How to Mail Holiday Cards Within the United States

Get your cards out on time this year!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Holiday Postage Stamps
• Family Photographs
• Holiday Greeting Cards
• CD Players
• Printers
• Cocoa
• Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics CD
• Children Of Christmas CD
• The Supremes: Merry Christmas CD
• Address Labels
• Holiday Printer Paper
• Ink Pen
• Postage Scales
• Home Computers
• Database Software

1. Keep your list of card recipients on your computer. When it's time to send the cards, print out self-stick labels, available in many styles and colors. Update your list whenever you receive a card.

2. Write a Happy New Year letter with your family's news to put in each card ' you can use the same letter for everyone if you keep the information general. Use pretty holiday stationery. Include a family photo as an added treat.

3. Buy holiday stamps early; sometimes the post office runs out of special issues.

4. Order your stamps online, by phone or with a Stamps-by-Mail order form. You'll be glad you missed the long lines, but be prepared to wait a week for delivery.

5. Enlist the help of your kids to put stamps on the envelopes.

6. Keep your holiday spirit while addressing your cards by sipping cocoa and listening to carols.

7. Divide the number of cards you have by the number of weeks you have left to send them. Separate the cards into batches with several mailing deadlines.

8. Allow at least seven days for delivery. The post office is very busy this time of year.

9. Remember that the post office does not allow envelopes smaller than 3 1/2 by 5 inches. Cards larger than 6 1/8 by 11 1/2 inches, more than 1/4-inch thick or more than 1 oz. will cost more to send.

10. Weigh your cards. Postage for the first ounce is 33 cents, plus 22 cents for each additional ounce.

Tips & Warnings

• Include a return address on your envelopes.
• Pick up holiday cards for next year at post-Christmas clearance sales.

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on 11/22/2005 In these times of turmoil with Anthrax and who knows what else tying up mail delivery times, mail in advance. The United States Postal Service recommends mailing Christmas cards by these dates:

-December 7th (to be early)
-December 10th (to be on time)
-December 15th (to be LAST MINUTE, xmas eve delivery)

Also, be sure to INCLUDE A RETURN ADDRESS on ALL envelopes and letters. With precautions and frequent scares, mail may be discarded in a sanitary site if a return address is not seen!

~`~`Happy Holidays'~'~