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!

Summer Days & Fall Nights

     Oh Summer how I love thee! Your long days filled with family and friends, sunshine, camping, swimming, cold drinks, roasted marshmallows, and that sense, that time, has simply slowed down.  But as the nights start to feel that familiar touch of damp I know, that very soon, I will miss you. The back-to-school shopping has already started (my sweet girl picked out an R2D2 backpack - oh yea!), I'm starting to think about making food for frozen meals/lunches, and I've started my new fridge calendar...yep, all sure signs that September is coming. There are three of us going to school this September...my daughter to kindergarten, my husband to work (as per usual...over a decade in), and me (after a 5 year break...feeling like it's not real yet). But I only have one foot out of summer's door. Still loving the sunshine and looking forward to more beach exploring, swimming, sunshine, marshmallows, and memories.

Lofoten, Norway

     Received a very cool postcard from one of my favourite Norwegian families yesterday! Thanks to Elias who did the writing (I think). I love it! I know I don't send as many postcards as I used to (sometimes it is hard to sit down and write when you have a couple of kids on vacation with you needing you every moment, or at least thinking they do) but wow, it was so nice to receive...I think I'll try harder - it was such a gift to see which postcard was picked out, imagining them there and reading their note to us! Wonderful. And doesn't it look like a beautiful place (hiking, swimming, viking museums - they had a lot of fun!).

Happy August, happy back-to-school, happy memory making, happy letter writing...

happy, happy, happy.

788/1000 My count is up by 10 - some packages, some notes, definitely some love.

P.S. working on a very cool pen pal project with a friend - stay tuned.

Mailbox Monday

Love this neighbourhood collection of wooden, painted mailboxes! Each little area seemed to have one of these - some with a two or three and some like this! It was hard not to stop and check them all out ("Who is that crazy lady taking picture of our mailboxes?") but wanted to avoid international scandal - haha! I do love the communal feel and rustic nature of this collection. Hegra, Norway.

Hope everyone is finding ways to stay cool in this warm weather. More blogging coming soon. Have a wonderful week!

Mailbox Monday

This is my friend's mailbox (on right) in Norway where I send all my mail and packages! 

Had to include it - love it! Just peeking past it at the garden, the house, even the cars makes me wish I was there. It was a lovely, relaxing trip (now my mail enjoys that journey lol). Wishing I was there for strawberry season - best strawberries I have ever eaten (all that sun!).

Have a lovely week everyone! Happy 1st and Happy 4th!

Enjoy some time with family and friends and be summery!

Mailbox Monday

Visiting a store in Trondheim and came across this wall of post boxes - love them! Probably the only person in the world who stops to take photos of mailboxes on a trip but I thought they were lovely (not even sure which colour I would choose).

Books and Silliness

     My oldest niece just turned 13 this spring and she's just lovely! As an English teacher (on hiatus), professed book lover, and avid reader I always feel sad when kids in my class don't like reading. Not necessarily class novels - as much as I love Lord of the Flies it probably isn't exciting for everyone (I even like the black and white movie - seriously?). But I am a strong believer that non-readers just haven't found the right book yet (to get them started). And this is the case with my niece. She liked reading for a while I think but then suddenly wasn't interested...until now! It just took a certain series of books to flick the switch for her.

     It's really cool because my husband and I have been able to 'feed' her books, so to speak, from our book shelves. Sharing books and talking about them is a special gift. And I definitely advocate sharing your favourite books with friends and family because they really are a little piece of who we are - we often find ourselves in books and that is part of their beauty. Easy to pop in the mail or even an excerpt that really means something to you.

No shortage of books to lend here.
Two of our five bookshelves that we purge often.

     In addition to lending out books this week I received another silly letter back from my niece J and had a great time writing her back - maybe, I'm enjoying it more than she is? Either way it's a lot of fun to be creative with it to see what silliness I can come up with - pancake fights, bacon jewellery, and skunk jerky - oh it's on!

     And pleased to report that on my way out to run errands I mailed her letter and when I came back to my car my two year old pointed to the mailbox and said, "mail." Now he has new words everyday lately but have to say this is one of my favourites this week! Yep, he knows what his Mama is up to - love that kid!

     Then on my way back from running errands I stopped to check our mail and lo and behold my 11 year old niece S (J's sister) sent me a silly letter - Oh we've started something here! So looking forward to sitting down and writing back! So S tells me she's travelling the world...and other crazy hijinks. Both nieces only live a block and a half away actually (with sister K too) but there is something magical about mail and what we are doing here. Keep that in mind. Mail is not always about distance, it is often just about relationships.

770/1000 1, 2 & 3 to the count this week! Slowly but surely.

P.S. One of those fab letter is going to Stephanie with something special inside for guessing the movie from my last post! And it was Finding Forrester. Way to go Steph!

Mailbox Monday

So some super awesome people got my kids this super awesome mailbox for their birthdays (4 days apart...and 3 years too). Thank you Auntie Harmony, Uncle Dylan, Cohen & Everleigh!

Gift for Mom and kids - yep!

Wooden mailbox, letters and stamps
(that stick on with velcro).

Super Rad!

Have a great week everyone!

Telling Time...

     I just checked in to see when I published my last post...March 3rd...whoa, what happened. I've been thinking about posting quite a bit but the sitting down and typing got lost in time. It seems that right now as a mostly-stay-at-home Mom I tend to see time a little bit differently than I used to. I don't mean that I don't know what the date is or keep a calendar on my fridge (because I do, a very detailed one at that) but time seems to be "coloured" in my brain a little differently.

     It has been 26 days since my last post or...5 family birthday get togethers, one friend birthday party (first one ever for my sweet girl), two weeks of being sick, two weeks of spring break (the same two weeks unfortunately), eight days with 4 kids under 5 in my care, one Pinterest book nook project and lots of other little adventures in between. Oh and mail - there has been mail going out too (of course)! Maybe, this is how we should all be measuring time - adventure by adventure!

It was a Lego party.

She had a great time.

Her penpal even came!

   

     We are in fact, just wrapping up our last few days of spring break and trying to squeeze a thousand things in - get the snow tires off, cleaning (everything), book nook, marking (for hubby), seeing friends and family, working on birthday thank you notes, a House Freezing party (yep, you read that right, it's a housewarming party but we are going to watch Frozen, drink tea and eat ice cream - how rad is that), making work lunches and writing some blog posts (haha). Can anyone else relate - do you see time this way? Or is it just crazy me?

 Lots of thank you notes heading out to friends and family - thank you for making birthdays so memorable for both my kids (who are now 2 & 5 - Oh my!) FYI that's a peace sign and a high five. Also, filling out a store receipt feedback form for Samantha at the Lego store in Lynnwood for finding the super cool Lego birthday kit (for half-price to boot) - it was exactly what I was hoping for (and maybe, I'll send her a little personal note too).

It's been a busy 26 days. I'm looking forward to a little bit of down time so I can sit, read, drink tea and write some of you lovelies some letters that I've had on my mind lately (they are in my head, just need to put pen to paper). Here's to telling time, adventure by adventure and letter by letter!

753/1000 Appreciation is on its way with 25 pieces of mail...

A Little Inspiration...

Last week I posted some ideas about Valentine's Day and I had to interrupt our regularly scheduled Mailbox Monday to share this with you:

Just got in from a handing out "Free Kisses" on the streets of
Steveston. The amount of smiles we shared has filled our hearts:)
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

My friend Melissa took some inspiration from my last post and came up with this incredible idea! Melissa and her beautiful kids handed out "Free Kisses" to the people in their community - this would absolutely have made my day if I was passing by. In Melissa's words: "It was a great way to spend the evening. Some people told us it was the only valentines day gesture they received all day. The kids handed out a couple hundred and every person was really happy about accepting a 'kiss.' Made us feel great about the people in our community."  Oh my goodness, they handed out "a couple hundred" - I am just in awe of this gesture. She said she was inspired by me but have to say I'm feeling incredibly inspired by her brilliance and sweetness. Truly a Happy Valentine's Day story (for many).

*Thanks to Melissa for sharing these pictures and her story with me.

Valentine's Day

Radio, tv, the Internet, magazines, store fronts are all a buzz with flowers, diamonds, expensive dinner dates and chocolates...which are lovely (really lovely) but I worry about the expectation it puts out there for Valentine's Day and the entitlement that follows for those that are figuring out this like/love thing (which might just be all of us). There are so many ways to show love, to support friends, to be kind that are special. So ignore the hoopla and make it about love on your own terms!

I received some sweet tea towels from a friend - just because!

Love them!

And Piper received this fabulous hair clip from another lovely friend (more about this later).

Piper was thrilled with this Hair Candy Hair Clip
made just for her!

Not your typical Valentine's Day Fare are they? But amazing nonetheless. Think outside of the roses, chocolates, diamonds, dinners etc. scenario and share love with those around you in amazing ways on Friday!  

Love people you've never thought of loving...your neighbours that you don't know yet (baked goods, a plant...foster a little community), your children's teachers  or office staff (they have to deal with a lot of kids hopped up on Valentine's Day sugar  - maybe a coffee card...maybe something stronger), drive through worker (it's not the best job is it and they are working on Valentine's Day - sucks), buy a bag of chocolate hearts or heart lollipops and just hand them out to everyone you meet, bring flowers to any office/residence/hospital/library for the staff room, if you go out for dinner by all means overtip, fill coin operated coin parking meters, offer to take a couple/group photo for someone so they can be in the photo, or don't plan it out at all and just be open to making someone's day. 

It can certainly be a dark day for some - remember that too and appreciate that/honour that. And if you can lighten their burden, do. If nothing else reach out and have a conversation with them on Friday. I saw a card recently that said something along the lines of "it could be worse you could be dating a total idiot." So I guess there is that. I just saw a cool "new" holiday out there in cyberspace scheduled for February 13th called Galentines...where you get together and have fun with your girlfriends (the gals) - oh fun! Don't forget to love those close to you too an extra little bit today just because! Why not?

Meanwhile at our house my husband and I are pretty low key on the gifts and by that I mean...we don't tend to spend a lot but we do tend to think a lot about the gift or card or gesture (and that's why I love him). My love language is gifts and he knows this but this past weekend he did all of the laundry - ALL! So maybe, service is one of my secondary love languages - it was so thoughtful and to boot he let me sleep in on Monday (Family Day). Those are great Valentine's gifts right there (or any day). A huge thanks to him! He needs to do nothing else (he'll be glad to hear that). 

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude."

AA Milne - Winnie the Pooh

711/1000 Four pieces out the door

A Little Reading Material...

Back in November I posted Snow Mail where I mentioned that I was "hand" making Christmas presents for my nieces (aged 12, 11 and 9) but it was top secret because it was before Christmas (clearly). So I thought I would take today's post to share what I made for them. My nieces like to read before bed and I wanted to "make" books for them to read before bed that was personalized for them. And then I thought they could trade after they had read their own.

I started with three journals. I first thought of the idea in January but didn't get started until September. My goal was to fill the whole book but I probably ended up doing about 50 pages (next time I will start earlier - which is why I am posting this now in case anyone else wants to give it a go).

Three Awesome Journals for Three Awesome Nieces!

I filled them with magazine articles, jokes, craft instructions, inspiring quotations, favourite photos, interesting facts, How to's, poems, comics, top 10 lists...all things I could have potentially sent them in the mail too. And all short, bite-sized bits so they could pick up and put down at their leisure. I did a lot of reusing and recycling - going through old magazines and catalogues & picking up more at my local thrift shop.

A few sample pages.

I even wrote each of these sweet girls a poem.

I had my husband draw a comic - his go to is always a skeleton (he says it is the one thing he can draw). He picked a sport each girl is involved in.

Soccer.

Gymnastics.

Swimming.

I also "spelled out" their names. Here is an example of one. 

J-A-Y-L-E-N

And while I wish I could have filled every single page (I just ran out of time), I'm not sure the journals would have been able to close if I had.

I'm happy to report that they loved them. The next day after Christmas they flew to India for 2.5 weeks so this turned into something they could read on the plane or during a layover. I know they liked them because when I went over to see them the other day my oldest niece asked if I could fill in the rest (aw that felt so good!). 

I'm thinking I'll do something similar (but start now) for next Christmas but this time I will do more of an interactive book with areas for them to fill out and things for them to do and so on. Right now I'm brainstorming and thinking word puzzles, journal entry type questions, scavenger hunts... I did something like this for my husband when he decided to go on a trip to Europe for the summer after we'd been dating for a short 4 months. He still has it.

He used the second half
as a journal for his trip.

A Sampling...

Lots of ideas if you want to start your own or if you want to just send a few things in the mail to friends. You could even start a journal and send it back and forth to each other - each filling in a few pages at a time (of writing, photos, or bits like I put in the books for my nieces). What fun!

707/1000 25 pieces of "heart" mail this week...and just like that I broke 700!

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!

'Tis the Season...

...of busy-ness? It can be. And that can be a big part of the fun sometimes - all the hustle and bustle. But like many of you I sometimes wish for the occasional quiet moment (this is hard with a toddler and a preschooler in the house). So I've been carving out some little moments here and there of quiet,  peace, and Christmas.

I've been sitting down every night to write a few Christmas cards and it is so lovely to think about each person or family that I'm writing to - each card is a walk down memory lane (from recently to years ago). I think I forget this each year and when I sit down to write cards it is such a gift! It reminds me of how blessed I am to have the friends and family that I do. We received our first three Christmas cards in the mail on Friday and it just warmed my heart (they filled up my mailbox and I was excited to get home and share them with our family). Thank you Shelley, Patti and Jeff. Our very first card was hand delivered and that is quite lovely too. Thank you Harmony.

My Christmas Card Mess-Making Station.
And those puffs keep popping up everywhere!

I realize that there are lots of people out there who won't receive any Christmas cards this year, people who are alone or lonely or who don't have a fixed address. It is heartbreaking. There are a lot of programs that bring people together and give in times of need and cold and trouble. But it can also be easy to walk by and not notice when we are so caught up in our own lives and our own "stuff." You may not be a Christmas-card-mail-sending-kind-of-person like I am but I do hope that you will take a chance to lighten the load of someone in your life or a stranger. That you will love as the season dictates. That you will say to the, often, unseen "I see you, you are known." Think about carrying around a few coffee gift cards, warm socks or food items you can share with someone out in the cold who doesn't have a place to call home (and more if you are able). My Christmas wish...love your friends, your family and your neighbours (we all call this planet home - so that's everyone right?).

Simply love people this week as much as you can. See how it makes you feel...

620/1000 Adding a big 56 to the count - lots of Christmas cards but a few other things too - hooray!

P.S. Congratulations to the 2013 Canadian Weblog Award Winners! So lovely to be nominated and in such good company for the ride.

Snow Mail!

December is almost here...so I'm sure you all have your advent calendars ready to go (tee hee). Hopefully, my Advent Calendar Mondays got you a little excited or inspired to get in a festive mood. I know December can be a stressful month so do your best to stop and appreciate the little things. I know the joy the advent calendar brings in my house (so much excitement in the morning!) what will it be for you? I know we will also make jam from summer apricots, make birdseed ornaments for the tree in our yard, drive around and look at all the houses with lights (and yell, "Christmas House" every time we see one - under direct orders from my daughter), and decorate a gingerbread house (actually, a carousel...new in stores this year I think - Piper's pick).

Family Gingerbread Party 2012

Actually today we made snow! It's been a beautiful sunny, but cold, day here in the Pacific Northwest. We don't get a lot of snow but we got something very cool in the mail last week.

Thank you Auntie Jenna!

And not only was it so fun to receive, it was sent in a paper-lunch-bag-made-envelope with washi tape to pretty it up and seal it up (I wish I'd taken a picture of it before we opened it but I let Piper have it as soon as I checked the mail). Add "snow" to your list of cool things to send in the mail (with just a regular stamp too).

It's always an exciting month at the mailbox for cards and notes and packages. I need to get going on my own stack so I can send them out next week. I love picking out gifts for my friends and family,  and making them too. In fact, my nieces' gifts this Christmas are all handmade (I may post about this later...but top secret stuff right now).  I also love to wrap (crazy right). Seriously I should hire out my services (but I do make a big mess).  

In the quiet moments (usually after children have gone to bed) I love curling up on my couch, with a steaming cup of tea, taking in the beauty of the Christmas tree & the Nativity, the sense of calm and if there were gentle snowflakes falling from the sky it might just be perfect.

Find your perfect moment and make it happen - it is a season of joy, let yourself be joyful.

564/1000 one penpal letter going out but look out for Christmas cards adding to the count next week!

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!

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 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!

Summer Makes a Cameo

   If you are looking to send out some personal and fun mail try this...I just had one of my favourite summer pictures printed onto postcards (via vistaprint) and added a great little quotation. Going to send some out this week and save some for gifts too (I love homemade gifts). This is the second time I've done this - through vp you have to order 100 at a time but it's a pretty cool thing to do (you just have to narrow it down and I like to wait for a sale). So if you have a favourite photo - give it a go (via your local print company or wherever works for you) and send something unique and personal out into the world.

A mug of tea on a beautiful morning in Garden Bay.

     Speaking of sending things out into the world, I was at my local Michaels Craft store and they had a flyer by the exit "Michaels Operation Christmas Card." You can bring handmade and filled out cards to Michaels locations and they will send them to American and Canadian soldiers. What a great thing to do with your own children or a classroom of students (teachable moment). Here are the deets, "Cards must be handmade and include a heart-felt handwritten message. Glitter of any kind should not be used. Include envelopes which should remain unsealed. Please do not include photos or phone numbers." You can find more info here. Mail for good - love it!

      I also have to send a little thankfulness out to my Post Office ladies - one of whom saved me over $10 on a package this week by making a suggestion and helping me re-pack and re-tape it. They are both the best!

442/1000 Sending out some of my fav photo postcards, a special package for a very special mama-to-be, and a couple of other things - count is up by 10!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends and family this weekend. Hope you have time to spend with your loved ones.

Mailbox Monday

Picked up this little beauty yesterday - what a surprise as I was browsing our local bookstore! Couldn't pass it up. And the fact that I could share it here made it a must have purchase! The little door on the  mailbox opens and closes (even better) and it turns out it was on sale (lucky day). I know I'm a mail nerd (a title I wear with pride).

Looking forward to hanging my keys on here!

Mailbox? Monday

Other

Okay, so this isn't exactly a mailbox but it is super cool and has a lot of the same attributes. 

Free Little Library - check out this page for an article all about it and lots of other cool examples of Free Little Libraries out there! I want to do this!