I was running late to meet a friend the other day. Nothing was going right. The dogs wouldn't go to the bathroom outside on command, instead they thought it was play time. Once I convinced them (with lots of cookies) to go, I realized I hadn't even warmed up my car yet.

As I finally took off, going through the list in my mind of things I need to do when I leave the house, I pulled behind a very slow vehicle. Very slow. Painfully slow. I thought to myself, this always happens when I'm in a hurry. Inevitably I get behind someone who is in no hurry at all!

Instead of getting angry I actually laughed out loud. I laughed because I realized that there are life lessons we learn over time and this was definitely one of them. I could do nothing about it, so why not just relax and apologize once I got there?

So that's what I did. As I was driving I thought about some of the other lessons life has taught me. Some of them silly, some serious, but all things I didn't "get" in my younger years. Here's a few:

1. If you are upset because you're running late you will inevitably wind up behind a very slow car....for a very long time.
2. Trust your gut.
3. Using control + alt + delete saves a lot of aggravation.
4. Asking your spouse to help with something without specifying a time frame means it will be completed when he's ready, not when you are.
5. Going through a 30-minute evening pick-up makes for a much calmer morning.
6. Don't break a chickens' routine. Greeting them earlier then their typical wake-up equals very grouchy girls.
7. It's easy to spend more time researching something than it takes to accomplish it.
8. Creating and sticking to a budget is only painful for a short period of time.
9. Always have chocolate on hand. Always.
10. If you're in a bad mood it will be a bad day.
11. Don't compare your life to others because you have no idea where they've been, what their life is truly like or where they're going.
12. It's never too late to say "I'm sorry."
13. Neon clothing and big hair are best kept in the 80's.
14. Start saving for retirement with your very first paycheck.
15. Each time something in your life seems like a catastrophe, ask yourself if it will matter 5 years from now.
16. Don't sing in the car when at a stoplight or when the windows are down. Only Mariah Carey sounds like Mariah Carey.
17. Forgive yourself and others.
18. Be grateful. Every day for every little thing and don't take anything for granted.

What are some of the lessons you've learned?

Instead of enjoying the traditional advent calendar this month where you uncover small goodies or trinkets, why not start a tradition of a Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar?

Every day you uncover a kindness “task” you do. Remember though, the other person needs to be receptive to being helped so you should always ask first prior to helping in a physical manner.

Here’s some ideas for random acts:

December 1: Make a card and send it to a friend for no reason.

December 2: Drop off books and magazines to a hospital, nursing home or doctors office.

December 3: Give a compliment to the manager of someone who helps you today.

December 4: Check in on someone you know is alone.

December 5: Send someone a small gift anonymously.

December 6: Hold the door open for someone today.

December 7: Make eye contact and smile at those you encounter today.

December 8: Run an errand for someone.

December 9: Send a thank you note to someone who has helped you in the past.

December 10: Forgive someone in a bad mood or who is negative today and say something genuinely nice to them.

December 11: Help someone at the grocery store retrieve something out of their reach or difficult for them.

December 12: Purchase a couple extra bags of dog food and bring to a local animal shelter.

December 13: Leave your change in the soda machine, vending machine, parking meter, etc. today for the next person.

December 14: Offer someone behind you at the grocery store to go ahead of you.

December 15: Say hello to everyone you come in contact with today.

December 16: Renew a relationship with someone you’ve lost touch with.

December 17: Listen to (don’t just hear them) everyone you speak with today.

December 18: Offer to help someone do a task they don’t want to do.

December 19: Ask a friend or family member about something important to them and genuinely show interest in what they have to say.

December 20: Return a shopping cart for a stranger in the parking lot.

December 21: Pick up litter you see lying around by the road or in a parking lot.

December 22: Offer to help someone who looks like they need assistance (i.e. a mother trying to open a door, an elderly person pumping gas, etc.).

December 23: Acknowledge someone who has helped you today, no matter how small the task.

December 24: Say an encouraging word today.

December 25: Tell all your family members how much you appreciate them.

This can be made in any way you can think of – canvas, paper, plywood, or simply making a list and attaching it to the refrigerator.

In the example shown, I’ve used a blank canvas (11” x 14”), painted it off-white and made 25 small envelopes from a sheet of “jingle bells” sheet music. I had tags from an office supply store lying around, so I attached ribbon to the tags and adhered the acts of kindness.

Let the countdown begin!

I know going into winter the last thing you may be thinking about is compost, however, as you begin ordering seeds for the next season if you don't already compost you should consider doing so. You can create beautiful, rich soil right in your own backyard with little effort. Anyone can start a compost pile, regardless of the size of your property. I love the fact that I can recycle our table scraps, although the chickens get the first pick.

When we first purchased our 146 year old farmhouse it was in the month of June. The growing season was already well underway. I walked out to the plot the previous owner had obviously used for a garden. All I could smell was chicken poop. He also had chickens and I believe he simply added the manure to the dirt. My mom helped me with a few plantings, but not surprisingly they didn't do well at all.

By year two the dirt and manure had matured. I tilled it to improve the quality. Year three I added above ground planting boxes and purchased compost from a local farm to fill them. This was much better. I also decided to add my own compost bins enabling me to continue to top layer my beds.

While shopping at a local home improvement store we came across a great sale on their plastic compost bins and purchased two at my husband's urging (probably so he could cross an item off his "honey do" list without technically making it – a win-win for both of us).

I started out thinking that I would follow the layer system for compost. I quickly forgot about the layer system in the busy-ness of everyday life and just kept adding whatever I had on hand to the piles. Here's what I can tell you from my first year of compost: it will break down eventually, however it will break down much quicker if you layer properly. I had to wait just over a year to use that first year's beautiful soil and I still had to pick out items that hadn't yet composted.

First, you'll want to decide on a compost bin. Will it be an open or a closed-bin system? With a closed-bin (the system we have) you can keep the rodents out, however, if you layer properly this shouldn't be a large problem. I arrived home one day to see my neighbors enormous dog rooting around mine, attempting to get in. After shooing him away I decided that I need to add my brown layer immediately after adding any table scraps. Once I started doing that he never visited me, at least for that purpose, again.

Next, will you build it or buy it? If you find a great sale, as we did, it's worth the purchase. Otherwise, there are a number of materials you can use to build one – fencing, wood, bales of straw, etc. You could even use trash cans after punching holes in the sides and bottom for aeration and worms. Just remember to steer clear of pressure treated, especially the older pressure treated wood, so you aren't adding chemicals to your soil.

We decided on 2 bins, although many people go with 3. I add to one bin, layering and turning, and when that bin is fairly full I begin adding to the second. Also, if I have a surplus of one layer (green or brown) I can put it in the second bin so it doesn't go to waste. Once you've got your layering system down you'll turn from time-to-time, add a little water, a little soil here and there and before you know it you'll have wonderful, rich soil.

There are 2 types of layers: "green" and "brown".

• The "green" layer consists of things such as: coffee grounds, tea leaves, fruit and vegetable waste, seaweed, recent "live" things such as weeds, green leaves, grass, flowers and plants. Careful not to add diseased plants. I found it necessary to purchase a countertop compost bucket (photo below). You can make one out of just about anything or purchase one with a filter to keep it from smelling up the kitchen. I empty mine every 3 to 5 days. Additionally, if I have food waste and my compost bins are full I keep a gallon size freezer bag in the freezer to add to. Once I'm ready to add "greens" again I just dump them in. Freezing is also beneficial at starting the process of breaking the items down. It's kind of like a head start.

• The "brown" layer consists of things such as: straw, hay, shredded paper, wood chips, sawdust, wood ash, fall leaves and any dry or dead plant materials. This layer helps give the compost pile aeration, speeding up the decomposition. I add the wood chips from the chicken coop which have the manure mixed in for an activator. Bone meal can be used for activation if manure is not available to you.

Try to cut all materials down prior to adding. This will help speed up the process. I cut food waste up, crush my egg shells, etc.

Troubleshooting: If your compost pile is smelly or has been over watered, add browns for aeration. If it's not heating up at all it may be too dry. If you have materials that just won't break down you may need to add water and/or nitrogen-rich materials.

With a little trial and error you'll have beautiful soil to use in your beds. Happy composting!