Lettermo 2014!

It's time for lettermo, woo! Lettermo is 1 month of letters. You can do weekdays or include weekends. Either way, the goal is to write one letter to someone every day and mail it the same day.

So, today I mailed seven postcards which were receipts for Postcrossing. I even sent one with birthday wishes :) I need to send another one asap for my sister as her birthday is February 12th.

In other news, I'm very glad 2013 is over because that year pretty much sucked.

Join in the challenge!

Sooner is gonna be better than later

On Friday I got lots of fun things in the mail!

First, I got a postcard from Russia! It's pretty :)

Then I opened the package filled with $62.00 worth of stamps. I looked at them all and admired them and totally hated the baby animal U.S. stamps, but ta~ nothing I can do about Canada Post's shitty stamp designs, I guess. They never listen when I write them letters and notes about it anyway. 

I also received two books that I ordered from Amazon.ca. The first is called Clicker Training for Birds. I got this book so that Mike and I can teach Scout to be a good bird and hopefully it will help her with her flying. She always flies to one of us as soon as we leave the room, and it is problematic. Sometime she lands on the stove, which is very dangerous! Or maybe we have the door open to go outside... It could lead to so many bad things! We just need a clicker and to finish reading the book.

The second book is called The Joy of Less: a Minimalist Living Guide. I started reading this almost as soon as I tore the packaging open. It's so good, but in a life-changing way. First thing I did Saturday morning was clean out and de-clutter the bathroom. We have very limited space in the single bathroom cabinet and I was hoarding so much crap in there--that I've never even used! So, I tossed or donated it. Then I tackled my dresser. I organized the panty drawer and folded all the clothes (it was a mess...) and got rid of moooore stuff. 

Sunday I worked on my closet. I think I should get rid of more clothing, but I'm going to wait and see if I wear more of it before I remove it forever. Actually, I have a 6 bag donation pile sitting beside the door that needs to gtfo of my house pronto. I'm really enjoying it. There's lots of stuff to get rid of, I just need to convince Mike to pare down some of his items as well (ahem, BOOKS). Not even kidding, 97% of our books are his. I don't even know if he's read them all.

I also cleaned out my jewelry box. It was a madhouse in those drawers. I threw away the broken pieces and then I'm going to donate all the stuff I never wear or just isn't me anymore. Honestly, I've had a lot of that jewelry since I was in middle school. That's like, sixth grade, people. Ugh!

Before. Such a mess!

Beautiful! The earring drawer is my favourite.

Anyway, that made me feel very productive over the weekend. And my room felt cleaner even though all I did was put all laundry away, get rid of some clothes, clean off the night stands and sweep. I do still need to sort through the pile of paper and junk on the dresser, though. Buh!

I've been logging my food on MyFitnessPal for five days in a row now. I'm impressed with myself. All previous attempts failed miserably, but it's WAY easier when I can use the MFP App on my phone. And I can even use a bar code scanner! It's amazing.

Technology, I adore you.

In the Middle of the Night

Okay, so I lied. I didn't post yesterday, but I'm doing it now.

This past week I received four postcards in the mail. I love getting them! They really make my day so much better, especially when I've had a really mentally draining day at work. It's a nice little treat when I get home and check the mailbox.

Top: Mariet in Netherlands and Ghimseng in Singapore Bottom: Alma in Lithuania and Carina in Germany 

And yesterday I got something I'm way too excited about, given at what it is: a return address stamp! I've always wanted one (because I'm obsessed with stationery crap) and now I've finally got one! I ordered it on VisaPrint via their 'free stamp' option. I only paid for shipping (which was less than $10.00CAD). I imagine it would have been cheaper in I still lived in the States, but I don't. I used it on a letter to my mom last night! I actually stamped it three time... I guess I got a little carried away?

I love this a little too much.

My landlords (let's call them MH and CB) live upstairs (M and I rent the ground level of their house) and they've been expecting their first baby since last weekend. S/he's a little overdue, I guess! But after midnight last night, MH went into labor  I've never heard anyone go into labor. It was very different and I guess not really what I was expecting? I don't know what I was expecting, shoot. Her husband seemed very calm, I could hear his footsteps clearly above me. I'm not sure where MH was in the house, maybe the bathroom? Where does one go to 'chill' while they are in labor? I have no idea, I couldn't imagine it very well. Plus I was tired. I was awake for about 45 minutes maybe and then I fell asleep. When I woke again at 8am, their car was gone and it was very quiet upstairs. They still aren't back, so I guess they went to hospital eventually? I hope everything is okay! I'm excited to meet their little baby. :3 :3

There is a poutine festival today, but I don't think I'm going. Sad! Poutine can be very, very tasty. How could you say no to gravy and fries?!? With cheese!! AAgh!

Letters: Mom x1 (will mail Monday)

A Better Day

So an interesting tidbit: I was googling my blog name, because that is how I always get to my blog (I know, it's lame. I could just, you know, bookmark the stupid thing, I guess) and I noticed all of these other 'DINORIOT' references on facebook and what not. Apparently it is some boy band with 3 boys. Huh. Weird.  I wonder who is older: me or them? I started this blog in 2008. Do I win?

But to something more important, yesterday and today were good mood days. I didn't get crazy angry at anyone at work and I generally felt... pleased. Mostly. I'm still working on being satisfied with my life and with myself. Some moments (or whole days) are really, really difficult. I like when they aren't, but you know how it goes.

My work space has been surrounded by a wall of boxes for.. oh... 3 months. It really starts to make you feel cramped in and totally messes with your ability to work. But today we finally got them cleared away and it felt like cobwebs being dusted away or taking a big deep breath and sighing and feeling so good after. It's so open and I feel that I can think again. THAT made me so happy. I'm actually looking forward to going into work tomorrow, just so I can be in that open space, haha. Now I just need to deal with all the stacks of 'to-dos' on my desk and I'm golden for Monday.

I've been toying with the idea of trying to go back off all grains. I did it for only two weeks in January, but I felt so much better. It's hard, because they are so tasty and incredibly easy/versatile/convenient. It's like, when you don't want to eat something, that item is everywhere you look. Instead of moaning about how, "I want that, but I can't have it," I told myself: "I CAN have it, but I DON'T want it."

That was the trick. And it worked, until I quit saying it at least.

I also feel that I should start some sort of inspiration board. Maybe that will do it's little part to make myself feel better. I've been in such a funk since the start of the new year. October to December KILLED me and now I'm just floundering in the muck. I need to get out of it and figuring out a route is taking a long time. I don't really know where to go. This probably isn't even making any sense who's reading this, but it does to me. I am not satisfied and I want to be. I am not happy (like I used to be), and I want that back. Do I need a psychologist or something? (I've actually looked into it, but the cost for a GOOD doctor is kind of holding me back) I'm just at a loss so often anymore!

Ugh, anyway. 
Yesterday I spent all my free time reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I read it for a few hours after work and finished it probably by 9pm. It was SO GOOD. Oh gosh, I laughed out loud and cried a bit here and there. I love the characters. It felt like it could have been real. I would have liked there to have been more since I'm sad it ended, but it was a very good ending. I will read this again and I encourage YOU to read it as well! It's available in audio book if you don't have time to sit and read it. :)

During lunchtime I mailed a bunch of postcards and letters to friends and family. I'm (impatiently) awaiting my Canada Post stamp purchase to arrive in the mail. I have lots more that I want to send and I need my stamps!!! I also ordered a return address stamp from VistaPrint over the weekend. I'm super pumped to get that. I've always wanted one and now I have one. Hooray for the simple things.

This turned out to be a lot longer and a lot more random than intended, but there it is. I did get a handful of postcards this week in the mail via www.postcrossing.com, which makes me feel much better after getting home from work. I'll post some pictures on Friday.


Today I mailed to: Desiree, Stephanie N., Holly x2, postcrossers

Por Avion

Hello, blog. It's been such a long time since I've used you for constructive purposes. I've got some new stuff to tell you, though. I hope you'll like it.

For Christmas, my mother-in-law gifted me the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I began reading it at the start of January, and it really got me interested in writing letters and sending mail through the post again (btw, still not halfway through the book). It's something that I've always enjoyed, although I sometimes would forget to mail things I've written. I've come across those letters over the years and hung on to them since I'm not sure what to do with them now! A brief summary:

January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name. - Random House 

So really, reading these fictional letters going between these people and learning what's gong on in their lives through them really got back into the "old way" of correspondence. January 1st, 2013, I reactivated my status on Postcrossing and retained 5 address to send postcards to. (prior to that, I only sent/received one postcard in 2008, when I first joined-HAH). I sent a total of 7 to postcrosser users that month and I also started writing to my friends and family back home in New Jersey. It's such a nice way to slow down and reconnect. The instant gratification of replies on the internet isn't there, which I'm enjoying.  Sometimes I feel like I've written letters in such a flurry one night and I'm ready to do it again the next day, but I don't know if I should write to the same people. When is often too often? I'm also afraid I'll forget what I had originally written about when (rather, IF) I get their reply. I'm used to having an email to refer back to what I had written.

Oh well. I'm still really enjoying myself. I just wish postage prices would go down instead of UP every year. Boo-urns! I remember when I first moved to Canada, US postage was $.96. Now it's up to $1.10. International is $1.85.. almost breaking the bank with that one, haha!

My biggest gripe about all of this, however, is just the lack of interesting stamp designs that Canada Post offers. To sum it up: they suck! I miss USPS postage designs very, very, very much. Regardless, I still spent $62 on their webstore yesterday haaaah. I hope they arrive soon.

So, if you want a letter or a postcard, let me know!!