Below is a compilation of all the past Happy Mails, starting with the most recent. Scroll to this week’s date to see the most recent! You can sign up for my email list here.
P.S. Some of these links are affiliate links. You know the drill…no extra cost to you, but I do earn a small commission if you purchase through any of these links. Disclosure policy with more info is right here.
Happy Mail- January 11, 2021
- I’ve shared SO much about PowerSheets. If you were on the fence about getting them and wishing you would have, it’s still not too late! Learn all about them here!
- Same thing with Bible Recap, it’s not too late to begin! If you want to read through the Bible in one year, learn more about it here! Or, you can read my recap of it in this post here.
- This week I am presenting on creating intentional to-do lists for a business group I am a part of. It caused me to pull out my Taking Charge of Your Fertility book. Whether you are trying to or not to get pregnant, this book is FULL of so much information about a woman’s body. It’s mind-blowing, really!
- I read this book on my Kindle and will be purchasing it in hardcover soon. It was SO good and so helpful in thinking through how we make decisions.
- Lastly, Ultimate Bundles is putting together a “Conquer Your Clutter” bundle that goes on sale today. Head here to learn more and get your bundle of resources to help you declutter and get organized for less than $30.
Happy Mail- December 7, 2020
So here’s a few favorites I want to mention as we wrap up this year.
❄️I can’t remember who got Cody this cookbook but it is his absolute favorite and I love it too. This is a great gift idea for anyone who enjoys cooking. It’s not just a cookbook. The author does all kinds of experiments with the recipes in his book, writes about them, and then gives you the tried and tested recipe. Some of our favorite meals come from this book (like a crispy chicken sandwich that’s just like Chick-fil-a’s and I cooked their cranberry recipe for Thanksgiving and it was delicious!)
❄️Random, but helpful…I drink waaaayyyy more water when it’s out of a straw. These are my favorite and they are reusable!
❄️This isn’t so much a thing to link to, but a tip I want to give you. This winter, as I decorated our house, I was so thankful for Past Kelly! Last winter I changed out all of our picture frames with holiday/winter pictures. Then, when it was time to transition out of winter decor, I just slipped the holiday pic in the back of the frame. Then, this weekend when I changed out the photos it took me all of two minutes. No figuring out which picture looks best in which frame or which pictures to print.
❄️Cody and I get this daily email each weekday morning. The writers are typically more conservative. It’s really important to Cody and I that we hear from a diverse set of news sources. This gives us some of our “conservative” news. I also really enjoy the Sunday “French Press,” David French writes. He writes about political issues with Christian values front and center. It’s really good!
❄️A friend tagged me in her Insta Story this past weekend. It was a picture of a book I recommended earlier in the year. This is my top non-fiction book of 2020 and this is my top recommendation for fiction. You can see all my favorite books of 2020 here.
Happy Mail- November 30, 2020
- When I first heard this song it was on my Hygge Playlist and I thought it was a song about two lovers. The more I listened, the more I thought “this is how God sees me.” Finally, I looked up the artist and more behind-the-scenes about the song. Listen to this rendition and try not to get teary-eyed thinking about God’s love for us. Here is a blog that put a beautiful explanation to the words.
- Since I spent the better part of last week in bed, I flew through this book. It was just enough suspense to keep me on my toes but nothing scary.
- I just updated the “Organize Your Utable” resource to be more applicable to all teachers. Now it’s the “Organize Your Desk” resource. Click here to get it and use code blackfriday2020 for 40% off (less than $10)
- This talk on racism in the Church was really good. It’s a bit long so queue it up while you are cleaning or making a long drive.
- Y’all know I am really big into photography. My favorite person to learn from is Courtney (she was a former teacher.) I have purchased three of her courses now. The most recent is A December to Remember, all about photographing your holiday traditions. I am not an affiliate for her but still want to share it because it is that good!
Happy Mail- November 16, 2020
🍂 I am working on updating the free 5 Day Classroom Organization Challenge. More info here if you want to join in!
🍂If you are an essential oil junky, then be sure to check out the newest bundle Ultimate Bundles put together. The Herbs and Essential Oils Super Bundle is available today through Friday for only $37.
🍂In the past two weeks I have binged two shows on Netflix. I’ve missed out on the Hallmark movie thing the past couple of years but little did I know, Netflix was supplying me with the perfect antidote to that. First up, Sweet Magnolias…Cheesy, terrible acting (for the most part) and super predictable (except for the ending). It was everything I needed when Cody was traveling for work. This past weekend I watched all ten episodes of Virgin River in less than 24 hours. Again…cheesy, predictable, but much better acting!
🍂In between my binge watching on Sunday, I made my own pumpkin puree. I can’t believe I waited this long to do it on my own! The last two falls I have had canned pumpkin shipped to me since you can’t find it here. Seriously, this was so easy and I am excited to make pumpkin pie and soup with my puree!
🍂Two weeks ago I blogged about Classroom Jobs during distance learning. Thom Gibson, who I referenced in the post, has put out a free resource of classroom jobs for your kiddos. Check it out here!
Happy Mail- November 2, 2020
✅ Speaking of major things happening this week, this book (Compassion and Conviction) was recommended to me as a biblical way of looking at handling politics in the U.S. I am only three chapters in but underlining the heck out of it.
✅I’ve been on the search for a new recipe to make my morning coffee. It was starting to taste bitter and bleh. We use a french press and I found this post with some new helpful ideas. So far, so good! Also, this is the french press we had back home and I miss it SO much. It didn’t make the cut when we packed to move across the ocean. According to a text from my mom I got yesterday morning, only 151 days (or 217,440 minutes) till I’m back with my beloved french press…I mean, mom!
✅I’m not crying…YOU’RE CRYING! (Man reunited with the 700 children he saved from the Nazis in WWII)
✅Lately, I’ve had a lot of tightness in my upper back and shoulders (I can’t imagine why!). I strayed from my Yoga with Adrienne obsession and found this video that does a GREAT stretch for that area.
✅Last night I worked through my November PowerSheets Tending List and got super excited to know that in just a few weeks I’ll be cracking open my 2021 PowerSheets. It’s still not too late to order yours!
Happy Mail 009- May 25, 2020
- BlacKkKlansman was a really good movie Cody and I watched this weekend.
- I finished I Think You’re Wrong But I’m Listening this weekend. I cannot recommend this book enough as every American should read it!
- We made these cookies last week and they were soooo good! Be warned, they have to sit for 24 hours which is always a bummer to wait on cookies. But, well worth the wait!
- Knox McCoy’s (ya know…The Popcast! podcast) new book, All Things Reconsidered is available for pre-order. Once you buy it you get access to a ton of behind-the-scenes type stuff that is well worth the price of the book.
- I have used Restored 316 to build both versions of my website as well as my personal website. I love them, their support, and their designs.
Happy Mail 008- May 18, 2020
- I found this podcast, hosted by two black women (from Texas, no less!) talking about being black women in today’s culture. SO educational for me
- THIS BOOK! If you are someone who is in your head a lot, then buy this now! Skip Kindle and straight to hardcover, don’t make the same mistake I did. I now have a Kindle and hardcover version of this book because it is that good.
- Gardening is a great way to pass the Quarantine time- The Ultimate Bundles Gardening Bundle is a great way to learn more about your new pastime.
- My eyes and brain have been hurting a lot lately- I think from all the screen time. These blue light glasses are saving me! (Also, I always call them my “blue ray glasses” and Cody rolls his eyes every time LOL)
- I got SO many emails and DM’s telling me how quickly teachers got their classrooms organized and packed up using the steps listed out in the checklist. It’s still not too late to get your checklist and the training.
Happy Mail 007- May 6, 2020
Seven weeks… My husband and I have made it 56 days. What about you? Here is what is keeping me/us entertained these days.
- Cody and I binged Unorthodox in one day. SO good! It’s the story of a girl escaping a Hasidic Jewish community in New York. She escapes to Germany so that was a fun part of the story for us.
- I’ve been waking up early a lot these past few weeks with the desire to write. I recently documented quarantine life in Germany.
- Ready to get out of yoga pants and top knots? Get Your Pretty On has “Outfit Formulas” for you to create capsule wardrobes for each season. I have the Spring one and she is getting ready to release the Summer one!
- Panacotta is my new favorite dessert and literally the EASIEST dessert ever. I’ve tested several different recipes and this has turned out the best most consistently. Next, I will work on tweaking this recipe to blend things I learned from others.
- Like I said, 50+ days of togetherness. Often dinner is pretty quiet these days. Last week we started listening to this podcast about racial justice. It brought about a lot of good conversations. The episode is a bit long so we listened to it over the course of 3-4 dinners. Also…some really powerful stories in there.
Happy Mail 006- April 29, 2020
- Melanie Shankle is one of my favorite authors and podcasters. I finished her new book in just a couple of days!
- Cody’s biggest pet peeve in life…Hard butter when you try to spread it on bread. We got a French Butter Dish and it’s been a game-changer. (Also, don’t worry…I made the same face you just made about butter sitting out in a tub of water for days on end. But it’s legit!) (The one we got was from a sweet lady in Europe, and I bought the last one. I’m sure you can find tons more on Etsy!)
- This guy has a lot of great YouTube videos about tech in the classroom + tons of helpful ones about teaching remotely.
- Cool photos of famous places around the globe that are completely empty because of Corona Virus (NYT is a paid subscription, so if you can’t view it…I’m sorry! But, they are worth the $4/month for access to all their articles!)
- I transitioned to listening to podcasts on Overcast instead of the Apple podcast app. I love it so much! You can set up playlists and that makes my organizing heart so happy!
Happy Mail 005- April 22, 2020
- Fav news or political resources: Pantsuit Politics Podcast, The Daily Podcast, The New York Times Daily Briefing (email with top news stories)
- This granola I shared on my Insta and the cookbook it came from
- Check and see if these satellites are zooming by you in the next few days (we saw them last night, dozens of them! A new one every 5 to 6 seconds appeared- so cool!) More info on all the satellites is here.
- Prayer is hard, but I love this prayer journal to help me organize the things I want to pray for and structure my prayer time each day.
- Erin Condren released their new Teacher Planners (my favorite teacher planner!)
Happy Mail 004- April 15, 2020
Fun Fact…Writing this email each week has become a highlight (I know, it’s the little things). It has caused me to pay close attention to the little things that bring me joy right now. And I LOVE telling people about things I am loving (just ask my friends, I think I probably annoy them!) and this just gives me another excuse to tell people about more great things!
Here’s a few things for you to check out this week.
- This recipe worked wonders for the armpit stains in some of my favorite shirts.
- I love Essential Oils and have a ton, but find myself using the same ones over and over. I vowed to myself to use up what I have before buying anymore, because #internationalshippingisnojoke But when I do, this company is where I’ll be buying them from because they are my fav, reasonably priced, natural, and not a MLM (sorry Young Living and doTERRA people!)
- I made this homemade cleaner because I am picky about things I use to clean my house and can’t get my favorite product from the U.S. right now and don’t know any German companies to use.
- Did you see this video? Each time I watch it, I just try to figure out how they did it…
- Linda (Teach 4 the Heart) has a free training to help you manage your kids with distance learning.
Happy Mail 003- April 8, 2020
- Cody is an engineer…so anything science related is fun for him. Lucky for me, cooking is a science to him 😉 He is doing most of the cooking for us these days, including these YUMMY buns we use for burgers, our version of Chick-fil-a sandwiches, and anything else. (We’ve also done without the eggs and they still turn out great)
- Have you seen this Harry Potter Virtual Escape Room? It wasn’t too challenging for us, but would be great to do as a family!
- Read this book in three days! It’s light, fluffy, and everything opposite of what is going on in the world right now.
- I just saw this Stuck at Home Bundle the Ultimate Bundles Team has put together (it’s only on sale through today at 11:59 EST- sorry! Would have told y’all sooner if I saw it sooner!) It’s got kids activities, parenting resources, self care ebooks, as well as downloadables to help you get organized. ($490 worth of products on sale for $20)
- Last week I read this verse and it hit me, hard. It’s so needed right now. So I made it a pretty wallpaper for you!
Happy Mail 002- April 1, 2020
- Have you started ice rolling? I started about 2 months ago and it’s my new favorite part of my morning! I do it right after I squeeze lemon into my water so I get the lemon scent while I roll…LOOOOVE!
- Lots of music being played in our house right now. This playlist is all my favorite worship songs to listen to in the morning while I read.
- I started reading this book Saturday night. I predict I’ll be done by tomorrow night. It is SO good!
- Y’all know how much I love Ultimate Bundles. Right now they have a Self Care Bundle on sale for $11.97 (inside are 10 self care products you can use right now!)
- This video is so cute and funny, even my husband was laughing!
Happy Mail 001- March 25, 2020
- I’ve watched this meme (gif? IDK!) too many times to count. And as a lover of The Office…it’s giving me life right now!
- I saw this 7 day prayers for Covid-19 and I loved it. I’ll keep cycling through it each week. Somtimes it helps me to have more focus in my prayers than just a broad “I pray for everyone involved” kinda thing.
- Katie is a new online friend and has a free mini-course on how to make the most of this time at home with your kiddos. It’s called The Thrive at Home Toolkit, it’s free and I went through it real quick and it looks super helpful, especially for mommas!
- Cody got this cook book and he is loving it. But they also have a 4 part documentary on Netflix that we binged Saturday. Highly recommend (just don’t watch hungry!)
- This Pantsuit Politics podcast episode was encouraging to me in this time we are in right now.
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