Thank You How-To

Christmas gifts have been opened and enjoyed . . . so now it's time to write thank you notes! But what's the proper etiquette?

First, when do you send the note? Personally, I try to send a thank you within one week of receiving the gift. For Christmas gifts sometimes I buy happy new year cards to send as thank you notes and mail them on 12/31. Emily Post simply says "as soon as possible" and "don't hesitate if you feel you're late: a late note is always better than no note at all."

Now, what do you write in the note?

1. Be sure to address the giver personally by starting the note with "Dear Pink" or "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Maple."

2. Say thanks and be descriptive - "Thank you so much for the lovely . . . " or "Thank you very much for the fantastic . . . "

But what if you received money? Thank the giver for their "generous gift" and tell them how you plan to use it ("I'll look forward to using it on my upcoming trip . . ." or "It will be of great help towards this semester's books . . . ")

3. Add some additional personal statement - "It was so nice to see you on Christmas at Aunt Maple's house . . . " or "I can't wait until our annual ski trip next month . . . " The etiquette tips from Crane & Co. say to mention the past and allude to the future.

4. Say thanks again - "Thanks again for your thoughtful gift . . ."

p.s. Isn't the thank you note above so pretty? It's the Boatman Geller wildflower spring foldover note now ON SALE for $20 for a package of 50!

The Most Comfy Warm Slippers

Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest - my favorite gift this year which I have been wearing inside 24/7 since Christmas Day:

LL Bean Hearthside Slippers in wood violet

SNOW!

Best wishes for a very merry Christmas!

Christmas Q&A

I've seen this Christmas edition of getting to know your blogger friends around the blogworld recently, so I thought I'd join in with an abbreviated version:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like to mix it up, so I use both. For me, it all depends on the gift - I often like to give recipients a number of small items so I'll wrap each in tissue and put them all in a bag together.

2. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start shopping whenever I see something that strikes me as a great gift for someone. This year I have a few gifts that I bought as far back as last April.

3. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I am too much of a picky gift giver than to pass something along that I myself didn't like.

4. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? A little of both. My birthday falls on Christmas so growing up it was a tradition for me to open my birthday present from my parents on Christmas Eve. Nowadays, Christmas Eve is our big family celebration (although my family is small so big is a relative word!) - so we open some gifts with our extended family then one by one and then Christmas Day is quieter.

5. Favorite Christmas song? That's a three-way tie! - "White Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "Carol of the Bells."

6. Favorite Christmas movie? Too many to name - I love Christmas movies! My favorites that I have to watch every year are "White Christmas" (see favorite song above!) and "Christmas Vacation."

Portable North Pole!

This is the cutest thing ever! - PNP Portable North Pole - a personalized live-action video message from Santa! I had two videos sent to my little cousins. You just plug in the child's name, what they want for Christmas, where they live, and a few other individualized facts and then upload a photo. I would have loved to receive a message like this when I was a kid!

p.s. Started wrapping gifts today! Have you done your wrapping yet? Gift wrap or bags?

Braving the Crowds

I decided to brave the crowds today and head to the outlets for some Christmas shopping. It was definitely very crowded, but not unbearable and I got some great deals: all sweaters at the Banana Republic outlet were just $19.99 and cords at the J Crew outlet were $24.99. They had lots of nice gift sets at Williams Sonoma: snowmen plates, 12 days of Christmas plates, and Santa cake pans. The busiest store by far was the Coach outlet, which had a line out the door (I did not go in!).

I also picked out some fun tees at J Crew for my January vacation to Florida. The regular J Crew carries t-shirts year-round, but right now the colors are so blah: black, gray, white . . . when headed to a warm weather destination I prefer BRIGHT colors. The outlet tees fit the bill perfectly: I found a pretty green with a turquoise embroidered flower, light pink with bright pink graphics, and navy with a sequined flower.

One winter tee I do like, however, is the snow-gem tee - with a black cardigan and jeans it would be a fun winter weekend outfit. Although I have to say, doesn't this model look like she's not too pleased to be wearing it? And the satiny pants it's paired with are pretty hideous!

Holiday Shopping for the Sports Fan

My dad is a huge sports fan. In the spring, summer, and early fall he can be found most nights in front of the tv watching the Red Sox. The rest of the year his weekends are booked watching football (college football on Saturday - Boston College and the NFL on Sunday or Monday - the Patriots). So, this year I decided a set of new ties from Vineyard Vines would be the perfect Christmas gift for him.

Today while shopping in TJ Maxx I found the men's version of this football tie (only available on the Vineyard Vines site now in boys' size) for just $19.99!


With a Red Sox tie, it will make the perfect set for him to show his love of sports year-round!


. . . and it will hopefully keep from wearing the ugly paisley maroon ties I've spotted him in lately! Perhaps it's a rule that all dads must have no fashion sense? :)