Thank You Notes

I love a good thank you note. 

I love writing them, and I love getting them. Growing up, we spent the Sunday after each holiday and birthday writing thank you notes.  When I got married, I was shocked to find out that my husband's family didn't have that tradition. How did he ever get thank you notes written?

The best part about thank you notes is that it not only makes the recipient feel good, but I love taking the time to ruminate on my feelings of gratitude. It certainly helps me remember how blessed I am.

I am in no way perfect at thank you notes. I even had small stack of thank you notes from my wedding that never got sent and it haunts me to this day (seriously, if you are reading this and you didn't get one- I am so sorry!). But, in my many years of writing thank you notes under the tutelage of my mother, I have picked up a few tricks and tips I would like to share, in case you are interested in picking up this wonderful habit.

Picture Source

1. First of all, ANY form of thank you is better than none at all. If a note can't be sent, send a text, call, facebook message, anything! I have learned not to give a gift expecting a thank you note back, but if I don't hear back at all after giving something, I worry that it got lost in the mail, or that it was broken, etc. To save worry, make sure and tell the giver their kindness was received.

2. Second, thank you notes are not just for weddings and baby showers. In fact, they don't have to be just for gifts at all! How nice would it be to receive a thank you note for a conversation you had with a friend, an act of service you gave, a treat you shared, a talk you gave in church, giving a lesson that inspired someone, or giving excellent customer service? A thank you note can be written for nearly anything. 

3. I have template of sorts that I use to be quick, efficient, and yet personal when I write. Here is the basic idea that I follow. It is not an exact science, but I try include all of the following-

• Begin with a personal salutation (Dear Jane, To the Smith family, Dearest beloved, etc.).
• Give some sort of greeting (Hello, how are you, happy new year/spring/any holiday or time of year).    
• Begin to express gratitude for the purpose you are writing- (Thank you so much for the  lovely toaster, thank you for having us over to dinner, I am so grateful that you took the time to visit, etc.)
• Then be specific- What did you like about the toaster/dinner/time? Are you using it for anything special? Do you especially enjoy one aspect of it? How do you plan on using it in the future? What emotions did it evoke? (I really enjoyed the conversation at the dinner table, the main course was simply divine, I felt really loved when I received your gift, we can't wait to use the toaster in our new home to make toasted bagels).
• After that,  express feelings about the person to whom you are writing. It can be simple, formal, intimate, or casual.  (I feel so grateful that you took the time to think of us, I am so blessed to have your friendship in my life, you are such a hard worker, I am impressed by your graciousness and generosity, You amaze me!, and so forth). 
• End with well wishes for the recipient. ( I hope all is well with you and your family, have a wonderful summer, we hope to visit with you soon)
• Sign your name, and voila! A great thank you note.

 It doesn't take long at all, and I really enjoy taking the time to be grateful. I try and carry some thank you notes with me in my purse so I can write them whenever I have a minute or two to spare- in the doctor's office, waiting in line, etc.

So, what do you think? Do you have a way you write thank you notes? Do you do something else instead? How do you express your gratitude?

Resolutions

I almost didn't set resolutions this year, because of an article I read recently about not setting goals. (It is really interesting, I highly recommend it).  But the new year came around, and I couldn't help but wonder what I was going to do this year to make it the best yet. And all my goals seem to revolve around one main resolution:

Live life more intentionally. 

I don't want to let life just happen. I want to choose and create and be present in 2012. I learned a lot in 2011, but a lot of it just sort of happened- it slipped by and rolled along without me being the writer and creator of my own life. And that's ok. But this year I would like to change that. I want to wake up and do something each day- even if it is something simple- that I have consciously chosen to do. 

Here are some of my smaller resolutions that fit under my larger goal:

Anytime I am craving a sweet treat, make it myself instead of buying something.

Instead of waking up when my child does, wake up a few minutes before to stretch, pray, ponder, and make the bed.

Try one new recipe (again, simple ones) each week.

Have real dates with my husband (sorry Anna, Netflix and popcorn can't be the date every week).

Spend time playing (really playing) with Zeb each day.

Plan (and do!) activities and outings that would make Zeb happy.

Create things. Simple things. Meaningful things.

Be a home maker by making and creating the space I want. (I want to work off this calendar for cleaning and decluttering, it has simple suggestions each day that are do-able for even me.)

Be aware of my body and be healthy.

So, what about you? Do you set a long list of resolutions each year and refer back to them? Do you set them and then toss them after a few weeks? Or do you not worry about resolutions at all? 

If you write about your resolutions, leave a link so I can check them out!

Happy 2012!

Christmas Wisdom From My Mother

I don't know if you knew this, but I have an absolutely incredible mother. She sent our family an email earlier this week that really inspired me, and I wanted to share part of it with all of you:

Hi Family,

Although we are all excited for  Christmas, I have also sensed some stress out there.  No one is in a place where their Christmas can be driven by what they can afford to buy for others.  I remember those years when I wasn't sure if we were going to make it through.  They were stressful, but now are some of the sweetest memories for me.  I was thinking of how to help you get more out of the Christmas season and I have come up with the ideas below.  None of them cost a lot of money or a lot of time.  But, they will increase the Christmas spirit in your heart and make the holidays meaningful.  Choose one or two to do a week.  Choose some to do on your own, some to do with your spouse or as a family. Sit down with this note for family home evening tonight and commit to doing some of these activities.  The season will go by quickly.  Capture the magic by doing the things that really matter.  

Love Mom and Dad

PS:  We will look forward to hearing about your experiences.

1.  Start the season by reading the Christmas story first.

2.  Make a favorite dessert and take it to a neighbor.

3.  When you go to the store purchase a five dollar gift card.  Then give it to the cashier.

4.  Say a prayer for a friend or family member in need.  Pray for them every day this month.

5.  Write a note to an elderly person.  They enjoy having something they can read over and over.

6.  Gather all the carts in the grocery store parking lot and put them away.

7.  Compile a list of favorite quotes for someone to open when they are discouraged.  Wrap it up and give it to them to save for the right moment.

8.  Give someone a small appreciation gift...like a teacher, a librarian, the dentist, the post man etc.

9.  Let someone in line before you at the store.

10. Take a hot drink and sandwich to a Salvation Army Bell Ringer.  A pair of warm socks would be nice too.

11. Call friends or family members you have lost touch with.

12. Give an extra tip to someone who helps you, or write a note to their manager about how you appreciated their good work.

13.  Visit the Humane Society and spend time with the animals.

14. Compile a CD of Christmas music or happy music to hand out to others that seem to need a lift.

15. Offer to wrap presents for a mother in the neighborhood who has several children.  If you wrap them the kids won't see.

16. Cook a meal for a busy mother.  They can get pretty frazzled this time of year.

17. Just spend an evening singing or listening to Christmas carols and basking in Christmas lights.  (You can buy a string of them at All a Dollar)

18. Ask a cashier what their favorite candy bar is and buy it for them.

19. Pray to begin forgiving someone.  Keep praying until you can.  Let them know you are working on it.

20. Be a secret friend to the most obnoxious, least deserving person you can find.  Make it a real challenge.  Pray for charity that you might actually want to interact with them.

21.  Give up your emails for one day.  Talk to each person personally instead of texting or emailing them.

22.  Take a night walk and ponder the night the Savior was born.

23. Take treats to someone who will not get the holidays off---police, fire, hospital.

24.  Visit a nursing home and actually visit with someone and give them treats.  Ask them to tell you about their Christmases.

25.  Read Christmas stories to a child and make a birthday cake for Jesus.

26.  Pray for extra patience and then ponder on it and maintain it all day.  If you can't do it the first day...keep trying.

27.  Take time to help someone else prepare and do the work of having the family over for Christmas.

28.  Take time to quietly ponder what Christmas means to you and why.  Write it down.

29.  Read the entire Book of Mormon again in December.

30.  Clean or cook for someone....it might even be for your spouse.

Those are my mother's suggestions. As a family we have done and planned to do many of them. I have truly felt the spirit of Christmas more in my life because of doing these things.

So, I extend the challenge to you. What are you doing to encourage the true meaning of Christmas in your life? I would love to hear what you do to celebrate Christmas and keep Christ's spirit of service alive. If you blog about it, feel free to leave a link in the comments!

It's Okay Friday

This idea was taken from my friend Ayzlynn, who writes one of these every Friday. The idea is sort of a "confessions" type, but also is a good reminder that we are okay just the way we are. So here we go.

It's okay....

... that I don't blog for six months and then decide to post something.

... that I got very emotional while watching The Hunger Games trailer.

... that my favorite pregnancy food has been frozen Hostess chocolate cupcakes. Gross most of the time, but I could eat them non-stop right now.

... that Stephen suggested the new baby could sleep under the stairs so he would grow up to be the next Harry Potter and I actually considered it for a second.

... that I cried after getting an unexpected bill in the mail.

... that I am a bit sad that all my Christmas shopping is done. Next year I need to leave a little bit for the actual time in between Thanksgiving and Christmas so it doesn't seem so anti-climatic.

... that I am finally taking down the window decals I had up for Halloween. (In my defense, they were pumpkins and spiders- that could seem Thanksgiving-y, right?)

...that I have decided my little family needs more Thanksgiving traditions next year. I mean, eating a big meal is great and all, but I need to think up something a little more than that.

...that I worked really hard to make a special dish for the Thanksgiving meal, and everyone was more interested in turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing that they didn't even want to try what I had brought, so I had a whole pan left.

... that I plan on eating above mentioned whole pan even if I have to do it myself.

... that I am more excited to visit my family on Christmas than I can express!

I really like the idea of "It's Okay Friday," and hope you do too. Stay tuned for an overhaul of the blog, and a post about WHY I was gone from the interwebs for six months. Remember that no matter what- you are okay!

15 Second Rule

My husband and I recently watched Shrek 3. At the end of the movie, Shrek has three little ogres:

Shrek and Fiona have their hands full, and at the end of a hard day, they are finally alone. Shrek looks at Fiona and says (somewhat suggesitvely), "Well, what shall we do now?", and then the screen cuts to the Shrek and Fiona passed out in bed, fully clothed on top of the covers, completely exhausted. My husband and I cracked up laughing. Why? Because it seemed all too familiar. 

Having a child certainly changes a marriage. Even without kids, after a while a relationship can become comfortable and less exciting. If you haven't seen this (super cheesy, but great) remake of Taylor Swift's "Love Story" by comedienne Anita Renfroe, it describes how "real life" things happen even in the middle of our fairy tales, and that romance is ever-evolving.

 

I think that physical affection is an important part of a strong marriage, and we don't give it the importance it deserves. We had a friend who mentioned the 15 second challenge, and we've decided to adopt it at our house. The challenge is simple:

Kiss for at least 15 consecutive seconds every day. 

Sound easy? It made me realize that my husband and I still kiss- but they seem to be just little "pecks" in coming and going. And that 15 seconds is a pretty long time, but it is worth it to keep the magic alive, right? No matter how long a couple is together, or how many kids and/or stressors they have in life- I think this is a great way to set aside a small amount of time just devoted to a sincere expression of affection.

What about you? How do you keep the romance even in the midst of life's crazyness?

Some things I love

Someone please make me this Gryffindor apron:

Via

Seriously, I would love you forever. I would attempt it, but my craft skills are not quite up to par. My favorite part is that the skirt/tulle is a part of the apron! This would be perfect for the Harry Potter birthday party I want to throw this summer, complete with these Butter Beer Cupcakes:

Click for recipe

But, for something that my meager craft skills may be able to accomplish, AE Jones spotted this treasure:

Via

I think I may try to make this growth chart for my parents' anniversary. I would write "Growing with Grandma and Grandpa" or something like that on it, and it would be for when all their grandchildren visit. I love it, and it looks relatively simple.

As my son starts to get more active, I'm realizing that an important part of my mothering job is going to be thinking up activities for my children. My friend Allie, who did our engagement photos, is super-creative, and started a segment at her blog called:

Play with your kids: No. 1

Her first idea is about a rainbow day at the park. She mentions making rainbow streamers and have all the children run down a hill! So simple and fun. In working on my mothering, I have learned that I get to choose what kind of mom I want to be. I think it takes more work to be a fun mom, but Allie has some great ideas, and now I want to have a rainbow day!

This week I saw someone who looked a lot like my older brother. That got me thinking about him and the interesting relationship we have. Not unlike many brother-sister combos, we didn't get along growing up, and then suddenly we moved out and missed each other fiercely.  So when I stumbled upon Pioneer Woman's photography assignment about Brothers, I got a little emotional. Check out some of the wonderful pictures here.

I'm also planning on making this jelly from dandelions sometime soon:

From Jeanetics

What do you love lately? Found anything great on the internet? I'd love to hear about it!

Don't let that inner child slip away.

Besides clothing and video games, my husband really didn't have a lot of material items that he brought to our home together when we were married.

However, he was sure to bring this:

He can still sing all the words to the theme song.

 His TMNT pillowcase is threadbare, and probably 20 years old, but he loves it, and insists on putting it on our bed as much as possible.

I think it's cute. I like the reminder of childhood. 

Do you have anything that reminds you of your childhood? How do you keep your inner child around?