Blog Challenge

TALK TUESDAY: #SendMoreMail2020

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

I don’t think I have verbalized it enough on this blog, but I’ll say it right now, out loud: I absolutely love the USPS.

Coming from the Philippines where we don’t even have mailboxes for mail drop off, the USPS for me is a breath of fresh air. I would choose it over private mail carriers; they’re just far more affordable that I would’ve expected.

I first experienced the beauty of the USPS when I ordered a few of our wedding souvenirs from Etsy. I think every single order I’ve made was fulfilled by USPS, within the timeframe committed and quite affordable too. I’ve been in love ever since.

And if you’ve been here long enough, I’ve talked about how much I love snail mail. Because I really do! They’re much better souvenirs for travels and trips, and far more affordable too. I’ve converted a few friends into the habit of writing mail, and I’ve been enjoying it.

I do admit that recent life events have made me slow down in my letter writing, but now that the USPS is threatened by certain powers in office, I can’t help but get back into the habit of sending mail.

It’s a simple thing, really, and maybe I won’t even make a dent in helping this valuable service to survive — yes, the same service that provides banking services to those who need it (though postal money orders) — but it just breaks my heart to see it suffering the way it is.

The USPS has served my family in so many ways: from my father-in-law being a retiree to driver’s licenses and immigration paperwork to filing taxes and even to sending in votes. It has never failed us. There may have been a hiccup or two — like a missed delivery or a lost piece of mail recovered 18 days later — but for the most part, it has been a joy with them.

So from now on, I am instituting Mail Mondays in support of #SendMoreMail2020. I will keep going as long as I can. If you’re interested in receiving a motivational postcard or a letter with a random trivia or perhaps to start a penpal relationship, I am more than happy to. Just send me a message on my Facebook page or through my Instagram and the rest will be mail history.

I’ve asked my friends on Facebook whoever is interested in some good snail mail, and in the last 5 days alone, I’ve mailed out 7 international and 7 local letters and postcards. Believe me, I’m the real letter writing deal. :)

To know more about the struggles of the USPS, I recommend the following resources:

I will also start posting “receipts” of my mail activity on my Instagram stories, so feel free to follow me there if you’d like to see how many I’ve sent so far. I try to be as creative as possible with my mail, particularly for kids, but I am more keen on sending out good vibes.

<3 You know it.

#SendMoreMail2020 #SaveUSPS

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The Kuripot Challenge: Dollar-Friendly

/ iamsupercarla / 3 Comments

I have seen so many versions of this challenge, I don’t even know which one to follow.  Kuripot Pinay was great in taking it up and Minimum Compliance upped it a notch by adding more denominations.  But really the idea came from two people:  the ultimate fangirl and friend Adah, and my new sister-in-law Aidel.  Talk about straight As.

Aidel is a very prudent person, so when she first shared the challenge, I thought to myself, “Here she goes again, bookmarking in public the things she wants to read in private.”  But when Adah and I were planning a quickie out of town trip and she mentioned she will have an extra P27,000+ by the end of the year, I asked her to define extra.  Loud and proud, she said, “I’m doing the kuripot challenge.”

That was the sign I needed, so I decided to do that as well, even though I already started some time ago shelving a portion of my salary in investments.  Then Le Beau commented that the challenge was too difficult.

It wasn’t though.  It was merely kicking off a good starting point to create the habit of saving.  Traditionally, Filipinos will spend first and whatever’s left, they will MAYBE save.  Or people in general actually.  With the challenge, though, you are given a deadline to meet a specific savings point.

And I will never forget what Mo Twister tweeted to me before when I commented on his spending capacity — that you must increase your saving capacity first.

So, like the loving fiancée that I am (teehee, fiancée), I added lower denominations to the kuripot challenge, making it applicable to dollar too:

Kuripot Dollar

Same rules apply.  Pick the denomination you wish, and build from there.  Adding the same amount weekly, you will end up with a minimum of $1,378 and as much as $68,900, assuming your obligations are not that burdensome.

I guess this is also my subtle way of advising my cousins abroad to start a saving habit for their kids too.  They can earn their dollars through extraordinary chores (ordinary being putting away toys, extraordinary being choosing toys to give away), and by the end of the year, they will actually have enough savings to invest in something bigger.

Again, as advised by Minimum Compliance, you can always choose to step down a notch or two should that week be riddled with unusual expenses.  You can also break it down to daily savings, still following the weekly target amounts.  This calculator comes quite in handy.

So what’s the ending to this story?  Le Beau making his own piggy bank and contemplating which denomination to start with. :)

Are you ready to take on the challenge?  Catch up and sound off below!

Day 25: All Day

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Day 25 is a song I could listen to all day.

Okay, so I’ve obviously been delaying it because I honestly cannot believe it.  I ACTUALLY COMPLETED THIS ONE!  Hahahaha.  I know right?  In spite of the Cebu trip (more on that later), and the fact that I haven’t even posted our Holy Week Baguio escape (is it too late for that one?), I actually completed this song challenge.  I must admit I am pretty proud of myself.

And with that I end with a song I can listen to over and over again.  It’s mainly because it’s one of the happier songs I’ve heard and then it’s by one of my favorite bands, and I just can’t stop adoring them.  I envy Mo Twister for sitting front row in their most recent concert.  And I hate that they all have families and have perfectly happy family lives.  So not rock and roll, but hey!  It must be the new rock and roll theme:  happy and with family.

Thank you for those who joined me in this challenge.  Or rather, those who tuned in and placed bets whether or not I can finish this challenge.  I truly appreciate it.  Rest assured I am doing my best to make this blog far more entertaining than just posting songs, but it’s Coldplay.  How can anyone not love Coldplay? :)

Okay so it’s only three years old, but what can you do?  It’s a good running song, a cooking in the afternoon song, a wake up song, and a shower song when you have to shower really fast and you’re in a hurry.  It’s a good song right? :)

Day 24: Dance with BFF

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Day 24 is a song I have danced to with my best friend.

Again, like I mentioned before, I am not a dancing person.  I’ve only danced with a handful of people, and that’s just very few people.  But I like this song best because on a hot summer day, Marga and I danced to this.

I would like to believe I am this graceful at the very select moments of my dance life.

Day 23: Can’t Stand It

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

Day 23 is a song I cannot stand to listen to.

Honestly, this will be another difficult one.  I try to listen as much music as I can, I do my best to be acquainted with the world.  HAHAHAHAHA.  Yeah, that’s a load of shit.  Hahahaha.  I know exactly what I don’t like listening to.

And no, I am not going to post it here.  I don’t want to offend anyone and because I have a pretty good virtual life, I would most love keeping it that way. :)

With that, I leave you an adorkable photo.