Thank You Notes Made Easy

In my humble opinion, writing thank you notes has gone out of fashion. We want to bring them back into fashion. Thanking someone for a gift or kindness is something nice you can do for someone and yourself, pure and simple.

But with time being virtually obsolete, how can you still be "marvelously well-mannered"? Here are some tips to help you master the art of thank you notes in five minutes or less.

• First, buy some nice stationery. You don't have to spend oodles of money. I have seen the cutest cards at Target. You can also purchase smaller packs of stationery. Remember, what you write on as well as what you write is a reflection of you!

• Second, write the thank you note as soon as you can so you don't forget. There is no time limit per se, but you don't want to wait a year. But if it is a year or more, better late than never!

• Third, mention the gift, how you will use it, and keep it short and sweet.

Writing thank you notes is a wonderful habit to develop. And if you have children, they will see you writing these "blurbs of happiness" and want to do it themselves. And then their children will, and before you know it, writing thank you notes is back in fashion!