Thank You, Thank you, Thank You

Challenge: Thank people SINCERELY & QUICKLY when they do something for my family, my friends, or my community

Obstacle: I never have any stationary, or a stamp, or I get distracted and forget until it seems too late to respond. Plus, I always think that things have to be "perfect", and that gets in the way of my actually SENDING a note of thanks. (The pic has to be great, the words 'just right', it's more proof that I'm a little crazy .. but I'm ok with that)

Picture this: Often, people amaze me with their generosity, kindness, or flexibility. Here are three ways that I can be PREPARED to show my appreciation right away.

Thank You #1: "The baggie" I have a ziploc baggie in my car. There is a pen, a couple of thank you notes, and 3 or 4 stamps in there. If I am away from home, I have everything I need to jot down a quick note of thanks and pop it in the nearest mailbox. If I'm inspired to thank someone while I'm away from home, I can do it quickly ... and I ALWAYS drive by a mailbox when I get home, so there is no excuse to 'lose it' in my pile of desk papers! In my honest opinion, a handwritten note is much more fun to receive in the mailbox than an email! It doesn't have to be long, eloquent, or fancy. The picture on the front of the card doesn't have to be 'perfect' for the occasion. The point is .... I just need to DO IT! "The baggie" helps me reach that goal.

Thank You #2: "Form letters" My kids hate to write thank you letters. It's like asking them to tear off a toenail every time i ask them to write thank you letters when a gift giving holiday comes around. Now, I realize that 2 of my kiddos have a genuine difficulty with it, but it's no excuse. What I needed was a SOLUTION ... to make it "Do-ABLE". Here's what I came up with. It's probably not in the "Emily Post Book of Manners", but it works in our family. I printed up some 'form letters' with blanks. They say something like "Dear _______, Thank you so much for ___________. I really appreciate it because _______________________________." Then I left a lot of room on the paper for them to draw a picture, or to attach a photo. I have a few printed out on regular printer paper, so they can fill them out and decorate them whenever they need to thank someone.

Thank You #3: "Dr Suess-ese" We're kind of silly around here. (go figure) So sometimes, we work together as a family to write a "Suess-ish poem of gratitude. Here is one of my favorites ... "Dear, Dear Fantastic Miss Sue, This poem was written for you, to say "Thanks a bunch" for that fabulous lunch and for all the nice things that you do." I jotted it down on a piece of construction paper and put it on her desk while she wasn't looking. It's FUN to try to come up with poems of thanks ... they make you giggle ... they make the recipient grin ... they are super fun to illustrate too!

Here are a few ideas that help me get those HANDWRITTEN notes of gratitude written and delivered. (Note: I tried to NOT use food as a 'thank you', since I have a child with food allergies, I'm kind of 'sensitive' about that. I didn't use treats either ... but we'll talk about that another time.) What are some things YOU do to let people know that you appreciate them?

Fresh Starts

Objective: Spending Time Together, Taking the 'mundane' out of meal prep and presention
Challenge: I'm already busy with a long to-do list for the day, no time to cook, and my 6yo daughter needs breakfast
Solution: "Tea Party" and Time Together


Story: In our house, during summer vacation, everyone wakes up slowly. Sometimes the boys aren't even up until 10:00 (or later) and I'm fine with that. But that means that breakfasts aren't usually a big deal. Sometimes we'll have an egg and toast, but mostly we have leftovers, or a bowl of cereal and a piece of fruit. Today I thought I'd change that up a bit.

Picture this: It's Wednesday morning. I have a list of things to do as long as my arm, and I'm really wishing I could just give my 6 year old daughter a granola bar and keep working on the project I started at 5:30 AM. But that 'mom guilt' is tugging at my heartstrings. So here's what I came up with ...

I dug in the cupboard and found some whole wheat ritz crackers. I put a little dab of peanut butter on 6 of them, then sliced thin 'discs' of banana and 'stuck' them onto the peanut butter. I arranged them on a clear glass plate and added a quick shake from the 'cinnamon sugar' shaker. Next, I poured her chocolate almond milk into a 'fancy glass' with little pink flowers on it. For extra pizazz, I served this all on a flowered lap tray with an embroidered hanky.

Now, I realize that this isn't necessarily the most wholesome start to the day, but the look on her face when I 'served' her was priceless. Here's the best part .. I SAT DOWN with her while she ate. Now, that doesn't sound like a big deal to some folks, but in MY reality, it was a lovely start to the day.

Pic Comment: Mac (the cat) inspecting my work and keeping me company while I prepare C's breakfast.

Invitation

One of my favorite quotes is "If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it". I hope that this blog will serve as kindling for you (and for me) to do just that.

In this blog, I'm going to attempt to share a journal of SIMPLE things that can be done to show the people around us that they are SPECIAL, VALUABLE, LOVED, and APPRECIATED. These ideas come from my own experience as a mother, a friend, a daughter, a wife, a sister and a member of my community.

The title of the blog has a double meaning. It's a reminder that every day DOES matter ... for lots of reasons. That being said, the things in this blog will be 'everyday' activities and gestures. Hopefully, it will be full of ideas that don't take a lot of time, or money, or talent, but will absolutely nurture and inspire the people in your life.

cheers!
D