Friendship Day may not be a holiday on everyone’s calendar, but here at Pear Tree it’s just the incentive we need to plan a girls’ night out, or send a note to a friend we haven’t seen in awhile. What are you doing to celebrate friendship day? Here are a few ideas we had:
A few weeks ago, I had to bring my car into the shop to get it checked out. Since I had recently moved to town, I asked friends for recommendations and wound up bringing it to a small, locally-owned place in town.
From the beginning, I was pleased with their service. I was able to drop it off in the morning, and one of the employees was kind enough to meet me there before opening and give me a ride to work. Later that day they called to tell me they had found a serious safety issue with the car, completely unrelated to the problems I’d been having. Despite a heavy workload, they were able to get the parts and have them installed the very next day.
When I picked up the car, I found a small package of jelly beans with a handwritten note that said, “Thank you for supporting our locally-owned business.” I had a great feeling about them and knew I’d be going back to them when necessary. Well, that turned out to be sooner than expected.
We’re letting you in on a little secret. Our thank you notes aren’t just for thank you’s. You don’t have to be a grad or a bride to use the cards in our graduation or wedding collections. And our personalized note cards can be personalized with your name, a friend’s name, or left completely blank. It’s totally up to you!
Maybe you already knew that the text on most of Pear Tree’s note cards and invitations was editable. But just in case you didn’t, this little tip opens up hundreds of possibilities. Now that you know, if you see a design you like in our bridal shower collection, you can use it for a birthday party invitation. And the same note card can be used to say, “I’m sorry,” “I miss you,” “You’re awesome” or none of the above.
Have fun finding a design you like from any of our collections and coming up with stationery ideas that work for you. That’s the true meaning of personalized stationery.
The holidays are filled with teaching moments for parents and kids alike. In the excitement of opening gifts, it’s easy for kids to forget their manners, but a little preparation beforehand goes a long way toward heading off an embarrassing moment. And our kids thank you card ideas may help smooth things over later, if thing don’t go as you’d planned.
Every family is different, but we think it’s a good idea to set expectations with your kids about opening gifts—especially gifts from extended family members. Kids should know that it’s impolite to rush through opening gifts, that each gift deserves a sincere thank you, and that grandma spent time picking out that gift so her feelings might be hurt if you say you don’t like it. You can’t really control what your child does, but you can plant the seed. And it’s a lot easier to have this talk before the big event, than on Christmas day in front of all the relatives.
One last tip: for gifts that are opened when the giver is not present, remember to have kids thank you notes on hand. There are plenty of kids thank you card ideas available, such as coloring cards, that can turn this task into a fun activity. Hope your Christmas is a merry one!
Keep reading our blog for more kids ideas, and be sure to check out our kids thank you cards and personalized note cards so you can have them on hand when you need them!
Who would have thought that pink would turn out to be the most striking fall color? October is breast cancer awareness month, and everywhere you look there are ways to help the cause. You don’t have to run a marathon or walk for days, it can be as simple as picking a date and hosting a dinner party for friends, family, neighbors or co-workers.
First, contact the charity organization of your choice for information about how to donate, how the donations are used, and for any support materials they may have that you can use. Susan G. Komen for the Cure, has an entire section of their website devoted to planning pink events, called Passionately Pink for the Cure. It offers lots of fun breast cancer party ideas and downloadable support materials.
With pink as your theme, it’s easy to be creative. We’ve taken a wedding rehearsal dinner invitation and customized it to work perfectly for our pink dinner party. Everyone is invited to make a donation. (Fund-raising professionals suggest $30 per person as a starting point). From there, it’s up to you to decide how pink you want to get. Do you want to simply ask your guests to wear pink? Or to go crazy and dress in costumes? Decorations, table settings and food can be simple pink touches, or over-the-top pink. Either way, a pink party is a great way to make a difference, and have fun while doing it. Don’t forget to follow up with thank you notes for your guests (pink, of course) to let them know how much money you raised for the cause!
Maybe raising your own kids has changed your perspective. Maybe you’ve just matured. But it’s time to write Mom a thank you note and tell her how much you appreciate the things she taught you, the beliefs she instilled in you and the good little habits she forced you to develop. You wouldn’t be you, if it weren’t for her.
I can see my Mom smiling as she reads my thank you card, realizing that at least one thing she taught me didn’t go in one ear and out the other. Writing thank you notes is important. I tell my kids the same thing.
Don’t be caught without personalized stationery for your important thank you notes!
My kindergarten teacher didn’t exactly fit the mold for someone tasked with motivating 6 year olds. He was wiry, thin with sunken cheekbones and blond, wispy hair. Smiles were infrequent, and his methods stern. When he handed out papers bulbous knuckles protruded from sinewy fingers. His methods were unpredictable, and, frankly, he was a tad frightening. I don’t remember much about learning to count or the disadvantages of eating glue (but I can count now, and I only infrequently sample the Elmer’s), but I do remember the rooster he brought into the classroom. And I remember how fascinating it was to dissect an owl pellet. And I remember watching those sinewy fingers tap a maple tree and a satisfying smile spread between those same, sunken cheekbones. Somehow he instilled in me an appreciation for the outdoors through unpredictable, arresting methods. I think maybe it was simply because he cared.
It wasn’t until much later, into my adulthood, that I realized how much he meant to me as a teacher. I love the outdoors, and so much of my fondness, I realize, stemmed from the passion he shared with us kindergartners. I wish I had thanked him. That I had known enough to tell him what he was doing mattered, and that it made a difference.
Both my parents are teachers. When I’ve seen my mother the most satisfied is when she wells up reading a thank you letter from a former student, years later, simply sharing with her the impact she’s made. I’ve missed my chance to tell Mr. Miller what he meant to me, and that’s an unfortunate reality for many of us adults. But our kids, being taught and inspired right now, they still have the chance. And all it takes is a note with two simple words: Thank You.
– Wyatt
Other favorite teachers from our team:
Now that I’m grown I can’t help but smile at the sheer embarrassment I felt over my mother’s occupation as our elementary school librarian. It’s amazing how different that memory looks through my adult eyes! I know that I have her to thank for my interest not only in literature, but art, politics and geography as well. As a librarian, my mother opened a world to me through books that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. I will be eternally grateful for that gift.
– Megan
Beginning of my sophomore year in college I had a professor who taught us very well in the classroom, but more than that he taught us how to prepare for the ‘working world’. He was an inspirational teacher and shared with us his career story- once a newspaper reporter to Editor-in-Chief to college professor- and how each job helped him become who he is today. I thank him for helping me realize what I was learning in each class and how to apply it to better myself professionally.
– Dani