I suppose I’m turning 32 this week. Growing up I remember hearing [some] adults in my life say things about how they didn’t give much thought to their birthdays or that “it was just another day.” I never subscribed to that. I love birthdays, especially other peoples. But from a young age, I also remember figuring out we could use our birthdays for good. In elementary school, my friend had a birthday party and asked people to bring supplies for the local animal shelter “in li

At the beginning of the year, I type out all the Wednesdays and Sundays—blog days—and put a couple placeholders in. Beginning of the...

I love birthdays and I love using my birthday for good. Regular readers of this blog will know that each year on or around May 20, I find...

To celebrate my 30th birthday, I wanted to find simple ways to give back to the community and create more intentional joy. I made a list...

To celebrate my 30th birthday, I wanted to find simple ways to give back to the community and create more intentional joy. I made a list...

Hi! I’m Liz Buechele and I’m the founder of The Smile Project, a nonprofit dedicated to spreading Happiness through intentional acts of...

When The Smile Project turned 10 on November 9, 2021, we were in the midst of a (pre-vaccines) pandemic. I was dogsitting for family...

I first met Nicole Javorsky at a coffee shop in New York City in early 2016. We became fast friends, bonding over a love of writing,...

In elementary school, one of my friends had a birthday party. In lieu of gifts, my friend asked that we bring donations for the local...

For anyone who is new to our page, my name is Elizabeth Buechele and I'm the founder of The Smile Project, a nonprofit organization...