travel for a week throughout the south, which meant being a way from my boyfriend. I sent him an 'I love you' card in the mail while I was away. I wanted to make sure he knew i appreciated everything he does and was thinking about him.

#21- Rather then bringing items to Goodwill to be sold I dropped off items at the local donation bins. That way the items go directly to the organizations that are in need.

Teacup of Fun - #10 Claymaking Class

For the month of April I decided to channel my inner artist. I have not taken a pottery class since middle school, so it was definitely a learning process.

My friend and I bought a groupon for a studio in Ellicott City, MD for a BYOB clay making class. We both tackled the potters wheel, and made different bowls for our projects. The instructor was very friendly, super helpful, and she made it a fun learning environment. My friend had taken ceramics in high school so I think she picked it up much quicker then I did. The instructor first did a demonstration on the wheel with clay, and then we took our places. Halfway through the class I realized that I was trying to do everything with my left hand, and that was probably why I destroyed the two pieces of clay (I am right handed). You need to be graceful with your hands and gently mold the clay. I was decapitating the tops of the bowls as it spun because I was pressing too hard on the sides. Luckily the first bowl I made the instructor talked me through and it turned out great! I can't wait to go back to the studio to glaze our items, and take them home for use.

This has definitely inspired me to take another art class later on down the road. I crochet and scrapbook, but this is a different level of creativity that challenges you.

Teacup of Trendy - Movie Review of THE HOST

I have not yet read The Host. Mainly because the back log of books I have been wanting to read is growing by the week. I was hoping when I saw the film it would not matter that I did not read the book. Overall, I think I followed it quite well, but it does leave you feeling as if you are missing some key plot points.

The movie does not start out the way I thought it would. From the trailers it seems like a basic girl meets boy, boy helps girl survive the end of world, and then something terrible happens plot line. The something terrible happens to Melanie, the leading lady, at the start of the film and the story is told through flashbacks. I actually felt this made the movie more entertaining as you were left in your seat trying to figure out why the aliens are here and why are they inhabiting our bodies. I really enjoy Saoirse Ronan as a leading actress, and she did a good job playing multiple personalities on screen.

After Melanie/Wanda escape from the main city and the bad guys, they make their way to find her beau and brother. All while doing so having an external internal debate on screen. You would think this would be distracting, hearing the main character debate with the voice in her head. At times it was hard to focus on the action at hand, but it did help move the film along.

I especially liked how the characters interacted with each other. It felt like a community on the run (not quite like Rick and the zombie crew from Walking Dead), but it didn't feel fake. Melanie's uncle Jeb played good cop while her aunt Maggie played bad cop when Melanie/Wanda are introduced to the group. This adds to the dynamic of the film as the community struggles to survive, as well as come to terms with learning more about the aliens that have come to Earth.

In true Stephanie Myers fashion there is a love triangle. I kept waiting for some big macho blow out to happen over Melanie/Wanda. I will not give a way any spoiler alerts,  but let's just say it works itself in the end.

The movie as a whole was not terrible. I can not say I loved it, but I definitely did not hate it either. We went before 2PM at AMC which meant a $6.00 movie. That was about what I would pay for it, or a $1.00 from the Redbox. I think the crowd you are with helps too. I went with friends who had read the book so it made it more fun to watch.

I did not walk out of the theater dissatisfied, so I was happy to have sat through it. I wouldn't recommend this is as a bro film, or older adult crowd. This is aimed at the younger audience or 'young adult' fans of the YA genre.

Rating: half a teacup

Teacup of Kindness - Randomness #29-26

Doing random acts in the month of March...

#29 - As a special treat over Easter weekend I taped packs of popcorn to Redbox locations. I picked two outside locations to visit. I didn't want to do them in indoor locations as I was afraid the clerks would think the person was stealing from them (haha). I hope those who rented a movie had a fun surprise!

#28 - I put together a goodie bag for our postman. I wanted to thank him for going through the wind, rain, and snow to deliver our mail.

#27 - We went to Florida at the end of March with our group of friends. I thought it would be a fun idea to bring back gifts for some of my close friends who didn't ask for anything. Not only would this be unexpected, but remind them I value our relationship (friendship, family, etc.)

#26 - I acted polite for a whole week. This seems like an easy thing to do, but I think it gets lost in our society with technology and everyone being in a rush. I feel like I am a very polite person, but I realized that politeness and being nice are two different things. For a whole week while driving to work I tried to be a polite driver by not tailgating, letting people go in front of me, not speeding or cutting people off, etc. This is surprisingly hard when you have a 40 minute commute to work! I also made sure I held the door open for people when I could, and when possible thanked people for their actions. How you treat others says a lot about you, and hopefully I put a smile on someone's face.