https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:35:22 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579509 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 13:14:43 +0000 looch 1579509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A postcard is a great idea too, I did those got my son's birthday one year.</p> <p>No one is expecting a novel but I certainly appreciate that the price of postage is ridiculous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579462 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:34:15 +0000 Anagram 1579462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: I want a Canadian version of this so I can send easy thank yous to DHs family in Canada without paying international postage.</p> <p>Canadian bees, have anything like this? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579435 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:11:07 +0000 ElbieKay 1579435@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: OMG that app is awesome! I wish I had known about it two weeks ago! I am going to send a test postcard, and if I like how it looks I will just use that going forward.</p> <p>I'm glad I posted this thread because it has helped me let go of the idea that thank you notes need to be hand written. That is really the sticking point for me. It makes it feel like a punitive chore rather than a gracious way to thank someone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579431 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:04:24 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1579431@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Even if someone told me not to write thank you notes, i would write them. I'm really big on always sending a thank you.</p> <p>@LemonLong: thanks for the recommendation!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579418 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 11:50:29 +0000 googly-eyes 1579418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: wish I had known about that app earlier! Thanks for the heads up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579390 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 11:24:36 +0000 BSB 1579390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: omg! That app is such a great idea. I've missed many birthdays because I forgot to run to the store to get a card. I love it! Plus the have bulk plans where cards (like 50 pack) can be as cheap as $2 a card. I spend at least $3-4 now for cards, plus gas and time (finding the card, finding the address, finding the stamp).</p> <p>I found this link that compare 3 card sites and Ink seems to come out on top!<br /> <a href="http://m.imore.com/cards-vs-ink-cards-vs-go-cards-personalized-greeting-card-apps-iphone-shootout" rel="nofollow">http://m.imore.com/cards-vs-ink-cards-vs-go-cards-personalized-greeting-card-apps-iphone-shootout</a></p> <p>The postagram app is from the same company and they just make postcards. You can use the same credits you have on their sites. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579371 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 10:50:35 +0000 lamariniere 1579371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a big believer in thank you notes of some kind. When DD was born, we added hand written thank yous to the back of the birth announcement. The announcements went out about 6 weeks after she was born. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579341 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 10:21:57 +0000 lawbee11 1579341@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: That is awesome...downloading that app right now! I'm going to use it for LO's 1st birthday thank yous :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579339 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 10:18:10 +0000 LemonLong 1579339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, there's an app called Ink that I sometimes use for thank yous. I snap a picture of LO with the gift, enter in the address of the recipient and a short message and the company will print out a postcard with the picture and send it to the recipient for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579338 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 10:15:41 +0000 LemonLong 1579338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sent a relatives wife some gifts for her baby shower which I couldn't attend. I never got any acknowledgment- so no idea if she even got them? I spent about $100 on the gifts, so even a Facebook message saying she got them would have been nice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579321 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 09:52:22 +0000 swedishfish 1579321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pinkcupcake: totally agree! I wrote 2-3 per day and got them done over a few weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579311 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 09:39:12 +0000 pinkcupcake 1579311@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If someone cared enough to buy me a gift - whether it's a friend, family member, or friend of my parents - I personally think the least I can do is send a hand written thank you. It doesn't have to be a long, tedious process. I usually keep it short and simple - "thank you for x gift, very excited to use it, I appreciate your thoughtfulness." Boom. Done. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579310 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 09:37:27 +0000 ElbieKay 1579310@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: We divided our wedding thank yous based on which side of the wedding they were on. It took MONTHS of nagging for my husband to finish his. It drove me crazy. And if we applied that rule this time, he would only have to write seven of them anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579294 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 09:15:28 +0000 Foodnerd81 1579294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: ha. If I waited for my husband to write TYs I'd be mailing them with the first birthday invites. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579293 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 09:14:44 +0000 Foodnerd81 1579293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: I agree with this generally and I think I will make a point to say it. If someone mailed me a gift and said it, I would still acknowledge that I received it, but would feel fine about a text thank you, vs getting out the thank you cards, finding the address, etc. and if they have it to me in person and said it, I would thank them in person and be done. </p> <p>I have no problem with nice handwritten thank you notes in general, but after a baby is born it's just a crazy time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579286 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 09:10:26 +0000 blackbird 1579286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You should have your husband write some of them! Boom, done. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579282 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 09:00:29 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 1579282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: I don't know about how practical your PSA is. If I brought the gift in person, the mother would thank me right then and no note is necessary. If I mailed the gift, the mother would need to contact me in some form to acknowledge the gift (it'd honestly be rude if not). </p> <p>I hear you that many gifts are from the older generation you don't know well and notes seem the best route. It's totally cumbersome! I'd say forget the "presentation" aspect. Tell them thank you for thinking of your family and you truly appreciate their kindness, slap a stamp on it and go snuggle with your sweet baby. If some old lady is judging you for sloppy handwriting, who cares? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579270 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 08:36:58 +0000 Ra 1579270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't like cards in general. I throw all thank you cards, birthday cards, holiday cards, congratulations cards, whatever, right in the trash. I don't like clutter, so I don't hold onto them. I'd much prefer you save your time and money and shoot me a quick text, email, phone call, whatever. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579263 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 08:28:39 +0000 ElbieKay 1579263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: Again, I would be happy to send email, but writing by hand feels very burdensome to me because I never do it for anything else. I am out of practice and the end result doesn't even look good because of my crummy handwriting. There are two aspects to a thank you note: gift acknowledgement and presentation. The latter is what I take issue with because it's so time consuming at a point in my life when time is at a premium.</p> <p>Also, it is much easier for me to write notes to close friends that I feel a connection to. The content flows more easily and is less formulaic. But a majority of my notes are for friends of my parents. My parents no longer live where I grew up. A handful is the gifts are from people I knew as a child, but a lot of them are from people I barely know or have never met. So I feel like my thank you note is this formulaic, meaningless gesture.</p> <p>And writing a note for a one-off gift is no big deal, but 40 thank notes when you are trying to take care of and bond with your baby is onerous.</p> <p>Anyway, I am still writing them. I get that I have to. But I will definitely tell new moms to just skip it or send me email if I get them a gift. And that was the point of my post . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579253 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 08:14:22 +0000 MrsH 1579253@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I understand it is a pain in the ass sometimes but i think thank you notes are nice because someone took the time to think of your LO, purchase a gift, and send/give it to you.</p> <p>With that said if you have an email for them and would rather do that, then by all means email them. I'm sure they would rather have you send an email then be unhappy that you have to handwrite something. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579250 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 08:05:28 +0000 Dandelion 1579250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mil keeps handing me gifts from random friends of hers I don't even know. There's no way I could write thank you notes to them all cause she only says, "it's from my friend Marsha" which is not enough info for mailing a thank you note lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579244 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 08:01:11 +0000 Andrea 1579244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends. I don't expect a thank you card if I gave a gift in person because they would have already expressed their gratitude to me. But if I buy something for a long distance friend, I always expect a thank you. Or else how would I know if they even received it? They could at least drop me a text or email. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579240 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 07:53:38 +0000 mrs. bird 1579240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: i'm with you! there was once a time when you were supposed to respond to wedding invitations by formal letter on your own stationary- ain't nobody got time for that! now people RVSP on prewritten cards with envelopes provided (or even online- my favorite!), no one would expect hand written letters from every guest explaining their intentions to attend or not. things change. it's not that people shouldn't be appreciative, we just have different means of expressing it now, a shout out thank you on social media, texts, email, snail mail if that's your thing, a phone call, whatever. </p> <p>i have asked not to receive TYs from some people. i know the normal times when gifts are given are also chaotic times- new home, getting married, new baby. i would rather the person spend time enjoying whatever my gift was and their new baby/unpacking in the new home/getting ready for their wedding etc. it does make me happy when they mention the gift to me once they've used it, like a quick cell phone pic of baby in the outfit, but it's certainly not expected. i gift not because i expect praise for it, but because i genuinely want the gift to make the recipient happy, if they're happy, i'm happy :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579229 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 07:24:03 +0000 Turd Ferguson 1579229@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I dropped a gift off in person to a close friend and I told the person not to send a thank you that's one thing, but I had some people that I hadn't seen/talked to in awhile mail gifts, I personally thought the least I could do was take 5 minutes to jot a quick thank you. </p> <p>For showers I thought it was an absolute must to get thank yous sent out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579223 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 07:17:33 +0000 Anagram 1579223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm with you, OP. I don't care about Ty cards-- I basically glance at them, notice the formulaic "thank you for the nice __________. I can't wait to use it when I _________ "format and then toss it in the trash. Waste of paper, money, and time and a silly tradition I'm happy to let die in this digital age. A verbal thank you is totally enough for me and these days, my friends do the old text or FB tag with a little message when their baby is wearing or using what I gave like, " I love my new dress, Auntie A!" And I actually think that's fine with me.</p> <p>I'd rather a new mom spend time with her baby.</p> <p>Etiquette has and is supposed to evolve over the years. Just as we ladies don't wear slips under our dresses, or wear white gloves when we leave the house, or have suitors fill out our dance cards at balls, or send our messenger boys to hand deliver invitations--- the need to hand write a piece of paper and send it snail mail to thank someone for a gift has evolved and in my opinion, become obsolete. I understand the tendency for people to cling to whatever they've been taught growing up, but for me I don't need not want them. =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579220 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 07:14:57 +0000 workingmom 1579220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think if someone told me they don't need a thank you note, I'd still send one. If someone took the time to send me a gift, I can take a few minutes and write an expression of thanks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579203 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 05:45:28 +0000 looch 1579203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't mind writing a quick note, I appreciate that someone thought of my family and I don't often have a gift buying occasion to reciprocate, so I send a note. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579197 Sun, 20 Apr 2014 05:32:47 +0000 MapleMoose 1579197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If someone takes the time to purchase and wrap a gift for me and get it to me then the least I can do is send them a thank you note. </p> <p>My baby shower was held when I was 38 weeks pregnant. I didn't even get around to writing them until many many weeks later. But better late than never with gratitude. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579171 Sat, 19 Apr 2014 23:52:13 +0000 ElbieKay 1579171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have terrible handwriting and find it so tedious to write things out by hand. If I make a mistake halfway through I have to throw out a note and start over. Even being able to type and print them would be easier.</p> <p>If I could send emails then I would have no problem with this task. I could knock them out on my phone during pumping sessions and it would be a no brainer. But it's not really socially acceptable, especially since most of the gifts are from friends of my parents and/or MIL. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/psa#post-1579160 Sat, 19 Apr 2014 23:27:36 +0000 MrsLilybugg 1579160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: I know how you feel! I had carpal tunnel during maternity leave and I couldn't hold a pen to write them all out during leave. Then once I had the baby I had no time, it was months before I sent them out, and I always had this guilt looming over me! </p>