January is both the start of new adventures and the bleakest of months. It's the month of tax returns, bitterly cold days, where you wish for snow, to make that numbness in your freezing fingers feel fun and lists of goals and resolutions.

Every year I want to be kinder. To my family, to my friends, to strangers you meet on the street. I watched the film About Time the other day and I love the ending. To try and live every day with the benefit of hindsight, to make the most of small, seemingly insignificant moments. Like making eye contact with a checkout cashier and smiling as they hand you the receipt, ringing someone you've meant to call forever but not found the time, writing thank you letters, not just from the kids, from you too.

And last year I was overwhelmed by the collective kindness of strangers.

For those of you who took part in one of the surprise project swaps - you made my year!

I had no idea when I started these parcel swaps how many people and how far and wide it would travel. Parcels have been sent all over the world, to Australia, to Sweden, to Germany, to Italy, to the UAE and more.

Little packages of loveliness. 

I was very conscious, when I first published the Spring project, that there are other parcel swaps around the internet and that I didn't want it to be about money. I wanted it to be open to as many people as possible and purposely set the guide price at £5.

I am constantly in awe of the creative resourcefulness of the people who join in. The way people find trinkets, make things, bake things, pass on something they were given or had tucked in a drawer.

And these little acts of kindness go a long way. The feeling you get when you put your parcel together, that warm fuzzy feeling as you wrap up something as simple as a postcard, but with the care and attention that you'd give to wrapping the crown jewels, knowing someone will squeal when it arrives at their door. 

One act of kindness always leads to another.

Be part of it and pass it on.

Sign up here to join in the Winter Time Surprise Project.

Come and join in this special project.

Sign ups are open until midnight GMT on Sunday 31st January 2016.

Full details are on the Surprise Project website. 

Happy swapping!

All day my phone has pinged with wonderful notifications of lovely messages and photos of your thoughtful parcels zipping around the world!

I am just in awe of all the creativity, some have been so resourceful on the £5 guide price, parcels have been bursting with craft supplies, vintage goodies and sweet treats, others have had a special present that was perfect for their partner. 

Your kindness is inspiring and uplifting.

Receiving happy mail is like receiving a bunch of flowers for me. It makes you feel giddy and you want to sit and admire the contents of your parcel! I hope there are a few of you displaying your notelets or cards on your fireplaces of window ledges, I loved a card sent to me in the first swap at the beginning of the year that still has pride of place on the mantlepiece.

It's a reminder of how important an act of goodwill is. 

If you joined in the #autumntimesurpriseproject the deadline for sending gifts was for them to be ready to open today, but I loved that people have shared their parcels over the last couple of weeks too. You didn't have to wait at all and I loved seeing the excitement building!

If you still need to send yours don't panic, just drop your partner an email and let them know you haven't forgotten. Everyone understands that life can take over sometimes and the to do list spills over into another day. Just keep them in the loop.

Look at all the parcels!

This is just a small hint of the pretty gift wrap, the colourful creations, sweet notes and absolute thoughtfulness in the #autumntimesurpriseproject gallery. Go and have a peek.

For anyone who missed this surprise swap and would like to join in next time I will be opening the #wintertimesurpriseproject over the Christmas holidays for parcels to be sent in February. Hopefully that will be something to look forward to after the festivities!

Next year, after the final seasonal swap I hope you will join in with the #surpriseproject which will run three times a year. That way, whether you are basking in Spring sunshine or your playing in the snow we can just exchange fun parcels that put a smile on our faces. 

I have so much love for the Surprise Project society of women, men, bloggers, Instagram fans, friends and to my family who also join in!

I will be updating the surpriseproject.com website over the next couple of weeks ready to open the winter project. But we won't be sending parcels until February, after the madness of the Christmas festivities and it will be something to look forward to in the new year.

I also wanted to say a thank you to The Fresh Flower Company. I won this beautiful bouquet as part of their #freshflowergiveaway on Instagram by sharing a seasonal floral image. I adore the colours, how autumnal can be just as bright and cheerful as the deep rich traditional colours of the season. I realised I hadn't assigned myself a partner in the swap so it was a very lovely surprise for me.

I am going to print a few of these photos as they match our dining room decor! 

Thank you so much for everyone who followed through and sent their parcels, and for those who are busy wrapping over the next few days.

You've made your partners really happy.

Happy Sunday all xx

I've spent this weekend with a heavy heart that many of us have been feeling since we went to bed on Friday evening, in shock. It's hard to explain to our 6 and 4 year old sons why we are so affected by something, that seems to them, so many miles away. They live in this innocent bubble, they are protected by us, by their family, their school and their friends and all they know is that the world is full of opportunity. We talk about what they want to be when they grow up, tease them about who they are going to marry, we pitch to them the perfect adulthood. And we are doing our best, every day to give them a carefree, idyllic childhood. 

Yesterday 3 generations all came together to celebrate our niece's first birthday, she has the biggest puppy dog eyes and the widest smile, and covered me in slobbery open mouthed kisses as I nuzzled her neck making her giggle. And from the excitement of a family birthday party, we had a very simple day today.

We didn't rush them to get dressed, we cooked a roast dinner, traipsed around the garden in wellies, sat together and ate amongst 20 pieces of scrap paper with scribbled christmas wish lists and intricate drawings of Lego creations and Mr Bean, and did nothing extraordinary. But we were safe, we weren't frightened, they ran across the garden with only their den of bamboo sticks to worry about.

I don't want to be totally honest with them. I want to shield their ears and eyes from the horrors I have seen on my screens over this weekend. I want to instil that romantic ideal that there is good in everyone, even when it's quite clear there is not. 

We have a phrase in our house that we try and use more often than "That's naughty". Instead we say over and over, "That's not very kind." It's something my mum always said and still tries to encourage us to do, to be kind.

Whether it's a simple gesture like making eye contact and a sympathetic smile to calm someone's nerves or a grand act of bravery, kindness goes a long way. The internet is being flooded with incredible acts of kindness, selfless acts, love for complete strangers. It highlights how powerful collective courage and appreciation can be. 

And we can all do something everyday to be kind. I often thank someone in the supermarket for something random like handing me a trolley saving me the time to head to the trolley park or to the person in the Post Office who chatted to the boys whilst they waited for me to send off a parcel, "That's your good deed for today!" And they always smile.

It feels nice when someone gives you a compliment, it feels nice to receive happy mail. Gift wrap that makes you ooh and aah at the effort someone has put in to package a gift sweetly, or a handwritten note that gives you a glimpse into their personality. Their individual flare.

And that's why I love the surprise project. A group of people of want to do a good deed for a stranger. There are people who have joined in all year, some joining in for the first time and it makes me so happy to see all the new connections being made, people finding new friends to follow, like minded souls swapping not only packages, but ideas and discussions that spill over form Instagram comment threads to messages of their own.

Over 300 kind people are joining in with the #autumntimesurpriseproject and it is wonderful to see all the photos popping up as we get nearer to the deadline for posting, for everyone to have received theirs by next Sunday 22nd November. I've shared a few ideas and the community blow me away with their eclectic wrapping, doodles on the envelopes and creativity. People are making, baking, scouring charity shops and repurposing old treasures. New props for photo lovers, yummy treats for sweet tooths and stationery fans are in for a treat, I have seen lots of lovely washi taped packages whizzing around the world.

This is a project that has partners in Australia, the UAE, America, Sweden, Italy, the UK, Canada, the Netherlands and India! 

I have been saving a little box of goodies, bits I have spied on my travels, a few treats from goodie bags I haven't opened yet and some of my own favourite things that might be more appreciated in a new home just in case anyone is left without a partner come the 22nd. I trust those signing up that they will follow through and not leave their partner disappointed. If for any reason you are behind sending your parcel just pop them an email, or if you a re really struggling let me know as soon as possible. Email me with any questions or queries mama@capturebylucy.com.

Just enjoy it, don't feel a pressure to keep up with the Jones'. Do your own thing for your partner and I am sure they will love the time and effort you have put in. 

And if you missed out this time there will be a final surprise project for the winter, sign ups will open and close in December, but don't worry, parcels won't be opened until February, so we can all have something nice to look forward to in the new year after the madness of the festive season! 

Then next year I'd love to host another project swap - The Surprise Project, and include everyone and anyone whether its spring or autumn, summer or winter where you are.

If you are sending or have received your parcel - I'd love to see. Tag your photos with #autumntimesurpriseproject so we can all enjoy them. I love how everyone is so different, they have been so thoughtful, found their partners on social media and it's such a pleasure to bring this group of people together.

It's such an ordinary thing, posting a letter. We get mail everyday, bills, flyers, our letter box is chock full of Christmas gift guides but doesn't it make your heart sing when you receive something out of the ordinary?! 

Happy swapping this week for those sending their parcels this week!