HAPPY MAIL BOX

 Wow can you believe February is about over?  Why is it that we have to have such a short month?  Wouldn't it make more sense to take a few of those 31st days and apply them to February?  I always feel like its a gypped month.  LOL.  Anyway a while ago I mentioned that I had my husband make a HAPPY MAIL BOX for our grandkids.  With this pandemic we don't get to see them much especially since we have a high risk son living with us.  Plus the kids are remote schooling for this year.  I wanted them to have something fun and have something fun for me too.  SO I came up with this "Secret" Happy Mail routine.  It is very very random.  Not always the same stuff is put inside the box.  But first let me tell you about the box.  It is very very simple.  My hubsand built it to my design and I painted it and added a heart and the words Happy Mail.  My son then nailed it to the house on the front porch near the front door.  I then seek over there in the evenings and slip little things into the box and text my son "Ding Dong Mail Drop" and he goes through the routine of telling the kids he thinks he heard someone on the porch and the kids run out to find Happy Mail in the box.

I started with individual cards with words of encouragement pertaining to each child and then taped a roll of life savers to the envelope.  Problem with first Happy Mail drop was that the 4 year old ripped open the 12 year olds card because she couldn't read and just assumed it was for her.  So I decided I needed to be more generic.  Example another drop was when it was super cold and I placed a tag on each pack of hot cocoa that said "time to warm up".  Or another time a card that said "Hmmm Happy Mail can Be Happy Meals too" and gave them each money for McDonalds.  I've dropped in Valentines and small little crafts that I've printed off the internet like Harry Potter bookmarkers you can color.  Needless to day it has been a huge hit. Today it was just a card with a Kit Kat candy Bar in it.  It has been so much fun making these super simple porch drops for the kids.  It helps brighten their day and it's helping me to not miss them quite so much. Here are the cards from today.  

Well that's all for now so 

Til next time........................................................

HAPPY CARDING!

LOVE TAGS

 My obsession with tags continues.  With the scraps from the recent Valentines I have been making  I of course made some tags.  I was kind of laughing at myself though.  The one project of the 3 x 3 mini Valentine cards that I put in bags to scatter in the grandkids yard (and neighbors) were already made from last years scraps.  I'm a bit surprised (yeah right...no I'm not) at the amount of scraps I really have.  TONS!  So I decided to just use what was laying on the table.  No going into the box of Valentine scraps or I'd be at the table for months making tags or cards or both lol.  So I whipped up Eleven of these tags for my Tag box.  Except for the ones that actually say Happy Valentines day I'm sure you could use these for Sweetest Day or even for a Sweethearts Birthday.  Truth be told my favorite ones are the Black ones.  For some reason those just draw me in.

All they need now is a ribbon tie and they are ready for the box.  Whewwww...time to put Valentine papers aways and bring out the St Patty's Day stuff!

Till next Time...............................

HAPPY CARDING!!

Valentine Slimline

VALENTINES DAY TOMORROW!!!!!  WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS????   MINE??   LOL  NONE!!!   Yep hubby and I have never really celebrated the holiday.  Rarely has he given me flowers unless its a potted plant to be planted outdoors since he hates wasting money on things that will just die and end up in the trash.  He's also an Arborist so it makes sense that if you give something that is a plant or flower it is suppose to be planted in the ground and not bought in a store to go in a vase and then in the trash.  Its been like this for 45 years so why change now right?  But we do give the kids chocolates and cards and I did do the whole school thing when the kids were young and now do it for the grandkids.  So of course I don't just give them any ol' card for Valentines Day.  This year decided to do the popular Slimline cards.  I made mine so simple to fit in regular business envelopes so they measure 4" x 9.25".  I used a die I got on Amazon that can be seen HERE and was super cute but definitely needed wax paper to release those tiny hearts.  Of course I needed to use those tiny hearts so nothing was wasted.  I think they are perfect for quicky cards.  What do you think?

I love them and with some of the left over papers and hearts I plan to make some tags to put in my tag box.  I'll share those next time.  Obviously the tags can't be used for this Valentines Day but it will be nice to have some on hand for the future in my tag box.  I am sooo glad I have that box.  I go to it alot.  I think we all need a Tag box or two or three or................................. lol!

Til next time

HAPPY CARDING

Valentine Mess Up

 Its the Valentine weekend and we are having a huge cold snap here up north.  More snow is on the way temps will be around 0 or below and windchills well into the -20's and -30s.  Of course with Covid no one is going anywhere anyway so we are just staying home, making some soup and watching some movies.  But I did want to make things a bit fun for the grandkids and some neighbor kids as well which I mentioned in a previous post.  I got the little 3x3 cards made and bagged.  Here are the bagged ones with the candy.

Original post on these cards can be seen HERE I then decided to treat the grandkids to a little treat.  I made a slimline Valentine card and slipped some money in each card for a McDonald treat and put the card in their Happy Mail Box.  I'll post on that another day.  But wouldn't you know it!  I was so excited to put these cards in their box that I forgot to take a picture of the cards!  They were so darn cute too!  I had signed them from the Elf on the Shelf Danny who comes to visit my house during the holidays.  I mentioned in the card that Santa was concerned due to Covid and thought Danny should do a quick check up.  Kids were so excited.  Well the littles were...I think the pre-teen was eye rolling! LOL  Well I'm hustling to make new bigger Slimeline Valentine Day Cards for the Grands to give them on Sunday.  This time for sure I will take a picture.

Til next time...........................................

HAPPY CARDING!!!!!! 

Scrap Valentines

Its a week away!!   Yep I'm talking Valentines Day!  We are still battling the virus and many children are still not in school which means no Valentines day party for many youngsters.  How very sad.  I think of my own grandkids and what they are missing.  Not so much the pre-teenager but the younger ones.  I was just looking at a photo of the 4 year old last year at age 3 making her very first Valentine box.  We used an Oatmeal container and turned it into a ladybug.  She was so darn excited about that ladybug for her pre-school party.  I wanted something special for this year just so that they still get a smile on their face. So I came up with the idea that I would make a bunch of 3x3 Valentines, bag them up with some candy and then the night before scatter them all over their front yard.  A little Valentine Surprise.  I'm hoping I'll be able to get a picture to share later.  Here are the 3x3 cards I made.  They are very very simple.

In fact I think I may make a few for the neighbor across the street and toss in her yard for her kids.  If the snow sticks around the red will definitely pop off the white of the snow!  During these uncertain times it's all about the little things to make people smile.  I hope this puts a smile on a few faces.

Til next time................................................

HAPPY CARDING