Nov
16
Movies, dinners out, amusement parks, ball games, exciting vacations…these are just a few things that usually come to mind when we think of "family fun." All these fun things, however, come at significant costs to today’s families. Most of us are more concerned with keeping the car filled with gas than with our next extravagant vacation. When budgets get tightened, the first thing to go is generally entertainment, and during tough economic times, most families need to find creative (read: cheap) solutions for having fun together without breaking the bank. Ambitious ideas include creating a campground in the backyard, turning your living room into a "movie theater," or putting on plays and talent shows with things you already have in the house. Of course there are plenty of less time-intensive ideas, as well. Here’s one in particular that we love: One sweet and sentimental idea to try is writing letters to your "future selves." Along the same lines as a personal time capsule, "letters to ourselves" can be a fun, lighthearted, and imaginative activity for kids. For parents and teens, the activity is often nostalgic and even inspirational. Put on some mellow music, gather everyone in the same room, and arm...Read More
Nov
14
With gas and airplane costs soaring higher than ever before, it’s not feasible for most families to visit loved ones as frequently as they would like. Even if you can’t travel to see your favorite family and friends, you definitely don’t have to lose touch. If you sit down and take the time to write letters as a family, we guarantee that your loved ones will not be disappointed. Nine out of ten Americans say they look forward to receiving personal letters and greeting cards on special occasions, so imagine the joy they will feel upon receiving a random note of love for no reason in particular. With any luck, your friends will respond via traditional mail and you will have rekindled a whole "new" tradition of communication and love. Even if distance, finances and other factors keep you and your loved ones apart, you will remain close in spirit. Do you usually look forward to spending Thanksgiving with Grandma, but the prospect of getting across the country to see her would mean breaking the bank this year? Instead of reserving plane flights, "reserve" a night for family time instead. Set out plenty of colorful stationery, pens and pictures from...Read More
Nov
11
We all know the old adage that says "birds of a feather stick together." While it may sound a bit cliche, research shows that there is in fact value in surrounding yourself with positive, successful, happy people. When you surround yourself with people and things that inspire you and make you happy, you will be more likely to find strategies to help you live the life you want to live. When you spend time with people who you don’t aspire to be like, who you don’t respect, or who make you feel bad about yourself, you will likely feel less empowered, and not at all inspired, to make good things happen for yourself. Think about it…reaching out to people that you admire just might provide you with a better job opportunity, some solid advice, or even just a new network of positive friends. Sounds good…but where do you go from here? It can be a bit intimidating to randomly reach out to a casual acquaintance just to say "hello," and it’s definitely tough to blatantly ask for help or advice. Writing a friendly, hand-written note can be much less daunting than picking up the phone. A hand-written note also displays...Read More
Nov
9
According to a recent survey conducted by Consumer Affairs, fifty-two percent of Americans are not saving enough money, with many saving no money at all. If you and your family are "just getting by," you are certainly not alone. Why not take matters into your own hands and make a change for the better? Even small changes, like switching to a company with better benefits or one with a great retirement plan can make a huge difference for you and your family in the long run. Think about it…you owe it to yourself, and to your future, to see what is out there and weigh your options. A great way to uncover your options is to get out there and just start interviewing. Even with all the hype about layoffs and hiring slumps, you never know who might be on the lookout for your specific skill set and singular background experience. Is there a local company you have always been interested in? Have you heard that a friend’s company is looking to hire? Update your resume ASAP, print it on a high quality paper, and drop it in the mail along with a professional, personalized cover letter introducing yourself to...Read More
Nov
7
For many Americans, the rising costs of living can be overwhelming to say the least. A possible recession, soaring gas and food prices, and a poor real estate market among other things have most American families re-thinking their budgets and cutting back on anything not considered a necessity. "Scaling back" does not necessarily have to mean doom and gloom. When money is tight and it tough to make ends meet, we are all challenged to look for creative ways to live the lives we want to live. Over the next two weeks, we are going to launch a blog series devoted to a few ways that something as simple as a set of stationery can help you and your family cope during tough economic times, and have some fun along the way. Read the following 5 articles on ways we think letter writing can help you through tough economic times: 1. Landing a Great Job and Looking to the Future 2. Creating a Personal Network 3. Staying in Touch While Staying Home 4. Finding Creative Forms of Entertainment 5. Being Resourceful…Being Yourself Stay tuned over the next couple weeks to read these articles and see how personalized stationery and the art of letter...Read More
Nov
2
Have you ever met a child (or an adult for that matter) who likes to write thank you notes? It is an unwritten rule, a valuable tradition, to acknowledge a gift promptly. A handwritten note is really a gesture of appreciation for the item and thoughtfulness behind it. Thank you notes make the giver feel good and reinforce the importance of gratitude in today’s society. Letter writing is not only a tradition, but a skill that will serve children well into their adult lives. You may be thinking that all of that makes sense, but how do you get your child or teen to actually write a note, without it turning a source of a battle. Here are some age appropriate tips to make the process go from a chore to a pleasant experience. First and foremost, as an adult, you must set the example. If your children see you writing thank you notes, they will come to realize that this is the right thing to do. During the early years, of course, you will do the corresponding on the behalf of your infant and toddler. 3 to 5 year olds need to be involved in the process...Read More
Oct
5
Sample: (1) January 15, 2008 (2) Dear Katrina, (3) I hope this letter finds you happy and healthy! Did you ring in the New Year in a fabulous way? It seems like so long ago that I last saw you. It’s hard to believe that it was just last month that we were celebrating the Holidays together! All is well on my end. I’m still enjoying work and school…and of course, the dogs are always keeping me busy! In my free time, I’ve been riding my bike and enjoying the great weather we’ve been having. I’ve read a few books lately that I think you’d really enjoy. I’m setting them aside for you. While I was making my New Years Resolutions a few weeks ago, I thought a lot about the things that I am lucky and grateful for in my life. Your friendship was high on my list. (4) I sincerely hope we don’t let too much time pass before we see each other again. (5) Until then,(6) Kelly (7) P.S. I ran into Emily at the gym. She says hello! Explanation:(1) Date (Month, Day, Year). Aligned to the right at the top of the page. (2) Salutation (Dear...Read More
Oct
3
There you sit, pen in hand, ready to write. Now what? Getting started is actually the hardest part. Because there’s no "backspace" button, many people feel intimidated by the power of the pen. Don’t be! Simply think through what you want to say before you get started. You can even scribble some notes on another sheet of paper (or check your work using a word processor if it makes you feel more comfortable). If you are just writing to say hello to a friend or acquaintance, think about what you would say to him or her if you picked up the phone to call. Remember, your letter doesn’t have to be overly formal…it should simply follow the tone of your usual, natural conversations. Here are some opening lines to help you get started: "I was just thinking about the time that we…" "You won’t believe what I heard the other day…" "I am so looking forward to hearing how you’re doing…" "I miss you…" "I thought of you today because…" "I have good news!" "I can’t wait to hear about…" etc. etc.! Your Turn Letters are one place it’s acceptable…even necessary…to go on and on about yourself. Share news from...Read More
Sep
14
In this technological day and age, our society seems to have lost some of our personal communication skills. Now don’t misunderstand us, American Stationery uses the Internet, an online customer resource management system and inter-office email as valuable business tools just like anyone else. However, we also remember a day of hand-written, post office delivered letters, love notes not written in a popular font, scribbled to-do lists and grocery lists on the refrigerator and so much more. In all the hustle and bustle of society today, people seem to not want to take the time to sit down with a pen and paper and write down what they have to say. Is it that much more convenient to type a quick email or text message and send it? When we take the quick route we loose all the emotion and personal touch. The only way an email conveys emotion is if you use the emoticons. A person’s handwriting says so much about what they’re thinking, feeling and what kind of mood their in. There are literally handwriting experts who can tell if you are male or female, your age and how much education you’ve had. Think back to the days...Read More
Apr
20
Passive sentence structures are also common mistakes in letter writing. Rarely does the passive voice in a sentence work well. Programs that track sentence structure and can alert you to when you have just written a sentence with a passive voice are helpful. It bears repeating, however, that these software programs are not without shortcomings in catching all mistakes. Visually check your letters for mistakes in conjunction with using any of these software programs designed to root them out for you. Not understanding how to use punctuation symbols in sentences is another of the common mistakes in letter writing. Placing unnecessary commas in sentences can confuse and irritate readers. Punctuation symbols used incorrectly can change the tone and message of your letter in unintended ways. Learn how to use punctuation correctly. Let the run-on-sentence not be forgotten as one of the common mistakes in letter writing. Many people struggle with when to stop a train of thought or how to properly punctuate a compound sentence (really two complete sentences in one). It can be agonizing trying to determine the perfect spot to end a sentence with a period, and thus begin a new one — or where to place a...Read More