Bucket Fillers

$1,000 Raised for Mothers Helping Mothers! 🩷

We love filling buckets – and what a beautiful way to close out February Kindness Month!

Motivational Speaker Deena Brown and I hosted a table featuring all ten Bucket Fillers books. We were so touched by the parents, grandparents, and educators who stopped by to share their bucketfilling stories and support an important cause.

Together, we raised $500 for Mothers Helping Mothers in North Port, Florida – and thanks to a $500 match from the Louis & Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust, that gift doubled to $1,000!.

Thank you, Harbor Isles, and everyone who helped fill buckets and hearts in our community.
— Carol McCloud

On Random Acts of Kindness Day, I’m thinking about the thousands of bucket fillers in this community.
Kindness isn’t random here. It’s intentional. It’s daily. It’s who you are.
For 20 years, I’ve had the joy of hearing your stories—classrooms transformed, families strengthened, children discovering that they have the power to make someone else happy.
Thank you for choosing kindness when it’s easy… and when it’s hard.
Thank you for filling buckets—even on the days your own bucket feels low.
You are the heart of this movement. 💛

Hello bucket fillers!
Tomorrow, February 17th, is Random Acts of Kindness Day.
What better day to be intentional about filling someone else’s bucket?
One small act of kindness benefits everyone, including you! Enjoy this short video, https://youtu.be/tOLEyhNJksg, and check out many other resources at https://www.randomactsofkindness.org

A huge thank you to Dr. Lisa R. Hassler for giving "bucket filling" a voice in education. It was my honor to be interviewed on her podcast, The Brighter Side of Education.

I'll admit I was a little nervous at the beginning, but Dr. Hassler's warmth and thoughtful questions quickly made it feel like a meaningful conversation about kindness in schools, and simple ways educators can create classrooms where students feel seen, valued, and connected.

The 18-minute episode went live today, and the conversation truly filled my bucket. Feel free to watch, listen, and share:

🎧 Audio version (Buzzsprout)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2048018/episodes/18369077
📺 YouTube video
https://youtu.be/puMv_vbDk4w

Carol McCloud

What a great Christmas present!
This past week, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? was featured in Newsweek as one of the 5 Kids’ Books To Raise a Generation of Boys Who Respect Women.
This recognition means so much to us because Bucket Filling has always been about helping children understand kindness, empathy, and respect in simple, meaningful ways. To see that message acknowledged as part of an important national conversation is incredibly humbling.
From classrooms and homes to communities around the world, this movement has grown because of educators, parents, and children who choose kindness every day. Thank you for filling buckets, modeling compassion, and believing that small acts truly make a difference.
We are deeply thankful — and more inspired than ever — to keep filling buckets together. 🪣✨
👉 Read the full Newsweek article here:
https://www.newsweek.com/5-kids-books-raise-generation-boys-respect-women-11254541
🪣💛

Grateful beyond words...
Saturday was my birthday, and my husband Jack took me out to an iconic family restaurant at the northern tip of Captiva Island, 95 miles from our home. The beloved Bubble Room Restaurant is known for its famous desserts, signature bubble bread, model trains, and festive bubble lights everywhere. Put it on your bucket list!
It was a beautiful day, so we drove our yellow 2007 Saturn Sky convertible. Our server Bob was fantastic, our dinner fabulous, the atmosphere festive, and then we came out at dusk to a car with flashing hazard lights and a dead battery.
Two incredible restaurant managers, Chris and Rachel, (who spent the last three years helping to repair and reopen the demolished Bubble Room after three hurricanes), went above and beyond, securing battery chargers, a charging vehicle, drinking water, and tools from the Upper Captiva Fire & Rescue District next door. That's when TJ, the Good Samaritan fireman, came over without hesitation, lending his automotive skills and calm reassurance. They fixed it! They didn't know us, but they generously stopped what they were doing and gave us an hour of their precious time to help.
We could still be on Captiva Island with a huge towing bill and a broken-down car if it weren't for this trio. We also want to thank the many couples and families who stopped as this group tackled and solved the tricky electrical problem. Chris, Rachel and TJ reminded us how wonderful bucket fillers are and how kind this world can be. Let's all pass it on.
Carol McCloud

Bucket Filler Spotlight!
Today, I want to recognize an absolutely amazing kindergarten teacher who has been filling buckets in the most wonderful way - not just in her classroom, but her whole life. Taylor Savage of Laurel Nokomis School in Sarasota County Schools invited me to join her class yesterday.

Taylor first learned about Bucket Filling when I visited her school in Pennsylvania ... and she was only a first grader! ❤️
All these years later, she is now carrying those lessons of kindness, caring, and connection into her own classroom.

For the past six years of teaching, Taylor has been Bucket Filling every day to help her little learners grow kinder, braver, and more confident. Her students learn how to lift each other up, use gentle words, and see the good in themselves and others - all because she brings those lessons to life with such heart. She never misses the opportunity to be part of Embracing Our Differences Bucket Fillers Reading Day each November, where every child goes home with a free book.

Teachers like Taylor are the reason Bucket Filling continues to spread. Teachers like Taylor change the world. 🌈

Please join me in celebrating this incredible educator. Thank you, Taylor, for filling buckets wherever you go - and for teaching the next generation to do the same. 🪣❤️

✨ New Wristbands Are Here! ✨
We’re excited to share our brand-new soft powder blue wristbands — a perfect color for everyone! Each one features our favorite Bucket Fillers reminder:
“Fill More – Dip Less – Use Your Lid!”

Here’s what it means:
💧 Fill More — Spread kindness and lift others up.
🚫 Dip Less — Avoid dipping into your own or others’ buckets.
🪣 Use Your Lid — Protect your happy thoughts and feelings when someone tries to dip into your bucket.

💡 Important Tip: Don’t keep your lid on all the time! Buckets need to be open so you and others can keep filling them with happiness.

Wristbands are just $3 each or 2 for $5.
Send us a DM for our Venmo details to grab yours today!

✨ New Bucket Filler Armbands Are Here! ✨

⭐️❤️🪣 One side reads: “I am a Bucket Filler.”

🚫 The other side reminds you: “No Dipping.”

Here’s how it works:
👉 Start your day with the armband on your left wrist.
💖 Once you fill someone’s bucket, move it to your right wrist.
🔔 The “No Dipping” side is your gentle reminder to avoid dipping into others’ buckets—and your own.

💭 Did you know you can dip into your own bucket?
It happens when you speak negatively to yourself or let discouraging thoughts take over. Shifting your mindset is one of the best ways to keep your bucket full.

This armband is a simple, powerful, and tangible reminder to live as a Bucket Filler—every single day! 🌟
DM us for details! 😊