Snail mail delights

personal mail as opposed to junk mail. In December is a long time from now, so why not drop a note in the mail and spread a little love in the meantime. I have some practical tips for making this feel more doable and fun. First, make sure you have a file of mailing eyes address as handy. Probably you do from your holiday cards, but if not, make one that has the information on your friends and family members.

Here's a fun fact. If people own their homes, you can often find their mailing addresses by searching online for their names in the town where they live, because real estate purchases are generally public records. But you can obviously just send a quick text or email asking for this information. You might also keep a stash of fun or funny cards in your desk, stop by the dollar store and pick up a batch. If you'd like to be a little more elevated, you can look somewhere like a bookstore

or paper source. You can also buy hand decorated cards from artisans at places like Etsy or if you have kids, they are no doubt creating a lot of artwork, so you could start sharing these masterpieces with other relatives. Just fold one up and put it in an envelope. As for what to say, well, this may feel awkward for the first few cards or letters, but when people start to see you as the person who sends the snail mail,

it will seem a lot less weird. So choose an occasion that feels defensible, like a holiday or the anniversary of something that you and the other person experience together, and reach out. On that occasion. Just say thinking of you, share one recent detail from your life, and send them good wishes. There is no need to overthink this. You might also use snail mail as a way to send

printed photos. Most people don't have nearly enough printed photos these days, so print them up from the last time you saw a friend or family member and stick those in the mail. It is pretty easy to order envelopes that are large enough to accommodate a four x six photo. Your notes don't have to be long. It is the sheer thought that counts and the fun of getting something in the mail that is not a catalog. Why not

give it a shot. If you get excited about sending snail mail, you may want to keep a few cards in your car or kitchen drawer, or anywhere else you routinely find yourself with time that is not spoken for. Then it's easy to write a note. Whenever you have a few minutes. You can use your time confetti to make someone's day. Because snail mail really is delightful in a way that few other things that take a few minutes and a few dollars can be. There is no

reason not to avail yourself of the opportunity. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.