Boom Boom! Revolution

No, we’re not doctors, but we do believe that performing acts of kindness improves physical and mental wellbeing. The health benefits of kindness are vast, inexpensive, and easily obtained.

Really? Health Benefits of Kindness? Says Who?

Examples are documented everywhere!

Medical experts have conducted studies to prove and evaluate the health benefits of kindness. Some of the after effects of an act of kindness can include a rush of euphoria, then a long period of calm, resulting in an elevated emotional condition and feelings of self-worth.

We recently read an account proclaiming that people who took time to volunteer in their community had fewer ailments and a longer life span than neighbors who did not. Another study focused on volunteers in their golden years. Seniors showed improved physical functioning after performing an act of kindness, such as reading to students or helping children with their reading skills.

Health benefits can even pass on to those who witness others performing acts of kindness. For example, one study noted a surge in immune system function after individuals watched a film about Mother Teresa.

An Act of Kindness Improves Health, Says Us!

A perfect act of kindness example was recently tweeted by Joy Keys, a member of Boom Boom! Revolution:

“Jul 15, 1:49pm -@joykeys: Just bought two people I didn’t know ice cream at Dairy Queen @boomboomcards.”

“Jul 15, 5:40pm – @joykeys: I felt pretty high after. Like all is well in the world. Put a smile on two people’s faces :-)”

With the simple purchase of ice cream Joy implemented the kindness idea on Boom Boom! Card #10 in the Original Deck, “Unexpectedly pick up the tab, even if it’s not a special occasion.” She gave herself a little dose of kindness therapy by playing Boom Boom!’s kindness cards, and shared the “natural medicine” of smiling, which we all know is highly contagious! But did you know that smiling also reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and lowers blood pressure? Yeah, we were happy to hear that too!

Don’t Believe the Experts? Or Us?

Well then, the only thing left to do is conduct your own study on the health benefits of kindness.

Study #1: Simply perform an act of kindness and record your feelings (post your story in the Boom Boom! community too!). You can observe the reaction of the receiver and try to take note of any individuals who observe the event as well.

OR

Study #2: Go bigger and gather teams of ‘do-gooders’ to execute acts on Boom Boom!’s kindness cards within the group; record the results and compare.

Whatever your preferred “scientific method,” please share your producers, findings and results! Tweet at us: @boomboomcards, and post on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.

Cheers to good health, and Boom Boom!

We don’t need an event or holiday as an excuse to honor some of the amazing acts of kindness stories that have graced the pages of our website recently. Especially not when they are as unique as the ones we are about to share. It’s acts of kindness stories like these that suggest what goes around really does come back around! And trust us, when you put the good out there, there’s no better feeling than witnessing its beautiful ripple effect.

Acts of Kindness Travel Fast

In her “Maine Turnpike” post, Brocksmama lets us laugh with her by detailing her interaction with a grumpy tollbooth attendant while playing Original Deck’s Card #6. Hoping against hope that ‘Mr. Grouchy’ would politely pass the card along, Brocksmama was as taken aback as we were to see the recipient of that Boom Boom! Card, Stockee2002, post in reply. After feeling down about a doctor’s order to not drive for 3 months, he ventured out with a neighbor during which they passed through the toll and received the Original Deck card!

It seems Brocksmama’s simple act of kindness had truly brightened up his day! Even better, Stockee2002 plans to forward the kindness on (that’s what Boom Boom! is all about!). We can’t wait to hear from the next lucky recipient of this card!

Kindness Cards Inspire More Than Just Spare Change

Joining this touching story in the ranks is “Courtesy in the Neighborhood.” Bosoxdad shares his use of Original Deck Card #14: “If someone in line in front of you is short a few cents, reach in your pocket and help them out.” We’re extra inspired by his generosity (as the “few cents” was really a “few dollars”) and because he even thought to do so on his birthday!

To top it off, Bosoxdad performed the act of kindness despite being troubled by the fact that the man in front of him would not have been short-changed if he weren’t also purchasing a few packs of cigarettes. Turns out, after the storeowner saw this Original Deck Boom Boom! story, he has decided to no longer sell tobacco products at his store. A fellow agent of altruism, chillcruz, sums it up, “Now that is some Boom Boom! making changes that we don’t even know were possible.”

Bosoxdad, We hope your birthday was as fantastic as you made it for others!

Karmic Kindness Game

Certainly we’ve all been told: “treat others the way you way want to be treated” and often, it is easier said than done… but with acts of kindness cards at your fingertips (yes, we’re talking about Boom Boom! Cards!), now’s the time to seize the day!

Experience an act of intentional kindness recently? Share your good karma! Tweet at us at: @boomboomcards, and post on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.

The kindness game has begun – don’t miss out! Be sure to share your acts of kindness stories in the Boom Boom! Community on our homepage!

Ever consider taking your unwanted items to the curb for others to enjoy? Well, this weekend is your time to shine! May 14th is Give Your Stuff Away Day, formerly known as ‘Curb Day.’ So break out that Green Deck and get to giving!

Green Kindness in Action

Our Agents of Altruism never fail to deliver. In her “Swap it!” post, greenthumbs brought Green Card #11 to life by ‘Revolutionizing It’ with her class. Everyone brought in books and clothes they no longer needed, and swapped with others for ‘better things.’ What a fun way to spend the day!

Green Card #17 inspired Agent jbol to go through her overstuffed cupboards and drawers… Better yet, she passed the card along to a good friend to have her do the same. In her post, “Clean up day,” she shares that sweet feeling of having a de-cluttered space, and two big bags ready for donation. Now that’s an act of green kindness she won’t soon forget!

Acts of Green Kindness Today, and Every Day

May 14th marks a day that people can almost effortlessly de-clutter their lives, while also shrinking landfills, saving money, and promoting giving. Let the Green Deck inspire acts of green kindness today, like Give Your Stuff Away Day, and every day.

Make sure you share with us what items end up in your curb box this weekend, and what you find while strolling through your neighborhood by Tweeting at us: @boomboomcards, and posting on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.

We can’t wait to see which Boom Boom! Card inspires you this weekend, so be sure to post your acts of green kindness Boom Boom!’s on www.boomboomcards.com.

Now grab that empty box, and start filling! ☺

Never is there a better day for committing acts of green kindness than the annual day dedicated to Planet Earth.

This year, Earth Day’s theme is ‘A Billion Acts of Green®.’ The idea is that real change occurs best when millions of people commit to it with their actions. Sound familiar? :)

Inspire Green Kindness Through Action

Become an ‘Energy Guardian’ for the day (for the year, or for life) with Green deck card #6: “Be diligent about the lights!” Agent of Altruism, Lenny, assigned the ‘Energy Guardian’ role to her son who revolutionized it by unplugging the family’s solar night lights every morning. Nice work!

Another fellow Agent of Altruism, gibZENfamily, is joining her daughter’s greening activities for the week by playing Green deck card #1. ‘Giving it up to Earth Week’ by ditching disposable cups, and carrying re-usable mugs for when the coffee cravings strike. Boom Boom!

Commit an Act of Green Kindness

Start simple with card #22 perhaps: “Use a timer to help reduce your shower by 25% or 2 minutes.” Conserve a little water for Mother Nature. We promise, it won’t hurt!

Tell us how you’re honoring Earth Day this year with your acts of green kindness by posting your eco-friendly Boom Boom!’s on www.boomboomcards.com.

Don’t forgot, you can also share your acts of green by Tweeting at us: @boomboomcards, and posting on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.

Happy Earth Day, Agents!

You may remember that back in November of last year, we announced that we partnered with A Small Act, an HBO documentary film about the ripple effect of kindness, in order to spread our shared message that small acts of kindness can effect big change.

As part of this partnership, we created a special Boom Boom! A Small Act Kindness Card (see image at right) that is handed out at each screening of the film. This card provides an idea for a simple act of kindness that can help make the world a better place.

A Small Act Documentary Film in the UK

On April 15th, A Small Act realizes an important milestone: it opens in the UK. This is big news and we at Boom Boom! want to spread the word by helping promote the movie to ensure it enjoys a long and an influential life.

According to Jennifer Arnold and Patti Lee, filmmakers of A Small Act, the importance of this milestone cannot be underestimated, “As many of you know, a film’s opening weekend determines its theatrical life. The awarding winning Sundance film, A SMALL ACT, opens in the UK on April 15th and if people don’t come opening weekend then the film won’t stay in theatres – so please help us spread the word! Info at www.asmallact.co.uk.”

Here’s the great news, YOU can help by committing a simple act of kindness: attend a screening!

To get more information, visit: A Small Act in UK Official Announcement, to help spread the word. This page offers up Tweet and Facebook blurbs, as well as a movie synopsis, for you to copy and paste into your own blog, Facebook, and Twitter feeds. Keep us in the loop; we’re on Facebook and Twitter too!

Revolutionize It!: Even if you can’t make it to a screening, buy a ticket in support! Check out the current list of the A Small Act UK screenings.

We truly believe that one small act of kindness can effect big change in the world, often impacting others in profound ways that cannot be predicted. That’s the message portrayed in A Small Act, and the idea behind our mission to instigate an uprising of guerilla goodness.

Let’s be unpredictable today, and see where our support of A Small Act takes it. To learn even more about A Small Act, check out the page we dedicated to our partnership with the film: http://blog.boomboomcards.com/a-small-act

It’s that time again!  A full week to celebrate all of the wonderful acts of kindness occurring in the world, random or intentional… we’ve said it before (and we’re about to say it again)… kindness is kindness, for goodness’ sake! So let’s celebrate!

Random Acts of Kindness Week

February 14-20 is Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week, and for seven days the RAK Foundation invites you, yes, YOU!, to take extreme kindness challenges. And, that’s not all, Random Acts of Kindness Week kicks off with Generosity Day this year. We couldn’t ask for a more perfect scenario!

Generosity Day

What is Generosity Day, you ask? Generosity Day is an experiment to “Reboot Valentine’s Day for Good” (pretty much love music to our ears when we heard the title).

Sasha Dichter, one of the individuals behind the idea, explains Generosity Day as “one day of sharing love with everyone, of being generous to everyone, to see how it feels and to practice saying “Yes.”  Let’s make the day about love, action and human connection – because we can do better than smarmy greeting cards, overpriced roses, and stressed-out couples trying to create romantic meals on the fly.”

Sasha goes on to express that “The goal is to spend Valentine’s Day being more generous, giving more money, sharing of yourself, being of service.  All acts of generosity, small and big alike, count.  But you have to say YES to everything that’s asked of you, all day long! It’s about creating more generosity in the world, and becoming a more open person along the way.”

We couldn’t agree with you more, on all accounts, Sasha!

How Can YOU Celebrate RAK Week and Generosity Day?

This year, we’re going to spice up RAK Week by challenging you to participate in Generosity Day on February 14th and create and perform an Everyday Boom Boom! each day from February 14-20.  According to Trendwatching.com, you won’t be the only one out there inspiring change with “Random Acts of Kindness” being the number 1 trend out of the 11 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2011. So what are you waiting for?

You do not need a deck of random acts of kindness cards to start participating. Although, if you have Boom Boom! Cards already, they can only help this kindness effort.

To Celebrate Generosity Day (Feb. 14th)

• Say YES to everything that is asked of you, all day long!
• Perform acts of generosity! (get some ideas here or further down in this blog post)
• Spread the word about Generosity Day and an act of generosity that you have performed, witnessed, and/or received:
• Tweet directly from your account using the #generosityday hashtag
• Publish a post on the Official Generosity Day Facebook Page
• Blog about it
• Check out the FastCompany article covering this virtual event to spread the word on Twitter by either asking the question or answering the question of “How Will You Celebrate Generosity Day”: http://www.fastcompany.com/1727145/re-booting-valentine-s-day-for-good (Then look for your Tweet  in the widget on the page – see the stream below for an example of what we mean)

To Celebrate the Rest of RAK Week 2011 (Feb. 14th – 20th)

We’d like to offer up some potential Boom Boom!’s to get you going for each day of RAK week… (Can that count as our first act of kindness? After all, sharing is caring!)

Try these on for size:

1. Send that email you’ve been too busy to write.  You’ll make someone smile.
2. Invite your neighbor over to play cards or a board game.  They may need the company.
3. When you say, “Can I help you with something?” – mean it, and follow through!
4. Share a cup of coffee with a friend who’s having a rough day, lend your ear.  It’ll be worth the time.
5. De-clutter your schedule so that you don’t have to rush out of that meeting early, or leave the soccer game before the final goal is kicked. Being present, means being available.
6. Kindness assumes that everyone is worthy, you included.  Relax today.  Unwind.  Let it all go.  Tomorrow, encourage someone else to do the same – it may be the motivation they need to take a break and recharge.
7. Offer your dinner reservation to the antsy couple next to you.  Next time around, they may do the same for another couple on a time crunch.

As we mentioned above, it is not necessary for you to have BB! Cards to participate in RAK Week. It is for these situations exactly that we have the Everyday Boom Boom!, a virtual Boom Boom! Card with a little spin on ‘random,’ as they generally promote ‘intentional’ acts of kindness.  You know, we Agents of Altruism like to consciously make a difference around here, through generous AND intentional AND random acts of kindness! ☺

Learn how to post your Everyday Boom Boom!

We’d love to hear all about how you intend to celebrate RAK Week 2011 and all the acts of kindness you perform, witness or receive this week. So, please do not hesitate to:

• Leave us a comment on this blog post
• Tweet at us: @boomboomcards
• Post on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/boomboomcards

Make RAK Week one to remember this year, Boom Boom!

Ever wonder what the largest international toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere is? The highly anticipated answer would be the American International Toy Fair, of course, where the newest and hottest products in children’s entertainment are exhibited, and this year (drum roll, please)… Boom Boom! will be there!

New York Toy Fair

The Toy Fair 2011 takes place Feb. 13-16 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY.

We’re happy to say that we will have our stake in the ground at Booth 6073, located in the “Board Games, Online Games, and Puzzles” area.  We were flattered to have been specifically selected to participate at the fair where ‘the toy universe comes together,’ as it’s not a given to get in.

And, to top it off, we’ll be spreading the word about how our Boom Boom! Cards are a new spin on the Random Acts of Kindness concept, during Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb. 14-20). We couldn’t ask for a more perfect coincidence!

Award Winning Exhibitor at American International Toy Fair

This excitement rolls right in with the news that 3 of our 4 kindness games are now Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Winners (yes, we jumped with joy when we got the news too!):

• The Teen Deck:
  http://www.ptpamedia.com/product-listing#/category/1244/30/Educational-Toys/Boom-Boom–Cards-Teen-Edition
• The Family Deck:
  http://www.ptpamedia.com/product-listing#/category/1241/30/Educational-Toys/Boom-Boom–Cards-Family-Edition
• The Green Deck:
  http://www.ptpamedia.com/product-listing#/category/1301/30/Educational-Toys/Boom-Boom–Cards-Green-Edition

That said, we’re truly so honored and still smiling about how the Family Deck was a 2010 Brilliance Award Winner this past year as well! (Miss the news? Check out the details of our win here: http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2010/10/2010brillianceaward/)

Wow, that was so much good in one little post!  As part of the Boom Boom! Revolution ourselves, we like to share the excitement, as well as the good.  For those Agents of Altruism who would like to help us gear up for the 2011 Toy Fair (and spread the word!), you can connect with the Toy Fair via these social media accounts:

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/toyfairny (use hashtag #TF11)
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/toyfairny

Also, don’t forget to connect with us on Twitter and Facebook as well because we plan to post live from the 2011 American International Toy Fair to keep everyone updated on exciting happenings!

“Start spreading the news
I’m leaving today
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York…”
-Frank Sinatra, “New York, New York”

That’s right everyone, we’re heading off to the Big Apple in just a few weeks to showcase our kindness cards at the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF)! This event is the nation’s premier trade show for gift, home, and lifestyle products. All fifty states and eighty-five countries will be represented, and approximately 35,000 attendees are expected to come and check out the 2,800 exhibiting companies. That’s a heck of a lot of prospective new Agents of Altruism!

NYIGF 2011 in New York, NY

The 2011 NYIGF will take place January 29-February 3 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Piers 92 & 94 in New York, NY.

We’re really excited that we’ve been selected to be part of the “New York’s Newest” category at the show. This by-invitation-only division of NYIGF presents 250 fresh and innovative companies that are new to the New York market. The “New York’s Newest” exhibitors will be located at Pier 92, and our booth number is 33039.

Now that we’ve got all of the who/what/when/where/why details out of the way, we’re calling all members of the Boom Boom! Revolution to help us spread the word! You can connect with the NYIGF via these social media accounts:

• Twitter:
  http://twitter.com/nyigf
  (use hashtag #nyigf)
  
• Facebook:
  http://www.facebook.com/nyigf

And if you’re going to be at the show, don’t forget to stop by and say hello to us at Pier 92, booth number 33039!

For those of you who can’t make it, we wanted to give you an opportunity to check out our new electronic media kit that we’ll be distributing at the show. Take a look and let us know what you think (see below)! Also, be sure to check out our Twitter Stream and Facebook Page during the event for show-oriented updates. (We’ll be posting live from our booth at the 2011 New York International Gift Fair!)

Below are a few of our favorite publicity hits in 2010.
Scroll down to view the list in all it’s glory.

December 2010

KATU TV, Portland – Problem Solvers Segment
Ideas for giving not getting: Lessons for kids

ESPN RISE Girl 2010 Gift Guide:
Gift Guide: You’ll be giving in more ways than one with these thoughtful ideas
“…Bring a random act of kindness to the world of social networking with these BoomBoom Cards.”

November 2010

Huffington Post:
‘Tis Better: Holiday Gifts that Give Twice

Sierra Magazine:
Double Dose of Generosity

Parents Magazine:
Raising a Generous Kid

Metro Parent – Gimme Gimme!
Boom Boom! Cards Family Edition
“This is more than just a card game; it’s a movement to get kids and parents back into the habit of performing simple acts of kindness.”

October 2010

Get Buttoned Up:
Boom Boom! Cards, the Intentional Acts of Kindness Kit
“…Boom Boom! Revolution is bringing a new way for families to interact to create and inspire kindness! They are doing it with their Boom Boom! Cards!”

Calgary Herald:
Inspire Acts of Green

Septempber 2010

Want Not:
Geurilla goodness for the whole family
“..one part game, one part charitable acts, and all parts fun.”

Family Time Magazine:
Print Only

That Girl at the Party:
BB! cards were included in the gift bags at the That Girl at the Party,Nole Martin “I Survived Fashion Week” party hosted by Logitech on Sept. 17

August 2010

Texas Family Magazine:
Summer 2010 Issue “Good to Know!”
Print Only

July 2010

Star-Telegram: “Play Nice“
“Two California women decided that acts of kindness should be in the cards, and so far people around the world are hitting the deck.”

Mom’s the Word Radio Show:
Interview with co-founder Mary Beth Campbell
Aired July 15th on Denver’s KLZ 560

Parenting New Hampshire: “Liven up Summer Travel”
“Summer travel translates to excess time spent on the road or in the air where entertainment is scarce. Luckily there’s an alternative to hours of ‘punch buggy’ and ‘I-spy.’ Boom Boom! Cards, the intentional acts of kindness kit, give rest stops and layovers a bold new meaning by inspiring an uprising of guerilla goodness among its players.”

June 2010

Joy Keys (Blog Talk Radio)
Interview with co-founders Mary Beth Campbell & Hélène Scott
“What are Boom Boom! Cards?“

BBC, Mundo
“La revolución Boom Boom: regale una taza de café a un extraño”

Momspace.com – The place where Moms help Moms
“This Father’s Day, say it with Boom Boom!“

Italian Glamour Magazine:
Print Only

May 2010

Wired’s GeekDad
“Boom Boom! Revolution Encourages you to pay it forward”

One 2 Try: product review
“Join the Boom Boom! Revolution”

Today’s Charlotte Woman: “A Kindness Boom…For the Love of Mom
May Issue, page 16
Print Only

April 2010

Fast Company (Online)
“Boom Boom! Spreads Good Karma, One Card at a Time”

Good Times (Best of Santa Cruz Edition)
weekly periodical – pg 106
“Things that Go Boom, Boom”

Good Works:
“Interview with Mary Beth Campbell, CEO of Boom Boom! Revolution“
Good Works is an Interview blog focusing on social entrepreneurs, thought leaders and visionaries sharing ideas and insights to inspire and inform.

March 2010

Parent & Child Magazine: “Hot Picks!”
Feb/March Issue, page 12
Print Only

The Goodworks Initiative:
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so excited over a purchase…“

February 2010

Kind Over Matter: Friday’s Lovelies:
“I absolutely love the idea of tracking the cards online & their facebook videos are awesome!”

Pixie Magazine: “In the Cards”
Feb/March Issue, page 77
Print Only

Never Shopped Out
“Good manners never go out of style….”

Shaun’s Posterous:
My fav newsletter for innovation » This week’s bounciest new business ideas [SpringWise Newsletter]
“Boom Boom! Cards exist to inspire Altruism”

Droolicious: Modern Design for Modern Parents
“Boom Boom! Cards encourage parents, kids to pay it forward”

Natural as Possible Mom
“Boom Boom! Cards: Cards that help you pay it forward”

The Goode Life
“This idea takes Random Acts of Kindness to a whole other level”

Family Circle Magazine: “On-Site Volunteering”
February Issue, page 46
Print Only

January 2010

Springwise.com
“Cards Promoting Random Acts of Kindness”
Springwise scans the globe for smart new business ideas, delivering instant inspiration to entrepreneurial minds.

Trendwatching:
One of the world’s leading trend firms, trendwatching.com scans the globe for emerging consumer trends.
Cited Boom Boom! Cards as example of the Generation G trend

via Twitter
“Cards promoting random acts of kindness http://bit.ly/dAdsS3 (Part of the GENERATION G trend http://bit.ly/o46eq)”

Press Release
“For Profit For Good” Boom Boom! Cards Celebrates 1st Year Anniversary

Shellie Bailey-Shah, KATU (an ABC affiliate) Portland New’s “Problem Solver” did a great segment on gifts that teach kids the value of giving…an important notion, especially during this time of year. We love the gifts highlighted in this segment and wanted you to know about ‘em in case you were looking for something just a bit different to give to the young ones in your life this year.

Oh, and by the way, we”re especially partial to the last product featured (Boom Boom! Cards Family Edition). It was her favorite too.