During December, getting the mail is exciting. Will there be a card and/or letter from a far-off friend? Did someone send me a Christmas gift? Did something I ordered to give to someone else arrive? During the stretch of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I get more than bills and junk mail in my mailbox—and I love it!

Snail mail as simple pleasure.

I know I’m not the only one who loves to get mail, and there’s no reason why we can’t enjoy this simple pleasure all year round.  

Letters

Back in Olden Times, before texting and email became as convenient and popular as they are, if you wanted to stay in touch with a faraway friend or family member, you had to write letters—pre-cell phone, calling was likely expensive. I used to bring stationery or note cards with me to my son’s baseball practices, or I’d jot a few lines while we watched TV. Even on occasion, I’d sit on our front porch specifically to pen a letter to someone. Even though I love the convenience of texting and email—the ability to send photos or share a funny thought in the moment—I also miss getting actual letters in my mailbox from my friends and family.

I don’t write many letters anymore, but I’m thinking about bringing letter writing back into my life as a Happy Little Thing. I like the idea of slowing down enough to gather my thoughts and write to someone. I have a few older relatives who don’t use email or text, and I know they’d love to get a note in the mail. I just need to make this a simple pleasure rather than a chore—maybe set myself up with pretty stationery, a cozy drink, and so on. Make it a pleasant ritual.

Packages

I’m also a fan of receiving packages in the mail, even if they’re just vitamins or pet food I ordered online! There’s just something exciting about opening up a box, especially if you’re not quite sure what’s inside. Though I’ve never tried this, I know there are plenty of subscription services out there, from coffee, to beauty items, to art supplies, to luxury boxes that combine any number of charming personal and home items—at many different price points. There are even letter subscriptions.

Subscribing to a letter or box service could be a way to have something fun to look forward to, especially if you don’t have anyone to exchange letters with, or if you’d prefer just receiving snail mail to actually producing it. A few I that look tempting (no affiliation):

• Paris Letters or Typewriter Letters subscriptions, individual letters or packages from Janice MacLeod Studio
• Art and journaling supplies from Archer & Olive
• Stories told through letters from The Flower Letters
• Monthly “letters of celebration, inspiration, and hope” from The Confetti Bar

During the coming year, I’d like to write more letters (and hopefully receive more letters), and I might even invest in some type of subscription service—I absolutely would like to have something small and happy to look forward to in my mailbox on a regular basis.

Do you have any favorite subscription services or other snail mail sources?