Now that the fun part – tearing open all those wonderful gifts – is over, it’s time to start thinking about saying ‘thank you’ to the people who put time, effort and money into making your holiday special.
Yes, writing a stack of notes can be tedious, especially if there are a lot of them. But it’s the right thing to do, and it doesn’t have to be a complete chore.
Simplify the process with these quick steps:
1. Make a list of who gave you what. Use the gift tags or cards that came with your packages to help keep them all straight.
2. Choose some fine stationery or ‘thank you’ cards printed on good stock. You don’t show appreciation with notebook paper and plain white business envelopes.
3. Set aside a specific time to write the notes, within at least 3 days of Christmas. Do all the notes at once.
4. Break out your best pen and hand write each note in a slow, neat hand. Be brief. Say ‘thank you,’ mention exactly what the gift was, tell the person how it will be useful to you, and close with another thanks. Shouldn’t be more than three or four sentences, at most.
5. Hand address the envelopes. Labels are just tacky for these types of things.
6. Stamp the envelopes and immediately drop them in the mail. If you wait, you might end up forgetting.
Want to really make your friends and family happy? Take a photo of yourself with each gift, and include the photos with the ‘thank you’ cards.
When you’re done, come back here and tell us all about the neat loot you got!
