The following are things I’ve felt have really enhanced my chosen role. Granted I am a bit of a type A, and doing many of these things could be deemed unnecessary , and doing all of them like I do is probably ridiculous. But pick one that really does cut a corner for you, and then maybe you’ll also think to try one that’ s new. I worry that some may be too obvious. I only know that no one told me, so there’s gotta be someone out there who doesn’t know. Of course there were no scientific trials, and I was only deciding their safety by my standards. Try at your own risk!
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May 21, 2009
Birthdays and Anniversaries
There are actually two tips here: Have plenty of cards, and organize those cards according to birthday and anniversary date.
I am not tech savvy, something that over time will become obvious to you. Hence I don’t send e-cards. I know they’re easy, but I like things I can hold in my hand. What happens to keepsake boxes if every endearment is over the internet? I like to send a card in the mail for a birthday or an anniversary, and I keep a shoebox filled with a variety of cards for those occasions. Sometimes I buy a bunch all at once, or pick ‘em up as I see them. I always make sure I have a selection: boy and girl kids, a one year is key, funny, sappy, and a bunch of blanks. Blank cards always save the day when you want to write a note, or you don’t have the perfect card for someone.
Beginning this project is the most time consuming part. You need to have a list of everybody’s birthday or anniversary. I do mine by month, and I add the year of birth or marriage. If you have relatives that keep having babies like I do, it helps. Then make labels (I admit my husband had to do this part for me, but there is always a son, daughter, friend, neighbor or relative that thinks this task is so simple and they’ll help set you up if you need them to) for each person on the list on your computer. As there are changes, just add them to these documents and save.
At some point during the year I take an afternoon and do all of my cards. Seal them, address them, return address them (both from my print out labels), postage them. I put them in an envelope holder, the stand-up kind, in the order that they’re coming up. A sticky gets put on for what day they should go in the mail. It sits by our side door, and whoever notices first that there is one to go out does the honor and puts it in the mailbox. Small boys love this chore and never let you forget! I do about 30 a year. It takes me about two hours. That’s got to be quicker than the hassle of one at a time.
All year long, people seem really touched that they got a card in the mail. If you do a smaller # of months at a time or more, it still seems like relatively little effort for something that makes someone feel so special.
