The Random Drop Off...

One of my favourite movies has a great line in it to help the guy get the girl, "An unexpected gift, at an unexpected time." He does get the girl. I'll send you something fun in the mail if you can tell me what movie that's from. 

I really like the idea of that unexpected gift at an unexpected time! In fact it seems to be popping up all over the place this week (how unexpected). A friend just wrote on Facebook that for the last four or five years her family has received an Easter basket on their doorstep and they truly have no idea who it is from. This is so cool! And today a friend had the water service guy in her office bring her a coffee - how sweet! I brought someone special a soy cinnamon dulce this week too (although she knew I was dropping it off but she loved it just the same)! Which had me thinking about putting up my own Facebook post and asking all of my friends what their favourite coffee shop beverages of choice are...so maybe one day I can surprise them (so many different options)! Okay, I might just do that!

Oh and how could I forget this! My sister-in-law came by with these beauties for me! I mean one for each of us. They were delicious and fun. Thank you!

An unexpected gift!

On the news there has been a push in the last 48 hours for people to become organ donors in my little corner of the world. One of the ultimate unexpected gifts and at an unexpected time. My husband and I have been donors for years (although him longer than me). I somehow had this irrational fear about it (darn movies and urban legends) but I got over it and saw all the good it can do for others and that was the most important. Congrats if you are one and if you aren't...what are you waiting for?

Mail is super cool but the random drop off...a little gift to make someone's day - on their desk, doorstep, windshield...maybe they need some encouragement, some love or just because. Feel free to write a little note to go with it (always working the mail angle - haha). Not sure what to drop off? A favourite hot beverage or a $5 gift card so they can pick, chocolate (this is always good, unless you are allergic of course, but try to find out what their favourites are...dark, milk, peanut butter, sea salt...with bacon...oh yes that is a thing and so good), actually any favourites of anything (snack, cookie, lotion, bubble bath, candle), flowers, a good book and so on...

Share the love!

767/1000 4 new ones (and one is a birthday package for Piper's pen pal)!

Piper wins!

Earlier this year I "signed on" to receive a random act of kindness from my friend Tracie (I was one of five) and in turn offered to do the same for five other people, who in turn would offer to the same for five other people, who...you get it right. I did the same thing last year in January 2013 and it was a lot of fun. I have to say that I haven't had a chance to pay it forward to my peeps just yet for this round. I need to get my thinking cap on for sure! But now I am inspired because I received the coolest gift from Tracie last week!

Super cool for so many reasons! I love it because it is a great family piece, it is handcrafted (love the craftiness), and if you don't know...I love scrabble! So what an amazing and thoughtful gift! A big thank you to Tracie (who also happens to be the mom of Piper's pen pal). And she is on my list too...

And while a pay it forward challenge is cool you certainly don't need a reason to send out a random act of kindness - I sometimes think that no reason is the best reason - an unexpected kindness! And yes, the cost of postage has gone up but still under a dollar to send some domestically, under two dollars to send to the US and under three dollars to send letter mail internationally is really a great deal (it flies all over the world from your hands to a friend - less than a latte, seriously). So while I was initially bummed about the prices I know it won't stop me from sending out love to my friends and family near and far.

Send out some love, send out some kindness and send out some mail! You just might get some in return (words, photos, magazine articles, a recipe, coupons, favourite quotations, nail art, a lottery ticket, an old note from junior high, a copy of a yearbook message or photo, a poem, a picture of cool graffiti, a pressed flower, a gift card, a postcard of a favourite piece of art or place, scratch and sniff stickers, bookmark, art...I think there are a few new ideas in there since I last wrote a list). Do with it what you will!

760/1000 Seven more!

Sweetness

This story starts back in November when a new friend started reading this blog for the first time...and she liked it. Really liked it. Which makes me incredibly happy and makes me think that my little challenge is not just my little challenge. It's been shared with readers, friends, recipients of my mail and all mail that might have been inspired by a blog post along the way. And this sweet friend liked my blog/challenge so much that she wanted to help me meet my thousand paper letter challenge! And so...

How Lovely!

she offered up hair clips for me to send out to some little girls in my life. She simply said just tell me how many you would like - I just want to help. How nice is that! My friend and her business partner have a little company called Hair Candy. Super excited to get these out to some sweet girls (already three have made their way out into the world). So thank you, thank you, thank you to a very sweet friend! You may have already met her in my last post  - yep, that was her (and her awesome family) making people happy on Valentine's Day. How lucky am I to have met her - thanks Melissa!

728/1000 some hair clips, some thank you notes, and some randomness.

Walking, Scavenging, Neighbouring...

I've been doing some walking lately (one of my fav forms of exercise) and I've been following the same route for the most part and really checking out the houses along the way. There are some really beautifully kept homes in my neighbourhood. And I was reminded of this house in Washington on the rural roads of Blaine/Birch Bay, that I used to drive by regularly, that was always decorated for the seasons/holidays (even the little ones...back to school for example).

One day (around Christmas time) I decided to write them a card and tell them how my friends and family and I would drive by their house with the excitement of anticipation...what would it look like? How would it be decorated? And it didn't ever disappoint. I stealthily left a card on their door step, after stopping my car just past their house and running like a madwoman (not wanting to get caught in the act - wanting it to be an anonymous kindness). Such a simple thing to decorate their house and I bet they had no idea the happiness it caused (and then they did). I'm feeling like I might have to get into this again and drop off a few cards along my walking route. Good Neighbouring (new verb?) - worth a try.

In other news, I received one of my scavenger hunts back on July 25th! In that particular one (to some writing students) I asked for 4 things (a book spine poem, a 6 word story, something that starts with G that makes them happy, and their best knock knock joke). Thank you Miss H for being first and for full documentation - you rock!

And then later that day, my nieces sent me a picture of one of their scavenger hunt tasks (write on a banana with a ball point pen).

 



And I did hear some complaints from them too, "My Mom keeps throwing out the striped rocks" and "Seriously there are no pennies from 2002" (the year my middle niece was born - she's looked everywhere). I love it! And now I may have to be on the hunt for a 2002 penny (which will be a bit harder now that we have outlawed the penny so to speak). I also received this very cool postcard (I believe all hand drawn) - thanks Sage!

4 pieces heading out!

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Conspiracy Theory or...

Have you noticed anything strange lately? Have you noticed people acting differently? Maybe you are in on it and involving others...It feels as if that there is some kind of unofficial or unwritten theme/rule this year and it is KINDNESS - yep, Year of Kindness. At least that is what I am dubbing it. Seriously, I'm feeling the love. 

I made one of my New Year's Resolutions (yep, I make them and do my best to keep them) to do something kind everyday and sometimes it is a challenge and sometimes it isn't. Either way it's been a fun experience so far and the more I make it a part of my day/my life/my outlook, the more I see it everywhere. Kind of like how you never saw THAT car, until you bought one, and then it seemed like everyone had one. Seriously, I have never seen so many Mazda 5s in my life - where did they all come from. I can always pick mine out in the parking lot - it's the dirty one.

And I'm not saying that Kindness is something new but I'm seeing more of a movement lately. It was the official Random Acts of Kindness last week (I love anonymous and random kindness), I just read about a kindness bazaar, saw a compliment challenge on facebook, Chatelaine magazine has started a year long kindness campaign, and it seems to be prominent on recent blogs and social media. I started my January by answering and then posting this offer/challenge:

Erin Ballard Evans

January 3

2013 Creative Pay-It-Forward: The first five people to comment on this status will receive from me**, sometime in the next calendar year, a gift - perhaps a book, or a baked goods, or something crafty or handmade- a surprise*! There will likely be no warning and it will happen whenever the mood strikes me. The catch? **Those five people must make the same offer in their FB status.

16Like · 

Handmade and Heartfelt

I received a Valentine's Day card today and it was handmade with construction paper, foamy lips, chocolates for eyes and a paper doily - as precious as the girls who made it! This is Valentine's Day to a "T" isn't it? Paper, scissors, glue and of course, a little chocolate (optional but very much appreciated in our house).

A lot of people get stressed about Valentine's Day and what to get or do. Others feel left out because of their relationship status. And still others are downright angry. Hmm. I wish I could send everyone a handmade and heartfelt Valentine's Day card to say - You are awesome all by yourself, you are great - don't change a thing, your authenticity and kindness are such gifts, have faith that good things are out there for you...and other wonderful sentiments that I'd send out all day long.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Surprise someone with a Valentine's Day card - Who isn't expecting one? Who deserves one? Who could really use one? It's not too late for hand delivery - isn't that how all the kids will do it on Monday when they trade them all around with icing laden fingers.

I sent some of my own out this morning. I know they won't all make it in time but many of them are local and definitely will (I know the recipients will forgive my tardiness - it is the thought that counts after all).


Counting on my fingers and toes: Delta (8), Surrey (6), Richmond (1), Osoyoos (1), & South Korea (1) - add another 17 to the count...

253/1000

Have you made anyone's day lately?

What I love about this project/blog/mail is that it is all about making someone's day! I just found out that I sent about three pieces of mail to my beautiful cousin Steph's new place (yay) only to find that I'd sent them to the wrong address (off by one digit in the street address and one in the postal code). Now the odd thing is that none of the envelopes have made their way back to me (re: return to sender) so I'm hoping that perhaps they have touched and brightened the day of a complete stranger :) - now if I remember correctly, at least one is a recipe (so that's cool, anyone can appreciate that) and the other, an invitation to a family gathering - my daughter, Piper's first birthday (hmmmm...I guess we'll see who shows up...but so far no odd RSVPs).

So speaking of brightening the day of a stranger, I did something today that I haven't done since I moved to my new house and it was totally overdue to happen. If mail isn't your thing but you really want to make someone's day here's an idea. On my way out today I zoomed through my local Starbucks' drive-thru (through - typing 'thru' hurts every time), okay, I didn't actually zoom, it was a little slow. As I was sitting there I thought, "I just need a tall chai, nothing fancy, just something warm and tasty to get me on my way." So I ordered my chai and got to thinking about the people behind me and what they might be ordering and that's when I decided I would pay for their order as well. Total strangers. I had no idea what they were going to order but it didn't matter because I'd made my decision (in for a penny, in for a pound - is that how it goes?). Turns out two drinks, two breakfast sandwiches. I paid and then zoomed away before I could get "caught." It made for a fun morning. The cool thing is that you can do this at any drive-through and you don't even need to pay for the whole order - just $5. toward the next order or what have you. Try it, you might like it.

With gratitude:  local x 2 (Delta, Surrey), Out of Province x 2 (Ontario) = 4!
More to come soon :)

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