Welcome

Welcome to the Swappermania Blog!

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WHO AM I?

I am a Christian married mom of 2 boys, living in northern Minnesota. We are both veterans (me- Army Reserves, Hubby- Air Force).  My husband has had multiple strokes and has a heart issue. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after the birth of my first child. My youngest son was diagnosed at age 5 with Diabetes Type 1. 

I am a work-at-home mom as a self-taught graphic designer. I make and sell computer labels, stationery, and planner stickers and filler pages.

Do you Periscope?  I like to participate in bible studies on the #jesusdidit scopes (http://www.jesusdidit.org/) and also occasionally get on Periscope or YouTube and do some crafting and encouraging chats. I do both bible-based scopes and just plain babbling chats and craft scopes (videos). Come and join me sometime!  https://www.periscope.tv/createdbybarbi and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!  https://www.youtube.com/btvrdik

I enjoy all sorts of crafts, paper-crafting, beading, and my big hobby is sending and receiving fun snail maill!  I would love to exchange some happy mail with you!  I show it on my Mail Call Monday videos on YouTube (don't worry, I don't show addresses). I have met a lot of great swappers and happy mail senders all around the world.  Would love to see your name in my mailbox!

Send to:

Happy Mail/Swappermania
Barbi Tvrdik
PO Box 74
Barnum MN 55707
USA


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Check out more fun snail mail ideas on my Pinterest board!
https://www.pinterest.com/btvrdik/snail-mail-fun/


My fave Bible verse:

* Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Update: Summer 2018 (So Far)

Hello friends!

I'm still here :) Still unpacking and trying to get my craft room in order. It's a slow process. Moving after living in one house almost 15 years is NO JOKE. It is starting to feel more like home here now, and I really hope we don't have to move again anytime soon.  Oh, and for those who are wondering, I am keeping my Barnum P.O. Box... so no new address change for my happy mail.  Just a new house address, which I don't use online anyways ;)

This summer so far, we took a trip to the Minnesota Zoo with family, and I took the kids to the local beach (lake) one day.... trying to get outdoors without spraying a THICK layer of bug spray has been difficult. The mosquitoes and ticks... ugh.

I am enjoying doing my gardening again. We even have a whole garden of roses on one side of our new house, and apple trees out in the front yard. I have planted snapdragons, zinnia, tomatoes, sweet peppers, peas, and green beans, and this year I'm trying cucumbers, and even watermelon out in the front yard. Keeping the bunnies and deer out of the vegetables has been successful (so far) with some natural oil spray.  We also have horses in a pasture across from our driveway, so I get to see them once in awhile, which totally THRILLS this former city girl :)

My mom has recently retired, so she is able to get up here to visit more often. And my older son has gone to the cabin with Grandpa Wayne a few times already this summer. My younger son (the one with Type 1 Diabetes) is loving the gaming life. He likes to play Fortnite, Terraria, and Roblox. I prefer the farming games (Happy Acres and Hay Day). Our internet here doesn't have the best broadband width (and no cell tower near us, so no 4G here). So we get online when we can. My internet time is usually late nights. Which works, because I usually stay up late to take care of my little guy :) I hope to be doing more Happy Mail and Crafting videos on YouTube soon. I can get on Periscope once in awhile to do my bible scopes, and am still unable to really get on LiveMe. It seems to use too much broadband for my little internet. 

Now I am going to try to clean off my table... my grandma gave me a new desk for my craft room. Just need to make room to get it in here. Hope you are having a great summer!