Vivian El-Salawy, Pie Bar
For the month of June, we are excited to participate in a project called 30 Days of Kindness (or, 30 Days of Pie-ness). This is a project that has been done by many organizations, so we thought - why not? For the next 30 days, we are going to spread kindness within our community, and we encourage you to join us in any way that you can!
Share your Kindness adventures with us using the hashtag #PieBar30DaysofKindness. Should you like to just follow along, feel free to keep up with our 30 days through our blog (we will update it along the way), or by following our Instagram and Facebook stories. As we go through our 30 Days of Kindness, we will update this blog with fun photos of our AND your kind adventures!!
So, you’re probably wondering what our 30 Days of Kindness are? We’ve got each and every day packed with random acts of kindness to be shared within the community, whether it be with a stranger, a coworker, a friend, a family member, or yourself! Woodstock is already such a special community, so we can’t wait to see what amazing things come of these 30 days in June. Enjoy:
Saturday, June 1 - Day 1: Little Free Pantry Drop-Off
Did you know that Downtown Woodstock has its own Little Free Pantry, upcycled by artists Deidra Smith and Darryl Reddy? We’re kickin’ off our 30 Days of Kindness by droppin’ off some non-perishable food items. Join us by leaving what you can! Downtown Woodstock’s Little Free Pantry is located at: 8588 Main Street, Woodstock GA 30188.
Sunday, June 2 - Day 2: Uplifting Note
Leave a note with some uplifting messages on a bathroom mirror. Brighten someone’s day for just a few seconds! Just maybe don’t pick a tape that’ll leave a sticky mess or write anything creepy. That could lead to more frowny faces than happy faces. #youliveandyoulearn
Monday, June 3 - Day 3: Thank You Card
Leave a “Thank You” card for a service professional. Today we’re thanking our mail carrier for poppin’ in and saying “hello” everyday (and of course, delivering our mail in the finest condition).
Tuesday, June 4 - Day 4: Hold the Door
Open the door for someone. Sometimes we get caught up in the rush of everyday life, and don’t take the time to do a simple, kind gesture like this. Today, let’s give a stranger a few extra seconds of our time.
Wednesday, June 5 - Day 5: Take a Book, Leave a Book
Come join us for the Grand Opening of our Little Free Pie-brary today! We are so excited to kick-off this cute, little library for our frequent pie-ers and frequent readers to enjoy! There will be an official ribbon cutting and reception! See our Facebook Event for more details!
Thursday, June 6 - Day 6: Handwritten Letter
Send a handwritten letter to someone. If you’re like me, then your hand probably starts cramping after writing just a few sentences. That means I spend way too much time at my computer. Today, I’m writing a handwritten letter to my mom just let her know I’m thinking of her. We'll have a stationary table set up today at the shop if you would like to join in. See Facebook event for more details!
Friday, June 7 - Day 7: Share Your Art
For Day 7, our very own Abby (@abbyllsmith.art) has donated a piece of pie art to @FAFWoodstockGA. Finders keepers. Check out their Instagram for hints on where to find it.
Saturday, June 8 - Day 8: Treat Your Pet
Who said that kindness is for humans only? Treat your fellow puppers. It’s just as important to treat our four-legged community here in Woodstock as it is to treat our two-legged community. If you’ve got some spare treats at home, leave some for a local pupper to find. Today, I’m sharing some treats with our fellow pupparoos (including my lil dorkie of a pup at home).
Sunday, June 9 - Day 9: Bake for Someone
Make some baked goods to share. Yes, Pie Bar staaaays baking pie every day, but sometimes it’s nice to bring a little something to your neighbors, or teachers, or even maybe just a stranger. Make something special today (or if you’re on a time crunch, buy something special today) to share with somebody as a sweet little treat! Today, I’m treating my neighbor to a little somethin’ somethin’.
Monday, June 10 - Day 10: Music for All
Share some of your favorite music for someone to explore. I love it when my friends share new music with me - it can lead you to discover all kinds of new things. Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite songs with a stranger. Maybe they’ll listen to it, maybe they won’t. Today, share a song that’s lifting you up - maybe it’ll lift someone else up, too!
Tuesday, June 11 - Day 11: Talk to Someone New
One of my favorite things about working at Pie Bar are the many moments I get to share with people, whether they’re regulars, or new customers. Today, say a little more than just a simple “hello” to someone new.
Wednesday, June 12 - Day 12: Get involved
Elm Street Cultural Arts Village is always lookin’ for more visionaries to join their team. Today, our Pie Bar Front of House Staffers are volunteering for Elephant & Piggie, which runs through the month of June! Come check out the show and give an extra hand, whether it’s as a volunteer at one of their events, or by joining a visionary team!
Thursday, June 13 - Day 13: Closet Cleanout
Spring Cleaning is totally a thing of the past. We all have that one tee that’s been sitting in our closet untouched for ages, or that pair of sneakers that we’ve worn maybe a couple times and haven’t looked at since. Donate your clothes to a local organization! We'll also have a little bin set up at the shop today, if you would like for us to donate for you! As Marie Kondo says so wonderfully, does the clothes bring you joy? If not, maybe it could bring joy to somebody else!
Friday, June 14 - Day 14: Give a Flower to Someone
We’ve got so many amazing flower shops in the heart of Downtown Woodstock - pick out some flowers and share them with somebody random! Today, we’re handing out some beautiful flowers from Brenda's House of Flowers!
Saturday, June 15 - Day 15: DIY Bird Feeders
I found out recently that we can make so many types of bird treats with what we already have in our kitchen. Today,we will have a little Bird Feeder station at the shop! This makes for a great gift for Father's Day (or a great date with your dad for the weekend)! If you can't make it to the shop today, but would like to make your own Pine Cone Bird Feeder at home, you can visit this page for what you might need! If you would like to join us, you can visit our Facebook event for more details.
Sunday, June 16 - Day 16: Trail Clean Up
Green means GO! Join us today and help us clean up Noonday Creek Trail. We’ll be meeting at the head of the trail in Downtown Woodstock around 10AM. If you can’t make it to the trail with us, take some time out of your week, whenever you can, to even just pick up a few items either on the trail or around your neighborhood. Keep it clean, folks! You can visit our Facebook event for more details!
Monday, June 17 - Day 17: Bring Some Color to the World
Check out our printable Pie Bar Coloring Page(s)! Today, I’m leaving my masterpiece for Cody. I’ll be incredibly offended if it’s not framed within the week. We'll have a little coloring station set up at the shop today, for all your coloring needs!! You can visit our Facebook event for more details!
Tuesday, June 18 - Day 18: Pay it Forward
We’ll be at Alma Coffee for a bit today to pay it forward (and also kinda maybe to try some of their yummy seasonal drinks). Take a second today to pay it forward, whether it be in line for lunch, or on a coffee run! A little goes a long way.
Wednesday, June 19 - Day 19: Pack a Lunch for Someone
Last night, I telling my coworker to not worry about packing a lunch (and am asking what allergies they may have). Hope they like it!!
Thursday, June 20 - Day 20: Recipe Swap
Do you have a dish that brings your office joy? Share your recipe! Today, we are sharing a special recipe on our blog. Aaaand, we’ve even made a recipe template to make it a little easier for you to share yours! P.S. - We wouldn’t be opposed to you sharing any of your yummy recipes with us, too. We’re total foodies.
Friday, June 21 - Day 21: Pie Fundraiser
A huge part of being a member of the Downtown Woodstock Community is getting to know and love your neighbors. We are so fortunate to spend our days working with and next to some of the best people out there. Cody and Lauren met Jonathan Chambers a few years ago when we decided to open Pie Bar in Downtown Woodstock. He works for the Cherokee County Economic Development Office and has a passion for entrepreneurship and small businesses. Over the course of several years, Jonathan has become a mentor and a friend. A few weeks ago, Jonathan shared that his wife, Allie, was diagnosed with cancer for the second time, this time Stage 4 Breast Cancer. The cost for Allie's treatment is $75,000. Sometimes the worst things happen to the best people, and all we can do as a community is offer to help in whatever way we can. As a small business that serves pie, our best give is to sell pie and donate all of the proceeds to the Chambers Family: Jonathan, Allie, and their three little girls. Please visit our Facebook Event for how we are going to do that!
Saturday, June 22 - Day 22: Start a New Group
Even if it’s within a circle of people you interact with on a regular basis, it’s always fun to introduce a new (or discover an old) hobby together! We’ve started a lil Book Club within our Pie Bar Staff. Any reading suggestions??
Sunday, June 23 - Day 23: Woodstock Rocks Paint Party
Come join us today to paint some rocks for Woodstock Rocks! We’ll have a little table set out where you can paint rocks, and then either donate them for hiding, or hide them yourselves for someone to find and treasure! See our Facebook event for more details!
Monday, June 24 - Day 24: Plant Something
Be kind to our planet and plant something, even if it’s a little annual for someone to look at whenever they drive by, or some herbs or veggies for you to use in your cooking.
Tuesday, June 25 - Day 25: Send a Card
Send cards to somebody that’s hospitalized!! Today, we’re sending some cards to hospitalized kids. Join us by sending a card to:
Cards for Hospitalized Kids
7290 W. Devon
Chicago IL 60631
We'll have a table set up at the shop today if you would like to join us! If you can't make it out, you can always write from home! You can visit our Facebook event for more details!
Wednesday, June 26 - Day 26: Leave a Nice Note
Leave a nice note for one of your coworkers. We have such a hardworking and supportive team that puts their all into creating great pie and cultivating new memories and experiences here at Pie Bar. Sometimes a simple little “Hey, you’re doin’ awesome things” is all it takes to make somebody’s week.
Thursday, June 27 - Day 27: IOU
Sometimes, it’s hard to predict what kind of kindness the world may need on a specific day. Give a friend an “I owe you”. Maybe they’ll need help with their yard one day, or maybe they’ll have a really rough day and need a slice of pie ASAP pronto. This is a neat little reminder that you’re there for them when they need you. Today we've hid a few "IOU" cards around Downtown Woodstock. Bring 'em in for a slice on us!
Friday, June 28 - Day 28: Give Someone a Compliment
We can be a little afraid to speak up sometimes, but if someone’s got some of the coolest hair you’ve seen, or maybe you watched them do an act of kindness for someone else..Tell them!! Tell them how awesome their hair is, or how nice of a person they are! But most importantly, be genuine with ‘em. We love seeing all the lovely folks that come in and out, and all the awesomeness they bring to the shop with them!
Saturday, June 29 - Day 29: First Responder Appreciation
Do something special for your local first responders. Some of you may or may not know this, but any pies that are not picked up around the holidays get donated to our local Fire Department. Today, we are treating our Woodstock Fire Department to some pie!!
Sunday, June 30 - Day 30: Love Yourself
Holy cow - we’ve been kind to one another for thirty whole days now?! Our last act of kindness for the month of June is *drumroll please*...be kind to yourself. No, this is not a cop out. We spent this entire month practicing being kind to the community around us. Your kindness has truly radiated. However, if you can be this kind to the people around you - imagine the potential of kindness that you can share with yourself. Thank you to everyone who has pie-o-neered on our journey of kindness for the month of June.