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Guest Post – Ways to Practice Financial Self Care

I am pleased to welcome Becky Taylor to the blog today. Becky and I met via the Grow & Glow community and decided to collaborate on some self care blog posts for you. Becky is sharing her 4 principles to practice Financial Self Care. And if you head over to Becky’s blog I’m sharing 12 Free Self Care Ideas.

I’ll hand you over to Becky…

Guest Blogger Becky Taylor shares 4 Principles to Practice Financial Self Care

Ways to Practice Financial Self Care

My name is Becky and I’m on my own quest to become financially independent. It seems quite a feat when I have a mortgage, some debt and I still want to live my life. I also want to find the true cause to my happiness and connect with myself. I really believe that looking after your finances is one of the best ways of self care.

A few years ago, I would barely open my banking app. I knew there was money in the account but I wouldn’t know the exact amount. I spent my money on all of the things, instead of the true experiences and items that make me happy. Really, I had no control over my finances and I was living payday to payday, saving a very minimal amount which would get eaten up very quickly.

It’s a strange journey I’ve embarked on but, 9 months in, I really love it. I’ve found out more about myself and lived a much more positive life since doing it. Taking control of my finances doesn’t mean I have to give up everything I love either; it just means making the correct decisions for me and ultimately, leading a happier life.

I’ve got 4 principals to practice financial self care that I swear by for improving your wellbeing by being in touch with your finances.

Principle 1 – Set up a Budget

The first way to gain control of your finances is to set up a budget. It’s not the most glamorous act of self care, like burning candles and curling up with a Netflix show, but it’s a necessity. Allocate yourself an hour to go through your bank account and see where and what you spend, and then see what money you can allocate to seperate parts of your life. If you want to save, set yourself some goals. I’ve got a blog post on how to set up a budget which goes into a lot more detail.

Practicing budgeting takes time and patience. Don’t expect your first month to be perfect and make it a budget that works for you. It’s such a stress reliever knowing what’s in your bank account instead of playing my old game of, ‘is my card going to decline today?’

Principle 2 – Find Out What Makes You Happy

It’s easier said than done, but it’s the one thing that really helped me gain control. Before, I would easily keep up with the Jones’. If there was something an influencer was flaunting on Instagram, I would buy it. Wanting all shades of Urban Decays eyeshadows? I had it. Days out trying to show I was living this exciting life. It all came down to showing what image I wanted to portray of myself.

As I got older, I found myself yearning to go back to the things I really wanted to do. I’ve been desperate to go to New York and to Africa ever since I can remember. I’ve had the money to do both of those things, but I haven’t. I mostly haven’t done them because it meant saving a decent amount of money, and why wait when I can do all these really cool things now? But now, I really regret not doing them sooner.

So, I go back to my core values. I now think of the bigger picture and fill my life with things that truly make me happy. To no one’s surprise, it’s generally not materialistic things. Some of my happiest days are dog walks with my husband, spending an evening watching rubbish TV with friends or spending time with my family.

Principle 3 – Budget For Your Life, Not Someone Else’s

I’m a natural people pleaser and I can find myself saying yes to things I don’t want to do. There’s been so many times where I’ve ended up in restaurants or days out, not really being able to afford it, because I’ve not been able to say no.

Now, every pay day, I make sure I spend a good 30 minutes putting my wages into a different savings account and making sure it’s allocated to different things and really knowing what money I have. I allocate myself some ‘fun’ money each week, and by knowing I’ve got a set amount, it really makes me say yes to the things I want to do, rather than feeling I should do.

I’m also a person who really needs at least one weekend a month to recharge. I keep one weekend a month free and have it as protected time. It’s my weekend where I don’t make any plans. It still gives me the spontaneity that I can sometimes crave but the downtime I really need.

Principle 4 – Stay in Your Own Lane

This is the biggest lesson I’ve learnt and it’s a little mantra I say to myself on the harder days – stay in your own lane. It’s remembering that there is no race with your peers, friends, family or work colleagues and we do everything within our own time.

I used to really struggle with the idea of success and never feeling like I was ever successful compared to other people. But, since entering my late 20’s, I’ve realised that the conceptions I previously had surrounding success weren’t the things that were making me happy. It may make my University friends happy, but not me. And you know what? That’s OK.

I’ve finally left the race I wasn’t winning and that it was impossible to ever win. It was impossible to win because I would never ever be happy from it, and end up plunging more money into a life I don’t want. So, I am staying in my own lane and achieving the goals I want to achieve. I no longer care about what other people have, I only care about what I’m doing and what I have and if it’s beneficial for me.

Financial self care is something I personally think can have a real impact on your mental state. We live in an age where everyone is striving to do better and want the latest things and it takes a lot of willpower to go, ‘That is not for me’. But long term, you’ll be thankful for it.

About me

My name is Becky and I blog over at beckytayloruk.com where I show you how to live your best and unique life on your budget. I’m all about being money-savvy and trying to get the best price for the life I want, as well as wanting to live a more positive and fulfilled life. You can also find me on Instagram.

Thank you Katie for letting me blog at Find the Good Everyday. Katie’s written a blog post on my blog where she shares 12 free self care ideas!

Guest Blogger Becky Taylor shares 4 Principles to Practice Financial Self Care

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A BIG thank you to Becky for sharing these awesome principals to practice financial self care. I hope you’ve found them useful.

You might also enjoy Self Care Ideas and Creating a Self Care Kit.

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Bloggers Share – Favourite Ways to Find the Good Everyday

Today it’s the final instalment of the Bloggers Share series here on the blog. I recently asked some fellow bloggers about how they stay positive and enjoy every day. Today – I’m sharing their Favourite Ways to Find the Good Everyday.

If you haven’t seen the previous 2 instalments you can check them out here:

I’ve provided a link to each blogger’s website below. Please consider visiting them and if you do – let them know I sent you!

Bloggers Share Favourite Ways to Find the Good Everyday

Bloggers Share FAVOURITE WAYS to Find the Good Everyday
Emma Farley / acornishgeek.com …

“I’ve been journaling every day this year and I love it. It gives me a chance to offload every evening but I always make sure I write something positive too, including a daily gratitude tracker. I attended a creative journaling and mindfulness workshop recently and something I took away from it was “exit kindly”.”

Teresa Maria / outlandishblog.com …

“Just focusing on the positives. I came to work one day last week feeling really angry for no particular reason. But at the office, instead of taking it out on my colleagues, I instead allowed my colleagues to pull me out of my misery by joining in on their conversations, going for lunch with them, just keeping my mind on everything that’s good right now rather than on how angry I feel, especially since I didn’t know why I felt angry in the first place. It’ll pass.

I taught myself to focus on the positives about 7 years ago when I was jobless and mildly depressed. I decided then that every morning, before getting up from bed, I had to come up with 1 positive thing about the day. After doing that for a year, without noticing, it became a habit that I still practice. Without putting any effort into it, I think of something good about today before getting up from bed every single morning. I really recommend trying it out if you’re struggling to find the positive about the day.”

Elen Mai / welshwanderer.com …

“My favourite way to find the good in everyday is to have some kind of “gratitude journal”. It doesn’t have to be fancy, I jot mine down in the notes of my phone. It’s basically writing down 3 things you’re grateful for having in your life and really recognising an appreciation for them. They don’t have to be all fancy and motivational either – the other day one of my top 3 things included “cheese strings”. Just have fun with it!“

Caterina / 35mminstyle.com …

“Be humble and appreciate the simple things. And always be curious.”

Tors Darling / darlinglife.co.uk …

“I have a trello board for the month and make sure I document 3 things that were good about the day. Sometimes they’re big things like being recognised for the hard work I’m putting in, and sometimes they’re small and as basic as I had a cuddle with my husband, depends on the day. It’s not easy sometimes to see the good in the day, but if you consciously look for it, even in retrospect then over time it makes it easier to recognise and has a snowball effect that you start to feel more positive.

My daughter has just turned 4 and part of her bedtime routine is me asking her what 3 things was she’s grateful for so no matter what’s happened throughout the day she goes to bed remembering the good and being grateful for the day. “

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I love all these suggestions of keeping a Gratitude Journal as I’m a big believer in the power of gratitude. You can pick up some tips for creating your own Gratitude Journal here.

A big thank you to my fellow bloggers for their fantastic contributions. I hope they’ve given you lots of ideas!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Bloggers Share series. I’ve really enjoyed reaching out to fellow bloggers and collating their responses so perhaps I’ll do something similar in the future.

And let’s continue the conversation…let me know your Favourite Ways to Find the Good Everyday below in the comments.

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Bloggers Share – Finding Positivity on a Bad Day

Today I’m back with the next instalment of my new series here on the blog. I recently asked some fellow bloggers their tops tips to help Find the Good Everyday. Today – I’m sharing their tips for Finding Positivity on a Bad Day.

Don’t forget to come back next week for the next instalment (or you could sign up to receive notifications of new blog posts by email so you don’t miss it!)

And if you haven’t seen last week’s instalment click here to read Simple Daily Rituals to Find the Good Everyday.

Each blogger is linked – I’m sure they would love it if you paid them a visit. And if you do – please tell them I sent you!

Finding Positivity on a Bad Day

Bloggers Share FINDING POSITIVITY on a Bad Day
Elen Mai / welshwanderer.com …

“Depending on how severely bad my day is, I do one of two things. If it’s a minor occurrence, I’ll dust myself off and read a few inspirational quotes on Pinterest. Messaging my mum for advice also helps – she’s brutally honest and I love/hate it. Or if it’s a really bad day, I give myself some time to get it out of my system. Usually this takes the form of a Netflix binge-watching session or a couple hours lifting heavy weights at the gym. Whatever I fancy at the time.”

Caterina / 35mminstyle.com …

“I like to listen to inspiring podcasts if I’m at work and feeling down, otherwise, I only need a long walk outside in the countryside with one of my film cameras in my backpack.”

Emma Farley / acornishgeek.com …

“I’ve found that even when I’m at my most stressed, getting outside makes me feel so much better, particularly on a sunny day. If I’m having a particularly busy and stressful day at work, just sitting outside for ten minutes is so beneficial.”

Tors Darling / darlinglife.co.uk …

“Be conscious of the little things – I could be having a terrible pain day and everything seems like a chore. I might be in an awful mood, but the positivity comes from thinking about what I have achieved e.g. I got dressed, I watched TV/film I know I’ll love like Harry Potter or a cheesy film.
If I’m having a bad day at work (Emergency Department Sister) I look for positivity in the care I’ve delivered or the targets I’m achieving – or I ask for it. I know that may seem daunting, but when I can’t see anything good I ask people what they’ve seen go well today, or what impact I’ve had on them. If I’m truly overwhelmed I get space from everything – which can be as simple of hiding in the toilet for a moment, getting a drink – nurses are terrible for it.”

Teresa Maria / outlandishblog.com …

“If I feel bad, no matter if it’s for a proper reason or just a feeling that has no foundation in reality (like those days when one feels like the ugliest duckling ever), I don’t deny myself those feelings. I feel bad and I ask myself ‘why?‘ I sort of discuss myself through the issue like my mum would if she was there.
If it’s an issue that I can’t do anything about I have a little tantrum, shout at the wall, and then accept that it’s out of my control, and move on. Takes a lot of willpower, but you can train yourself to do that.
If it’s something useless, like feeling ugly or dumb, I remind myself that it’s just a feeling and that it will pass by. Tomorrow is always a new, better day. I’ve never been wrong on this.”

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I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions for finding positivity on a bad day – please leave a comment below with your ideas.

Don’t forget to check out last week’s Simple Daily Rituals to Find the Good Everyday. And here are some other blog posts you might enjoy along a similar theme:

100 Things That Make Me Happy – I’d recommend creating a Happy List that you can refer to and use for inspiration on bad days!
100 More Things That Make Me Happy
The Find the Good In… series

I’ll be back with the final instalment – Bloggers Share Favourite Ways to Find the Good Everyday – next week!

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Bloggers Share – Simple Daily Rituals to Find the Good Everyday

Today marks the start of a new series here on the blog. I recently asked some fellow bloggers their tops tips to help Find the Good Everyday. Today – I’m sharing their Simple Daily Rituals to make their days better.

Don’t forget to come back next week for another instalment (or better still sign up to receive notifications of new blog posts by email so you don’t miss it!)

Above each quote is a link to the blogger – please do visit them and tell them you’re visiting from Find the Good Everyday.

Simple Daily Rituals to Find the Good Everyday

Bloggers Share SIMPLE DAILY RITUALS to Find the Good Everyday
Teresa Maria / OutlandishBlog.com …

“The first thing, that sets me up nicely for the day, is to have a consistent morning routine. Nothing big; getting up, drinking coffee and doing my make-up and hair while there’s something chill on TV.
Throughout the day I pay attention to the little things and remind myself how lucky I am; my commute is 2 minutes, I have the most wonderful colleagues, I like my job, my pay is good, etc. If it’s a sunny day I don’t need to remind myself of any positives because light and warmth already make me so happy and energetic, that I’ll be fine through the day with just that.
I learned years ago, through some unfortunate events, that it really is the little things that matter the most in the end. And realising that, I think, I found the essence of happiness.”

Tors Darling / darlinglife.co.uk …

“I document the 3 things that are good about the day this has a snowball effect that it’s easier to see the good in the day.”

Emma Farley / acornishgeek.com …

“I grab as many cuddles with my son as possible. Nothing else matters when he crawls into my lap and says “I love big squeezes, they’re my favourite”. It’s an act that costs nothing, doesn’t take much time, and I can do it as much as I like!”

Caterina / 35mminstyle.com …

“Usually, I like to start the day with my morning skincare routine and a big breakfast.”

Elen Mai / welshwanderer.com …

“I try to start everyday with a pint of cold water and half an hour of yoga practice. It lets me empty my mind ready to start the day and I feel much more refreshed and grounded for doing it. Yoga with Adrienne’s videos on Youtube are absolutely brilliant for beginners like me to follow along to.”

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Do you have any Simple Daily Rituals to help you Find the Good Everyday? If so – leave a comment below – let’s keep the conversation going.

If you’re keen to create some Simple Daily Rituals why not try these posts for more tips and suggestions…

Morning Routine
Afternoon Routine
Evening Routine
Quick, Easy & Free Ways to Find the Good Everyday

See you back next week with some tips for finding the positive on a bad day.

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FTGE Facebook Group & Other Ways to Connect

Hello – a short & sweet post today…I want to tell you about the new FTGE Facebook Group as well as other ways you can connect with Find the Good Everyday.

Ways to connect with Find the Good Everyday including the new FTGE Facebook Group

FTGE Facebook Group

I’ve been busy behind the scenes creating a Find the Good Everyday Facebook Group. It is my hope this will be a friendly and positive community to visit and brighten your day!

I’ll be sharing inspirational quotes and little prompts to help find the good. There will also be an opportunity weekly to share your own links (perhaps a blog post or a social media account).

If you’d like to come over and join I’d love to welcome you into the group!

We’ve already got members from all over the globe and I’m excited to see who joins us next!

Other Ways to Connect with FTGE

I drop various links to other places you can find FTGE in blog posts and if you’re visiting the blog you can find social media links in the “Find the Good Elsewhere…” section. You can find that on the right hand side if you’re on a wider screen or scroll to the bottom of the page if you’re on a mobile device.

But here’s a summary:

Subscribe…
Social Media…
  • There’s a Find the Good Everyday Facebook page.
  • I’m probably most regularly active on Instagram where I share photos in my feed, instagram stories and occasionally an IGTV video.
  • I’m on Pinterest – I’ve been on there for years and love using it to search for inspiration. Come and check out my old school pin boards of babies & kids birthday ideas and things that make me laugh!
  • I’ve also recently dusted off my Twitter account which I plan to be posting to regularly with blog updates.

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Hopefully there’s at least one fo your preferred ways to stay connected listed!

I’d love to hear your favourite ways to keep up to date with your favourite bloggers? Please feel free to leave a comment on this post or drop me a line.

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Introducing FTG30 (Find the Good in 30 days)

Today I am introducing FTG30 (Find the Good in 30 days). I’m very excited to share this new month-long series for the blog.

Introducing FTG30 - Find the Good in 30 Days

I will be sharing ideas for daily activities (posting to Instagram daily and the blog every few days). The activities are designed to work together to help you Find the Good and feel happier and healthier.

Each day of the week has a theme and each day I will be suggesting a small task or activity to help you find the good. By the end of the month I hope you will have a toolbox full of things to help you Find the Good Everyday. I am so excited to share what I’ve come up with and really hope you enjoy joining in!

Here’s a look at the themes for each day of the week

  • Monday – Happiness
  • Tuesday – Reflection
  • Wednesday – Environment
  • Thursday – Inspiration
  • Friday – Health
  • Saturday – Routines
  • Sunday – Self Care

Taking Part in FTG30

We are all busy and have lots of things grabbing our attention and taking time. I have created the daily activities for FTG30 to ensure you only need a few minutes most days (you can take longer if you wish). I am also suggesting you spend longer once per week (e.g. an hour each Sunday…or whatever day of the week suits you best).

There’s no cost involved. I am sharing the content with you for free and you shouldn’t need any expensive supplies to participate.

Are you going to join in with FTG30?

I really hope you will!

FTG30 was shared throughout April 2019 – if you’re finding it after that you are in luck…as all the information is available for you anytime you want to start!

Whenever you’re taking part – please feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line and let me know how it’s going.

And if you know anyone who may enjoy participating please do spread the word!

Daily Activities

Below is a list of the daily prompts as well as a link to each FTG30 blog post.

You can see the daily posts over at Instagram. The best place to start there may be the FTG30 Story Highlights on my bio page.

  • Days 1 to 5 Blog Post
  • 1 – Gather and Get Ready
  • 2 – Reflection – Gratitude Practice
  • 3 – Environment – Declutter
  • 4 – Inspiration – Who Inspires You?
  • 5 – Health – Hydrate
  • Days 6 to 10 Blog Post
  • 6 – Routines – Morning Routines
  • 7 – Self Care – Preparation for Self Care
  • 8 – Happiness – 10 Happy Things
  • 9 – Reflection – Ideal Day
  • 10 – Environment – Get Outside
  • Days 11 to 15 Blog Post
  • 11 – Inspiration – Playlist
  • 12 – Health – Rest
  • 13 – Routines – Evening Routine
  • 14 – Self Care – Creativity
  • 15 – Happiness – 10 Happy Things
  • Days 16 to 20 Blog Post
  • 16 – Reflection – Midpoint Check-In
  • 17 – Environment – Virtual
  • 18 – Inspiration – Gather Quotes and Images
  • 19 – Health – Move
  • 20 – Routines – Make Tomorrow Easier
  • Days 21 to 25 Blog Post
  • 21 – Self Care – Pampering
  • 22 – Happiness – 10 Happy things
  • 23 – Reflection – Stop, Start and Continue
  • 24 – Environment – Your Own Space
  • 25 – Inspiration – Inspiration Board
  • Days 26 – 29 Blog Post
  • 26 – Health – Nourish
  • 27 – Routines – Weekly Routine
  • 28 – Self Care – Connection
  • 29 – Happiness – 10 Happy Thinga
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Celebrating International Women’s Day

Today I want to share some ideas for Celebrating International Women’s Day which is taking place this week, on Friday 8th March.

I love to find ways to find the good in everyday life and I also enjoy using the themes of special days of the year to help with this. A lot of these ideas could work any day of the year for celebrating women and those in your life but why not start this week by celebrating International Women’s Day?

Celebrating International Women's Day

Ideas for Celebrating International Women’s Day

Get Involved with the Campaign

For more information about International Women’s Day why not visit the website. The theme for this year is #BalanceForBetter with the tagline “better the balance, better the world”. You could:

  • Search to see if there are any local events you could attend
  • Upload your own #BalanceForBetter image to social media using the hashtags #IWD2019 and #BalanceForBetter
  • Check out the resources available to raise awareness
Donate/Volunteer to a Women-specific cause or charity

Do you have a charity or cause specific to Women that you want to support? If not, why not take some time to look for one you could help in some way. Some ideas include:

Celebrate YOUR Women

Who are the important women in your life? Your role models, those that support you, your friends and family members or even colleagues? Take some time to show your appreciation to them:

Which Women Inspire You?

Which women do you admire? Who’s Instagram feed inspires you regularly? Who is doing something you love? Why not take some time to think about and celebrate Women who inspire you.

Show Your Support

There is some amazing merchandise available to show your support of women. Here are a couple of examples which give some proceeds to charity…

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I’d love to hear how you are celebrating International Women’s Day. Or if you have any other suggestions to add to this list.

Happy International Women’s Day!

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Find the Good at Christmastime (including a gift guide)

Today I want to share a few ideas to help you Find the Good at Christmastime. I’ve paired each idea with some gift suggestions – these might be good for adding to your own wishlist or for other people.

Christmas can be tough for people for a variety of reasons. But hopefully there’s some way to find some hope or magic somewhere. Recently – rather than festive spirit on the lead-up to Christmas I’ve noticed people becoming more stressed and angry. That doesn’t seem quite right does it? How did we lose our way? I’m sure watching several movies on the Christmas movie channels will help me answer that question and Find the Good at Christmastime!

Tips to Find the Good at Christmastime

Find the Good at CHRISTMASTIME

1. Embrace the season

I’ve spent festive seasons on both sides of the globe and found that celebrating Christmas in Summer has very different benefits to a Winter Christmas. Wherever you are in the world why not take some time out to enjoy the season?
When we lived in New Zealand we loved making plans to get outside and enjoy the sunshine over the festive season. Since returning to the UK I still like getting outside (away from the stuffy central heating) – I just need more layers!

Gift suggestions to embrace the season
  • Books about the seasons such as:
    National Trust 2019 Nature Month-by-Month – A Children’s Almanac
  • Appropriate attire for getting outside (wooly hats and scarfs in winter, sun-hats and suncream in summer)

2. Set the scene

Watching movies and reading books with Christmas themes helps me find my festive spirit. What are your favourite movies and books to indulge in at this time of the year?

Gift suggestions to set the scene

3. Remember self care

The lead-up to Christmas can be crazy busy for a lot of people. It can also be a lonely time. I’m going to make sure I mark out time amongst everything else for myself. As an introvert – I go a little crazy when I have to be social constantly! So part of my self care will be planning days with no interactions other than with my husband and son. We all love a pyjama day and will be planning at least one between Christmas and New Year.

If you’re stuck for Self Care Ideas please have a look at my list – designed to spark ideas that work for you.

Gift suggestions for self care
  • This would differ so much depending on the person but how about creating a self care kit? You could create one for a friend or loved one and perhaps gift yourself one this Christmas.
  • And new pyjamas might convince someone to take a PJ day!

4. Express gratitude

It’s the days where I struggle most to find and see the good around me that I most need to try! That’s why I keep a Daily Gratitude Journal.

And this is such a great time of the year to start. You can use a blank notebook, the notes app on your phone or add a line to your calendar/diary on a daily basis. To get started why not set yourself a reminder each evening before bed to write down something you are grateful for.

Gift suggestions to express gratitude
  • As a HUGE lover of stationery and notebooks I would always suggest giving the gift of a lovely notebook and pen.
  • There are some beautiful gratitude journals available. But even a simple, small diary for 2019 with equal space each day for noting down gratitude could work.

5. Help others

Perhaps one of the ways we can find our festive spirit is to help others. It’s easy to get caught up being busy with all the things we must do at this time of year – why not take some time out to do something to help someone else? This could start close to home – offering to help neighbours or family members with shopping or wrapping or what about some of the suggestions below…

Activity suggestions to help others
  • Write a Letter to an isolated, elderly person (deadline for sending letters is 14th December)
  • Donate to the local food-bank or homeless shelter (it’s best to contact them first to check what items they most need)
  • Give a one off donation or set up a monthly donation to a charity close to your heart
  • Contact a local charity to see if they need volunteers

6. If need be, hibernate

Hibernating definitely makes it onto my self care list! If you are feeling stressed or too busy – try to take a step back. Plan a cosy evening or hour to just sit and do whatever you like. This is where the Christmas movies, books and self care ideas come in!

Gift suggestions to help you hibernate
  • Cosy blankets or scarfs
  • Twinkly Lights
  • Movies and Books
  • A Notepad and pen (I’m fairly certain I could find a way to add stationery under every suggestion!)

7. Reach out

If you’re really struggling and not finding your festive spirit then reach out to others for help. You could make a date with a friend to try some festive hot drinks and cakes. Or send some notes/letters out with your Christmas cards. A text or a phone call to a friend or family member might make you feel better and also make their day too!

Gift suggestions to help you reach out
  • A letter writing set to send some old-fashioned mail
  • Stamps for posting letters or notes
  • A coffee shop gift card to encourage the giftee to meet up for a drink

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I’d love to hear your ideas to Find the Good at Christmastime. Please leave a comment below if you have any suggestions. And what’s on your wishlist this year?

Read More about Finding the Good…

Find the Good In...series

I’ve shared other posts for Finding the Good at various times. You can find all of the posts in this series HERE.

In January I shared some ideas to Survive and Thrive in Winter which may also be useful.

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Happy Mail Ideas for World Post Day

Happy World Post Day! Did you know that 9th October is World Post Day? I didn’t until last week when it popped up in an online group I’m in. To celebrate I want to share some Happy Mail Ideas and Tips with you.

Happy Mail Ideas for World Post Day

What is Happy Mail?

Happy Mail, to me, means sending something to someone designed to make them smile. Perhaps an unexpected letter to a friend, a postcard to family from a trip away, an envelope of little items to make the recipient happy!

I love sending happy mail and receiving it too! I’m a long time fan of proper thank you notes and I still enjoy sending paper Christmas cards each year. Both of these and other stationery related things appear on my 100 things that make me happy list!

Sending Happy Mail can be a great Random Act of Kindness (Kindness Day is coming up on 13th November).

Happy Mail Ideas

Disclaimer – please check the mail/post regulations for the country you are posting from and to before sending any of these items.

Why not send…?
  • Handwritten letter
  • Postcard
  • Bookmark (handmade or shop bought)
  • Photos
  • Favourite quote
  • Some stickers
  • Teabag (ideally individually wrapped!)
  • Small selection of sticky notes (a few rather than a thick pad)
  • Washi Tape (wrap it around a piece of card to keep it flat – rather than sending whole rolls)
  • Child’s painting or drawing (family members usually love these and it’s handy when you’re running out of room on the fridge!)
  • Ephemera
  • Article that the recipient will find interesting
  • Blank notelets for the recipient to send their own happy mail
  • Favourite recipe
  • Small pack of seeds
  • Poem (written by you or a well-known poet)

I’ve been lucky enough to receive some of the items above and happily sent some too!

Happy Mail Tips

  • Check out the cost of postage to your destination and plan your Happy Mail accordingly.
    Today I’ve posted something to Ireland for a World Post Day Swap. I checked Royal Mail to see how much a standard letter would cost (currently £1.55) and the dimensions and weight limits before I chose what to send.
  • Look for interesting stamps rather than printed postage labels.
    If you ask at the post counter they often have folders of stamps for different amounts. I’m hoping to get some special Harry Potter stamps when they come out soon!
  • Decorate your envelopes.
    Try some fancy lettering and perhaps add some washi tape or stickers to make the recipient smile as soon as they see your post.
  • Don’t overfill the envelope.
    A couple of small items or sometimes just a handwritten letter could be enough to make someone’s day.
  • Check out the bargain shops for cute and cost-effective stationery.
    Poundland currently have some lovely Winnie the Pooh stationery in.
  • Join a Swap.
    If you are keen to send and receive some happy mail why not join a swap? I’m part of a few groups on Facebook and there are often swaps happening. Stationery/Pen Pal groups are usually the best ones to look for.

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Do you like sending happy mail? Have you ever received any? Why not post a little something this week to celebrate World Post Day?

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Reading Rituals – All Souls Trilogy

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on the All Souls Trilogy (including A Discovery of Witches) by Deborah Harkness as well as other books I’ve enjoyed recently.

Reading Rituals

All Souls Trilogy

A Discovery of Witches is a TV drama currently showing on Sky One (Friday’s at 8pm). In the lead up to it starting I saw a few mentions of the book and the All Souls Trilogy  as fans anticipated the TV adaptation. I was intrigued and decided to request the first book, A Discovery of Witches, from the library. Luckily it came in and I finished it before the TV show started. I couldn’t put it down – I loved the characters, the settings and the storyline.

Impatiently, I waited for my reserve of book 2 – Shadow of Night. When I got a text to say the book was ready I dropped everything to collect it. Household chores were cast aside to make more time for reading as I found myself absorbed! I adored “where” this book was set and was fascinated by the historical references (trying not to give away any spoilers here!).

Book 3 – The Book of Life – was reserved before I’d started Book 2 and I didn’t have to wait too long. It was a great conclusion to the trilogy. I was left with a book hangover and I didn’t want to say goodbye to the characters!

The All Souls Trilogy

If you like books with paranormal themes and historical references I’d recommend the All Souls trilogy. I learnt some interesting things about history and science from reading this trilogy. I feel sad that I don’t have my own copies and might have to rectify that so I can re-read them.

I’m also really enjoying the TV adaptation. The storyline is already a little different from the books and I’m intrigued to see where it goes. I love the actors they’ve chosen to play Matthew and Diana and I’m eagerly awaiting each new episode!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I also want to mention Eleanor Oliphant which I read at the very end of August when we were on holiday. After seeing lots of mention of it over summer I picked it up from the hotel book shelf .

I really loved this book. It felt refreshing and quite different from anything I’ve read for a while. The setting is Glasgow (where my husband is from and I lived for 5 years). I enjoyed picking up on locations and the dialect.

The book gave me a lot to think about. I loved the messaging that came through – how we can choose to show a little kindness to others and the impact it can have on their lives. The humour was excellent. I found myself laughing out loud many times and also reading some sections out to my husband. Here’s an example of a section that made me giggle:

Eleanor Oliphant Excerpt

Harry Potter

We are still working our way through the HP series with my son (which I discussed in my Family Favourites post last month).

We’ve just finished up The Chamber of Secrets and moved on to The Prisoner of Azkaban (which is possibly my favourite book of all 7). We are watching each movie as we finish the corresponding book and it’s great to see the differences between the original books and the movie adaptations.

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What have you been reading lately? Anything good?

In October I’m joining in with the Find What Feels Good Kula Book Group. We are reading How To Be Happy by Eva Woods. I’m looking forward to joining in with the virtual book club discussion.

Happy Reading Everyone!