Hello sweet friends! I am always so humbled as I write these Notes from the Porch Updates & know that so many of you are praying for me & walking with me on this long journey. Since my last update there have been several serious things that have occurred & I wanted to take just a few brief moments to update you & ask for continued prayer. As I mentioned last time because my iron dropped so low I needed to have another couple of Iron treatments. During this time I was so blessed to have a woman come over & just encourage me & start praying for me. It is always such a blessing when the Lord uses people to show you such extreme kindness during these very hard moments. It truly humbles me how the Lord shows his mercies (Lamentations 3) every single day. Shortly after the iron treatment was finished I posted this picture on instagram & was grateful for so many prayers that there was no immediate severe reaction.
Unfortunately shortly after I posted that picture things started to go downhill. By the time that my mom had reached a grocery store (approximately 15 minutes away) I was already starting to feel the full side effects & had become very ill. (It should be noted here that many many people receive different types of iron infusions. For some people it helps them feel immediately better, while others, like myself extremely struggle due to the fact that we have other complicating illnesses that the body is fighting. For me with Lyme Disease my blood does not "move" as much as it should anyway and the iron infusion is literally "forcing" this to happen so the body feels like it needs to "fight off" the "invader" (iron) instead of readily accepting it.) Unfortunately most people that suffer are able to have several steroid shots to help this reaction be less severe but because Lyme feeds on steroids this is not an option for me. Several of you were immediately praying as I was feeling extremely poorly.
It was a rough trip home & definitely the next few days were extremely rough. By Friday I was starting to feel a little bit better but was not able to do any of my normal treatments that week. Unfortunately on Saturday it became quickly obvious that I was not doing better & now it had nothing to do with the iron infusion, instead I had contracted a virus.
I think that this is a great place to state that this post will show how much my little immune system is so severely compromised at this moment. I contracted a 24 hour virus that has been going on around our area & instead of it being 24 hours it turned into a 5 day "event". The littlest things & germs are a direct threat to my immune system & this is often a constant part of many peoples prayers. I will be honest & also say that for the first time in my life it is also a very very scary reality of my life. By Sunday morning (after being up all night) it became obvious that a trip to the hospital was going to be needed as I could not keep anything in me. Because of the complications of having Sojourn's disease (where I get severely dehydrated) this was a necessary decision that I hated to make. Thankfully we arrived at the hospital & were taken back pretty quickly &I was given lots of anti-nausea meds & several IV bags of fluid.
Unfortunately, it took two nurses & seven sticks (including a mis-stick to hit a tendon- OUCH!!) to have us decide that we will not ever be returning to this hospital ER again. (The pictures below just show one arm as the other arm was WAY too awful to show.)
Also unfortunately, while I felt better after we left the hospital for a few hours, it truly did nothing to help & it required a couple of more IV times. On Tuesday I sent out a picture on instagram begging y'all to pray & thankfully this third IV infusion (with several AMAZINGLY compassionate doctors & nurses praying over me) started to help.
Finally on Wednesday five days after the virus ordeal started I was able to sip a few sips of liquids & yesterday eat some bites of food. To say that it has been an easy journey would be a ridiculous lie & to say that it has been one of the more difficult parts of this long road would be simplifying the intense struggle these last two weeks have been. There are times where I honestly try not to focus on how sick that I am but instead just take one day at a time (or one moment at a time as the case may be) but these last five days in particular have been a reminder of how big this battle is & the reality of needing to see a new doctor to help me in this journey. It has been incredibly scary (it still is) & truthfully at one point I was sure that I was dying & definitely felt like I wanted to as that is how awful I felt. I am sooo appreciative of my TREMENDOUS family & incredible friends who never condemn me for these feelings but simply cry with me, send me hugs from afar, & remind me to hope in the truth of the Lord. When I was able to listen to music I definitely had these two songs on repeat.
As I close out this update I want to say that I am so incredibly grateful for your prayers. I know that often times in these updates I try to focus solely on the positive but I do have two prayer requests & I appreciate your kind understanding that these are not all "positive".
(1) Under the care of my doctors and family I have decided to still step forward & go on the trip next week. Obviously, I am sure it goes without saying about how nerve-wracking that this is for me at this point. Coming off of a "normal" week in this journey had me a little apprehensive about this trip but after this past week I am more than a little concerned. At the same time though I do agree that emotionally (which is also a HUGE part of this battle) this is very important. While I have been shocked by the turn of events these last two weeks the Lord is not. Thank you in advance for your prayers of health protection, safety, and travel mercies.
(2) I will be blunt about this next point as I feel awkward even saying this... but the truth is that I am in need of money for weekly treatment and for the trip out to California that I mentioned in my last update. So far I have only raised 1% of my goal for this trip and honestly these last weeks have showed me how necessary this trip is to save my life. Through Chalk and Pine, some Ebay sales (I am trying to sell off all of my belongings at this point for money), some free lance writing work, The Parcel Post Tribe, and The Paper Sonnet I have been able to scrape by some funds for continued treatment here on a weekly basis but after hospital bills from December and from this past week I have not been able to apply any of these funds so far to going to California. In addition to this as most of you know my savings account and some other peoples has been obliterated in this long journey. All of that to say I appreciate any and all donations and your prayers for money for California. As I mentioned last time I have set up a "Go Fund Me" page for donations. Again, thank you so much for your prayers for this particular issue as this is a HUGE stress factor for me right at this moment. You can click HERE to find the page. Thank you for your compassion as this is probably the most awkward part of the journey.
I love y'all, thank you again for all of your prayers and support.
Is there anything more delightful than celebrating and rejoicing with friends in the Lord's blessings in their lives? It is such a joyful thing to see the Lord work and to celebrate with those who are rejoicing! Two extremely dear friends in my life who have had such a huge huge influence in who I am today are both engaged! These women have walked some of the roughest times of my life with me, faithfully praying, extravagantly loving, and uniquely embracing me. Since 2008 I have been the recipient of extreme love
and have seen in numerous ways the Lord's amazing blessing of their presence, friendship, and love in my life. Over the years since they graduated from high school & I moved to Georgia to teach for three years I have been so honored to keep in touch with these dear friends through text messages, visits, & phone calls. Each time that we are together or talk we can catch up right in the moment & it is like there has been absolutely no time that has passed (even though my heart misses them so much!). Each moment that I have with them I have been encouraged in my faith and have grown as a woman of God.
and have seen in numerous ways the Lord's amazing blessing of their presence, friendship, and love in my life. Over the years since they graduated from high school & I moved to Georgia to teach for three years I have been so honored to keep in touch with these dear friends through text messages, visits, & phone calls. Each time that we are together or talk we can catch up right in the moment & it is like there has been absolutely no time that has passed (even though my heart misses them so much!). Each moment that I have with them I have been encouraged in my faith and have grown as a woman of God.
We always have a wonderful time talking about treasured memories of the past and yet the Lord is good in allowing us to remember the past while celebrating the present & the future. As y'all might remember I had the AMAZING opportunity (due to the EXTREME generosity of MANY people) to spend a weekend "at home" to attend and be apart of a very special wedding of another dear friend of mine! I also had the opportunity to spend time with both of these ladies. One night we had the best time catching up over a late meal full of laughter and the opportunity to gather with dear friends.
My heart was full.
I also had the incredible opportunity to have lovely chats with Carina as she patiently rearranged her schedule to spend time with me. I love you sunshine. Thank you for being such an amazing friend, a beautiful woman of God, and for being such a beautiful picture of God's love. Thank you so much for being such an amazing influence in my life! And I am reminded once again of how few pictures I have of you & I. (This must change. Because lets be serious- this one from the 2009 baseball game brings back a whole lot of fun memories, operation UK, operation 21, etc. but most of them seem slightly inappropriate (since they involved other boys) now that you are getting married. Hahaha!)
In June Katharine & her family graciously housed me for the amazing wedding weekend & I am so incredibly grateful to them. They lovingly opened their home & treated me like I was a long lost daughter. I had forgotten the incredible amount of traffic DC has (okay, that's not exactly true- I actually tried to put it from my mind quickly when I moved *smiles*) & was so humbled that Katharine spent hours and hours in the car driving me around to my different commitments like it was her sole delight. Never once did she mention what an inconvenience somethings were for her but she sweetly made sure that I was constantly comfortable. Selfishly I enjoyed the time that we had to chat about love, life, and God, but I was so grateful for her kindness. Again, my heart was full from so much love. Beautiful, I love you & am so thankful for your love, laughter, your sweet reality, your incredible kindness, and your joy and creativity that you have brought to my life. Thank you so much for being such an amazing influence in my life!
And when Katharine dropped me off at the airport to say goodbye I cried freely (while holding my beautiful flowers from Katharine) because I was reminded of God's incredible blessings in my life.
It has been months since those tearful goodbyes and in those months there has been so much joyful news that I once again found myself crying, but this time tears of joy when I heard from both of them about their engagements! I am so excited for this new adventure and season that the Lord has for them. Both of these men are such blessed men and I praise the Lord for such lovely couples who love the Lord and who are such an encouragement to this single gal! I love y'all and my heart rejoices in this exciting news! I love you ladies!
{Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her health care provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.}
With Valentine's Day happening on Friday I thought there could be no better Thursday Health Thoughts post then the "benefits of dark chocolate". Now I do want to state a disclaimer from the beginning of this post. Those of you that know me very well know that I am not a chocolate lover. So when you see me writing about the benefits of dark chocolate it might appear to be a little ironic. *smiles* But writing this post has taught me a few things too and with Valentine's Day quickly approaching I am ready to share these sweet benefits of dark chocolate!
**NOTE: please note that these findings are talking about small amounts of dark chocolate in moderation.**
|
| Image from Lulas Chocolates |
1. Eating Dark Chocolate can reduce your chance of a stroke.
Several years ago there was a study done in Sweden that shared that there was significant findings that those who ate moderate amounts of dark chocolate were less likely to have a stroke than those who did not. Part of the reason for this is that dark chocolate is filled with lots of potassium and copper.
2. Dark Chocolate is rich in fiber.
Becase dark cholocate is rich in fiber (11 grams) when you eat small amounts of this your stomach fills up very quickly. Due to this you are less likely to continue to eat large amounts. Many studies have shown that eating a small piece of chocolate when you are having a craving for something sweet will prevent you from "oversnacking" on other items (such as salty crackers or chips).
3. Chocolate may help improve blood flow.
Chocolate has properties that can help your circulation! Research has shown that cocoa has anti-clotting properties so chocolate can work in the same way asprin does to the blood in helping it thin out.
4. Chocolate helps your vision.
Several years ago the University of Reading (United Kingdom) shared their theory that chocolate may actually also help improve blood flow (number 3) to the retina which could help improve your vision!
5. Chocolate Eases Stress
6. Chocolate is a powerful antioxidant
In addition to easing stress, chocolate is also a powerful antioxidant. A study that was done recently shared that cocoa and dark chocolate are so powerful as antioxidants (polyphenols & flavanols) that they are stronger than some fruits (which included blueberries and acai berries!) Are you as surprised by I am about this? Read the article HERE!!
7. Dark Chocolate helps against Heart disease
Dark Chocolate is known to raise HDL levels which will help prevent heart disease.
8. Dark Chocolate can help your teeth.
This was another thing that was surprising for me to learn. Dark Chocolate contains the component "theobromine" which is known to help harden the tooth enamel which in turn helps prevent against cavities.
Happy early Valentine's Day y'all!! Eat your chocolate! *smiles*
In my last post I shared several reasons that I believe Campus Book Rentals is awesome. One of those reasons was their new program called "rent back". Y'all, this is seriously wonderful! In this program you have the opportunity rent the textbooks that you own to other students like yourself. If you think about it you could potentially earn two to four times the amount you would earn if you just simply sold your books at the end of the semester. Research has also shown that Rent Back will provide you with more money than the campus buy back programs that currently exist on most college campuses! This is also a wonderful program for people like myself who are on-line students!
In addition to this wonderful new program, there is security in the fact that Campus Book Rentals has been around since 2007 so they have years of experience!
and (here is my favorite part!!!)
Campus Book Rentals is the fact that with each textbook rented they donate to Operation Smile!
 |
| Photo Credit: Operation Smile |
Are you familiar with Operation Smile?
Operation Smile "is an international children's medical charity that heals children's smiles, forever changing their lives... [by offering] safe, effective reconstructive surgery and related medical care for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft. One in 10 of those children will die before their first birthday. The children who survive are often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places, they are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can't afford to give them the surgeries they need to live a productive life."
As someone who is dealing with several severe medical issues I know the importance and the miracle of having someone help you in a medical crisis. This to me is one of the main reasons that I support Campus Book Rentals!
Thanks so much for reading this y'all! I hope that this helps you as we anticipate finishing this semester strong! Don't forget to go check out the rent back program that I mentioned!
Disclosure: I received compensation in exchange for highlighting this business but all opinions expressed in this post are my own.
In this book Marie Monville does an amazing job of weaving her story as the former wife of the shooter and how her life was transformed by not only her faith in God but this grace and forgiveness that was offered to her and her children (and other family members). The way that these lives were bound together and the relationships that exist till this day could only come about by God. Marie paints and shares this beautiful story (and what has happened since that awful day) in such a way that the reader honestly forgets that they are reading a book but instead truly feels like that you are sitting down with her and she is voicing this story to you. At many moments in this book I was brought to tears and literally did cry at the beautiful picture that is exposed in "Wall of Grace" (a moving and emotional chapter in the book). As I walked away from the book I was inspired by the tender story of faith, the thread of hope that surrounds extreme crisis, and the beautiful faith of a people that I didn't know much about. There was such beauty in this book that this simple review would not be able to do it justice.
This book has been life changing to me and over the last several weeks I have read it many times - making notes and highlighting sections that have continued to resonate with me. If you are looking for a book that is meant to inspire you will find that but you also will find much more. You will find the extraordinary way that God is not only working in Marie's life but in your own.
Today is the LAST day to sign up for the "the parcel post tribe" for February! Details are listed below!! New members and current members that have paid for this month or a 6 or 12 month package will have their items mailed to them on Monday, February 10th! These items are ADORABLE! *smiles*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have always adored snail mail. Honestly to me there is nothing better than receiving a beautiful and thoughtful card in the mail that always seems to arrive at "just the right time". But I often hear from friends that they simply don't have the time to make cards, go to a store to purchase them, or have the correct postage for specialty made cards.
Answer: the parcel post tribe
The parcel post tribe will mail to you TWO beautiful and handmade cards each month for a very low cost. In addition to this you will receive a surprise little gift in the mail (for you to keep or giveaway), a 10% coupon for the month to spend at my Etsy shop, The Paper Sonnet, and an e-newsletter that is designed to encourage you to find joy in the simple beauty of life and to be inspired to live a creative life everyday! (The e-newsletter will also feature other artists who are living life beautiful and creatively!) AND guess what?!? The two cards will also come with the correct amount of postage so all you have to do is address them and drop them in the mail! AND a portion of all of the proceeds from each month will go to those who are chronically ill and struggling financially.
the cost:
For a VERY low cost you will receive all of the items above. Did you know that cards can run as much as $5-$7 each? The Parcel Post Tribe is committed to making snail mail not only beautiful, but affordable.
Here are the options that you can choose from:
Here are the options that you can choose from:
1 Month Membership Purchase: $8.00
6 Month Membership Purchase*: $40.00
1 Year Membership Purchase*: $75.00
* Can be purchased to start on any month
Please choose an option that best suits your needs. Looking to save money? The 6 Month & 1 Year Membership purchases can save you money! To purchase any of the options just simply choose the option you would like from the drop down menu and then click on the "buy now" button.
Please choose an option that best suits your needs. Looking to save money? The 6 Month & 1 Year Membership purchases can save you money! To purchase any of the options just simply choose the option you would like from the drop down menu and then click on the "buy now" button.
the fine print:
* These cards are unique and will not be sold in The Paper Sonnet
*The beautifully handmade cards are made with vintage and acid-free materials so that these cards can also be used as keepsakes for your friends and family for years to come.
*As stated above: in order to receive the current months order you must purchase the tribe membership by the 7th of the month. If purchased after this you will receive the following months package.
*Cards will be mailed out NO later than the 10th of the month, but often times will be shipped out much sooner!
* As you check out using PayPal DON'T forget to put your address in the note section and your email address that you would like the e-newsletter sent to.
*The e-newsletter will be delivered on the 20th of the month via email.
*Each card comes with the correct postage.
* If a "special" date for a month happens before the 20th of the following month then the month before will feature a card that recognizes that holiday/occasion in the future. (Please see listed below for the breakdown of the monthly listing of cards for the 2013 year.)
the monthly listing of cards (2013):
February: St. Patrick's Day & Thinking of You Cards
March: Administrative Professionals Day & Happy Spring Cards
April: Easter & Mother's Day Cards
May: Happy Birthday & Fathers Day Cards
June: July 4th & Wedding Day Cards
July: Baby & Anniversary Cards
August: Back to School** & Grandparents Day Cards
**For August ONLY when purchasing this months cards you can "personalize" them with details of age for "back to school" & how to appropriate address your Grandparents Day Cards.
September: Welcome Autumn & Sympathy Cards
October: Fall/Halloween Card & Veteran's Day Cards
November: TWO Thanksgiving Day Cards
December: Happy Holidays & Christmas Cards
January: Welcome Winter & Valentines Day Cards
January: Welcome Winter & Valentines Day Cards
My dear sweet friends and fellow prayer warriors, I know that I say this every time I write a "Notes from the Porch" update, but it is simply because I am so incredibly grateful for your kindness, support, and love. I am always so humbled by the continued support, prayer, text messages, letters, packages in the mail, and the ways that you look to uniquely and creatively touch and encourage my little heart. Thank you for walking this long journey with me. I am so incredibly grateful.
I appreciate the fact that so many of you have graciously been praying and encouraging me and giving me the freedom to "just one more time" ask for pray for wisdom on where to go from here. As I shared last time there are a lot of unknowns. Faithfully and as always the Lord in His precious wisdom and timing has started to show us a new direction (and a new step in this journey) to go in. The Lord has been intricately planning this next step and I am excited to share with you! In some ways the days fly by due to treatment appointments, doctors appointments, & general health things that leaves me on a very specific and structured day. In other ways the days seem very slow and I look outside my little bedroom window wondering what the Lord has up His sleeve. In everything the Lord remains incredibly merciful & gracious.
I wanted to update you on some upcoming things & thank you in advance for all of your prayers & support that you continue to offer.
(One) Last week I had a check up for a couple of cancer spots that the doctors are watching. PRAISE the LORD that I continue to get tests results back that there are no new cancer spots. We continue to rejoice in this good news!
(Two) Another thing that brought tears to our eyes was the goodness that for the FIRST time in six months my oxygen levels within my cells has NOT diminished. While it has not improved, I cried out of gratefulness for hearing this report! As I have mentioned before my oxygen levels were at such a dangerous level we were not sure what we were looking at, so this is truly a wonderful improvement. We continue to rejoice in this miracle & remain incredibly grateful to the compassionate owner of the health place that has offered me such an incredible deal on soft covered hyperbaric oxygen & for your generous donations that make this possible. Despite the fact that I know that there is not enough scientific proof that soft-covered oxygen kills Lyme cells (hard cover hyperbaric oxygen does), we know that it is helping my body & we Praise the Lord for this!
(Three) I celebrated having a WONDERFUL day (almost 12 hours!) of being pain free in my stomach area for the first time in 7 months! While I know that we are not truly able to heal all of the gastro issues until the Lyme Disease is beat, I continue to thank the Lord for EACH hour & day that I do not have a severe attack. I am incredibly grateful for a gastrointerologist who continues to work with me and try to help me in this journey!
(Four) I can not say enough how grateful I am for my General Practitioner. Today I left her office marveling at God's goodness in leading me to connect with her office. She continues to help me search for answers for a variety of minor issues (so that they do not become bigger issues). Her consistent kindness, support, and willingness to help me has me always standing in amazement at her and the offices' compassion. TRULY this is an answer to prayer.
(Five) While we rejoice somethings have improved there are a couple of items that are concerning to the doctors & us. At this point I am going to just simply ask for prayer & wisdom & am grateful that you understand that there are some parts of this journey that I have chosen don't need to be "all known".
(Six) One thing that has happened is that my iron count has dropped at such a rapid level that I do have to have another iron infusion on Monday. I would covet prayers as this is not pleasant. Thank you.
Before I continue I do want to put a disclaimer in here at this point because I do believe that the next two points could appear to contradict themselves. I can not begin to express my gratitude for my amazing family & friends who continue to look out for the heart of this gal. Your kindness & support in amazing detail & love as you support the physical and emotional needs is simply astounding. From constant hugs and laughter to beautiful flowers from my sister after a day of blood tests (in my favorite colors!), to my mom's constant listening ear to my dad's steadfast faith & wisdom I am extremely blessed. In addition to knowing that the physical aspect of this journey is important I also have so many AMAZING people in my life who recognize the need for emotional encouragement. From those who have supplied hard to find books & movies to bring distraction & laughter, to priceless tickets to be apart of a dear friends wedding, to countless checks, visa gift cards, & cash with specific instructions to spend it on something that will bring me joy, to tickets for a special trip to Disneyland with a dear friend I have been incredibly incredibly blessed. And so with number six I continue to stand in awe.
(Seven) As many of you know I am going to be going on a cruise the last week of February with my dear friend Michelle! (You probably remember reading about this sweet and AMAZING lady as she flew out to visit me in California for several days and whose treasured friendship could only have been brought about by the Lord!) This gift of the cruise & many other financial details of this has been from several different people who are so incredibly generous. I can't even begin to thank all of you for your kindness. I have never been on a cruise before and am SO looking forward to this. Michelle and I both covet your prayers and I so appreciate your sweet support in this joyful gift.
And as I close I want to update you on the new direction I will be taking...
(Eight) One of the things that I mentioned in the last post was that we were asking for wisdom for where to proceed next. After weeks (well months truthfully) of searching & having appointments at some of the major hospitals in the US we have decided to proceed with a new Lymes Specialist. This was an incredibly difficult decision to make as I am incredibly grateful for all of Whitaker Wellness Institutes help in my journey so far& continue to hope that they will be an integral part of this journey. At the same time though I desire to continue to continue to move forward & beat this! At this point it makes the most sense with my very complicated case to have the wisdom & input of a Lymes Specialist who is familiar with these types of cases. After much prayer & figuring out an appointment that would work with my schedule (and to see if they would have an opening *smiles*) I am excited to share that I will be headed back to California (albeit in a new clinic & city *smiles*) to have an appointment with Pacific Frontier Medical in San Francisco on March 10th.
I continue to ask for prayer that the Lord would give wisdom to this appointment and to me as we make decisions for the future and how to proceed to best kill the Lyme Disease. While the clinic is set up differently then Whitaker's there is definitely a high cost that is associated with this due to the expense of Lyme Disease. In addition to this it is necessary to travel as there is not the expertise where I live and need to have an appointment to get started. Many of you have contacted me recently & asked how you can help donate to expenses that are coming up. As I have used the generous donations from the fall for several treatments that are "closer" to home & for medical bills this expense truly is stepping out in faith. I so appreciate that I have so many of you that have been most patient & generous in this journey - continually donating. Your love & unwavering support has TRULY been a blessing. I continue to try to bring in some finances despite being very ill & as some of you know I have been accepting some free-lance writing work, expanding My Etsy Shop, creating "the parcel post tribe", & opening my instagram store to help off-set some of the funds that I need for medical expenses. I continue to pray for additional orders so that these things will also go to help cover the expenses that are needed for this upcoming trip & future treatment.
In addition to this you might have noticed that there is a new "go fund me" account on this page (to the right). As I do not need to raise the $8,000 that I originally needed if I was going back to Whitaker Wellness Institute, the funds now are updated to share what is currently still needed ($2825.00) for this trip. I am so humbled by y'alls generosity again and again. Thank you so much for all of your financial and prayer support. Listed below is a description of the costs for this trip.
Thank you again for your incredible kindness and love during this journey!
With Lots of Love,
Rebecca
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cost of Trip to California (March 9th - 11th, 2014)
Deposit: $175
Doctors Appointment: $500
Possible Lab Work (not covered by insurance): $750
Possible IV Treatment: $200
Plane Ticket to San Francisco: $600
Hotel for Tw0 Nights (at discounted rate): $300
Estimated Food Costs: $100
Supplements: $100
Car Rental: $100
Total: $2825.00
I have always adored snail mail. Honestly to me there is nothing better than receiving a beautiful and thoughtful card in the mail that always seems to arrive at "just the right time". But I often hear from friends that they simply don't have the time to make cards, go to a store to purchase them, or have the correct postage for specialty made cards.
Answer: the parcel post tribe
The parcel post tribe will mail to you TWO beautiful and handmade cards each month for a very low cost. In addition to this you will receive a surprise little gift in the mail (for you to keep or giveaway), a 10% coupon for the month to spend at my Etsy shop, The Paper Sonnet, and an e-newsletter that is designed to encourage you to find joy in the simple beauty of life and to be inspired to live a creative life everyday! (The e-newsletter will also feature other artists who are living life beautiful and creatively!) AND guess what?!? The two cards will also come with the correct amount of postage so all you have to do is address them and drop them in the mail! AND a portion of all of the proceeds from each month will go to those who are chronically ill and struggling financially.
the cost:
For a VERY low cost you will receive all of the items above. Did you know that cards can run as much as $5-$7 each? The Parcel Post Tribe is committed to making snail mail not only beautiful, but affordable.
Here are the options that you can choose from:
Here are the options that you can choose from:
1 Month Membership Purchase: $8.00
6 Month Membership Purchase*: $40.00
1 Year Membership Purchase*: $75.00
* Can be purchased to start on any month
Please choose an option that best suits your needs. Looking to save money? The 6 Month & 1 Year Membership purchases can save you money! To purchase any of the options just simply choose the option you would like from the drop down menu and then click on the "buy now" button.
Please choose an option that best suits your needs. Looking to save money? The 6 Month & 1 Year Membership purchases can save you money! To purchase any of the options just simply choose the option you would like from the drop down menu and then click on the "buy now" button.
the fine print:
* These cards are unique and will not be sold in The Paper Sonnet
*The beautifully handmade cards are made with vintage and acid-free materials so that these cards can also be used as keepsakes for your friends and family for years to come.
*As stated above: in order to receive the current months order you must purchase the tribe membership by the 7th of the month. If purchased after this you will receive the following months package.
*Cards will be mailed out NO later than the 10th of the month, but often times will be shipped out much sooner!
* As you check out using PayPal DON'T forget to put your address in the note section and your email address that you would like the e-newsletter sent to.
*The e-newsletter will be delivered on the 20th of the month via email.
*Each card comes with the correct postage.
* If a "special" date for a month happens before the 20th of the following month then the month before will feature a card that recognizes that holiday/occasion in the future. (Please see listed below for the breakdown of the monthly listing of cards for the 2013 year.)
the monthly listing of cards (2013):
February: St. Patrick's Day & Thinking of You Cards
March: Administrative Professionals Day & Happy Spring Cards
April: Easter & Mother's Day Cards
May: Happy Birthday & Fathers Day Cards
June: July 4th & Wedding Day Cards
July: Baby & Anniversary Cards
August: Back to School** & Grandparents Day Cards
**For August ONLY when purchasing this months cards you can "personalize" them with details of age for "back to school" & how to appropriate address your Grandparents Day Cards.
September: Welcome Autumn & Sympathy Cards
October: Fall/Halloween Card & Veteran's Day Cards
November: TWO Thanksgiving Day Cards
December: Happy Holidays & Christmas Cards
January: Welcome Winter & Valentines Day Cards
January: Welcome Winter & Valentines Day Cards
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
