Happy Valentine's Day!

Love it or hate it...it's here again. Valentine's Day! If you have read my previous Valentine's Day posts then you know that I am rather fond of this day of love (and not because I'm married or in a relationship). I've always enjoyed it and how it gives us all an excuse (and sometimes we do need one) to share/spread/profess our love/like/kindness to the people in our lives.

My daughter and I put together just over 30 Valentine's Day cards for her friends at school and at Sparks. It was a great activity for us to do together - being with each other, chatting with each other, and figuring out love together. And what a fun filled day she had at school with activities, snacks, playing, and distributing her cards (which had a rad pirate theme!). I came across her cards at Armelle Blog (for personal use only). We tucked in a couple of gold wrapped chocolate coins and a red foil wrapped heart as the treasure.

I did some silly little games (Mad Lips, yep lips for Valentine's Day & a left/right Valentine's Day store with prizes) with my with high school students yesterday and you know what? No one complained. And as much as they want to be adults they all still want to belong and be loved. I kind of wish (in a small way) that they could do Valentine's cards for everyone in their classes until the day they graduate. And sure that wouldn't work for all kinds of reasons but I did challenge them all to go out into the halls and wish someone they didn't know a Happy Valentine's Day (maybe, another student who looked like they were having a bad day or are walking along without a crowd of friends).  I sure hope a few of them did. The more kindness I can infuse into their lives the better.


With all the prep for kindergarten and Sparks Valentine's cards, food for the K - class, games for my high school students and a few little surprises for my own sweethearts, I didn't end up sending out any homemade Valentine's cards like I have been doing for the last few years. So I've decided to send out some encouragement cards (which can go out any time of course). Oh Target Canada I am going to miss your dollar section and your great cards.


Speaking of rad cards I received a lovely one from my sweet husband. And melt my heart - he knows I love a gorgeous compass design and I'll take the "I'd be lost without you" sentiment any day of the week.  Our big plans for tonight are Vietnamese food (a first for us!) and renting a movie for when the kids are in bed.

And while love is generally what is on the agenda for today...I had a friend offer up a different word to me today and it meant just as much, "I really do trust you." Wow, what a beautiful thing to hear on Valentine's day (or any day) - means so much!

I hope that whatever your plans are today you know that you are loved and you are enough. My favourite piece of wisdom for the day is: When in doubt, be kind.

873/1000 - Okay, just three.

On the Cusp

Tonight is the very last night of my 30s...tomorrow I turn the big 4-0...yep, it's true and I'm having a hard time believing it myself. I'm so thankful for those people who also share my disbelief that I could actually be starting my 5th decade (whoa, kind of don't like that 5 there just yet) - you make me smile with your, "No way that you are turning 40, I don't believe it." Aw shucks, go on...

The highlights of the last day of my 30s...my daughter confided in me that she told her kindergarten teacher that she loved her (this fills me with joy), I had a wonderful dinner out with my parents (only child), husband and kids, and I've just spent the last half hour snuggling my two and a half year old to sleep. I wish I was this reflective at the end of every day...counting my blessings, thinking of my highlights and filling myself with love and hope in those last few moments before I am lost to sleep for the night.

If there is anything I take into my 40s it is the idea that I can truly make a difference in the lives of the people around me, near and far, friend and stranger...kindness seems to have taken hold of me and if I can lighten the load, offer a hand up, brighten a day, cause a smile then so be it (in a quiet way, always a quiet way as is my nature). I think it is a big reason I started this thousand paper letter challenge (that is nearly complete...so soon...aaaahhh...not ready for it to be over).

What a world we live in where we have the means and the opportunity to make a difference in so many ways.  My grade nine students are all writing encouragement/compliments to each other right now (yep, sharing the love wherever I can and guess what...we are going to put them into envelopes and "mail" them via our class mailbox - yep, that's just how I roll mail peeps). They've come up with some great ideas too. Someone once told me that if you give kids the chance to be amazing they will be...so I'm doing my best to offer up those chances as I get back into the classroom.

I'd like to think that we all have the chance to be amazing. In fact, everyday we wake up with that chance. The chance to do right, to be kind, to hit it out of the park, to love all day long, to leave it better than we found it, and to make a difference. One of my vehicles for these ideas is handcrafted, old fashioned letters/notes/snail mail. It works for me. With the simple tools of paper and pen I can make a difference. Life is about finding your gifts and giving them away. Find your gifts and if you think you might have time to sit down and write someone a little uplifting note...do it, it will feel good.

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."

Madeleine L'Engle

811/1000 - a wonderful 7 added to the count!

Thinking Outside of the (Mail)Box

I love mail. I love paper. I love lists. I love sticky notes. I love little notes.

And there are so many ways to share a few words with someone without needing a stamp or an envelope. At the end of November I went away for the weekend (without kids, without husband) but before I went, I left my hubby a number of sticky note reminders and other notes around the house. You know...things to remember about the kids, dinner possibilities, and other general messages but I also left one on the bed that said, "Enjoy having the whole bed to yourself" and one on the bathroom mirror that said, "I love you." It's been about two months since then and guess what...

it is a little wrinkled but it is still kicking around in the bathroom and that just makes me smile (with my whole face). It was fun to put them around the house and think about where my guy would see them and be surprised.

In other noteworthy news (and you just know that pun was intended) just this week I registered my girl for Kindergarten! That means packing a lunch and a backpack - oh perfect for little notes or pictures at least until we get the reading thing down! I really hope she loves school! I look forward to sharing in her adventures and sending her off with love!  I don't send notes with my hubby normally but we do send him mail and emails throughout his week (he doesn't have a lunch bag because he just takes a homemade or leftover meal from the freezer and a fork - although I have been known to tuck something in his bag or pocket). I also try to pop in during candy gram time (Christmas/Valentine's Day) and send one to his classroom (he has his Christmas one up on the fridge right now).

Now I was lucky enough to receive a little letter out of the mailbox last week! It was just lovely.

This typewriter sits on the hutch in our dining room. How nice to come home to this note from my beautiful sister-in-law! Opportunities are out there just waiting for you to seize them and spread some love. Lunch box notes, fridge notes (sticky notes, magnetic poetry), bus stops, doors (outside/inside), cubicles, pockets, bags/purses,  bathroom mirrors/shower doors (you can even write in soap and it will show up when it gets steamy), in a library book you are returning (just for fun)...a note by nature is just a few words but wow, what a few words can mean! Getting any ideas yet? I hope so!

680/1000 Four pieces dropped in the mailbox...