Holiday Shipping

The holiday season is here, and that means it is time to start shipping. Whether you’re a company selling items or a shopper giving gifts, you all have the same goal, which is that packages arrive on time. It can get hectic this time of year, so take a quick look at our tips to help out during the 2017 holiday season.

·        Keep track of deliveries with tracking numbers. If your package gets stuck in the same place for several days at a time, investigate. Packages do get lost, but keeping an eye on them may allow you to get someone to locate them.

·        Choose your shipping option carefully. This isn’t just for the carrier you use, but the type of shipping you send. You can ship earlier to save money, and some services can even get you same day shipping. Use whatever suits your needs best.

·        If you can, ship now rather than later. The USPS has announced that the busiest time to send a package will be the last two weeks before Christmas. Not only will there be long waits at the post office, but with such a high volume of mail and packages service may slow down. Get out there by the start of December!

·        If you can ship from online, do it. With USPS you are able to print shipping labels, pay for postage, and schedule for someone to pick up your package from your home. This will save you a ton of time.

·        Be sure to package your items carefully to avoid damage. Choose the right mailer or box; one that has room to add cushioning materials. The items in the packaging should not move around much, if at all, once it is ready to be sent.

·        Make sure the address is correct, and make sure it is legible. Illegible addresses can lead to lost packages, or packages sent to the wrong place.

We hope these tips help you with your holiday shipping needs. 

Should You Mail Postcards?

With the rise of social media, the practice of sending postcards while traveling has declined dramatically. That being said, there is something very special about receiving a postcard in the mail. Don’t simply post your pictures on Facebook or check in online. Postcards are an inexpensive way to express to your loved ones that you are thinking of them.

1.      Sending a postcard is more personal. Shooting your loved ones a Facebook message about your experience isn’t the same as sending a postcard. To send a postcard you have to pick one out, buy it, hand-write a message, and mail it. It will be appreciated.

2.      Postcards are a keepsake. Facebook messages get lost. A postcard is physical. Someone can save it and experience fond memories when they look at it again. It is much less likely to be lost.

3.      You don’t have to rely on cell phone service to get your message across. Depending on where in the world you are it may be difficult to get phone reception. Mailing a postcard is simple and won’t accidentally use up a lot of data.

4.      A postcard serves as a souvenir. Instead of dragging back something cheap and bulky from a souvenir shop to give to loved ones, send a postcard. It’s cheaper, more personal, and your loved ones are more likely to save it and treasure it.

5.      People love to get things in the mail that aren’t bills. Imagine you have a friend traveling abroad, and one day you get an unexpected postcard in the mail with a personal note. It’s exciting!

6.      Postcards inspire other people to travel. A postcard telling your loved ones about how amazing the place you are is, along with a picture showing where you are, will likely inspire them to travel themselves!

7.      It makes you stand out. People will remember you taking the time out of your trip to mail them something. This is much more flattering than just receiving a text message and a photo.

8.      There’s no risk of identity theft or of being hacked when sending a postcard. If you are using a public Wi-Fi connection or internet café, there’s always a chance of you being hacked, even if it is small.

9.      Your loved ones may use postcards in their home, such as taping them up or by putting them on their fridge. You can’t get that from an email.

10.   Writing a postcard creates a strong memory for you as well. Physically writing something down makes something easier to remember. Start sending postcards, and you’ll have the memory of you sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower, or of you sipping drinks on a beach as you write out words to the people you love.  

Why Snail Mail Is Great

It’s easier than ever to stay in touch with people these days because of technology, but that doesn’t mean snail mail has lost its merit! Here are just a few reasons why we love snail mail so much.

1.      Snail mail is tangible. When you send or receive a piece of mail, it is something physical that can be held in your hands. A sweet email can be saved in a folder and never seen again. You can fold up a letter and keep it in your purse or in a box under your bed. They have a way of feeling more sentimental than a letter sent via technology.

2.      Everyone is excited to get a piece of mail in their mailbox. Adults are used to getting bills and junk mail, so getting a personal letter will always feel extra special.

3.      Snail mail allows you to be more creative. Practice calligraphy or drawings on the paper, or put special design into the envelope. You can be more personal by expressing yourself this way.

4.      Writing a letter takes a lot more thought and a lot more time. It’s easy and fast to send someone a text. To write a letter you have to figure out what you want to say, write it down, get stamps, and physically mail it. This shows you put a lot of thought into this correspondence, which will make the recipient feel good.

5.      Using snail mail works everywhere. If you are in a foreign country and don’t have internet or phone access, you can always send a letter or postcard back home. Maybe you’re taking a vacation somewhere rural so you won’t have reception. Don’t worry, because you can still update your friends and family with a letter.

6.      Using snail mail forces you to slow down and indulge in contemplation. You can rush through an email, but there’s no spell-check when you are writing something on paper. It really makes you take your time, making what you say more meaningful.

7.      Let’s be honest, everyone loves looking at stationary. If you start sending physical letters you will actually use it! Pick up some fun stationary, stickers, and more!

8.      Something you will read about just about anywhere (and likely, on the internet), is that people have grown too impatient. We’ve been conditioned to want instant gratification. With a letter, you can’t get that. You have to wait days, maybe even longer, to get a reply to what you sent. This will force you to be more patient, something we could all use a little more of.

9.      A piece of snail mail is much harder to ignore. Think about all the group messages and Facebook events you are part of. When it is digital, it is very easy for your response to slip your mind. When you get some type of invitation in the mail, responding becomes a physical activity, whether this is mailing back a reply or calling the host.

10.   Snail mail forces you to keep track of where your friends and family live. As years go by with communication restricted to the internet, soon you don’t even have addresses of the people you care about. That won’t happen if you send snail mail regularly.

Why You Should Choose CBUs

CBUs are being used more and more in new developments, and there’s a good reason for it! Today we’re going to list why you should love CBUs, whether you’re a developer or just a resident.

·        CBUs in a larger development are faster and easier to install than individual residential units. Installing several CBUs simply takes less time, less work, and therefore, less money.

·        CBUs require less maintenance simply because there are less mailboxes to maintain. They are also more durable and long-lasting than typical residential units.

·        CBUs will create more neighborhood interaction. People will meet neighbors they may never have met because of this central meeting place.

·        With online shopping becoming more popular, package deliveries are only going to rise. Many CBUs have parcel lockers, taking away some of the complications of package delivery and reducing the chance of package theft.

·        CBUs allow residents to have access to their mail 24/7 in a secure setting. Unlike traditional mailboxes, CBUs are locked unless the key is used.

·        CBUs mean more reliable delivery times, and faster delivery times. It’s much faster for a Postal worker to go to several CBUs than to go to dozens of residential units.

·        CBUs save the post office money, as it takes less labor and therefore less money to deliver to them.

·        The road risks associated with mailboxes go away. Mailboxes will no longer be destroyed by snow plows, and people will not be injured while in the road retrieving mail.

·        If you’re looking for a uniform design for your neighborhood, this is the way to do it and stop owners from choosing their own mailboxes.

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!