In today’s world of sending anything of importance (or non-importance) by email, most folks do not invest in personal stationery. You may not realize it, but by practicing good stationery etiquette, not only are you making a good impression, but you are setting an example for others that can contribute to a much more civilized world (and don’t we all want that nowadays). I’m especially a fan of stationery because while I love my phone and texting and email, I feel like sending and receiving hand written letters are becoming a thing of the past and a lost art. As a kid, I loved checking the mailbox because there could always be something special in there. Now, there’s nothing but bills, but I digress. Here are the most important stationery items every household should have.
Personalized Stationery
Personalized stationery is a way to brand yourself as a person, much like how businesses do with their letterhead and logo. For any life situation you are prepared to handle it with polish. You can pen a note of sympathy, craft a family update for loved ones who live far away or write a meaningful note to one of your children’s teachers. I have a coworker who always keeps a few personalized cards on her desk for when she needs to send a quick note.
Notepads
Custom notepads are a way to let everyone know who the mastermind is behind the idea. Or, perhaps, create an easy way to inspire your household throughout the day. Enclosing tiny papers that came directly from you in a lunch box, briefcase or overnight bag are tender reminders of the warmth that awaits back home.
Thank You Cards
It’s a shame that this lovely practice seems to have fallen by the wayside. The most common reason thank-you notes are not sent is usually because most households don’t have them lying about. By the time a regular shopping trip is scheduled, the need is often long forgotten. Have your own, personalized thank-you cards near at hand. If you are always stocked up then you are ready at a moment’s notice to express your appreciation of someone’s thoughtfulness.
Save The Date
If you are a busy socialite, often planning exciting events, save-the-date stationery is a must have. It may take some time to get custom invitations prepared. Save-the-date mail-outs buy you that little bit of extra time to notify your guests that something exciting is in the works. So keep these little notices handy at all times if you are a diva hostess where time is often of the essence.
Journaling Pad
Are you a doodler? Creative minds often are. Journaling is a very personal practice. Your ideas and thoughts are unique. The place where they are recorded should be as well. Now, it is not uncommon to purchase a ready-made journal book. Most are crafted as a hard-bound variety. It is rare, indeed, that a journal such as this is ever completed. It is simply too awkward to write in one for long. Also, for the minimalist, having stacks of multiple journals lying about can become a bit of nuisance. The perfect solution to all of this is having a personalized journaling pad crafted. As the pages fill up they can be transferred into an attractive notebook. A single notebook can contain many volumes of small, hard-bound journals. Writing on a pad is also much more comfortable than trying to hold down one side of a hard-bound journal while scribbling away on the other page. And who can ever write all the way into the inner margin? So, get a journaling pad instead.
Organizer
More than a calendar. Greater than a day planner. Every family needs an organizer that is customized to represent and meet the needs of everyone in the household. Better yet, have the back of it magnetized so it can hang conveniently in the one place everyone visits throughout the day – the refrigerator. Whether it contains a list of chores, doctor appointments, due dates for assignments or the baby’s feeding schedule, no respectable household should be without one. Hang it up, fill it out and observe your family as it begins operating like a well-oiled machine. Okay, well, one can hope, right?
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