The One New iPhone Trick that Will Simplify Your Holiday
Last week I demystified the process of writing a thank you note with 6 simple steps that you and your kids can use every time. Not only is writing thank you notes the polite thing to do, it increases your happiness by reminding you of all you have to be grateful for!
Ready to make it even easier? I thought so.
If you have an iPhone, you can use any of these FREE apps to send quality thank you notes {complete with your own pictures} quickly and easily. Let’s get started!
1. Red Stamp Cards
…is my first love in digital-thank-you-note-writing. They have well-designed, trendy cards with options galore: no photo? Sure! 4 photos? Okay! Not sure quite what to say? They have pre-written quotes you can add!
And if you don’t care whether the thank you arrives in the “real” mail, you ALSO have the option to email or text message your creation to the recipient instead! Rules of etiquette are a little fuzzy on whether it’s acceptable to email/text your gratitude, even in the form of an adorable e-card, so thankfully you can also send it for about $1.99.
Pro tip: I sometimes create quick, cute thank-yous to email or text friends and family when I want to express gratitude for an intangible gift. For example, a quick “thanks for helping set up for the party” along with a cute snapshot of us together at said shin-dig. I mail real cards for gifts received. But if the cost is keeping you from sending thank yous at all, please by all means: an emailed thank you is better than none at all.
2. Postagram Postcards
…is my current favorite because it does a good job on the cheap. All you do is pick a photo and type in your thanks. They turn it into a simple post card, print it, and send it to your recipient. The photo is perforated to pop-out, so your recipient can keep it and ditch the rest if so desired.
As I write this, Postagram delivers anywhere in the US for 99 cents (and outside the US for $1.99). That’s postage included, guys. So great. They don’t allow very much text — it is printed on a post card, after all — but that’s usually not a problem for kids, in my experience… and it helps me learn to be less wordy. Ahem.
I tried this out when my son sent birthday thank you’s a few months ago, and I totally saw the post card hanging on my in-laws fridge last week… I think they liked it!
3. Ink Cards
…is like Postagram’s more sophisticated older sister. (They’re owned by the same company, Sincerely Inc.) They send flat cards in envelopes as opposed to post cards, and they have a large selection of adorably-designed templates (similar to Red Stamp).
What’s even better is that you can buy credits in bulk at a discount, and they are good for Postagram and Ink Cards. This year, I bought a pack of credits that should last me a while, whether I want to mail the quick Postagram post cards or the nicer, more expensive Ink Cards. Pretty sweet.
We’re kind of friends now, right? Well, here’s another little secret, just between us. These FREE apps are actually suitable for any occasion:
Need to send a unique birthday card? (You can pick a future delivery date!)
Or just want to mail a pick-me-up to a friend who’s been going through it? (Aren’t you the best friend ever?)
Is Grandma not on facebook (gasp!) and begging you for pics of the kids? Problem solved. You’re welcome!
Now go spread some love with the lost art of thank you note-(or ANY note!)-writing. But before you go, leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
(These are all FREE apps that I LOVE, but affiliate links are included because we’re Smart Kids, too! ;))
About Aubrey Hunt
Before hopping on the crazy ride we call motherhood, I studied engineering and taught math and science to middle and high school students. Now, perhaps like you, I fill my days singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider and praying my preschooler will eat a vegetable — any vegetable!