guest post: sending thank you notes doesn’t have to be overwhelming

While I take some time to bond with my little man, please enjoy guest posts written by moms and moms-to-be from some of my favorite blogs. Today, I’m happy to introduce Bridgett from Perideau Designs!

You just got home with a newborn baby, perhaps have a toddler already home, laundry piled up and a house that you would deem unpresentable. Not to mention the corner of your newborn baby’s room is full of new toys and books from loving friends and family. You know you should send a thank you note for those gifts, but you’d rather get that extra hour of sleep while your babies nap.

Does that sound familiar?

I went through the same thing three years ago when I had my little (or not so little anymore) baby girl, Kendall. After 24 hours of labor followed by a C-section, I was in no mood to write out thank you cards. I knew that my friends and family knew I appreciated them and their gifts but for someone who loves receiving something in the mail, other than bills, I couldn’t let this one slide.

So I had a little system in place that helped ease the drudgery of writing thank you notes.

Purchase a return address stamp. Luckily we had just moved into our new home and getting a return stamp was on the top of my to-do list anyway but it’s super helpful to have around. Just pre-stamp a bunch of envelopes while nursing or while the baby is cooing ever so cutely in their swing. You could even get your toddler to help. Have them stamp the back so they don’t accidentally cover the space on the envelope intended for the mailing address or postage.

You can also purchase address labels. Use the same technique and address the envelopes ahead of time. This will save you a ton of time looking for your stamp or labels.

Send thank you notes as soon as you receive a gift. This sounds so simple but easily and often forgotten. You receive a gift and make a mental note to write the thank you note later. But days, sometimes weeks go by and the thank you notes haven’t gone out and you scrap the idea thinking too much time has passed.

Try setting a certain time of the day to write out a simple thank you. It can sound like a lot to do it every day but soon it will become routine and not feel like such a chore. If writing 10 thank you notes a day sounds overwhelming, try scheduling just 20-30 minutes a day and get as much done. Soon, within a week you’ll be all caught up!

Don’t write a novel. A simple short and sweet thank you will suffice. I usually write something like this:

Dear Kathy,
Thank you so much for the stuffed brown bear! I know Kendall will cuddle with it every night!
xo,
B

Be sure to include exactly what they purchased for you and how you intend on using the item. Hopefully these little tricks will help ease the doldrums of writing thank you notes. Trust me, it isn’t that bad! But if you need some thank you cards, pop on over to my site. And if you like personalized ones, I’d love to work with you on a custom design.