Mail carrier spring gifts

A couple summers ago, I brought you a collection of gifts for your mail carrier. That post continues to be the most popular  thing here at The Little Red Flag. But you don’t always want to give them frozen bottled water, so I’m back with more gift ideas for them this spring!

There’s never a bad time to give your mail carrier a gift. In spring, they’re dealing with all kinds of allergens with their windows constantly rolled down. Not to mention all the spring rains. And bees. Bees! (That alone is one reason I wouldn’t want to be a mail carrier!)

I hope you enjoy this list.

Insect repellant

Yep! Help protect your mail carrier with insect repellent. Their vehicles are subject to anything that can crawl, fly, or slither their way in. Not to mention carriers get out of their vehicles to deliver packages. These handy packets are super affordable. You could also give them some hydrocortisone cream in case they do get an insect bite.

Benadryl

If you know someone with allergies, then you know they probably keep a supply of anti-histamines nearby. To-go packets like these are an excellent thing to leave in your mailbox for your carrier.

Poncho or umbrella

For all those rainy, spring days. Some mail carriers deliver entirely on foot! Imagine how they feel. I found this one on Amazon.

Sort Kwik

If you’ve never used this stuff, you’re missing out. It was one of my favorite tools when I worked office jobs, so I started using it at home, too. It helps you grab papers, and it’s better than licking your fingers. (Yuck!)

Candy

It’s spring, not summer, so most people can probably leave a little chocolate for the mail carrier. Candy is an inexpensive way to show appreciation for all they do. Think spring with Peeps, robin eggs, jelly beans, or anything pastel colored.

Meat & cheese

This can be tricky. You can always buy meat and cheese sticks that don’t have to be refrigerated like I did. These combo packs are less than $1 in my area. But if you want to do something from a deli, be sure to put it in the mailbox as close to mail delivery time as possible. And put it in a bag/box with an ice pack so it keeps the food cool while your carrier keeps making deliveries.

Happy Spring!

 

CARDS for CANCER – meet Emory

Happy Friday, everyone!

If you’ve been following the blog or seen our Facebook posts or our Instagram feed, you know that we’re in the middle of a campaign called CARDS for CANCER. During February, The Little Red Flag is selling special notecard sets that honor people whose lives have been affected by cancer. At the end of the month, 100% of profits are being donated directly to the family of a friend who is suffering from cancer right now.

Meet Emory Taylor.

Cancer was a word all too familiar to Emory. He had cared for and lost, amongst others, his wife, daughter, and grandson to various forms of the disease. With incredible dignity and grace, Emory fought the good fight against lung cancer in his own body until his death in May of 2016. However, his faith and love have left a legacy that is alive and thriving in his family that he loved so well.

This is the card we designed for Emory. A business-sized, flat, 2-sided notecard with ample amounts of light blue and crimson red. These cards come with light blue envelopes. You can find them here in The Little Red Flag’s Etsy shop.  Purchase them for yourself or as a gift. And know that you’re not only showing support for Emory’s family, but also financially supporting another cancer patient.

Please be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to see the story of our third honoree this month. Plus, come back for giveaways, helpful resources, and more!

Cards for Cancer

Today is the day!

Today The Little Red Flag unveils our Cards for Cancer campaign. We are revealing some special cards inspired by some very special people. February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and we have created three new cards for three people who have braved their own battle with cancer. All of the profits from these cards will be donated to the family of someone currently undergoing cancer treatments who is in need.

We will be selling all three cards the entire month of February. You can find them here. We will also share their stories intermittently throughout the month.

Right now I’d like to introduce you to Donald Brorsen.

Donald was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer (with mets to his liver and lungs) in June of 2012. He had no warning signs or symptoms. He began chemotherapy (and ran a half marathon during treatment and continued his work as a federal agent ) and fought against the disease until he died July 27, 2014.

This is the card we have created in honor of Donald. Purple and paisley were two of his favorite things, so we have incorporated both of them. You can find them here in The Little Red Flag’s Etsy shop.  Purchase them for yourself or as a gift. And know that you’re not only showing support for Donald’s family, but also financially supporting another cancer patient.

I’ll see you all back here for more stories and cards during February.

Follow us on Facebook here to see all things not on the blog.

Why Cancer Matters to TLRF

Today – February 1st – is the first day of National Cancer Prevention Month. According to the National Cancer Society, about half of all men and one-third of all women in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes.

Why does this matter to The Little Red Flag? Glad you asked. More on that in a minute.

In the meantime, check out how much hair my daughter and I cut off last weekend. I grow my hair out and get it cut off every couple years to donate. This year, my daughter was able to join me.

There are several organizations that accept donated hair to make wigs. I personally prefer to donate to an organization that only makes wigs for cancer patients, so we are sending out hair to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program.  They work directly with the American Cancer Society to make and distribute wigs. If you’re considering growing your hair out to donate, I recommend sending it to Pantene.

So here’s where my personal concern for cancer and The Little Red Flag intersect. During February, the blog and store will be featuring stories of people affected by cancer and products inspired by them. Whether it’s a color, a pattern, or an interest, these favorite things reflect the personality of the people who influenced these stationery sets. All profits from these sets will be donated directly toward the family of a cancer patient to be chosen later this month.

If you haven’t visited the Etsy store yet, you can check it out here. This is where these special sets will be sold this month. You won’t find them here yet.  They’re coming soon; I promise!

Remember to like The Little Red Flag on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated and see things that just don’t make it to the blog. We’ll also be doing a social media giveaway this month to promote these special stationery sets.

 

Birthday Pretties

I love pretty things!

So when my youngest turned one last month, I wanted a very pretty invitation for her birthday. If any of you are crafty and in need of inspiration, maybe this will add a little spark for you. Making invitations can be a very easy thing, and if you can’t find exactly what you want already made, consider creating a custom invitation.

I actually searched Pinterest first, which turned up more ideas than I even knew what to do with, but I love what happened when I combined a few favorite Pinterest ideas and did a few things of my own.

The party colors were perfect for something pretty. Delicate pink. Sophisticated gold. And the tiniest touches of light turquoise.

It’s fairly simple to print the text onto cardstock. I used a solid gold washi tape on the bottom of the invitation and made a sleeve to go around it with an intricate white and gold pattern.

I loved the intricate design on this gold and white paper. It made the perfect sleeve around the invitation.

The envelopes were a little darker than I wanted, but I was at the mercy of what my craft store carried at the time. The closest store that had the light pink I wanted was about 45 minutes away – eek! I used wedding seals, heart washi tape, and ice cream stamps. Just enough fun stuff on the envelopes to make it a great find in the mailbox.

Because I love all things paper, I also made the banners for the birthday party, including a mini banner for her high chair. Here are a few other pics of the color scheme. (Yes, the wreath is made from paper strips. It turned out pretty cool!)

It was so much fun to put the party together, especially the invitations!

So, what do you think? Have you ever made your own custom invitations?

 

 

Summer Fun for Kids

Summer is in full swing – more than halfway over for some kids – and parents are always looking for things to keep their kids entertained during these long, summer days.

If you are one of those parents – good news! I’ve got some novel ideas for you.

Check out the ideas below that you can do with your kids, or even let them do on their own. I’ve also added some new summer products to my Etsy shop, and they are so much fun for kids (and adults, too). Got friends whose kids are just as bored as yours? Have your kids send them some mail.

1. 3D popsicle postcards

I made some of these last year and shared a tutorial by Sandra Denneler on how to make them. They’re pretty easy to make, but if you’d rather buy them instead, you can find them here.

2. beach ball

You can mail a beach ball directly in the package like I’m doing, or you can blow it up and write the address right on the ball. Either way, the USPS will ship it, and it’s a fun addition to the mail. These balls are available at Walmart.

3. 3D ice cream sandwich postcards

Summer just begs for ice cream, and these are such a fun way to let people know you’re thinking about them over the summer. While I’d rather have a real one, I’ve put some here in the Etsy shop for your convenience.

4. flag postcards

Bright, sturdy postcards will grab their attention immediately. Whether it’s the 4th of July or not, these flags are a sure way to make that someone smile. Send them to men and women who have served their country. A thank you card is always appreciated.

5. fun envelopes

If a colored envelope is better than a white envelope, then envelopes like these  (and these also) beat them all! Baseball, grass, pool water, sand, clouds, a picnic blanket . . . They’re cheap, and they’re just waiting for you to send them to friends, cousins, and everyone else!

Give your kids something fun to do this summer and maybe pick out some things for yourself. This is a great time to spread some summer cheer!

 

It’s allergy season – help a friend out!

Ah, spring!

Flip flops, flowers, and fresh fruit. Those are some of the best parts of spring.

Unfortunately, for 50+ million Americans, it’s also the time for Flonase.

Let’s send some allergy season love in the mail. I guarantee that your allergy-suffering friends will love to find something fun like this in their mailbox.

Have you seen the new Kleenex boxes out? They’re not boxes at all; they’re cylinders. They’re surprisingly sturdy and hold up great in the mail. Find them at any grocer or even Sam’s.

I also found this Isaac Mizrahi design, and it reminded me of a chic friend. It’s not as durable as the cylinders, but it’s better than the regular boxes.

That’s what I’m sending out today.

What about you?
Do you know any friends suffering from allergies?
Would you mail something like this?

 

Friday’s Fun Foods – April 2016

Welcome to the very first round of Friday’s Fun Foods! 

Today I’m combining two great things – mail and food! Who’s in?

I mentioned last month that I love food holidays, and I really do. So once a month, I’ll help you get prepped on which fun food holidays are coming up so you can brighten someone’s day with them.

April has some interesting food holidays. Check these out:

• April 2  National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
• April 5 National Caramel Day
• April 11 National Cheese Fondue Day
• April 16 National Eggs Benedict Day
• April 20 Lima Bean Respect Day (who knew?!)
• April 22 National Jelly Bean Day
• April 23 National Picnic Day
• April 29 National Shrimp Scampi Day
• April 30 National Raisin Day

Of course, there are more food holidays than these, and there are so many possibilities for mail! Here are some ideas to get you started.

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

Check out the pic at the bottom of this post. I’ve got mailing labels directly onto the jar of peanut butter. (Plastic jar, of course.) Make sure you get the whipped peanut butter that’s less than 16 ounces. It’s in a different mail category and is cheaper to mail!

Or if you have a PB&J-loving friend who eats gluten-free, you can mail these. The box may get dented in the mail, but how fun to get a box of fun treats just like this in the mailbox!

National Caramel Day

It is true that you can mail a bag. I have one ready to go. But I also put some caramels in a clean juice bottle. The postage can go right on the bottle, and your recipient will be delighted to find this in the mailbox. (Don’t do this in super hot weather. Caramels can be like chocolate and get too soft in hot weather.)

National Jelly Bean Day

Yet again, you CAN mail a bag of candy as is. This bag is actually a great example of one to mail. The extra air inside prevents the candy from getting smashed. Just add address labels and postage, and send it on its merry way! Side note, I think this looks like the yummiest bag of jelly beans!

National Raisin Day

This 6-pack of boxes will mail well! I’m adding some extra packaging tape around it to make sure the labels and postage don’t come off.

Here are some things I have ready to go for April.

What food holidays will you celebrate with friends and family?

Tell me in the comments!

Oat-mail Kit

If you liked this post about mailing a drink named after a happy little bird, then you’re also going to like what I have for you today.

Yesterday was the last day of InCoWriMo. It really has been a challenge, especially with sicknesses and work schedule changes. You’ll have to forgive me for being late with this. It just wasn’t happening on time this month.

So for my 29th day of consecutive mailings, I’m sending another food kit. But this time, instead of a drink, I’m mailing oatmeal!

It’s another Trim Healthy Mama recipe called Sweet Dreams Cookie Bowl Oatmeal that I found in the THM cookbook, and it’s amazing! As always, I tweak recipes to make them my own, and I think this oatmeal tastes just like no bake cookies in a bowl. It has seriously changed my mornings. (I highly recommend getting the cookbook and trying out the THM plan.)

I’ve been telling some friends that they need to try this, and I figured the best way to share a great recipe with them is just to send them all of the ingredients. So here they are, ready to go in their little package.

Sadly, once I wrapped the box and took it to the post office, I forgot to take a picture. I only had my phone with me and had no more room on my phone for pictures. But it was wrapped beautifully!

I hope the recipient enjoys this oatmeal kit and finds this to be an easy way to try a new recipe.

What recipe would you consider mailing to a friend or loved one? Can you think of anything I should try?
Tell me in the comments below!

Postal Pistachios

Guess what… 

I love food holidays.

No really. I really enjoy scouting out great food holidays and incorporating them into my family’s meals, or education, or life skills.

And I also enjoy figuring out clever ways to send fun mail for food holidays.

So, with that in mind, I bring you my next mail piece for InCoWriMo . . .

World Pistachio Day!

Yes, that’s right. Friday, February 26th is World Pistachio Day, and I’m celebrating by sending a package to my husband at work. It would be kind of difficult to send him a package at home since I’m the one that gets the mail. It’s not really a surprise if I just hand it to him. But if he gets it at work, well, that might be fun!

He likes the kind in the shells, but since I wanted to get a package that was tighter and easier to mail, I bought the shelled kind. I wrote a note and folded it before adding the addresses and taping it on super well.

I mailed it today, so he should get it Friday. I can’t wait to hear from him when it shows up!

Still not done yet … I need your help!

I’m working on a list of fun food holidays and will feature the foods that YOU, my awesome readers, want to know about.

What food holidays would you like me to find for you? Coffee? Spaghetti? Shrimp? Cupcakes?

Let’s figure out how to brighten someone’s day with fun mail for food holidays!

Tell me what you want in the comments below . . .