Sometimes I find myself doing things just to remind myself of my Mom…like things that are tangible…physical things or smelling certain smells or buying certain items she bought or eating certain foods.  This sounds a little crazy when I read it back to myself, but hey, everyone’s a little crazy sometimes.

Yesterday around lunch time I was really missing her bad, so I made myself a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on my aunt Martha’s sour dough bread.  This was like Mom’s go-to, short notice, slam dunk of a meal.  Josh, me, our family and all my friends have eaten tons upon tons of bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on Mom’s homemade sour dough bread.  It seems crazy, but it totally made me feel close to her again.

Another thing that completely reminds me of Mom are hand written notes.  It seems in a technologically advanced world, handwritten notes are a bit old school.  Snail mail VS email or texts or FB messages…snail mail is probably losing, but Mom wrote and wrote and mailed and mailed notes and cards to everyone.  Birthdays, anniversaries, thank yous, every single holiday and just because notes.  She was the best at this.  She sent cards to all her customers, friends and family.  Her notes were my favorite.  Even in her short 10 days of being sick and having brain surgery, she made sure I kept a “Thank you” list and continued to tell me she needed to write me and my brother Chris letters just in case something happened.  She never got to write them, but I took care of her thank yous.

As a kid she made me write thank you notes to anyone who gave me anything or did something kind for me and letters to my Maw-maw.  As a kid I semi hated writing so many thank you notes, but as an adult and now a mother of 4 wee Kelleys, I love that she instilled this in me.  I love that she made me understand the importance of a handwritten note…a personal thank you or a “just because” or an encouraging reminder.  I want to be a bright spot in a mailbox, like Mom was to so many.

So I try and write thank you notes for everything.  I love to send a little card just to say “hey” or “rock on” or “happy birthday”.  I’m trying to fill some big, beautiful, card sending shoes.  And I’m doing my best to instill this in the wee Kelleys too.

This year is the first year Harper is writing her own thank you notes.  I’ve written them in the past and she’s just signed her name or colored a little picture on the card, but this year she is capable of sounding out her sentences and writing her own.  It’s taking us some time, but we’re going to press on because it’s important.  I make it a laid back, fun time…writing notes and thank yous is something I want her to see and find joy in.  The gratitude and encouragement she is sending in a stamped envelope is something I value and want all my kids to value too.  I don’t want to make it a battle, so we make it chill and I let her write them herself and color her little heart out.

I adore stationary and funny cards…the inappropriate ones are the best…let’s be honest 🙂  I walk the card aisle of Target every single time I go, checking out any new card sets they’ve added.  It’s my favorite.  So today I want to encourage you to send some handwritten love.  Break out those pens and pencils and mail a little encouragement or a special thanks to someone who deserves it…or who doesn’t.  I’m in love with getting mail.  I get giddy when I hear our mailman’s truck coming and I like to assume that others do to.  So spread some mail love today.

As a little encouragement for you guys, I picked up three new sets of stationary and my favorite pens to write with.  If I had sponsors on my site I would definitely petition Sharpie 🙂

3 sets of stellar stationary and pens for 3 winners.  I’ll mail them straight to you, so you get some happy mail too.

  Here’s how to enter:

Entry #1:  Leave a comment on this post telling me about anything snail mail or card writing related…maybe your favorite stationary or card store or favorite writing tool or who you are going to send some snail mail love to today or if you love/hate writing letters…everyone is different.

Entry #2:  Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter or blog…however you want to share…go for it and leave a comment telling me you did so.

I’ll announce 3 different winners this Saturday.  I know these aren’t my normal giveaway goods, but today I’m thinking hard about my sweet Mom and she totally loved sending sweet mail.  So hope you guys will enjoy the goodies up for grabs and spread some handwritten love today.

Happy Wednesday!