Mailbox Monday

Okay, so this probably looks a little like "Advent Calendar Monday" doesn't it? But I had to share this amazing advent calendar I received in December from a beautiful friend (who clearly gets me)! Such a lovely selection of teas and I thought about her with each cup and shared some with friends too! Tea, friends, Advent - these are wonderful things.

And now let the New Year begin!

Happy Monday everyone - I've been thinking about you all!

Advent Calendar Monday

     I know Chocolate Advent Calendars are very popular and maybe why a lot of people love the coming of December but that's not my story. Chocolate calendars didn't make their debut in my house until I was almost in my teens. And they were really just an excuse to eat chocolate in the morning/everyday (not the best chocolate either). Having said that there are a number of gourmet chocolatiers that are putting out Advent calendars these days that would make any chocolate aficionado drool and I could definitely get on board with these (Rogers, Purdy's, Lindt...). Mmmm...I do love good chocolate!

My memories are of Christmas story/Nativity Advent calendars - beautiful colours and sweet tiny pictures behind each door. It became about conversation every morning - "What do you think it will be today?" Followed by "Oh tell me about that one?" What a great way to start the day and slow down for conversation during a very busy month. Children grow up so fast, so any opportunity to create moments, memories and traditions is important and meaningful (I remember those moments).

Vintage!

This is the kind I grew up with - German most likely. It actually has a fold out and a slide on the right side to make the animals move. My Mom found this one in her Christmas decorations a few years ago. I've kept it in the package until now.

A collection!

These are some I've used over the years and a couple still in the package - one tells jokes, another is the Nativity story, another is the Christmas Carol story and a few others. This is just a small number out of what I've found in my Christmas decorations (Advent Calendars are rather flat, take up little room so... perhaps having lots doesn't make me a hoarder...I hope). 

Maybe, I'm tuned in but I've been noticing a lot of Advent Calendars out there as I've been shopping around. A resurgence perhaps? Or maybe they've never taken a dip in popularity (I hope not). The problem is remembering to get them before December 1st so now is the time - a little joy each day!

Adding two to the count (my blog post didn't make it up last week...I had the chance for a few days away with my husband and it was lovely).

563/1000 (going to add big to the count soon...Christmas cards and such!).

A little post script: My Mom just reminded me that my Grandma used to give me Advent calendars too.  I don't remember that but it warms my heart

Advent Calendar Monday

This is the advent calendar I'll be filling this year - I'm absolutely in love with it! My husband bought it for me about six years ago. I just pulled it out and both my kids were super excited to check it out.

Christmas 2012

Here are some ideas for filling advent calendars if you are doing something other than good deeds or activities (of course, you could always do a combo of things too):

Kids:

candy bracelet/necklace - Hershey's kisses/Werthers - bite size chocolate bars - hot chocolate envelope - lollipop - Kinder Egg (not in the US) - whistle - harmonica - stickers - fun socks - fun shoelaces - Yo-Yo - Slinky - crayons - spinning top - earrings - fake tattoos - flexible headbands - mittens/gloves - erasers -  bouncy balls - little notebooks - lip balm - hair clips - knock, knock jokes - a candy cane - bubbles - cars - toothbrush (my daughter loves getting a new one) - a coin each day - stickers - lego pieces or mini-figs - puzzle pieces (we do this too with a magnetic Nativity puzzle - one piece a day & it goes on the fridge or inside of front door) - Tic Tacs - dot to dot page or colouring page - single serve Nutella package - a craft to make - a handmade coupon (movie of your choice tonight or choose a game to play) - ornament for the tree - scripture - treasure map - a coupon for a "coffee" date  (okay, maybe a hot chocolate date)

Look at these sweet,

Adults:

single serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate or cool drink - fun socks - Starbucks gift card (or other coffee/tea cafe of choice) - scratch and win or lottery ticket - bath salts - bubble bath - perfume/cologne samples - ice creamery gift card -  lip balm - earrings (jewellery) - sticky notes - tree ornament - chocolate - candy - Tic Tacs - nail polish - candle - car air freshener - travel size lotion - gum - mints - diamonds (lol, just checking to see if you are reading them all) - postage stamps (or is that just me?) - cool fridge magnet - a note that says something you love about them (actually that would be lovely everyday - forget all the other stuff just fill with love notes!).

sweet details!

One more Advent Calendar Monday to follow this one and then back to Mailbox Monday once December starts (and one by one those little doors open!).

Advent Calendar Monday

Advent Calendar of Goodness: A Flurry of Ideas

     When I was teaching Writing 12 one of the assignments we worked on as we got close to December was an Advent Calendar of Goodness/Kindness. They had to craft their own calendar and write a good deed they could do for someone else behind each door. I encouraged them to be creative and go beyond the typical. They came up with some great ideas and their calendars all looked so different from each other.

     I thought I'd better make one myself if I expected them to do it (that's mine above - cardboard box, stickers, buttons, green paper and glue).  Mine is actually called 'Advent Calendar of Goodness: a Flurry of Ideas" with the buttons representing snowflakes. It was a lot of fun to make.

     There are a lot of DIY advent calendar ideas out there! Good deeds are a great thing to put behind each door (bake cookies for the firehall, help a neighbour put up their Christmas lights, drop off canned food to the Food Bank). Another option is to put Winter/Christmas activities to do together as a family/couple (decorate the Christmas tree, go ice skating, make bird seed ornaments).

     And you don't need kids to have an advent calendar my husband and I would alternate days and fill them for the other person long before any kids came along. What a fun challenge to see what we could fit behind each door. More to come about this next Advent Calendar Monday.

Here is a cool DIY Advent Calendar
from Erlend at Creative Morning -
a cool DIY craft blog from Norway.

     If you click on the photo it will take you to the Advent Calendar tutorial but check out the rest of his blog too - lots of neat ideas! Some cool crafts with buttons up right now. For other great collections of DIY Advent Calendars check out Tip Junkie or Pinterest (of course). There are lots of ideas floating around out there. Or you could just look around your house and see what you have and put something together like I did. You could even make it a competition (we do a gingerbread party with my family every year - we kind of make it a contest - it's a lot of fun but this could be fun too). Make one for your kids, for a friend, for you. Get your craft on! You could even send it in the mail! Oh yes, now it's all coming together.

Another Look

Are you just tuning in and 

wondering what my blog is all about? 

First of all - welcome! It's cool to have readers from countries all over the world (Norway, Germany, Australia, Ukraine, Poland, South Korea, & Saudi Arabia to name a few). It is really amazing to me that a little challenge I gave myself in 2010 has reached so many people far and wide. I'm really enjoying the creative outlet and the push to connect with people via letters and the Internet world.

Here are the basic deets...

I've always been a fan of mail and a very serious letter writer. I challenged myself to send out 1000 paper letters (packages, post cards, just all around personal mail) to friends, family and in some cases, strangers. I like where it has taken me personally so far and I hope that maybe I'm inspiring a little letter writing in others and perhaps some kindness acts as well - these are my passions.

For a more thorough picture - check out my very first post from January 2010 aptly named 

I Love Mail!

Hello!

I've had a couple of friends find my blog for the first time in the last week. So I decided to go back reread all of my entries and imagined what it was like to be seeing them for the first time. It was kind of a neat reading journey. It reminded me why I took on my challenge and why I keep sharing it with others. It's always good to self-evaluate and check in to see how things are going.

And to those who have been with me for a while - thanks for joining me, encouraging me and sending me some very cool mail along the way (you get me, you really do).

Advent Calendar Monday happened for the first time this week and that was exciting. It also coincided nicely with my birthday (love it when a plan comes together...if you get this reference it might be a clue to how many years I've been writing letters now - lol). We had a dinner of appetizers (my favourite, really I could survive on appetizers alone) with family and had a lovely time.  I have to share one of the coolest gifts I received (from my husband who totally gets me) and I can't believe I have never seen this before...

Uppercase: a magazine for the creative and the curious

The Stationery Issue - Spring 2013!

I'm totally in love with this! It comes out quarterly and runs about $18 per issue. It's even Canadian - based out of Calgary! I've already marked a thousand pages (I might be prone to hyperbole here due to extreme happiness). Remember I mentioned on Monday that I rip up magazines? I do this for ideas, to make things, and to reuse before I recycle. I will not be ripping up this amazingly beautiful magazine. The thickness of the pages...oh I could go on but it would be better to enjoy an issue rather than me go on and on about it. 

Are you creative? Are you curious? Check out Uppercase - it really is quite lovely. 

557/1000 a couple for the count!

Advent Calendar Monday

Advent Calendar Monday is here!

I thought I'd start out with a cool collection from Etsy (it also gives people enough time to do a little searching themselves and order in time for December 1st).

Thank you to Karen at ArtfulTea for letting me post
 this unique advent calendar for the tea lover in your life.
 Seriously two of my favourite things - tea and advent calendars!
In love!

  

Thank you to Shawna at Tricyclecrafts for letting me post
her cool Magnetic Advent Calendar! Love it when you can
reuse year to year - and doesn't it look cute!

Thank you to Gregory at SlippinSouthern for letting me post this
fantastic advent tree! You can choose what you add to this
advent calendar base - photos, treats, ornaments.
Your options are endless!

Thank you to Liz from Dandeave for letting me post her
printable advent calendar boxes - they are beautiful! 

Thank you to Anissa from thymbldesigns for letting me post her beautiful
Matryoshka Advent Calendar! She ships from Europe
(so time is a bit tighter on these). Precious!

Just sharing a little handmade/homemade love this fine Advent Calendar Monday! 

And again, if you have never purchased anything from Etsy before -

 you can use this link to get $5.00 off by using this link.

It's a gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest!

Enjoy your Monday wherever you are!

Mailbox Monday

Yep, this is my mailbox!

I thought I should share my actual mailbox today because, while it isn't a show stopper, I do appreciate the care and love that goes into the mail I receive in there. And for those visual people who need to know where I go each day - this is it.

And on a somewhat related topic - I LOVE advent calendars! 24/25 little doors with surprises behind each one...gee, what a shock they are on my LOVE list (a guarantee of good "mail" everyday)! I have been in love with them for years and finally have my very own beautiful wooden one but I love the paper ones too. And it turns out I'm not the only one - I just read about some cool ones that different businesses are offering up for this coming December (hello David's Tea, Starbucks & Benefit....not to mention that Lego puts one out each year). Okay, all to say that I think that, come November, Mailbox Monday might become Advent Calendar Monday - not as catchy as Mailbox Monday but all those in favour say "Ay" (want to see cool Advent calendars). It shall be done.