a lost art. {and a giveaway}

when i was a kid, maybe ten or eleven, i would get those tween magazines.
you know the ones.
tiger beat.
bop.
ym. {young & modern}

in the back there was a section for pen pals.

keep in mind twenty years ago it was safe{r} to put your address in the back of a magazine.
or did you send your info with a SASE to a central address who then sent you the name and address of a pen pal?

well, somehow, i had a pen pal {or three} courtesy of these tween magazines.
and i loved it.

i would get a letter in the mail with a picture.
we would talk about which new kid on the block was the cutest and whether or not we liked the scent of baby soft perfume.
i don't really remember what we talked about.
it was just plain cool to get mail.
from the mailman.

and it's still cool.
every time i see a swap of some sort on a blog i sign up.
if i know it's your birthday you may get a card from me.
a handwritten birthday wish.
say you're on my mind...i'll send a card.
when i'm at the store and i see something that makes me think of you i'll buy it and mail it to you.
because, well, who doesn't love happy mail?!

crystal {littlebitfunky} and i are new pen pals.
for real.
like 2012, hand write a note, put a stamp on the envelope, and give it to the mailman pen pals.
it's cool!

and while notes and letters are fun, so are small gifts...just to say "i'm thinking of you."

did you know you could mail a plastic egg filled with goodies?
you can.

did you know it only takes a few minutes to jot down a few sentences to brighten someone's day?
it does.
just a few.
promise.

do you have a pen pal?
do you have someone in mind that might could use a bit of sunshine in their day?

i'd like to make it easier on you to write your first letter.

my friends at hallmark would like to give one of you a gift pack of ten greeting cards.


that video gives me chills.
everyone has something they need to hear.
and you just never know when your card or letter might land in their mailbox at the right time.
tell them.

on facebook?
you can "vow to tell" someone in your life what you think he/she needs to hear.

ready to win?

tell me...who will your pen pal be?
or, who did you "vow to tell?"

will you write a letter today?
or, better yet, go buy a card that says you're thinking of them.
put it in the mail.
today.

go.



disclaimer: this post is sponsored by hallmark. the thoughts are my own. the gift pack of cards will be provided by hallmark. thank you hallmark.