Author Archives: admin@sendacard.co.uk

Are the Small Things in Life Really That Small?….

Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson sang about this in the 90’s, Sam Cooke sang 3 decades before them in the 60’s about it, and now a UK survey has shown we agree with them!

What is it?…That the best things in life are free!

Simple pleasures are in…..why spend a fortune when getting a bargain and finding money are in the top 10 of the happiness index? Finding time for friends and making time to relax both indoors and in the great outdoors are there as well, perhaps showing that in our increasingly busy lives we crave time to do….well…not a lot…

sendacard.co.uk General Birthday card for Her

Enjoy a cuppa and catch up with friends

A study commissioned by UKTV’s entertainment channel ‘W’ shows how much we value the small things in life. The survey asked 2,000 UK adults to list their favourite simple pleasures, and here’s the top 20;

1. A kiss and a cuddle                   11. Having tea with a friend

2. Laughing with others                12. Giving a present

3. Clean sheets                               13. The smell of mown grass

4. Stroking a pet                             14. Losing weight

5. Getting a bargain                       15. Sitting in front of a log fire

6. Receiving a compliment            16. Kindness from a stranger

7. Finding money                            17. Relaxing in a warm bath

8. Hearing from an old friend       18. Morning birdsong

9. Doing a good deed                     19. Finding something you’d lost

10. Having a lazy Sunday               20. Walking barefoot in the sand

Surprised by any of them? Or do you think that something obvious has been missed?

sendacard.co.uk animal blank cards

Morning bird song

I personally agree with most of them, but firmly believe that adding ‘cake’ to most of them would greatly enhance them….except perhaps the clean sheets…and kissing…oh, and losing weight (though any diet that proved cake could make you lose weight would be welcome).

Joking aside, it seems to me that the results show how by making time for ourselves and time for others we can enrich our lives while also enriching others. If these ‘little’ things do mean so much are they really so little? Should their value be measured in how much they build us and others up, not by their monetary value?

sendacard.co.uk general birthday cards for him

Relax and feel the sand between your toes!

Here at Sendacard.co.uk we understand and wholeheartedly believe in how much making time for other people matters…..things like remembering someone’s Birthday or special occasion, letting someone know you’re thinking about them during a difficult time or even just saying “Hi”. We also understand though that sometimes it’s not so easy to write and send a card yourself….and that’s where we love to help!

Why not have a browse through our huge selection of cards….and if you need help remembering those special occasion dates, no worries, we now offer a ‘Special Date Reminder Service’. For more details use our ‘Contact Us’ form on our online store.

Rest assured, each card is important to us and we handwrite it as if it was our own.

The Great Outdoors…..

June is….Great Outdoors Month and Camping Month!

sendacard.co.uk blank card scenery poppy field

Poppy Field

It may not be the best of timing in the UK weather wise, but regardless the month of June is both ‘Great Outdoors Month’ and ‘Camping Month’!

OK, so you may not feel a deep seated urge to get back to nature on a camping-size scale…….sharing your sleeping space with your insect neighbours and being more than a 100 metres from a Wi-Fi service may be your worst nightmare.  But you can still enjoy the great outdoors on a smaller scale and not so far away from your own backyard (and internet service) and reap the benefits!  Interested now?  Then grab your water proofs, wellies, sun cream and sun hat (let’s keep all possibilities covered..) and away we go!

It can be a cheap day out with the children – games at the park, building sandcastles at the beach, walking the dog in the woods, even gardening at home to name a few– all are cheap or even free activities and encourage us to get out and spend more time in the fresh air, away from the various screens at home.

Sendacard.co.uk blank card Perfect Round

Perfect Round of Golf

Studies have shown that spending time in the great outdoors can make you healthier – escaping to your local park, woodland and countryside can help you both mentally and physically.  A few benefits are;

  • Research has suggested that too much technology can lead to an increase in feelings of anxiety and poor sleep. In contrast a study in 2013 by the University of Colorado Butler indicated time spent camping in the great outdoors can improve sleep.  The study researched campers for a week and discovered sleeping away from artificial light helped reset their natural circadian rhythms and they were waking up fresher and less groggy.
  • Spending time outdoors is essential for good mental health, especially for city dwellers. Research by the University of Michigan found that walking ‘in nature’ even just for a few minutes can lessen depressive symptoms, something especially common in people living in built-up spaces.  Time outdoors enjoying nature can increase our serotonin levels.  Serotonin is a chemical which is said to help produce healthy sleeping patterns as well as boost your mood.
  • Rediscover your sense of awe! Do you find yourself star-gazing, looking out for sunsets and sunrises?  Where better to do these things than away from the busyness of our towns and cities.  Enjoying these moments of wonder has been suggested by researchers to make us happier and more creative and inventive.
  • No screens (and that means resisting the temptation to check your smartphone)! Take time to re-establish real connections and stop the distraction of technology for a while.

Feel inspired yet?

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No…. Wake Up!

Here at Sendacard.co.uk we have a wide range of beautiful cards celebrating the great outdoors – just visit us at http://www.sendacard.co.uk/Blank-Cards-for-All-Occasions to see them (a few have been included in this post).  We’ve just introduced some stunning designs from Abacus Cards to our selection from their ‘BBC Springwatch’ and ‘BBC Countryfile’ range.

sendacard.co.uk scenic blank cards sissinghurst castle gardens

Peace and Tranquillity

If you’re contemplating a camping trip then here are a  some web addresses and links that may be helpful;

http://www.ecocampuk.co.uk/2016/04/07/camping-advice-and-best-camping-tips/

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/expert-advice/the-beginners-guide-to-camping

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Camping

(By including these web addresses and links we are in no way endorsing the products or places advertised, these have purely been selected because of their useful camping hints and tips).

Hello World!

Welcome to our new blog!

We’re hoping in the near future to have some interesting blog posts for you to read covering a wide range of subjects…….places, special days, artists (that we feature on our cards) and other tit-bits of information to entertain, inform and maybe make you laugh!

We hope you enjoy reading these as much as we have enjoyed writing them and we look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Best wishes – the Sendacard Team