Christmas thank you notes made easy
As a kid I loved getting presents, but the experience was always a bit dampened by the requisite mass of thank you notes my mom would make me write afterwards. I still love getting presents but I’d like to think I’ve matured a bit over the years and that I now understand the pleasure a well-written thank you note can bring to the gifter.
Still, writing thank you notes can be time-consuming and monotonous so I’ve provided some tips below to help make this after-Christmas task less of a chore:
*Make a List: If you haven’t kept track throughout the holidays, take 10 minutes to sit down and write out the gifts you’ve received and who gave them to you. Draw a checkbox next to each name so you can cross off names as you complete each note.
*Pick a Stationery: Unless you want to write a novel, stick with notecard sized stationery in a design that won’t detract from the message. One of my favorite gifts was a very nice stationery set with a brown/pink border and my name engraved in pink calligraphy at the top. Plain, elegant and there’ll never be any confusion who sent it. You’ll be surprised how much more fun writing thank you notes is when you actually like your stationery.
*Write the note: And by write, I mean NO email and NO print outs (unless your handwriting is so illegible doctors can’t even read it). A handwritten note not only conveys a personal touch, it also shows the receiver that you spent precious time and energy crafting it.
Pick a pen you enjoy writing with – ideally in blue or black ink – and then start to draft your note. There are six elements you should include in a note:
- Salutation – Address the note the way you would refer to the person normally i.e. “Dear Uncle Bill”
- Sincere Gratitude – Express thanks for the item or gesture i.e. “Thank you so much for the No More Ouch Bikini Waxing Kit.”
- Suggest Use- Say something complimentary about the item and then describe how you will use it i.e. “I used to dread this activity but now it’s as easy and painless as brushing my teeth. Your gift will especially come in handy for my trip to Brazil in March.”
- Speak of the Past, Look to the Future – If applicable, make a comment about the last time you saw them and when you hope to see them again i.e. “I enjoyed seeing you at Gran’s house for Christmas, and I hope to see you again in February at Aunt Patty’s retirement party.”
- Say it Again – Round-out the note and signal you’re close to the end by expressing your gratitude again i.e. “Thank you again for your wonderful present.”
- Sign-off and Signature - End your note with an appropriate sign-off and your signature i.e. “Love, Saver”
*Send your notes: Generally, thank you notes should be sent within a week of receiving the gift. Double-check that you have the correct address, print it legibly and make sure you have correct postage to prevent any delays.
BONUS: Although standard thank you notes are perfectly acceptable, if you really want to impress include a photo of the present being put to use. For example, did they give you a sweatshirt from your alma mater? Take a picture of you wearing it with a big smile on your face. Get a new fishing rod? Stage a photo of you with the fishing rod holding a “just-caught” trout (buy it at the store if you have to). Seeing the gift being put to use and bringing obvious joy is, in my opinion, the best thank you a person can get.
Filed under Personal | Comment (0)What the heck does this mean?
After reading Fabulously Broke’s blog about her crazy dream and how it was telling her to make Thai Curry, I remember thinking how sad it was that I never have dreams, or at least I don’t remember them.
Well, I take it all back. On Friday night I had one of those near-death-experience dreams, one that involved a rock fall followed by an avalanche. Yeah, because one wouldn’t have been bad enough, right? Luckily I managed to escape certain death by huddling in a cave and watching as tons of snow cascaded by. It was really unpleasant, especially when I woke up in a cold sweat.
Then, last night I dreamed that I nearly died again. This time I was caught in a churning mass of water, sort of like the wake of an especially large cruise ship or maybe a paddlewheeler. I somehow survived by thrashing wildly to get out of it (ha, wouldn’t that be funny if I was actually doing that in my sleep?) but I also remember that some people thought I’d died and they were mourning me afterward.
Weird, and a little bit scary to tell the truth. So of course I shirked work today to look up what the heck my dreams might be telling me, other than to stay away from snowy mountains and paddlewheelers.
According to MeaningofDreams.org, my dreams could mean several things:
Death
“Dreaming about death is very common and it can be interpreted in many different ways. Death is usually a symbol of some type of closure or end. It implies an end to one thing and a beginning of another. Death dreams usually have positive symbolism. If you are the dead person in your dream, it could imply that you would like to leave all of your worries and struggles behind and begin anew.”
Avalanche (I was actually surprised people dream about this frequently enough for this to be listed…)
“An avalanche is snow, and snow is frozen water. Water symbolizes your emotions, the unconscious, and, at times, life itself. Therefore, this dream is about rapidly and violently descending emotions and thoughts. You may have this dream during emotionally turbulent times of your life.”
Drowning
“Dreaming about drowning is common and it invokes fear. However, it may have positive significance. This dream suggests to the dreamer that unresolved emotions, old issues, or a current crisis might overwhelm him. It suggests that a release of the old is necessary in order to emerge and begin anew.”
Since I didn’t really die in the dreams I’m not sure if that one is accurate, but I can see how it might apply to the situation I’m in because I’m looking at the possibility of starting a new job in a new state. Not that I’m having worries and struggles where I’m living now, but I definitely find it appealing to be able to pick up and start over somewhere new.
The avalanche theory could be accurate because my feelings have been on an emotional roller coaster of late with all the ups and downs of the potential new job and some recent snags (will write more on this later). And drowning, yep, there’s a little fear of making a wrong decision and completely uprooting my life for something unknown.
No matter the meaning and as much fun as interpreting these can be, I think I’ll stick to Thai Curry from now on…
Filed under Personal | Comment (0)Get Motivated! Series: Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker extraordinaire
Get Motivated!: Attitude is Everything
It seems fitting that Zig Ziglar is the last featured speaker in my Get Motivated! series because his message focuses on how your attitude affects so much in your life. Coming on the heels of last week’s ranty blog and then my later blog following an abrupt change of attitude, I know exactly what he means.
Before the conference, I’d heard the name Zig Ziglar…but with a name like that I always thought he was a rock star or a magician rather than an evangelical Christian and motivational speaker. As a lead-in to his introduction, they showed a few videos of him in action and the words that come to mind are energy and charisma. Even on a video he commanded the audience’s attention with his vigor as he moved around the stage.
Sadly, age takes its toll even on such a dynamic individual. At 82 years old, Ziglar now does his famous talks in an interview-style format - conducted by his daughter Julie – due to a recent stroke that left him with vertigo. Despite being limited to sitting in a chair and having to ask his daughter once or twice to repeat the question, his humor, charisma and positive attitude were still quite evident. Some of his words of wisdom:
*Attitude is Everything: According to Ziglar, “It’s your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.” The power of positive thinking can get you so much further than anything else so don’t act like a victim. If you don’t like something, figure out what you’re going to do about it and then do it. The way you handle adversity reflects on your character and people notice.
*Show Gratitude: At Ziglar’s office headquarters, there is a “Wall of Gratitude” with pictures of 26 people who’ve helped him and influenced him throughout this life. Everyone needs help along the way, just remember to pass on your gratitude by helping others.
*Motivation can be Habit Forming: Treat motivation just like bathing and eating…in other words, practice motivating yourself on a daily basis and it will soon become habit.
*Christianity and the “real world”: Ziglar still reads the Bible and the newspaper every single day in order to “balance what’s out there with what’s ‘in here’ [his heart].” A lot of media is dedicated to telling you what you need to do to have it all, but Ziglar firmly believes “you can have everything you want in your life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”
Filed under Career | Comment (1)2½ months work = $54.24
Back in October, I stupidly lost my wallet and all the contents inside. Although it was time-consuming having to call all my credit card issuers and I missed the thirty or so dollars inside, the worst part was that my birthday had been the week before so I’d also lost a bunch of gift cards.
I had the numbers for some, but ironically I didn’t have the information for the one card with the highest value – a Lowe’s gift card with what I’d estimate was about $110 left on it. I was so annoyed with myself for a) losing my wallet and b) not having the information written down, but luckily inspiration struck as I tried to jog out some of my frustration.
I’d actually received the Lowe’s gift card as part of a kitchen promotion in late-2007 after buying $2,000 worth of stainless steel appliances from the store. With that in mind, I called Lowe’s to see if they still had a record of the card they’d issued to me back in 2007 as part of the promotion.
I knew it was a long shot but when I spoke to the Lowe’s customer service representative she said she might be able to track down the information although it could take a while since they’d already archived the 2007 files in a warehouse. Okay, no problem I figured, anything was better than nothing at all.
I did make sure to mention there was the possibility someone had found my wallet and that they might try to redeem the gift cards…implying that time was of the essence. The woman told me she understood and she would look into it.
Fast forward 2½ months and about 10 phone calls later…TODAY I finally heard back from them and there is $54.24 remaining on the card, which will be sent to me in a new Lowe’s gift card via UPS.
Whew. Was it worth it? Honestly at this point it was no longer about the money, it was more about the principle. I first called Lowe’s on Oct. 5, so after a couple weeks my stubbornness came out and I was determined to get an answer out of them, even if it was that the card had no more balance (although I probably would’ve been more pissed off with that answer).
I have to say, part of me wonders if they made it all up and they never really found the card information. To them, maybe $54 was a small, made-up price to pay to get the annoying girl to stop calling every few days. But hey, I’m actually fine with that.
So three pieces of advice from Saver in the City:
1) Don’t lose your wallet. Easier said than done sometimes, so see #2 and #3…
2) In addition to your credit card info, write down all gift card numbers, their PIN #s and the phone number to call if the card is lost/stolen.
3) If you do find yourself communicating with a company about an issue that’s important to you, document everything. Had the situation dragged on, I don’t know if I would have actually written a letter to Lowe’s but I was glad I had a record of all 10 phone conversations including dates/times and the person I spoke to on the phone.
The waiting game (insert Jeopardy theme song)
So I haven’t heard anything from the company I interviewed with on Monday and I’m started to get a little anxious. I’ve never been the most patient person and this is especially true when it comes to such a potentially life-changing piece of news.
All of this also got me thinking about the parallels between starting a relationship and interviewing for a new job. If you don’t really like the guy, they may not call for a few weeks after the first date and that will be perfectly okay. When they finally do get around to calling, it’s like, “oh yeah, I almost forgot about you.” Conversely, if you really want it to work out because you like the guy, you’ll practically sit by the phone, willing it to ring and for them to be on the other end.
That’s kind-of how I feel right now. Either way, it’s annoying and I wish they’d call.
Filed under Career, Dating | Comment (0)