The importance of sending handwritten thank-you notes

You know what’s harder than helping your kid write a thank-you note? Helping yourself do the same thing! (That’s why you get a full year after your wedding to write gift thank-you notes, right?)

While emails or even texts might be acceptable on informal occasions, handwritten cards can impress friends, relatives, and potential employers alike. When should you write a personalized, handwritten note?

  • After a job interview - that very night, if possible
  • After a bridal or baby shower
  • After a wedding, to attendants and for gifts
  • After receiving a birthday or holiday gift
  • After an unexpected kindness
  • After an illness

We know they’re easy to put off. But here are a few ways to stay organized and get the notes written in a timely fashion.

Baby shower or wedding gift thank-yous to write? Make sure that someone else – not you who are getting married or you who are about to be baby parents – is taking notes about who’s giving what gift, Maids of honor and best men; best friends; distant relatives who want something to do – this is where you come in! If the helpful people are up for it, they can even address the envelopes and stick on post-it notes identifying the giver and the gift. Overwhelmed at the number to write? Set a goal of two to four a day, with weekends off, until you’ve thanked everyone.

Buy cards you like. Keep a stock on hand, along with stamps and favorite pens, in a thank-you note box or drawer. The cards can be fun or serious, depending on your mood.

Writing a thank-you note for a job interview? Think about these steps:



  • Address your note to the hiring manager
  • Mention the title of the job for which you interviewed
  • Talk about your interest in the position,
  • Write, briefly, about a specific answers or ideas that seemed to spark the hiring manager or hiring committee’s interest
  • Thank everyone for their time and, finally
  • Include your contact information.

Writing a thank-you note for a birthday or holiday gift? Remember the tips for kids! Mention the gift, say something specific about why you appreciate it, try to be as genuine as possible without lying, and make the note look pretty.

Writing a random thanks for an unexpected kindness? Match the look of the thank-you card to the tone of your thanks – gentle, boisterous, quirky, sweet, amused, honored, direct, and everything in between.

If you’re writing a note on behalf of a bereaved family or person who’s too ill to write him or herself, stick to a script. Include a simple thank-you sentence mentioning the gift or helpful action, write a sentence that says how much the person or family appreciated the thoughtfulness of the gift, and (with permission) sign the name of the ill person or the bereaved family. Pick muted colors for these thank-you notes.

You can bring joy with just a few minutes of thoughtful writing. The world could use a little more of that. So good luck with your notes! We thank you for writing them.

Share To:   Pinterest  |   Twitter  |   Facebook

posted by Tickled Pink Paper + Ink Staff | Leave a comment

Make it Fun! Thank-You-Note-Writing Tips for Getting Kids to Say Thanks

 

What’s better than receiving a hand-written thank-you note? 

We’d say it’s getting a text from a thrilled relative or friend who just opened your child’s sweet thank-you card. 
Recent studies show that writing by hand helps kids understand details and even develop new neural connections in the brain. 
And of course when a child learns early to write thank-you notes, she’ll have an easier time remembering to do that after job interviews – which, other studies show, has a good effect on interviewers’ feelings about applicants. 
But getting the kids interested in writing can be a hassle when it feels like a chore. Here are some tips for making thank-you notes fun!
  • Let your child pick out the card. He might want the bumblebee card; she might want the card with the doggie on the front – lay out a selection of three to five from which the child can choose.
  • Before there’s any formal writing, talk to your child about the gift. If the present is a game, what does she like about playing it? If the gift is an experience, what does he remember most? If the present is a gift card, what is she thinking about purchasing? 
  • Have your child write a draft and read it out loud to you. Too intense? Ask your child to read it out loud in the voice of his favorite character. 
  • Offer a selection of pens, markers, crayons, stickers, glitter and other ways to personalize the thank-you card for your kid. 
  • Make the length appropriate to the age. The littlest kids can pick out the best pen color, dictate a one to three sentence thank-you note and then fill in the rest of the card space with coloring, while older kids can create longer narratives about what they’re doing with their gifts and their lives. 
  • Help your child see that genuine is the way to go. If your kid doesn’t like the gift, you can help her write a simple thank-you sentence and then add a question or two that indicate interest in the giver’s life – “Dear Uncle Tomas: Thank you so much for the Boynton board books you sent for my 8th birthday. I am enjoying reading them to my baby brother. What did you like to read when you were 8?”
  • Learn the fun of snail mail! Write the address together. The address can be in fun colors but still be accurate and legible to the post office if you help out. If you put a special stamp on before the address, your child can also color-coordinate the decorations with the stamp. Have your child either hand the card to your letter carrier or drop it in the mailbox himself. 
There’s no need for external rewards from you for the thank-you notes. Remember, the reward is already there – the gift, plus the line your child has formed, heart to heart, from giver to receiver. 
Congratulations! 

 


Share To:   Pinterest  |   Twitter  |   Facebook

posted by Tickled Pink Paper + Ink Staff | Leave a comment

News Release: Portland, Oregon Artist Launches New Greeting Card Line Featuring Hand-Drawn Illustrations

Tickled Pink Paper + Ink features a unique whimsical style that incorporates artist Teresa Diepenbrock’s hand-drawn, hand-painted illustrations.

This month, Tickled Pink Paper + Ink, stationery created and illustrated by Portland, Ore. artist Teresa Diepenbrock, officially launches a new line of greeting cards, treat toppers and wooden stamps. Each greeting card is hand-drawn and hand-painted by Diepenbrock and is inspired by the delight and whimsy of life’s special moments. 

The greeting card line features products for birthdays, holidays, new babies and boxed thank you cards with more to come in the next few months. Each card is quirky, fun and whimsical. The launch of Tickled Pink Paper + Ink’s newest greeting card line coincides with the five-year anniversary of the company and reflects Teresa’s love of parties and celebrations.

After many years of designing custom party invitations for customers, friends and her large family, Diepenbrock wanted to infuse that joy and celebration into a special line of birthday and greeting cards.

“I wanted to combine my family’s traditions around birthday celebrations and my love of stationery into something that would be joyful and add a flair of celebration to everyday lives,” said Diepenbrock.

Tickled Pink Paper + Ink is based in Portland, Oregon. Stationery can be purchased online at the Tickled Pink Paper + Ink website (www.tickledpinkpaperink.com) and are available for wholesale and retail sales. You can see the catalog online: http://bit.ly/TickledPinkInk (or it's also embedded below) 

If you would like more information about this greeting card launch, please contact Kelli Matthews at kelli@vervenorthwest.com. We welcome bloggers or editors interested in reviewing product or hosting a giveaway.  

 

Share To:   Pinterest  |   Twitter  |   Facebook

posted by Teresa Diepenbrock | Leave a comment