How to write a sincere thank you note

 Writing a thank you note from the heart is easy in theory but getting into it can be a totally different story. It can be daunting sometimes to think of the perfect words to say to someone important, especially when thanking them for their kindness. If you’re at a loss for words when it comes to writing a sincere and meaningful thank you note, follow these tips and tricks!

1.)   First and foremost, picking the perfect stationery is more important than you might realize! A solid thank you note is only as meaningful as its presentation, and that's not to say a simple thanks wouldn't do the trick, but for a real eye catch, it's always great to be prepared with a stack of thank you notes for every occasion! 

 

For some beautiful stationery options, click here or go to www.morethanpaper.com!

 

2.)   Next up, when writing the actual letter, start off by keeping it simple, address them how you normally would whether it be “dear,” “to,” or just their name, and begin expressing what you’d like to thank them for. A good way to start this is by saying “Dear [name], I am so appreciative for what you did for me, and wanted to say thank you…”

 

3.)   After writing the base outline, begin expressing what you were able to accomplish because of their kind gesture. For instance, if they babysat for you with short notice, you could explain that because of that, you were able to attend the important event you needed to, or if they gifted you something, you could tell them what you did with the gift! Seeing firsthand what their kindness has done for you is a great way for them to feel appreciated. 

            

4.)   A small gift along with a note to say thank you is always a sure-fire way to get your point across as elegantly as possible!  Save this for big gestures and only when it feels appropriate. 

For gifts like this one and more, click here or go to www.morethanpaper.com.  

 

5.)   If you’re feeling like you want to return the favor, you can always let them know that whenever you need them, your door is always open! Being there in return for someone can be such a solid reminder that they really do mean a lot to you. If they live further away from you, being a phone call away is also totally acceptable and more than appreciated. To ship a thank you gift to them, feel free to check out some shipping labels to help you. 

 

Click here, or go to www.morethanpaper.com for more! 

 

6.)   Lastly, a great thank you note coming from the heart should simply come from your heart! Tell this person what they mean to you in an honest way and tell them how much they enrich your life on a daily basis! Every little word counts in a note, making yours full of love and admiration is guaranteed to be the perfect note. Even if you don’t feel like it's enough to thank them fully, having someone tell them how much they are loved can brighten someone's week in an instant.

 

Writing a sincere thank you note is the perfect way to express your appreciation towards someone who’s done something nice for you, so go forth and feel confident in your writing! It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be perfectly and authentically you. As long as you get your point across clearly and let them know they are appreciated, whatever you end up writing, they will love, because chances are, they love you! 

 

 

Bridesmaids Gifts

When you are getting married and you’ve asked your closest friends to stand by your side as your bridesmaids, it means something special! Friends help get you through tough times and are people with whom you make lasting memories.  On your big day, will you give them a gift to celebrate your friendship and thank them for all that they have done for you?   

Whether it’s a destination wedding or a local wedding, it’s likely that your bridesmaids have incurred some expenses throughout your engagement and wedding so we love the idea of a small thank you.  Thank your bridesmaids for their long-standing friendship with these bridesmaids’ gift ideas.  Your bridal party will appreciate any of these personalized gifts!  

1)   Your girls will always travel in style with these garment bags!  Available in several colors, these personalized garment bags are made of heavy-duty canvas and will protect your suits, dresses, or clothes you don’t want to fold!  There are two roomy inside zip pockets for smaller 
accessories. 

 

2)     We just love these clutches that we have recently added by Quilted Koala! Choose from over 50 icons and text phrases.  These are truly custom in that you can select from many color bag options and choose the color, location, and sizing of your imprint (including glitters, foils, and solids!)   At More Than Paper, we are happy to guide you through the process or design it for you! 

        

3)     Sip in-style with any of our custom tumblers.These personalized acrylic beverage tumblers with straw are perfect for on-the-go hydration!  Available in a bunch of patterns and designs, this is a small token of your appreciation and make a great bridal party gift. 

        

 

4)     Insulated personalized tumblers are all the rage right now! These premium-quality double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel travel tumblers will keep your cold drinks ice cold for up to 24 hours and your hot drinks hot for up to 6 hours!!  For a small fee, you can upgrade your lid to a sliding lid.  Choose from many tumbler colors and imprint colors, too.  You can customize these for your bridesmaids and bridal party with their name or even your wedding date and location.

         

 

5)     These super-cute, personalized straw tote bags are ideal for beach weddings or destination wedding bridal parties!!  They are handmade and hand painted with stripes and initials. Create your own color combinations and make it yours!  One of the best things? This is a Fair Trade Business and income generated helps women sustain their families. 

        

Whichever way you to choose to honor your bridesmaids, we also recommend that in addition to a small gift, you take the time to write a letter or note to your friends.  This will be perhaps the most meaningful of all the actions or gestures you take.  Here are some tips to help you write the best note to your bridesmaids:

1)     Recall when you met or how you became friends

2)     Recount a favorite memory or funny story 

3)     Be honest about how this person has helped shap your life and lead you to where you are today

4)     Be sure to thank them for their friendship and support during the wedding 

With those tips, you are sure to write something that they will treasure and will certainly feel appreciated.  Check out all of our bridesmaids gift options at More Than Paper by visiting here. 

Tips for Going Back to School in 2020

 It’s that time of year again! The summer is nearly behind us, and school aged children are getting ready to go back to school. (If you are in the south, there’s a good chance your schools already have!)  But like much of 2020, things look different than they have in years past.  Millions of children and their families are shifting gears and attending school virtually due to the pandemic.  Those that are attending in person face unforeseen challenges and a new way of learning.  We’re here today to explore tips and tricks to make the transition easier, in whichever way your school is going back.

Tips for Virtual School in 2020

1.      Set up a workspace/desk.  Ensure a consistent workspace and positive learning environment by setting up a workspace that your little one can use every single day for virtual school. You will want to make sure that the desk is sturdy, you have a comfortable chair, it is well-lit, and it is free from noises and distractions. (And far from the X-Box!) We recommend letting your kids decorate it so they feel ownership over their environment and have them take part in making it a special, happy place.

2.      Shop for supplies.  Just as you would for in-person school shopping, take your little one shopping or shop online together for necessary school supplies including binders, loose leaf paper, notebooks, a calculator, colored pencils, highlighters, pencils, pens, erasers & more.  Your school will likely provide a list!  We also think letting your children pick out a fun pencil box is an easy way to get the kids excited about supply shopping, without breaking the bank.  Try our embroidered cosmetic pouches, which double as a pencil/pen case! 

3.      Boost your internet.  No one likes a frozen screen with an ugly face captured during a zoom call. Consider calling your internet provider to upgrade your internet service or looking into a boosting device for your internet. These devices don’t tend to cost an arm and a leg and allow you to feel confident your internet connection isn’t going to drop spontaneously when you need it most.

4.      Dress for success.  Have your children wear their uniforms to school or get dressed as if they were going to school.  Dressing the part helps them psychologically prepare for the day and gets them into the mindset of interacting with people, just as they would at school. Avoid jammies and sweats!

5.      Keep routine and structure. Your school may have a set time that requires you to log in, or it might be more flexible.  If it’s flexible, we recommend setting a start time and end time daily and staying consistent whenever possible. This will help your children feel the routine that school normally provides.

6.      Pack a lunch.  For working parents especially, it’s difficult to stop your day in the middle and make lunch.  A cute idea would be to pack your child’s lunch for them, just as you would if they were headed off to school.  For older children, they can do this themselves!  Consider packing it in a cute new lunch bag for added excitement.  Hey, it’s the little things!  Isn’t it? 

 

Tips for In-Person Learning in 2020

1.      Keep health and safety top of mind.   Paramount to in-person learning and its success are healthy children and classrooms.  Continue to teach your kids to wash hands and to use sanitizer. Avoid touching, hugging, and even little things like sharing pencils/erasers.  Safety is #1.

2.      Wear a mask.  Whether it’s mandatory or not, we’re in the camp of wearing a mask! There are plenty of “cute” masks out there and child-sized ones available. Unfortunately, it does seem you have to try several options until you have found one that is sustainable for hours on end. But it’s worth it once you do. We’ve found that the disposable surgical masks are great for kids. They are light and breathable unlike some hand-made options which although they are cute, can be very stuffy and hot. Also, we suggest practicing wearing a mask for long periods of time before you go back to school. You may want to take a Saturday/Sunday before school starts and have them wear it for the day.  You want their teachers focused on their education, not reminding them to keep their masks on.

3.      Pack a lunch & snacks!  Many schools are doing away with the cafeteria to avoid large crowds of students, so packing a lunch is mandatory.  We think packing a lunch is more fun with cute water bottles, bags, and accessories.  Try some of these ideas to spruce things up! 

In whatever way you and your kids are going back to school this year, we think it also helps to splurge on some items to dress your desk.  Whether at home or at school, a stylish new personalized clipboard, or preppy personalized mousepad, will help get the job done but also lift spirits.  Little luxuries like these can make a big difference in your mood and your approach to getting work done.   We all need whatever we can get right now! So, choose things that bring you joy.   

We wish you luck as this unprecedented school year begins! Share your ideas, tips and tricks with us on our Facebook page.  We’d love to hear from you.

 

Ways to connect during a crisis

The Pandemic Disconnect

The Pandemic has certainly changed how we live and interact.  For some people, the effects have been profound. At More Than Paper, we have co-workers who haven’t seen their families in 4 months – which is much longer than they’ve ever gone before! It’s hard.  It’s sad. It’s unfamiliar. But right now, staying away and keeping distance will help protect family members in the long run.  So we do the hard, sad, and unfamiliar things anyway. 

But what happens when your family has a milestone or deserves a celebration, and you can’t do things like you always have? We have a few ideas to help continue to celebrate and connect during the crisis. Sure, it’s not the same as it was before – but with these tips and tricks, you CAN find ways to connect and celebrate with the ones you love.

Driveaway Drive-bys

It’s your grandfather’s birthday but you can’t continue your tradition of Olive Garden followed by Baskin Robbins? Consider a driveway drive-by.  You’ve likely seen this on the news, or in your social media feed, but it’s a great way to plan a party – safely.  Grandpa sits outside on the driveway and then all the family members and friends drive by in their cars.  Consider ordering a Happy Birthday, Grandpa banner to make it extra special. More Than Paper has plenty of options from which to choose! 

Send A Care Package

Create a care package to send to loved ones, letting them know that you’re thinking of them. A handwritten note, their favorite chocolate, a box of their favorite tea or bag of their favorite coffee, a good book and/or some magazines are just a few ideas to include.  A thoughtful, handwritten note is something that they’ll cherish and really brighten their day.  When was the last time you got an actual letter in the mail?  We have plenty of stationery designs-check out your options! 

Maximize Digital Options

If there was ever a “good” time to have a pandemic, this arguably might be better than previous years. Definitely better than the Spanish Flu era! With the internet, there are dozens of ways to connect and stay in touch.  We have seemingly tried them all with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Blue Jean, Google Hangouts, and more.  Try them all on and see which you like best!  FaceTime helps, too.

Keep Some Normalcy

Were you planning on attending a wedding that got postponed this summer? You are not alone. Try to keep some normalcy and help the bride and groom celebrate.  Though their wedding might not have happened as they wish, they still deserve to be celebrated.  Send them a card with a thoughtful note, or send them a gift.  Be sure to check out our gift options on the site! And it’s not just weddings. Baby showers, births, bachelorette parties, bachelor parties, engagement parties, graduation parties – all of the big life events have been affected. Whenever possible, try to keep normalcy by finding ways to celebrate those people. Even if it is a quick note or small gift.   We think these cute pads are great to give to let your loved ones know you are thinking of them. 

Surely this has been a challenge like we have never faced before, but if we are creative, we will come up with new and exciting ways to connect with those that we love, while keeping everyone safe.  What ideas have we missed?  Comment or share on Facebook what you are doing to stay connected right now!

Ways to save money at the grocery store

A common new year's resolution is to save money.  There are a variety of ways to save and today More Than Paper is sharing 5 easy ways to save at the grocery store.  For most families, monies spent at the grocery store is typically the second largest expense, with mortgage or rent being number one.  Save big each month with these easy tips. 

#1:  Stock your pantry with store-brand spices, oils, vinegars and marinades.   Store-brand spices, oils, vinegar and marinades are virtually identical to name-brand ones. Compare ingredients but save big when you buy store-brand on pantry items. 

#2:  Don't waste the food that's in your refrigerator.  Make sure you freeze meats before they expire. Before bananas go bad, use them for smoothies, make banana bread or freeze them for later use.  Avoid frequent trips to the grocery store during the week and make do with what's in your fridge by stretching your creativity.   Use as much as possible before shopping again.  Make it a game to only go to the grocery store once a week!

#3:  Don't forget about canned foods!  Using canned foods as ingredients to your home cooked meals is a great way to save money, especially if you stockpile staples, such as canned tomatoes, beans, tuna or salmon, when they are on sale.  Use canned beans in salads, as a side dish, or make your own hummus.  Toss canned beans in main dishes for extra protein and fiber.   Canned tuna and canned salmon also make an inexpensive lunch.  Diced tomatoes are a must have and can be used in many recipes.  The best part about canned foods is that they will not spoil!  How many times have you bought fresh vegetables with the intent to cook a meal, only to get sidetracked and then have the vegetables spoil?  

#4:  Buy meat on sale.  Look for ground beef to use for meatloaf, pasta, and burgers - it's an inexpensive meat that can be used for a variety of dishes.   Look for the one meat that often goes on sale during the week in your grocer's circular.  (Note: avoid manager specials for meat, since they are very close to or at expiration date, unless you plan on eating the meat that night.) 

#5:  Go vegetarian one night a week.   Plan your menu to include one meat-free night.  Instead use beans, salad with lots of veggies and lentils or cook pasta.  

We love using our reusable personalized grocery tote while shopping.  This one carries about 2 plastic bags worth of groceries and is a one-time investment that's worth every penny as it saves the environment!

So how do you save money at the grocery store?  Share your tips with us here!

(Dollar image source)

Holiday Photo Card Sale

The month of December is usually an exciting time to go to your mailbox.  Amidst all of the bills and junk mail, there are a slew of holiday cards from family and friends.  Usually the best ones received are photo cards!

Though it seems early to start thinking about Christmas and winter holidays, with a little advanced planning you can save big on your annual photo greeting cards.   Holiday Cards by Boatman Geller are currently 60% off* at More Than Paper, and we have 4 great tips for taking the perfect holiday photo for your cards!

 

 

Shop all of the Boatman Geller holiday card designs here!

* Letterpress Holiday Photo cards are not included in the sale

When you have the design all picked out, it’s time to take the perfect family photo (or photos, depending on the design of the card you like!)  Here a four ways to get a great holiday photo card:

1. Choose an interesting location like a park, the beach, riverfront or garden.  The background shouldn’t dominate the picture.  No beach?  Set up a station in your house and take photos against a shower curtain, soft linen, or hang a roll of kraft paper.   Consider your garage or side of your house as a backdrop if it’s wooden or has interesting architectural detail. 
2. Think about a clothing “scheme.”   Clothes do not have to match but consider coordinating colors.  Generally patterns do not photograph well, so keep attire limited to solids when possible.
3. Use a tripod and camera with a self timer, or enlist the help of a neighbor or friend.   If you don’t have a tripod, you can stack books on a chair or step stool.   Take a few practice shots then assemble the group.
4. Compose the picture.   Think about arranging people from tallest to shortest, or placing the tallest people on the outside and the shortest in the middle (or vice versa).   A popular composition includes placing the mother and father in the middle, and the kids around the parents.  Be sure to “lean in” to each other to avoid gaps between people.   The closer the better! 

Last year, there was quite a trend of families using props (think mustaches, wigs, sunglasses & more) and people holding chalkboard signs to showcase their greeting.   

Photo by Natalie, on this awesome blog!

Whatever your style is, be sure to follow these tips for great holiday cards and shop now to receive 60% off your Boatman Geller holiday photo cards!  Hurry, this ends 9/12/13 so shop all the cards now.