Protect Your Packages

Whether you live in a house or an apartment, keeping your packages in your hands and away from thieves’ is a concern everyone has. We’ve got some tips for keeping your packages safe. Some only apply to houses, some only to apartments, but all of them will help you keep your items safe.

·        Schedule your package delivery. Certain carriers allow you to schedule a delivery day and time, so you can ensure someone is there to collect your package.

·        Have your packages shipped to your workplace or a family member’s house who is home regularly. This way your package won’t go sitting on your porch all day.

·        Request that a signature be required for your package to be delivered. If you aren’t there to sign for the package it will be taken to your local post office or another delivery store where you can pick it up later.

·        If you are going out of town, put your mail on hold. That way you won’t have packages arriving and sitting unattended on your porch for a week.

·        Ask a trusted neighbor to pick up packages for you off your porch if they happen to see any. This ensures that your package will be getting off the street as quickly as possible.

·        Install a security camera on your front porch. Even if you can’t afford a proper security camera, you can install a fake one. A potential thief is likely to avoid your home if they even see a camera.

·        Give specific details for your delivery person of where to place your package. Maybe this is on your back porch, maybe this is in the bushes. Just make sure it isn’t easily visible.

·        Ask your property manger if they can hold packages for you in the main office so your packages aren’t sitting in the lobby hallway.

·        Sign up to get delivery alerts. This could be a text to your phone or an email telling you that a package has been delivered. From here you can make arrangements to have it picked up, or at the very least, you know it should be there when you get home.

·        Get a PO Box where your packages can be left at the post office, which won’t be accessible to the general public.

·        Invest in a locking mailbox. This is a bigger investment, but if you get packages often it can really pay off. These mailboxes cannot be opened without a key, so many of your packages can be safely placed inside. 

The Art of Thank You Cards

Writing thank you cards isn’t as common as it once was, but there are still some occasions where sending a thank you card is really necessary, if only to be polite. Today we’re going to discuss the appropriate way to send thank you cards, depending on the type of cards you are sending.

The most common thank you card (or email) is sent after a job interview. Now while an email is more common to be sent, sending a thank you card can really make you stand out. It is important to make the thank you card personal. Use points you made in the interview in your note. What’s important to keep in mind is that you want the interviewer to get this card fast, so make sure you get that thank you card mailed the day of the interview, or at least the day after.

Wedding, graduation, and baby shower gifts are another one of those occasions where you should get thank you cards out pretty fast. When you are getting gifts for a big celebration, everyone should receive a thank you card, including your parents or bridal party. Sending a thank you over Facebook won’t cut it. Ideally you’ll want to send out these thank you notes within several months of the occasion, but that’s just a rough timeline. After big events like this, you are going to be busy. You’ll be heading to your honeymoon, moving off to college, and of course being pregnant can make it difficult to get tasks like this done. Make a note of who got you what, and send out a personalized thank you card within a few months of said event.

Grey areas when it comes to thank you cards are Birthday and Christmas gifts. What it really comes down to is if this gift is opened in front of the giver or not. If you open the gift in front of the person it is nice to send a card in the mail, but it isn’t a requirement. If someone mails you a gift, then you should send a thank you card. After all, shipping costs aren’t cheap, the least you can do is mail them a card expressing your gratitude! Try to send out a thank you card within a couple weeks of getting the gift. Life moves fast, so do it before either of you forget!

If you have received some sort of award, scholarship, letter of recommendation or something similar, while it’s not necessary to send a thank you card, it really is a good idea to. Not only because it is polite, but because this is a great networking opportunity. Showing your gratitude will be appreciated, and may cultivate a relationship that can serve you in the future. Now don’t send a thank you card just to try and get ahead. Remember that you must be thankful for receiving one of these things.

When it comes to cards and gifts during a death or illness, this can be a bit tougher. If someone takes the time to send a card, a gift, or helps you, it’s a good gesture to send a thank you card in return. You may not be feeling up to it and that’s okay. People will understand getting a thank you long after the fact. Maybe you’ll find writing these cards of gratitude may make you feel better. If you want to express your thanks but can’t handle writing out cards, ask a close friend or family member to do it for you.

Tips For Wedding Invitations Part Two

Today we’re going to bring you some more tips about your wedding invitations! Wedding season is finally here, and that means many of you will be sending out invitations soon. For the first part of our advice series, click here.

1.      Only include the names of the people on the envelope that are invited. If you are not inviting children, only use the name of the adults. If you are giving a friend a plus one, list their name and “Plus One”. This way there is no confusion on the day of the wedding.

2.      Make sure you order more wedding invitations than you need. You may end up adding last minute guests, or realize you forgot someone in the first round of invitations. You don’t need to order an extra fifty invitations or anything, but having an extra ten or so can be helpful down the road.

3.      Consider getting labels printed with your guests’ names and your name and return address. Hand addressing all those invitations is going to be frustrating, time-consuming, and difficult. Investing the extra money for labels will save you a lot of stress. From there all you have to do is stick them on, and they are ready to go! Or, consider hiring someone to address the envelopes for you.

4.      If you’re stuffing the envelopes, and you’ve opted for a more traditional invitation with a lot of inserts, here’s the best way to do it. First, put the actually invitation in. All the enclosure cards go on top of that, from largest to smallest, so your smallest insert is on the top. Place the RSVP card with the stamped reply envelope. And of course, make sure everything faces out so it can be read as it is removed from the envelope.

5.      Use a glue stick to seal your envelopes. This isn’t just because it is easier for you, but because it is safer. While envelopes popping open isn’t common, it does happen, and could easily happen with a wedding invitation due to the sheer bulk of it. The glue will keep your envelopes nicely sealed while in transit.

Hopefully these tips will make the wedding invitation process less stressful for you. Have any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments below!

New Tips To Prevent Mail Theft

Mail theft is a serious problem across this country. When your mail is stolen, you’re not only losing a gift card or a package; you risk becoming a victim of identity theft. Your mail can contain a lot of personal information, and if that falls into the wrong hands you could be facing a lot of stress. We have some new tips to help you keep both your mail and identity safe.

First off, if you have packages arriving, have them sent to your job instead of your home. Packages delivered to your home often sit on your porch for everyone to see, usually for hours. Thieves not only can steal the package, but see private information that is on the packing slip. Not everyone can get packages sent to their jobs but if you can, it can be a lifesaver.

You can’t always get to your mail the moment it is delivered, but never leave your mail overnight. A thief is going to try and steal mail when they will not be noticed. This may be during the day when many people are at work, but it can also be at night when people are sleeping. It is likely no one would notice someone creeping up to your mailbox at two in the morning. If you’re going out of town have the post office hold your mail, or at least ask a friend or family member to collect it.

You should also sign up for the USPS Informed Delivery program when it opens nationwide later this month. The service is free from the USPS. Every morning you will be emailed with images of the mail you will be receiving later that day. This is an amazing tool for helping to prevent identity theft. If you see you have something important in the mail, you may ask a neighbor to pick it up for you. Additionally, if you get an image of your mail and when you get home you are missing something, you can quickly report it. But make sure your email account has a strong password. You don’t want anyone else seeing what mail you are going to be getting that day.

Don’t just throw junk mail away, destroy it. You don’t have to sit down and shred grocery store papers, but if you are sent special offers, that sensitive information could fall into the wrong hands. It’s better to be safe and shred it or cut it up before tossing it.

We’ve mentioned this one before, but consider investing in a mailbox that locks. A thief won’t want to be seen fighting with a locked mailbox and is likely to move on. CBUs are great for this very reason, but if you need a residential unit please consider one that locks. Speaking of tips we’ve mentioned before, send outgoing mail through the post office. That flag indicating you have outgoing mail will attract thieves. Be safe with your personal information and drop it at the post office.

None of these tips are foolproof, but they will help you keep your mail and identity safe, something especially on people’s minds now during tax season. So take some precautions to avoid big headaches later.

Letter Writing Ideas

Do you want to keep the art of writing letters alive, but aren’t sure where to start? Writing letters was

much more common before phones, and especially before social media. Sitting down to write about the updates in your life seems daunting when you can instead pick up the phone or send a message on Facebook. Luckily, those aren’t the only types of letters you can write. Today we’re presenting some great ideas for letter writing!

1.      Write a letter to someone you admire. This may be an author, a celebrity, a former teacher…anyone you can think of! Express your admiration and why they inspire you. You may not get a response, but it’s not impossible!

2.      Write to a child. This can be a family member or a friend. Kids are delighted to get something in the mail addressed just to them. It can be a funny letter filled with jokes, a letter asking about how they are doing…anything you like!

3.      Write a letter with updates on your life to a grandparent. Letter writing was more common for them, so they’re sure to appreciate a handwritten letter from you.

4.      Write a letter to a friend with a small gift inside. If they’re a reader, send a bookmark. Do they scrapbook? Send some stickers. If they love coffee, send a small gift card so their next drink is on you. It’ll be a big surprise and it’s a great way to keep a friendship thriving.

5.      Write to someone who lives far away, whether this is across the country or across the world. This is a particularly good idea if it is a recent move and your friend/family member may be lonely.

6.      Send a recipe to a friend or family member. If you had someone over who raved about one your dishes, send them the instructions, your personal tips, and a quick note saying you’re glad they liked the food.

7.      Send a thank you note to someone thanking them for a service they provided or a gift they gave you. People often expect these after events such as weddings or baby showers, but do it for something simpler. They won’t be expecting it!

8.      Write someone a letter giving them advice. If you’re a mother, write to a new mother giving your advice and insight. If you’re a recent college graduate, write to someone still in school about your experiences, and what you advise they do before they graduate. Advice is precious, and this is a great way to offer it.

9.      Write a letter to yourself. Maybe you open it in a year, maybe in a month. Use the letter to describe your life as it is and your current goals. When you read the letter you’ll be able to see the progress you have made. It’s a great way to keep yourself motivated.

10.   Write a letter to your significant other describing why you love and appreciate them. When you have been with someone a few years, the romance can start to fade. This is natural. Your partner becomes a part of your everyday life, and you have your own life away from them. Writing them a love letter can spark some of that romance and remind both of you why you fell in love.

Use Snail Mail This Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a very special day for couples. It often involves flowers, chocolates, cards, fancy dinners, and anything else romantic you can think of. But there’s nothing terribly romantic about email and text. Instead, why not go traditional and use snail mail to get your point across? Love letters have been used throughout history to make grand expressions, but you can use snail mail for more than just that this Valentine’s Day. Read on to find some ways to use the mail to deliver great, fun, romantic gifts this year.

Make Your Own Card

Buying cards can be very expensive, and making them is more heartfelt anyway! A simple Google search will give you tons of ideas to help you make your own creative cards. They may be as simple as you folding some paper and writing a sweet message, or complex involving paint, glitter, 3D effects, and more. No matter how you make your card, send it through the mail so your partner can have a nice surprise on Valentine’s Day.

Make Vouchers To Mail

This is also a great option if you’re on a budget. Making vouchers is fun and really lets your creativity shine. You can make all sorts of vouchers for your significant other. One example is a voucher offering to do their dishes or laundry. Other examples can include date nights, letting them pick the Friday night movie, and more. Make these vouchers on fun, Valentine’s Day themed paper to really make them stand out.

Mail A Love Letter

Love letters are classic for a reason. They’re romantic. Writing a love letter means sitting down with a pen and paper and really thinking about your relationship. What makes it special? Why do you love this person? The longer you are with someone, the less likely you are to craft these exquisite letters. So take some time, sit down, really think about why you love your significant other, and write it down. They’ll be so surprised to get a long, romantic letter in the mail from you.

Send A Gift In The Mail

Everyone loves getting packages, and getting a gift in the mail from you will surprise and delight your partner. This is a great idea in particular if you aren’t planning to buy flowers or chocolate. It can be tricky to time this one, so coordinate with your local post office. And if it arrives a day or two early, that just makes it even more of a surprise!

Buy Valentine’s Day Themed Packaging

If you are planning to send you gift via mail, take it a step further by investing in Valentine’s Day themed packaging materials. This is another way to really let your creativity shine. You can find red and pink boxes online, and even boxes specifically designed for Valentine’s Day. Take a look around and find something you like…or more accurate, that your partner will like.

We hope these ideas will help make this Valentine’s Day extra special! 

Winter Mailbox Protection

We’re right in the middle of winter, meaning snow, ice, and snowplows. Is your mailbox safe from all of these dangers? We’re here to give you a few tips to keep those mailboxes safe.

1.      Clear the snow away from your mailbox. This is not only helpful to the letter carriers delivering your mail, but for incoming cars and snowplows. If your mailbox is located on the street, snow alongside your mailbox will be kicked up into your mailbox. Keeping your street clear will reduce the amount of snow hitting your mailbox.

2.      Place reflective tape on your mailbox. This will make it easier for people, including those driving the snowplows, to see it. This will significantly reduce the chances of your mailbox being hit by a plow or vehicle.

3.      Check to see how securely your mailbox is mounted. With the ground frozen it may be too late to make adjustments to the post, but you can make sure the mailbox itself is mounted securely to the post. This will also help prevent it from taking great damage.

4.      If you have a warm spell and are able to do so, move your mailbox as far away from the road as possible. You must of course adhere to USPS standards, but the more distance between your mailbox and the street the better your chances of no mailbox fatalities.

5.      Keep the mailbox itself clear of snow. If the top of your mailbox is covered in snow, it’s going to be difficult to see. This goes hand in hand with tip number two. You want to do everything you can to make sure your mailbox is visible.

None of these tips are, of course, perfect. Accidents do still happen. While there are specially designed mailboxes created to reduce the risk of snow plows, they can be very expensive and even though don’t guarantee your mailbox won’t be damaged or destroyed. But take heart, because the end of January approaches which means spring, and no more snow, is on the way.