December Challenge

A while back I gave a challenge to do a thoughtful package each month. I actually did one in November, but forgot to take a photo of it.

A friend of mine had a rough week, a friend who could probably lead and win a war she is so capable and organized! That said, a rough week for someone like that must mean a lot. On top of that there was a death in her family. I couldn't think of a single thing I could do to help her as I drove to the grocery store that evening.

While junk food can't chase away stress and it's not a super healthy offering, it made a bright impact to me when she had given me a junk food care package before I went to have my baby. I packed it into my suitcase several days before. I will never forget eating those delicious sugared almonds at 3am after going so long without food. The clear lip gloss turned out to be rather bright PINK! and I couldn't get it off. We had a good laugh about it early on in the delivery process.

So I remembered her awesome package for me while I shopped. I got a bright colored bag and a funny card and picked out all my favorite comfort junk food that would fit into the bag. She would be getting on a flight the next day so I thought it would be great traveling grub. Twizzlers, circus animal cookies, orange gatorade, chocolate covered almonds, etc.

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With the craziness of the following weeks, I imagine it will be too easy of a challenge for the month of December to give someone a thoughtful package. SO I have a different challenge for this month:

BRING SOMEONE A MEAL.

1) Think of the person/ family
2) Determine the ages of the people you are feeding (spaghetti? or chicken curry?)
3) Put a date on the calendar you know won't be too crazy, a day you can cook early and double a recipe.
4) Don't tell the person until the day of and while it's in the oven (4pm-ish). I planned tonight, but the day took a turn for the bad at 4 so it was good I had not called her yet so I wasn't officially committed. Another day next week will for sure work better.
5) Don't complicate things by trying to make it a 5 course meal. Keep it simple- it's service!
6) Tell me who you are going to serve this month.

goodbye, July

My thoughtful package for July is for a friend who visits me each month to make sure I don't have any needs. To make sure I have friends, feel included and important and part of my ward family at church.

She is my visiting teacher, the first person I needed to rely on in a massive crunch since living here. She watched Zane while I had my Stereotactic Core Biopsy (check for breast cancer I wrote all about here) while Mike was away on a business trip. If she did not visit me those first couple of months I lived here, I would not have felt comfy asking her for such a huge favor. A favor she willingly did without hesitation. It honestly felt like I had a guardian angel plucked from the sky, it meant that much to me.

After many years in an amazing house, she is downsizing as an empty nester and moving into a newly built home soon. Leaving the one she has touched well with her personal home decorating skills. While she probably does not have need for a single material thing, I still keep thinking about her for my thoughtful package this month. It's a simple idea I hope won't become clutter in her life.

I chose a citrus fresh hand lotion from L'Occitane to help her with "refreshing" ideas for her new home she will enjoy decorating. I also included some magazines that might inspire home decoration ideas.

It's nothing spectacular and may not even be something she would choose or use, but I am gonna go with it and write up a nice little letter letting her know I was just thinking about her this month and hope her stress isn't too high with the changes going on in her life. If you haven't chosen your thoughtful package person, maybe send an email or make a call to tell someone you appreciate them who wouldn't expect to hear it.

Thoughtful Package

My new neighbors across the street got this month's thoughtful package. I lined the paper bag with a plastic loot bag leftover from an old kid party and filled it to the brim with chocolate chip cookies. I put our names and phone number on the card. That's about as crafty as I get on the fly.

do it

The summer I turned 16 I had my first true babysitting gig; every weekday from 6am- 5pm. That was the summer was that I discovered the delicious, yet smutty magazine Cosmo. Over a year of issues piled up in a basket next to their couch and that kept me entertained. If you have never read or flipped the pages, I have to tell you it's basically a juicy rated R movie complete with sexy photos and mouth watering language. Reading each issue made me more and more thrilled to get married one day and attack my husband as soon as humanly possible.

I catalogued every exotic position I read about into my mind and promised to remember them and be the most awesome wife/lover ever. According to this magazine, that was all a good marriage needed. Obviously that's not the case, but I do think it's an important part of marital satisfaction. AND according to Dr. Oz, it's very good for your health.

I know it's such a silly magazine to have made an impact on my tender, youthful mind. However, the one article I remember the most still holds a valuable suggestion I am interested in testing out. Several readers followed a challenge issued by a columnist to commit to having sex with their spouse every day for one month. My naive mind didn't realize the impact of such a commitment, I assumed when I got married that would be the routine I would desire to follow anyway, what was the big deal?

Readers wrote in by the dozens with their stories of how it made their relationship stronger and how it became a fun adventure to make time for every single day amid crazy schedules with work and children to tend to. They wrote about exciting new positions they tried, the quickies they snuck in before leaving for work in the morning or taking *showers* together. They found ways to make it work and it brought them closer together emotionally, as well.

I realize I am no Cosmo Magazine, but I want to challenge MY readers to a similar goal.

Choose a week (7 days) to make love to your spouse each day.

It doesn't have to be this month, but put a star on the calendar and commit together to try it a week that makes sense (no travel, fewer late work nights, not surrounding imminent birth or recovery, etc.).

p.s. This might only work if the wife suggests it, so be careful guys- could totally backfire and you might be out of luck for a week entirely.

awesome mail

Look at this awesome package I got to be the recipient of! Not only did Kristy choose every single thing I would want to pick out for myself and made me laugh out loud with the silly cards, she also sent the cutest prego shirt EVER. See below. I seriously have had this exact shirt in my hands 3 times and put it back cos I wanted to put my discretionary budget funds towards something else. You know, like more candy or junk food instead.

Not so good at self-portraits, but this one below shows the kid growing and my giant bicept.
Thanks KRISTY! You rock, it was so exciting to get my very own happy mail, it made me so feel so stoked. I hope you guys get to visit this summer so we can go shopping and have girl talk over chocolate shakes at a diner. Maybe if you're nice we can dust off the XBOX for you.

P.S. Check out her site, she has the cutest family ever and is one of my most favorite people in the world to laugh with.

Package Take II

My second thoughtful package to report on was sent to my mother for Mother's Day.

I made a list of things I knew my mother enjoyed and things that reminded me of her, and then added to the list things I have learned from her over the years. It was fun to find connections to some of those items and added a little note to each one. Here are some examples of the items I sent in her package:

Barnes and Noble gift card: Her love to read and learn has always made an impression on me to seek information I have interest in and helped me want to gain my college education.

Her fav candy: Having a sweet tooth is fine to indulge in, but aim for moderation. I am still working on this lesson!

Cute notepad and new pens: To work hard with every job I have and always write everything down (we share the forgetful gene).

A new CD: Her love for music is much appreciated. Growing up she was always open to listening to what I liked and often enjoyed it right along with me. She never complained about what I listened to and didn't ask me to turn it down or off.

Photo album with photos of Zane's life: Most importantly of all, I learned so many things about being a mother from her! I always think of her patience and calmness and strive to be that kind of mother every day.

You've still got time this month to get your package out- go for it and tell me all about it!

speaking of boxes...

So I got my sonthese awesome Vans
The slip-ons are still too hard for his wide feet to get into and velcro is totally in right now in my house.
Anyway, they came in this box that I filled with cute stuff



and sent to cjane. She was much obliged.
Most importantly, there was a box of Hello Kitty Band-Aids to ensure her spot as favorite aunt among her little nieces.


Let's play again. Send someone a thoughtful box during the month of May.
Tell me about it~ happy sending.

Did You?

...remember to collect, send and tell me about your thoughtful package?

Here is a little teaser, mine went into the mail today for one lucky lady.

*email me a photo of the goods and tell me who you sent them to!

challenge

I need to challenge myself sometimes and involve a timeframe or fun things I want to do get pushed out of my mind too easily.

I want to open the challenge to YOU, as well.

Once a month I want to send a Thoughtful Box to someone I am thinking about. Several months ago I sent a filled shoe box to my Aunt Kathy. I was just thinking about her a lot and wanted to tell her in a way beyond a simple phone call. She is such an awesome example of obtaining her goal of education (graduate school grad- first one in the family!). She always makes me laugh and attends any family gathering I am in town for. I sent her some of my fav issues of Real Simple, a little note, a funny picture of Zane, Stella D'ora cookies (we saw the factory in NY, but she had never tried one), and other misc. stuff.

I have decided who my person will be and now I have one month to collect fun things and send it. I would love to post a photo of your Thoughtful Box. It could be for your neighbor, grandma, any relative, friend, or new blogger friend; near or far.

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Step 1: decide on the person

Step 2: obtain a small box, decorate it if you must

Step 3: think about ideas, write them down on a paper, place it in the box for safe keeping

Step 4: collect items for box and get address ready so when it's filled you can send it right away

Step 5: send it! don't let it collect dust. how happy your little gift box will make someone!!!

Once mine reaches its new owner, I will post a photo as a sample.