The following are five tips to help make Jack Cards as easy and fun for you as it was designed to be!

1. Using Your Planner

Make sure you never miss a birthday (or anniversary) again! Your Planner is the perfect way to keep track of every important event for your friends, family, colleagues, mentors, students, and anyone else who is important to you.

Start by Adding Contacts

Add contacts individually or import your contacts from Facebook, LinkedIn, Yahoo Mail, Gmail and many more sources. Just click on the Add Contacts icon in the Planner toolbar.

…Then Add Important Events (Like Your Sister’s Anniversary)

You can use the toolbar in your Planner to add the same holiday or special occasion to multiple individuals in one step.

And of course, let’s not forget birthdays. To save time, you can add everyone’s birthday in one go, just click on ‘Add Birthdays’ in your To Do List in the left column of your Planner.

And if you don’t know someone’s birthday, click on ‘Ask For Birthdays’ to send them a quick email inviting them to add it for you.

To make sure you don’t forget anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day and many more special occasions and holidays, your To Do List in your Planner will remind you of upcoming holidays, and special occasions.

Just click on Add To Contacts below each event.

Ask For or Add Addresses

Make sure your Planner is always up to date with your friends’ current address. Send them a quick email to ask for their current address. Just click on ‘Ask For Addresses’ in your To Do List or toolbar.

Tip: Use the toolbar in your Planner to add the same address to multiple individuals in one step.

2. Assigning and Scheduling Your Cards

Scheduling your cards for future delivery is a great way to save time, and a great way to never forget a birthday again!

Card suggestions appear next to each event in your Planner. Click on ‘Send’ below a card to assign it to that date and recipient, or browse the site and add cards to your shopping cart. Personalize the details for each card in your Planner (click on Edit Card Details) or in your shopping cart (click on Personalize Card next to each card).

Once you have purchased your cards, you can return back to your Planner anytime to view scheduled cards that have not yet been delivered. Just click on the Scheduled Cards tab.

Tip: You can edit the details for a card you have scheduled, up to 2 days before the mail date.

3. Addressing Your Envelopes

Our members are consistently delighted with our envelope printing, especially during Christmas card season or for wedding and shower thank you’s!

You have the option of having your return address printed, your recipient’s address printed, or both! You can also choose to have your cards stamped.

To select any (or all), select ‘Personalize Card’ in your Shopping Cart or ‘Edit Card Details’ in your Planner and then ‘Yes’ for the options you would like.

4. Sending Cards Directly

In a hurry? We can handwrite your message for you and send directly! Simply type in your message and one of the Jack Cards team members (who have lovely handwriting) will write it for you.

To add a message, select ‘Personalize Card’ in your Shopping Cart or ‘Edit Card Details’ in your Planner and then check the ‘Mail Directly to Recipient’ box.  You can type in your message here.

Already missed the date? Don’t worry, we have you covered! Opt to direct-send a fun or witty belated birthday card, then sit back and relax!

5. Complete the Circle of Caring

Share Jack Cards with your friends, and help them to remember their friends and family with thoughtful and funny cards. Just click on Invite Friends in your Planner to share your unique invitation URL, and receive a $15 Amazon.com gift card for every 5 friends who make a purchase!

Photo of Red Cross Tiffany Circle Volunteers sending Christmas wishes to our military heroes in cards donated by Andy Pratt.

If you need any help with any of the above, contact the Jack Cards Team – we’d love to hear from you!

Enjoy!

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“If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.” ~ Billy Joel

Rather than focus on resolutions for the New Year, like eat less and exercise more, why not focus on goals and organize your time around these goals? It’s not easy to navigate the constant balancing act of our hectic fast-paced lives, but becoming more organized, and living life with purpose, is a sure way to feel less scattered and congested. The following are some simple, actionable steps to help make sure you live the life that you want to live.

Step One: Reflection

“We are, in fact, the sum total of our choices.” ~ Woody Allen

What is your doing/reflection ratio?

According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, making room for deep questioning and thinking is a strategic imperative for business. According to the author of the article, “the most disruptive, unforeseen, and just plain awesome breakthroughs, that reimagine, reinvent, and reconceive a product, a company, a market,…rarely come from the single-minded pursuit of the busier and busier busywork of “business.”" Reflection “….becomes the rocket fuel for experimentation, the lifeblood of high-level innovation, the spark of deeper meaning, and the wellspring of enduring purpose.”

So why not make reflection a strategic imperative for managing your life as well? Without making time for reflection, you may be climbing the wrong mountain, and regret it later on.

Start with a few questions about how you spent 2010, and some deep thinking about their answers (I find listening to music helps me with reflection). For example start with:

What did I (and what didn’t I):

Explore_________________________________
Learn___________________________________
Share___________________________________
Discover________________________________
Make___________________________________
Teach__________________________________
Love___________________________________
Risk____________________________________
Create__________________________________
Try_____________________________________

What do I regret?
What do I want to change, what do I want to keep the same?
What made me happy?
What obstacles did I find in 2010? What did I do to get through them?
What did I do well, what didn’t I do well?
Who made the most impact on my life?
What I am most grateful for?
Who made me laugh, cry, happy, angry, frustrated, warm, inspired?
Who were my heros of 2010? What did they accomplish that was remarkable? Whose lives did I impact the most?

Make sure you also answer the ‘Why?’ to all of your answers above. Ultimately you want to get better at deeper thinking to answer the question: ‘What will my headline be for 2011?’, our Step Two.

We love this post about a reflection on 2010 by Erin Loechner at Design For Mankind.

Step Two: What Will Your 2011 Headline Be?

For example your headline for 2011 could be:

TRAVELLED ON A GRAND SCALE: ‘Experienced’ Italy and South East Asia – LED COMPANY AND TEAM THROUGH SIGNIFICANT GROWTH – MORE PRESENT IN MY FAMILY’S LIVES – BECAME A BETTER MOTHER – BECAME AN ATHLETE – BECAME A BETTER WEALTH MANAGER

Compose your headline from a list of broad accomplishments you want 2011 to be remembered for. It’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve, which requires accepting that there are opportunity costs with every choice you make. By focusing on a set of outcomes, you will naturally make sure your time is filled up with activities that push you towards those outcomes, and not just activities that keep you busy. The type, nature and number of activities might change as you learn more about what works for you and what doesn’t work, but your ultimate goals should stay the same and provide the direction you need for modifying your activities. As this article proposes, “companies that put a bigger, more enduring purpose first before profit”, will win. Why not apply this to your life as well?

Step Three: Make Lists

Once you have your set of outcomes, make a list of all of the activities that will help you achieve them. There are several online and offline ways to create and incorporate your list into your daily life. For example, one of our favorite online tools is Workflowy, a site that makes it very easy to edit and save lists online that are private.

For extra motivation, make your list public by posting it on your blog. We found these wonderful examples, each has its own unique style and aim:

Bacon Grinder: Goal Setting For Your Life List: 101 Goal Examples
Design For Mankind: My Life List
A Diary of Little Things & Curiosities: A List of Little Things, My Obsessions
Epiphanie: My Life List

We love that ‘sending and receiving snail mail‘ seems to be on everyone’s list!

Another way to bring your activity list into your world, is to pin your activities on a wall, like this beautiful ‘butterflies on my wall’ idea from Epiphanie.

Step Four: Manage Your Time

“Don’t Agonize, Organize!” ~ Florynce Kennedy

It’s easy to let your schedule and priorities fall victim to day-to-day emergencies, so it’s “uber” important to protect and manage your schedule. Block off time in your calendar for working on your outcomes – for travel, for family, for fitness & health, for team-building etc.

You can then protect that time, and stop wasting time with back-and-forth scheduling of meetings, playdates, social gatherings, group vacations, etc., by sharing your availability with others using one of our favorite online tools, Tungle. Tungle makes co-ordinating your schedule with others easy. You can sync Tungle with your existing calendar, and then invite friends to see when you’re available (you can elect for the details of why you’re not available to be invisible), and to select a time from your available time slots. Their selected time will appear in your calendar.

To organize my priorities I like a simple-to-use iPhone app called ‘Things’. Things makes it easy for me to refer to and keep my to do list up to date while I’m on the go.

Tip: Set aside Friday afternoons in your calendar to focus on the tasks you most procrastinate about doing (e.g Admin). It’s rare that you will have a deadline on a Saturday morning, so the likelihood of you pushing these tasks off in favor of a more immediate deadline will be low. You can also reward yourself for getting these tasks done with a fun Friday night and weekend!

Step Five: Act

“The simplest of answers is to act.” ~ Anonymous

Your life is waiting for you to make it yours, so commit to achieving your goals! Think big, think new, choose happiness and never give up!

Images in this post:

1) ‘UBER’ Happy New Year Card By Naughty Betty, available at JackCards.com

2) Photo by Dave Geeting via Design For Mankind.

3) Image via abandunce.

4) Butterfly wall photo by Epiphanie.

5) 2011 Resolutions by Lilac Saloon.

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At the end of each year, I like to think back, reflecting on what I’ve learned, experienced, and enjoyed throughout the past year – and then to consider how these experiences can help prepare me for the year ahead.

For years I’ve done this by answering the same list of questions, saving each year’s version in a “Yearly Reflections” file. Each year I pull up last year’s version and edit it, reading over my previous answers before replacing them with new ones. It’s extremely eye opening to look back through the years. Sometimes I see very different answers to the exact same questions; sometimes the answers are pretty much the same, from them emerging a similar pattern in my life that I would otherwise be unaware of.

Looking through your responses over the years can be a real testament to where you’ve changed, where you’d like to change but may not have (yet!), and who you are becoming as a person.

Yearly Refection Questions (download the pdf here)

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

2. What were your resolutions from last year…and how did they go?

3. What are your resolutions for this year?

4. Did anyone close to you give birth?

5. Did anyone close to you die?

6. Where did you travel?

7. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

8. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?

9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

10. What was your biggest failure?

11. Did you suffer illness or injury?

12. What was the best thing you bought, or the best gift you got?

13. Whose behavior merited celebration?

14. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

15. Where did most of your money go?

16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

17. What song will remind you of 2011?

18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
ii. thinner or fatter?
iii. richer or poorer?

19. What do you wish you’d done more of?

20. What do you wish you’d done less of?

21. What was the best:
i. book you read?
ii. musical discovery?
iii. film you saw?
iv. tv show you watched?

22. What did you want and get?

23. What did you want and not get?

24. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

25. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

26. What kept you sane?

27. What political issue stirred you the most?

28. Who did you miss?

29. Who was the best new person you met?

30. Tell a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:

31. Some other things you’ve learned this year:

*If you don’t get these done before the start of the year, no worries. Just fill them out at some point in January or February – your 2011 memories will still be fresh and you’ll have most of 2012 left to bring your new insights into.  And if 31 questions seems a bit daunting for one sitting, take a minute each day to answer just ONE – one a day, and you’ll be done by the end of the month!

Other fun ways to use these questions:

- After you’ve filled out your answers, plan a date night with your spouse or significant other. Asking each other these questions is a great way to think back on the year, plan for the next, and start the year out reconnected.

- If you have kids (as I do), this could be a fun way to catalog who their mother or father was and to pass along a type of “diary.” (I have attempted to keep an in-depth journal to pass on to my kids, but seeing as my oldest is only two years old and I’m already failing, these yearly reflections are much more realistic!) Save your reflections over the next eighteen or so years and when they’re adults, give them your pile. They may be surprised how like you they actually are, or as they get older and fill the same answers out for themselves, who they become.

- Share this on FB or Twitter, discuss your answers with friends, and encourage them to share their answers with you!

Main image from New Year Fireworks card by Masha D’yans, available at Jack Cards.

About the Author:
Melissa is a 30ish wife, mom, friend, writer, and Co-Founder of Jack Cards. Melissa joined Jack Cards in 2007 when her sense of adventure led her to leave her teaching career and try something new. Her love of words found a new outlet with Jack Cards. Melissa grew up all over the East Coast and Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University with bachelor degrees in English and Education, and now lives in the Lansing, MI area with her husband and daughter.

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I feel so bad. Someone just had a bad night, on account of me, and there’s no way to apologize and nothing I can do. Expect confess here and hope that maybe someone will Google “Why would someone steal a full shopping cart with all of my groceries?” and the search results will lead them here, where they’ll come to understand that I didn’t mean to.

I can be absentminded at times. Especially when I’m focused on reading ingredient labels while grocery shopping at the end of a 16-hour day.

But basically, somehow while deciding between Tropical Fruit Trail Mix and Traditional Trail Mix I grabbed the wrong cart, (in my defense, filled to exactly the same level as mine – very full) and continued on my way. I failed to notice it did not have my purse in it, nor any of the groceries I had selected up to that point. In fact, I failed to notice for the next twenty or thirty minutes, when I began unloading my groceries at the checkout and saw a pouch of ready-to-eat tuna staring uncomfortably at me.

First thought – that stuff looks pretty gross.
Second thought – how did that get there?
Third thought – ha, that’s funny. I bet someone accidentally threw it in my cart.
Fourth thought – wait, where did all the rest of this stuff come from?
Fifth thought – Oh. No.

I gathered the seven grocery items that were actually mine from the register and threw them back into the poor stranger’s cart, yelling over my shoulder to the Anita (the girl at the checkout) “I accidentally took someone else’s groceries, I need to get them back!”

My main concern at this point was to return their cart, but while I was tracing back my steps, it dawned on me that my cart was also lost, only mine included a purse complete with wallet, cell phone, and PF Changs gift card (If you’ve had their coconut curry vegetables, you understand).

Before I had much time to panic, there in Aisle 7 I spotted my cart, full of my hour’s worth of groceries, as well as my purse, which had been announcing itself free to every passerby for the last twenty minutes. I thankfully claimed it, then looked around for someone with a panicked, annoyed, or I’m-going-to-kill you look on their face. No one.

I rolled the mystery cart to the end of the aisle, then approached a woman stocking shelves, explaining what happened. “Well, just leave it at the end of the aisle, and if we hear anything…”

Even though it was late, there were tons of people in the store (living in a college town means lots of late-night-business) – there was no way I could find this person on my own.

Time to enlist the help of Customer Service.
I approached the counter, warning the girl behind it, “This is kind of an odd request but…” then launched into, “I accidentally took someone’s grocery cart and had it for awhile. I ended up finding my own, so I have all my stuff back, but they don’t have theirs. Is there a way you could announce over the intercom system that there is a, um, full ownerless cart at the end of Aisle 7?”

A quizzical look – the girl must be new since she’s never encountered this common problem before.
“Hey, Judy?” She called another customer service expert over, one more seasoned and who must have dealt with such a problem before.
Another quizzical, and slightly amused look after I repeated my question.
With eyebrows still raised, Judy picked up the receiver to the intercom system and shrugged. “Why not.”

First attempt – “Attention shoppers…”
“Oh, that didn’t go over the intercom, did it?” she asks. She hangs up. Tries again.
Second attempt – “Attention shoppers…”
Her voice was small, stopping at the end of the receiver.
“We’ve been having problems with the system all day. The speakers aren’t working.”
She shrugged again, not aware, or at least not caring, about the poor shopper left empty-handed in Aisle 7.

It’s clear there will be no more attempts, and I am forced to retreat, leaving only, “Ok, well, if you find it is working again, could you please let them know?”
Sure lady. Sure.

I returned to Anita, who was happy I had found my cart but between the conversation about our daughters (hers 10 months, mine just double that), laughed whenever she looked at my cart, saying things like, “I’ve never had that happen to me before!” or “I guess you must be really tired!”

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I prayed that God will somehow help them find their stuff, the Holy Spirit divinely directing them with a Trail Mix craving to Aisle 7.

If it were me I would have gone straight to Customer Service to ask if anyone had found a cart. I hope they do. Hmm… I wonder why they already didn’t?

Oh no. Maybe it was a foreign exchange student, one who can barely speak English and used all their nerve to face a night in a English-only grocery store, only to find that after hours of laboring over foreign items and sifting through shelves of unfamiliar goods, their efforts were in vain and their cart stolen by an evil American.

OR, maybe it was an American fully capable of asking after all, but they just spent their time looking around for it, and in the time it was taking them to look for their cart they averted a dangerous accident that would have happened had they left when they intended. A car had just at this very moment swerved unexpectedly on the road, but despite their plans, they were not on this road – they were looking for their cart. And so, I saved their life.

Or maybe in the lost cart was an expired or recalled food item that had turned toxic (a pouch of tuna, perhaps?) and had they brought this item home and consumed it, they would have become seriously sick, even to the point of death. And so, in taking their cart, I pretty much saved their life.

Or, maybe I just unfortunately caused someone to have a frustrating night, and I feel really bad about it.

I called my husband on my way home to confess. He started laughing.
“It’s not funny!” I insisted. “Someone is having a horrible night right now!”
“No, I’m not laughing at that, I’m laughing at you. How does that even happen? How do you shop with someone else’s cart for almost a half hour, without your purse, and remain oblivious? hahahahahahahaha….”

How do I steal a shopping cart full of groceries and not notice?
How do I sit in a car as a passenger for the same route once a week, and after 10 years still not be exactly sure how to drive it?
How do I live in a house for a year and not be able to tell you the color of the walls in the kitchen?

I don’t quite know, but I can assure you, it is possible.

*Main image by I, Timmy

About the Author:
Melissa is a 30ish wife, mom, friend, writer, and Co-Founder of Jack Cards. Melissa joined Jack Cards in 2007 when her sense of adventure led her to leave her teaching career and try something new. Her love of words found a new outlet with Jack Cards. Melissa grew up all over the East Coast and Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University with bachelor degrees in English and Education, and now lives in the Lansing, MI area with her husband and daughter.

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Every end-of-year holiday, from Halloween to Kwanzaa, Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas, has a rich, colorful and long tradition of celebrating gratitude, sacrifice, inspiration, community, and enlightenment. Given that we spend so much time and effort on Holiday celebrations, we decided to take a look at their origins and understand why we celebrate them.

Here’s a summary of what we found about Diwali…(find out about other holidays here.)

We’d love to hear your holiday celebration stories, leave a comment below!

Diwali – October 26
Diwali, also spelled Deepavali, means ‘row of lamps’, and is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. It involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil.

While Diwali is popularly known as the “festival of lights”, the most significant spiritual meaning is “the awareness of the inner light”. For Hindus, the festival marks the return of Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile. Lamps were lit to guide Rama’s path back to his kingdom, and people now light lamps to symbolically guide Rama into their homes and hearts.

Diwali is the biggest festival in North India. Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this inner light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness, awakening the individual to one’s true nature. With the realization of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (inner joy or peace).

How do you celebrate Diwali? We’d love to hear your stories.

Image taken from ‘String of Lights’ card by KOCO. Diwali Cards available at JackCards.com.

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Things may not be looking great in the economy or around the world, but one sure way to boost your happiness is to send warm thoughts or a little humor to your loved ones wherever they may be.

There are many occasions for which a card can make all the difference:

1) Did your friend just announce she’s pregnant, getting married or the arrival of her first-born? We have plenty of ‘baby congratulations‘, ‘engagement congratulations‘ and ‘eating for two‘ cards to celebrate the news.

2) Is a former colleague or a friend of the family retiring? Congratulate them on their awesome achievement, and wish them luck as they embark on new adventures.

3) Did you miss a few date nights over the summer with all the ‘busyness’ of family get-togethers, vacation planning and making sure the family was happy while on vacation? Surprise your partner with an ‘I Miss You‘ or an ‘I Love You‘ card in the mailbox just for them.

4) Did a friend get married or move into a new home over the summer? Send your congratulations to the newly-moved-in or newlyweds.

To help you select the perfect cards, we’ve added hundreds of new designs that we think you’ll love! We have also permanently reduced prices for select collections by up to 30%! Browse our collections of cards:

- Under $3.00
- Under $4.00
- Under $5.00
- or Splurge on an exquisite handmade card.

Through October 3, 2011, use the code FALL15 to save 15% on your order at checkout.

The memory of receiving a card in the mail never fades, especially if it’s unexpected!

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Life often includes loss. Sometimes our own, but sometimes of those around us – those we love dearly and want to help, but don’t always know how. In the last few months I have been keenly aware of such loss, with many close friends and family members battling health issues, suffering miscarriage, struggling through divorce, coming to grips with losing a spouse, and a number of other difficult issues. So  I was grateful to hear a speaker from a recent conference in Chicago share how to help people going through a loss or difficult time.

The talk was led by author Nancy Guthrie, who lost two children within just a few years, both due to a rare syndrome and both at the age of 6-months-old. The following are a few things I learned about how to practically help friends, family, and even acquaintances through a difficulty, whether it is an illness, death, miscarriage, or divorce – even though I may not have ever gone through the same.

Overcome the Awkwardness to Engage
People often feel awkward or unsure of what to say to someone facing a huge loss, so instead of saying the wrong thing, they err on the safe side and don’t say anything at all.

But a person in the midst of a difficult time needs encouragement. It’s simply the attempt to connect that is meaningful to someone, not specifically what is said. Just say something!

What To Say
Even though it matters more that you say something than what exactly you say, some of the best things to say are, “I don’t know what to say,” or “I’m so sad with you.”

It’s best NOT to presume to have an insight that will suddenly make everything ok. This is not the time for a story or advice that tries to teach a lesson or gives an “answer.” They don’t need to be fixed, just loved.

Also, if it’s a health issue, it’s best to stay away from constantly asking for a health report. Rather, you could about how they are feeling or what the experience has been like, allowing them to feel cared for.

Don’t Assume Others Are Taking Care of Them
You may hear of someone you know going through a hard time and assume others are taking care of them. While it’s hoped that those in their immediate circle are stepping up, this may not be the case.

Grief is a very lonely place, and grieving people need courageous people to approach them. Many times friends and family (due to the “awkwardness to engage,” as mentioned above) avoid a hard situation, and it can be those they don’t know very well that end up making them feel supported. Even if you aren’t extremely close, it’s still good to say something.

Don’t Be Afraid of Making Them Sad
People long to hear the name of those who are gone and know they are still remembered. For example, when Nancy had lost her daughter, Hope, she had made Christmas ornaments with Hope’s picture to give those that had supported their family. Twelve years later, a friend came up to her around the holidays and simply said, “We just put Hope’s ornament on the tree.” It was all that was shared, but it meant the world to Nancy to know that Hope was still being remembered by others.

Don’t be afraid that by bringing up the name of a past loved one or that talking about a hard situation will make them sad. They are already sad, and when you speak to them about it, you give them a gift. You are allowing them to release some of the pain inside.

Share Tears. Share Laughter!
Tears can be awkward, but someone grieving needs time and space to be sad, not to be “fixed” right away. Tears help us wash away the hurt inside. Be willing to sit and let them cry, and even cry with them. Don’t be quick to put the band-aid of “it’s fine” on a gaping wound of hurt.

Also, don’t be afraid to share laughter! Laughter brings healing as much as tears, and a grieving person needs someone to bring them to the movies, watch the game, and whom with they can laugh out loud. They may be a bit afraid to laugh in front of people, fearful that their laughter could be interpreted as them not caring or being “over it.” But if they know it’s safe to cry and laugh with you, this can bring them healing.

Draw Them Out
When people go through a crisis, they may react in one of two ways. First, they may withdraw and hide, thinking “I don’t fit in anymore.” For these friends, it can help to be intentional about including them, even in the little things. This could mean assuring them you’ll save a seat next to you at a place or event you normally go to together. They need assurance that there’s still a place for them and encouragement to be with others.

The second way they could react is to love the limelight, and turn every situation or interaction with others into being about their crisis. Eventually, (but not right away) you can gently help these friends to focus on others. If someone else you know has been through a loss similar to theirs, suggest they connect with this person, or perhaps arrange a time to get together as a group where they have an opportunity to share their experiences with each other. Becoming aware of the suffering of another person and being able to help, even when they aren’t fully healed themselves, can sometimes be the best way to heal.

Simply Ask What They Need
Different people respond to loss in different ways. Ask them to share what you can do to help them, and then, do it!

Whatever you do, just coming alongside them is what is important. Know that in time they can be healed, and that eventually it could be them coming alongside someone else, just as you did for them.

Main image is from joxce.tumblr.com, via Pinterest.

About the Author:
Melissa is a 30ish wife, mom, friend, writer, and Co-Founder of Jack Cards. Melissa joined Jack Cards in 2007 when her sense of adventure led her to leave her teaching career and try something new. Her love of words found a new outlet with Jack Cards. Melissa grew up all over the East Coast and Michigan, and she graduated from Michigan State University with bachelor degrees in English and Education. She now lives in the Lansing area with her husband and daughter.

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“The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.” ~ Pierre Corneille

I really enjoyed reading this post as a reminder of how important giving and receiving is to our daily happiness, and how important it is to make sure our kids appreciate what it means to be a good gifter/receiver – Giving and Receiving Gifts – Teenagers, It’s Not a Negotiation by Maria Fuentes. 

This is my favorite paragraph from Maria’s post:

When you receive a real gift, you are receiving so much more than the present; you are receiving an impression of how that person thinks about you, you are receiving the time and effort that it took to come up with the idea, and most importantly, you are receiving that person’s attention.

This is exactly how I feel about gift giving. Maria Fuentes shares tips on giving gifts to teenagers, and how to make sure your teenagers “…get in the habit of thanking the intention more than the item.” As Maria points out, that is, after all, the real gift!

Check out Maria’s post here, and you can send the ‘I Love It’ thank you card featured above with the help of Jack Cards here.

About the Author:
Lisa Fox lives in Australia with her partner, Duncan Stewart, and writes the blog ‘Outside of the Box‘ in addition to writing guest posts on Dear Jack. Lisa was a typical almost-30-year-old living in Sydney and working 9 to 5, when in early 2011 she decided to ‘kick off her 9 to 5 shoes’ and work full-time on a start-up idea with Duncan. Duncan and Lisa are house-sitting around Australia while they develop their start up, Open Shed. You can follow their start up journey here.

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“It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.” ~ Unknown

When was the last time you popped a ‘Thank You’ card in the mail?

Having an unexpected ‘Thank You’ card arrive in the mail is such an “oh my goodness!” experience these days – more often than not, there’s the token bill or ever-present junk mail sitting in the mailbox. To instead, receive a small gift of “Thank You” in a handwritten envelope…..well it’s priceless!

But on what occasions should you take out your pen? Whenever someone makes a difference in your life – big or small – you should send them a note with your appreciation.

The following are 14 occasions you should put on your thank-you-card list.

1.

An Interview
Post job-interview thank yous are the perfect second first impression, and may even help you land that perfect job. Many people often overlook this important part of the interview process, which means if you don’t, you already have an edge over your competition. It’s best to send your card immediately after the interview so they receive it within 24 hours. If you interviewed with several people, send a card to each.

2.

The Wedding Party
Find thank-you cards for your wedding party or any friends who helped during the big event. Tell your Maid of Honor that you “sincerely appreciate the tantrums she helped alleviate,” or tell your dad “Thank you for walking me down the aisle“  to remind him he’s still that special man in your life. From bridesmaids to ushers to ring bearers, there’s a card in our thank-you wedding collection for everyone.

3.

Wedding Experts
Beyond your wedding party are those who made your day extra special with their expertise. You can thank your seamstress “from the bottom of your hem,” tell the caterer that he’s “swell for feeding you so well,” thank the florist for “making your day bloom,” and offer many other special thanks to the chauffeur, calligrapher, wedding planner, jeweler, and anyone else who made an impact on your special day.

And of course, make sure to send thanks to your guests for all the wedding and shower gifts that are now turning your house into a home!

4.

A Host
Whether someone has opened their home to hold a birthday party, baby shower, or bridal shower in your honor, or hosted a wonderful dinner that brings you together with good friends, you can show your appreciation by thanking them for their kindness, time, and hospitality. Be sure to include in your note a specific memory from the event that stood out or meant a lot to you – such kind words will make every minute they spent in preparation worth it.

5.

During Hard Times
For a close friend or family member whose shown unconditional support, a card lets them know how much you appreciate them. Plus, writing a note can also be beneficial for you. During a tough time, looking outside of ourselves and focusing on others and the positives around us may be all it takes to bring on a new perspective. Writing a thank-you note will bring a smile to you both.

6.

A Friend
There may not be a specific moment that calls for a thank you card for a good friend, but when you stop and think on it, it’s for every moment you can thank them. Maybe it’s a great girlfriend from your school days, a helpful co-worker, or your spouse or significant other. You deeply appreciate the time they spend, the laughs they bring, the sacrifices they make, and how they’re there for you through good and bad…so be sure they know!

7.

A Teacher/Mentor
Do you have a teacher from years past, someone who impacted you, served as an example, or even changed your life? Whether you’re a current student, recent graduate, or years into a rewarding career, it’s always a good time (and never too late) to thank someone who helped you achieve great things or mentored you over the years.

8.

A Health Caregiver
Doctors, nurses, nutritionists, dentists, midwives, and therapists can make a difficult time less so. They often go above and beyond in helping during the hardship of sickness, the joy of a new birth, or a challenging health procedure. Also, many health care professionals have stressful jobs and benefit greatly from encouragement from a patient. Thank them for their care by giving them some of yours with a heartfelt thank-you card.

9.

Mom and Dad
When it comes to moms and dads, there’s no need for an occasion – think of all they do! A surprise card in the mail is a way to make sure your parents know you appreciate them, and will also leave them proud of raising such a thoughtful son or daughter!

Send a thank you card to Mom and Dad.

10.

12.

A Favor
Did someone watch your pet while you were away? Water the plants? Help you move? Pick up the kids? Deliver a meal? A card is a simple way to say “I’m so grateful for every little thing you do,” and also a meaningful way to establish the give-and-take that strengthens a relationship.

13.

A Gift
Sending a card after receiving a gift is the most common reason to send a thank-you card, and with good reason. A gift is something given out of love, without any thought of compensation. So, a note of thanks is a very thoughtful return.

When people realize their gift was truly appreciated, they’re much more likely to continue giving – more often and more thoughtfully. NOT that this should be the reason for saying thanks, or that you should intentionally skip out on sending a card for that less-than-stellar gift (grandma still put a lot of time into that crocheted sweater!), but it does tend to turn into a lovely cycle.

14.

The Host of a Kid’s Birthday Party
Staging a kid’s birthday party can be very stressful, especially when both parents are working. Even more stressful is making sure the party is a fun experience for both kids and their accompanying parents. A thank you card in the mail from you and your child, thanking your hosts for the amazing fun time you had, will surely be a source of encouragement for next year’s party!

We’d love to hear your ‘thank you card’ stories! Have you received a thank you card that was particularly memorable? Leave a comment below and share your story.

About the Author:
Melissa is a 30ish wife, mom, friend, writer, and Co-Founder of Jack Cards. Melissa joined Jack Cards in 2007 when her sense of adventure led her to leave her teaching career and try something new. Her love of words found a new outlet with Jack Cards. Melissa grew up all over the East Coast and Michigan, and she graduated from Michigan State University with bachelor degrees in English and Education. She now lives in the Lansing area with her husband and daughter.

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We love this do-it-yourself tutorial for hand-embroidered thank you cards by Anne Weil of Flax & Twine, featured on the lovely blog, Design Sponge. It’s such a beautiful way to incorporate your sewing creativity with your love of paper, and send a truly special thank you note or note card to your friends.

All you need are envelopes, paperboard (chipboard, cereal box, cracker box), embroidery floss, an embroidery needle, a sewing machine, scissors and a ruler or a paper cutter – and of course a little creative inspiration for your designs. You could keep it simple (embroider your initials), or detailed (an abstract pattern, your favorite animals, or the words ‘Thank you so much’). This could also be a fun project to do with your kids!

Check out Anne’s tutorial here, and let us know if you make your own cards. Send us your photos, and we could add your hand-made cards to our hand-made card collections on Jack Cards – to the delight of our busy members!

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