Thinking Out Loud Thursday - August 6, 2020

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm thinking about a thing I did that made me smile and lifted my spirits.

These days, there's not a lot going on that brings me joy.  Trips are postponed, concerts canceled and parties suspended until things get better.  I realized fairly early on in this pandemic that I was going to have to identify things I could do that would make me happy or I was more than likely going to go crazy.

One thing that always lifts my heart is sending happy mail to friends.  I know how excited I get when I pull down the mailbox lid and see a handwritten envelope waiting for me inside.  It warms my heart and lifts my spirits to know that I might be able to bring a bit of joy to someone else's day by sending them something they'll see in their mailbox.

This past Saturday morning while the rain was falling outside, I sat in bed watching The Notebook feeling sad and sappy.  I knew I needed to do something to lift my spirits.  Packing a few parcels to be shipped off to some friends was just the thing to lift me out of my funk.  The whole experience from making the notecards to addressing the envelopes and thinking of my friends who will be receiving them was the ticket to putting me in a better mood!

The picture on the front of the notecards was one I took a few years ago from our hotel balcony in Paris.  I was so enthralled by the Eiffel Tower and took an absurd number of pictures of it.  This one was uploaded to the app Waterlogue to get the cool effect.

I'm sure there's a fancier way to create notecards, but I just copied the picture into PowerPoint and inserted a text box.  For this size card, you can get 2 from an 8-1/2x11 piece of cardstock.  The poem was something I found on Pinterest and printed on the backside.  When the paper is printed, you can cut it in half and fold it in the middle.  Easy peasy!

The tea might look familiar if you read my Five on Friday last week.  A sample had come in my SipsBy box and I immediately ordered more!  If you'd like to try it, it's available HERE.  

This week I've started getting sweet notes from the recipients and that has made me smile too!  Talk about a win-win for all involved!

What are some things you do to make yourself happy?  Have you found new things since the pandemic?  I'd love to hear what they are!

Now it's your turn.  Link up and share what you're thinking out loud about today.

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