Category: Celebration Nation

• Pam “Inspired” Ahart-Steward

  

  Inspired 4.0

  Pamela Ahart-Steward is known to people in her life as Pam Inspired – A nickname that allows her to live her happiest, healthiest life.

  On her best days, Pam is inspired to live life with as much appreciation as possible. In fact, she uses her bad days as a time to become more inspired by finding ways to turn her bad days into good days. According to Pam, when you live your life to the fullest, your motivation to discover possibilities is endless.

  Inspire-Nation

  Pam’s inspiration started in 1998 through her love of pets. It was during this time she found inspiration to start an in-home pet sitting business. As her inspiration rose, she developed a desire to provide a much-needed pet service for pet owners in Northern Virginia. She quickly learned she was one of very few women business owners of color in the country.

  Using her growing community status allowed Pam to open more doors to explore. Taking inspiration from organizations she was familiar with, she quickly found herself wanting to inspire anyone she came across. Interestingly, Pam began her quest to empower, support, and spread good news about all women business owners. Today, her goal is to lift all women up, especially women of color.

  Serving, One Smile at a Time

  It’s been 22 years since Pam Inspiration started her small business. Unsurprisingly, she is still holding steady, especially since COVID-19 became an everyday obstacle. As an active member of her community and church, Pam feels passion and joy helping others. It’s no wonder, she has a special place in her heart for women and children who need a little extra love and support.

  “You never know what someone is going through by just looking at them. So it can’t hurt to try to make them smile. Life is too short, so why not celebrate everyday on purpose!” ~Pam

  When Pam isn’t working, you can find her spending time with her wonderful husband of seven years and her three fur-babies. Their two dogs Lily and Scooter and cat Thomas bring great joy to their small family.

  Celebrating Everything Every Day

  One day, Pam sat back and thought about things that have given her inspiration. She thought about books she had read, the art she has seen, and the food she had tried. Her thoughts took her through travel, pets, beauty products, health, meditation, and nature. Eventually, Pam thought about her own obstacles in life. Suddenly, it became apparent she needed to find a way to put a smile on the faces of people everywhere. Pam realized the best place to do that was through the National Day Calendar.

  When Pam learned she was going to be an Ambassador for National Day Calendar, she was overjoyed with excitement. She knew this was the perfect opportunity to allow her to do what she loves. Putting smiles on faces, sharing a positive message, and teaching other people to enjoy the little things in life.

  National Lemon Juice Day is Pam’s favorite day. She loves it so much, she shares a video dedicated to the day. Visit her Facebook Page to view it!

  You can follow Pam on any of her social media channels.
  

   

  October 29, 2020

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  Amy

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  Celebration Nation

• Cindy Lee

  Meet Cindy Lee

  Our new Ambassador Cindy Lee is a mover, a shaker and a go-getter. She’s known as a podcaster, a blogger, a travel agent, a bucket list coach, and social media influencer. In the near future, she will add published author to her list of accomplishments. This California girl is always surfing for the next thing to dive into. In fact, her most recent adventure was learning to surf for her 55th Birthday.

  Cindy is not only a goal setter, she is also a jet setter. Having years of fun vacations, cruises, foodie destinations, and bucket list excursions encourage her to aspire to help others make memories. It’s no surprise her biggest desire in life is to help others break through barriers so they too can enjoy life’s adventures.

  “There is nothing like doing what you love and getting paid for it, too!” ~Cindy on helping others enjoy life.

  

  According to Cindy, the key to a happy life is practicing gratitude and appreciation. An inspiration to others, Cindy shares as much as she can gratitude and living life. To Cindy, making a difference in her daily ritual includes complimenting strangers, calling people in her life to show gratitude, and making people laugh.

  Furthermore, she shows her appreciation by spending volunteer time with the Corazon de Vida Foundation, The Surfrider Foundation of Huntington/Seal Beach (Beach Cleanups) & The Fish For Life Foundation (Fishing Excursions for special needs children/adults) Equally important, her newest volun-tour organization is The Best Day Foundation. This wonderful organization helps kids and adults with disabilities turn their surfing dream into a reality.

  “When we make other’s smile, we smile” ~ Cindy’s motto

  Paying it Forward

  Cindy loves posting about National Day Calendar. In fact, she loves to share all the amazing National Day’s with those in her sphere of influence. Paying it forward with National Day Calendar brings pleasure to her and everyone she shares the calendar with.

  Favs of Ambassador Cindy Lee

  • July 5 – National Bikini Day
  • June 20 – International Surfing Day
  • Week of February 17 – National Random Acts of Kindness Week
  • April 7 – National Beer Day
  • May 25 – National Wine Day
  • September 25 – National Lobster Day
  • March 19 – National Let’s Laugh Day

  You can follow Cindy on any of her social media platforms, which includes her Bucket List Coach Web Show. Don’t forget to visit her website and blog.

  SOCIAL MEDIA

  

  

   

   

  TRAVEL

        

  BUSINESS CARD
  TOURS

  September 4, 2020

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  Amy

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  Celebration Nation

• Kisha Lesane

  

  Meet Kisha Lesane

  I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to be a part of the National Day Calendar Family and using this platform to bring joy and happiness to others by reminding them to Celebrate Every Morning. My name is Kisha Lesane, but I am also known as the passionate food blogger/owner of A Pinch of Butter. I’m known for my stunning personality, winning smile, and the appetite to match.

  “Butter makes everything better.”

  I am a true believer that butter makes everything better. So much so that I have written my own book. And when grabbing a bite to eat, it is not just about the meal but the entire experience of cooking or dining out with those you love or sitting down and making memories with family and friends. I’ve always been passionate about making mealtime fun and enjoyable. However, once I realized that memories last forever, I vowed to always help others find out what’s for dinner.

  Country Girl

  I am truly a country girl – I come from a small but quaint town in North Carolina where everyone knows your name. They also know your favorite meal and that your favorite beverage is real southern sweet tea. Of course, no one ever walks away hungry. I now reside in Conyers, GA, where I still live by that lifestyle, and I love to create snacks for every guest whoever visits me. I enjoy taking food adventures and bringing all my Butter Lovers along with me.

  Did you say, “Coupons”?

  I also pride myself on being an extreme couponer. So if a coupon is out there, I will find it and share my many money-saving tips with my butter lovers, thus creating magic in the kitchen will be stress-free. On February 07, 2019, I started A Pinch of Butter intending to bring honest and reliable restaurant reviews, as well as delicious but easy to make recipes. As I continue to grow, I have been fortunate enough to do exactly what I love and so much more. Talking about food and sharing my experience is completely awesome! But what makes me do a happy dance will always be finding new ways to celebrate every single victory.

  Follow Kisha
  

  April 10, 2020

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  Doug

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  Celebration Nation

• Tere Montes

  

  Meet Tere Montes

  I’m #TereMontes and 10 years ago, when I was 47 years, I decided to start an online business while I took care of my mom. I affectionately call her Doña Carmiña. That’s how I became the first Certified Puerto Rican Virtual Assistant. Currently I am a Social Media Coach and provide coaching and consulting services about the Social Media benefits to professionals, individuals, and company groups.

  On September 24, 2018, I started using Poshmark to generate an additional income.

  I Love It!????

  Follow Tere on any or all of her social media channels.

  
  February 27, 2020

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  Doug

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  Celebration Nation

• Mike Blackert

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Follow mike:

  

  Mike Blackert

  Mike lives in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, a place he has called home for the last 12 years while working for the PGA TOUR. Originally from Ohio, Mike is still a huge Ohio State fan, as well as being a big Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals fan (hoping for better days from those squads!) Prior to the PGA TOUR, Mike worked for various baseball teams in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, and his love of baseball and all sports in general has always been a constant in his life. 

  And his job with the PGA TOUR has also helped drive one of his other loves, and that is the love of travel, going to cities all over the United States and as far as Australia and New Zealand.

  The biggest love of Mike’s life though is his family, his amazing fiancée Katika (just got engaged September 2019, wedding in November 2020 in Puerto Rico!), and their Pomeranian Taylor, who easily gets the most posts on his social media and on his National Day Calendar posts!

  Over the years, Mike was drawn to the idea of celebrating every day, and the National Day Calendar was a great facilitator in really making that happen. Prior to 2019, Mike would make it a point to check the days and celebrate here and there, but when Katika got him the 2019 wall calendar, he decided to make it a mission to celebrate something on that calendar every day for that year. And he’s proud to say that he accomplished that feat on December 31^st! It definitely hasn’t stopped in the new year though, as there are always days to continue to celebrate!

  January 20, 2020

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  Doug

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  Celebration Nation

• Brandy Shenk

  Meet Brandy Shenk

  Life’s too short to be unhappy! Our ambassador Brandy Shenk knows something about staying positive. And she should as a member of the Secret Society of Happy People, viral digital content creator, penguin lover, and long-lost Disney princess (self-proclaimed). Her mission in life aims to help people live their truth! According to Brandy, we are all hard-wired to process negative experiences more profoundly. Of course, being happy takes work. It is also the ultimate art form.

  In 2020, Brandy joined National Day Calendar, challenging others to see inspiration in their everyday lives worth celebrating. Moments of everyday spark joy, imagination, creativity and positivity. Brandy says that we only need to slow down to find it.

  Experiencing these elements is essential to authentically living your truth! She is also a former service member of the United States Army, a mother of five, and owner of a socially conscious counter (a socially conscious brand consulting company). This celebration ambassador feels fortunate every day she wakes up!

  

  “The first thing I do when I wake up to get my day started is think about all the things I’m profoundly grateful for! I count among those things all the wonderful people, fellow celebration enthusiasts, businesses, and products.They not only positively enrich my life but challenge me to find the positive and then celebrate that!”

  Brandy wants everyone to challenge themselves. Reflect on how much more productive and content their lives would be if they #CelebrateEveryDay their way. After all, how do you live your truth!

  Follow Brandy @mothertoahandful

  

  

  January 8, 2020

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  Doug

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  Celebration Nation

• Joe Pon

  

  Meet Joe Pon

  As a magician, mentor, and motivator, Joe Pon’s mission is to inspire people to dream, follow their passion, and always believe in magic. He became fascinated with magic at a very young age, mastering his first trick at just five-years-old. Visit Joe on his social media:

  Today he is the owner of Misdirections Magic Shop in San Francisco, CA. The family-owned business shares nearly two decades of experience. Joe reveals his love of magic in everything he does, from teaching simple tricks to a new magician or helping veterans perfect their illusions. Amazingly, he’s not in it for the money. His goal is to “teach the art of magic, not just the secrets.” Joe is even known to refuse a sale when he believes an item is beyond the skill level of the magician.

  Joe says that he’s proud to be an Ambassador for National Day Calendar. He hopes everyone will #CelebrateEveryDay and live their life to the fullest!  It’s an honor to have Joe share his enthusiasm!

  Joe says, “Follow your own journey, live as if you are going to die today, learn as if you will live forever, and dream and hope there is tomorrow!”

  Misdirections is a Real Magic Shop where All the Professionals shop. Make sure to stop in and ask for Joe. He offers everything from the classics to the newest innovations in tricks.  Amateur to professional are welcome, too! And don’t be surprised if he pulls a fun April Fools prank or two. Joe carries everything you could want in magic and will be happy to demonstrate! 

   Follow Joe on his website Misdirections Magic Shop, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

  December 13, 2019

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  Doug

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  Celebration Nation

• Barb Paton

  

  Meet Barb Pellicer Paton

  My Instagram profile describes me as Barb Pellicer Paton: a first-generation Filipino-American, Blogger, NFL wife, ballet & hockey mama, yoga veteran, wannabe influencer, and a novice middle-age model.

  After my two kids weren’t so little anymore, I began to redefine myself. I was trying to find something that I was passionate about to start a new career. I knew I wanted to be someone who contributes to my family, my community and society. My friends kept telling me to start a business selling all the gifts I gave to teachers for all the holidays. A business? Selling what – thoughtfulness and gratefulness? 

  Instead, I have been writing a blog inspiring people to spread thoughtfulness and gratefulness.

  Thoughtfulness

  It has always brought me joy to give small tokens of appreciation in the form of gifts. There’s a thrill, to me, in finding a great gift at the right price. Not cheesy cheap but also not over-the-top. I have to pace myself. I give many gifts to many people. The gifts I give are just a pinch of thoughtfulness. They can be given out on any day because every day is a national day (#CelebrateEveryDay). I coined a definition for gifts that I call Thoughtful Pinches: Noun – a small, spontaneous and unexpected gift given as a result of a thoughtful intention. Verb – when a person buys a gift because it invoked the thought of someone. My art is blogging – I create the awareness of why thoughtfulness matters.

  Additionally, long before I started to write the blog, I had the idea for an app and now 9 years later, the app is finally available to download. I created the Thoughtful Pinch App to promote thoughtfulness, to provide awareness of group-giving opportunities to friends by using social media, to allow for friends with diverse budgets to participate thoughtfully, to create and maintain a thoughtful community, to practice mindfulness when purchasing gifts, to nurture spontaneous giving, to aid in generating foot traffic into retail stores and of course to celebrate more selfies! My business is this app – I create opportunities for thoughtfulness to happen.

  I’m also the very proud owner of the Thoughtful Pinch Alexa skill! I’m super excited because nationaldaycalendar.com is my content partner! If you are a follower of nationaldaycalendar.com, just ask Alexa what the Thoughtful Pinch of the day is, and she will read straight from the website! It’s super easy to be in the “know”!

  Ambassadorship

  I find it amazing that I originally set out to write about tips on what to give teachers for all the holidays in between Halloween and Mother’s Day but grew into a person who can’t stop finding opportunities to be thoughtful. Together with all the topics on the blog, the Thoughtful Pinch app, and a wonderful ambassadorship with National Day Calendar – the possibilities to spread thoughtfulness are endless! I can’t wait to see where else this will lead me.

  Follow Barb on her Website and Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

  December 2, 2019

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  Doug

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  Celebration Nation

• Ana Turner

  Ana Turner

  

  Follow Ana:

  

  Ana lives in Fruitland, ID, a farming town of about 4,000. She is originally from Compton, CA, and is the daughter of two hardworking parents who raised all of their children to be college graduates. Ana feels blessed to have learned her positive outlook from her parents as role models. She is a Technology Assistant with experience in military administration and is raising three amazing children. She met her husband Andrew, an Air Force F16 Crew Chief, while serving in the same squadron.

  This year they celebrated 18 years of marriage, deciding to retire in Idaho to enjoy the quiet life. A life that unfortunately ended for her husband, only a few short months ago. Andrew’s story lives on as Ana finds the courage to tell it in her own words:
  “For some, war and combat have a way of claiming lives even after the battle on the ground ends. My husband struggled with combat-PTSD upon his return from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

  

  Though her “lighthouse” is no longer visible, Andrew will always be Ana’s foundation.  In some ways, their story is just beginning as Ana strives to remember him as more than just a statistic.

  Ana literally puts one foot in front of the other through her passion for running, which now includes being selected as a RADrabbit athlete for the 2019-2020 season.  “When I’m on the roads or trails, I reflect on all the positive memories. In many ways, running continues to give me the strength to cope with heartache.”

  

  What you notice first about Ana is the clear aspect of her voice, her bright eyes, and her smile.  She highlights the beauty of her community with pictures of sunny skies and the open road. She has a strength that doesn’t draw attention to itself, as if it has always been present, just a matter of fact.  Her mother taught her not to dwell in darkness, but to find hope, even a small glint to see herself through. She doesn’t sugarcoat the truth when you ask her, “How are you doing?” because she doesn’t see the point. 

  Ana believes that her honesty can help those around her. She knows that by authentically sharing her story, others can be inspired to do the same.  Every day Ana and her children strive to find a balance which they do through drawing and music, although each of them has very different musical tastes.  She also enjoys camping, fishing, cooking, baking, and simply making a difference in the lives of others. “Whether I am in or out of the classroom, I make it my goal to smile and make someone else smile.”  Her favorite National Days include Pizza Day and, of course, Teacher Appreciation Day. National Day Calendar is honored by this Ambassador’s Celebrate Every Day spirit, which will surely make you smile as you follow her story on the link below.

  August 27, 2019

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  National Day Calendar

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  Celebration Nation

• Makenzie Jones

  

  Meet Makenzie

  Makenzie is currently a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, pursuing a double major in Communications and Sports, Outdoor Recreation, and Tourism (SORT). She is also a leader of the cross country and track teams. After graduation, Makenzie intends to get her Master’s Degree in Business.

  Growing up in East Tennessee, Makenzie spent most of her life outdoors. She experienced both traditional and adventure sports, including water and snow skiing, soccer, basketball, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, and running, just to name a few. During her school career, cross country and track became her competitive focus. She earned multiple local, state, regional, and a couple of national awards and recognitions. Some of those include course and school records, a state title, featured in Runner’s World Running Times Magazine, and received a full-ride scholarship to continue running in college. Not only was she a superb athlete, but she also excelled in school with a 4.0 all the way through.

  Have Faith

  More important than her persistence, passion for knowledge, and fitness, Makenzie attributes all of her successes to her relationship with the Lord. 

  “I’ve had some great accomplishments along the way, but I am not without my share of failures and struggles. There are things that I don’t understand how I made it through, but I know that God has given me grace and opportunities so that I can use my experiences to help others.”

  By overcoming life’s challenges and being grateful for the new opportunities, Makenzie finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, seeing each day as a blessing. She wants to use her talents, passions, and opportunities to #CelebrateEveryDay and share with others how they can find fulfillment life, too.
  

  Family, Friends and Food

  

  When she is not training or studying, Makenzie enjoys many activities. A few of them include reading, doing Bible study, spending time with family and pets, and crafting. She is also a freelance writer and pet/house sitter. Makenzie also finds it gratifying to cook for friends and family. She enjoys spending time together. 

  “There is a reason Jesus often met with people around a meal table!” 

  She also loves to travel, searching out all the best local spots to eat, especially unique ice cream. We love having Makenzie as an Ambassador for National Day Calendar® and look forward to hearing all about her latest adventures. 
  

  Follow Makenzie Jones on any of these social media channels.

  

  August 27, 2019

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  National Day Calendar

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  Celebration Nation