I’ve realized that this last few weeks our family has really been blessed. I have to admit, I have not had to do a lot of cooking because we’ve been asked out on several occasions. And the part I love is that for most events, our family of 5 was invited. Our family unit is changing here in a week as our son goes off to college, so I think our friends have had that life change in mind.
As I sat down today to write out my thank you notes, I decided to make a post out of it, because I feel that written notes are often a lost art now. It’s a part of hospitality that gets swallowed up in text messaging, emails, and phone calls. Not that recipients are not grateful, it’s just a loss of personableness.
So with great intentions and heartfelt thanks, I set out to write 6 great thank you notes and wanted to share my tips:
Start with the date and salutation
Send your note within two weeks of receiving the gift/invitation.Say thanks right away
Be specific about why you are writing the note. If you’re thanking someone for a monetary gift, refer to their generosity, and you don’t have to mention the amount.Compliment the kind gesture
Don’t be afraid to be really generous with your words. Everyone loves a compliment, and make it heartfelt.Think about the future
Anticipate another get-together, or if you’re writing about a gift, be sure to tell them how you plan to use it.Finish with sincerity
Reiterate your gratitude, then close your words on an intimate note, signing your name(s).Read it through one more time and pop it in the mailbox!
Okay, now a time for honesty.
Do you write handwritten thank you notes?
Hi, I'm Sandy. Five years ago I stocked up on beautiful glasses from the Dollar Store. As I started writing about dinner parties, I realized that this “icon” portrays a great message. 
YES! I like to write handwritten notes. Since they take a few more moments than a quick email, I think they are special. Kindness deserves a handwritten thanks!
Lynn from For Love or Funny´s last [type] ..11 people are smarter than I am
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I almost never write thank you notes – I’m ashamed to say. I do remember to say thank you at the time or call afterwards but I don’t remember the last time I wrote a thank you card. We never really did them growing up either so it’s not something I’m in the habbit of doing.
I do however write letters and cards, just because. To show a friend I’m thinking about her or to let them know some news. It is so much nicer to get a handwritten card than an email or text. I posted 3 letters this week because I had a bit of spare time.
As part of my list of 30 things to do before I’m 30, I have ‘Hand write letters to 30 people” – maybe some of them will be thank you notes, I’ll try to bare it in mind next time.
Have a lovely day,
Jade
Jade @ No Longer 25´s last [type] ..Unexpected Napoli
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Absolutely! And my children do as well from the time they can scribble a picture and dictate a message! Saying “thank you” in its most simplest form is not rocket science and I wish more people would take the time to do so.
Tara G.´s last [type] ..7 and 8 on the Bucket List
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Yes, I write them and am teaching my kids to write them. I am not always as timely with them as I’d like to be, but they get done. A late thank you is better than none at all
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Yes, I write thank you notes! I actually recently wrote a post about them as well. They are lost art in this culture it seems, but I love sending them and receiving them!
Courtney´s last [type] ..SpringerrrrFall Cleaning!
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I do write thank you notes. I frequently send postcards and letters too. Sometimes I think I’m the only one on the planet who still uses USPS for personal mail on a regular basis. I enjoy the process, picking out the card or the right paper, choosing the pen, finding the words.
Darla
Darla´s last [type] ..Exercise
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Yes and no! Not enough… thank you for your gracious reminder to do so. I love getting a handwritten note(s) in the mail. Personal, friend-to-friend, Snail Mail in and of itself is a lost art. And it is something I want/need to pick back up on.
I loved this post. Thank you!
Bevy´s last [type] ..Life-storm Blessing
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Very well said! I agree… it is a lost art. But we can revive it. A few weeks ago I also wrote a post on writting thank you notes. Actually it came about because I was behind in writing mine.
I remember reading about Princess Diana, no matter how late she came home from an affair she would sit down and write a thank you note. Great advice!
Thank you for sharing this important gracenote to life!
Yvonne
Yvonne´s last [type] ..Weekly Menu
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I do hand write thank you notes. I love adding that personal touch and everyone still likes to get snail mail every now and again. It really shows you took the time to care.
HUGS!
Kim @ Homesteader’s Heart´s last [type] ..The Battle of the Beaches!
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Yes, in fact, I have to write several notes of thanks for a birthday get-together that we had not long ago! I agree that it becoming a lost art, and who doesn’t love getting something nice in the mail?!
Holly´s last [type] ..Its Really Coming- Isnt It
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We were just talking about this yesterday. My mother wants to get us a wedding a gift but we really don’t need anything as we’re merging 2 households. But i DO want engraved thank you notes to have on hand – for occasions such as dinner invites, unexpected acts of kindness, etc. I have had a similar post brewing in my mind for a long time – glad you got yours out.
sheri´s last [type] ..An Army of None!
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I do write thank you notes! I think it’s a common courtesy to let the gift giver know how much you appreciate their thoughtfulness. It doesn’t take that long to do, and I feel good because I’ve let the person know I care. I’ll be honest–I do get annoyed with those “fill in the blank” thank you cards that they sell. “Dear ___, Thank you for the ____. I loved it.” Really?! You couldn’t take 2 extra minutes to just write something out??! :s
Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last [type] ..A Real Labor Day
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Oh yes, I do agree, and I found your post to very timely as I have just sent one out this past week. Because the person that did me a favor did so w/o any hesitation, I sent along a local restaurant gift card also, hoping that will let them know how much I really did appreciate their help.
Cindy Sue´s last [type] ..Barefoot Bloggers who knew
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My kids began “writing” them when they are old enough to speak…I would write exactly what they told me about a gift. Your tutorial is perfect! I also have begun to write a quick note to a different frind every day. Just a few words wishing them a good day and sending it in the mail…so much nicer than a mailbox full of bills.
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I always handwrite a thank you note. I figure if someone goes through the effort and expense to give me a gift, the least I can do is take 5 minutes to write a thank you note and drop it in the mail. So you can imagine that it annoys me to no end that I know a few people who are actually proud of the fact they “don’t have time” to write them. Really, who doesn’t have a couple minutes to say thank you? But I guess if they are that busy, perhaps the rest of us should not burden them with any additional gifts or favors of time.
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Yes! I always handwrite thank you cards or notes and have made sure my daughter has been involved in making her own tahnk you cards too since she could first draw scribbles. A little appreciation goes a long way.
Carin´s last [type] ..The reno chaos has begun!
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Yes! I always try my hardest to write a little thank you note after someone does something nice. I’m planning on training my kids to do the same. My mom trained me & my siblings by not letting us play w/ our b-day or Christmas gifts until we wrote thank-you notes! Ha! I guess it worked b/c my sis and I are both note writers
But my little bro….not so much.
Loved this post!
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Thank you for the reminder! I have a couple I need to mail TODAY.
I don’t write them as often as I should–what a shame.
Thanks for the tips. I will be sending them along to my daughter who struggles with “what to write?”
Blessings!
april´s last [type] ..The Teeny-Tiny Pink Princess Kitty Cat Cake Decorating Birthday Party Part Two
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When I was a little girl, and polaroid instant cameras were brand new, my mother would line me and my sisters up for a photo session after Christmas, or after our birthdays. She would display a few of our presents, ask us to dress in one of the many outfits (new sweater, etc.) we received, and snap a picture. We then were instructed to write a personal thank you note to the relative or friend who gave us the gift. She would enclose the picture, along with our thank you’s and mail off to the generous gift giver. This was always a tradition that brough many smiles.
Thanks for posting this. It brought back the memory of my mother and those special days of long ago.
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I miss snail mail – and I’m ashamed to say that I don’t do this often enough. As a writer {in my former life} you’d think I’d take more time to say thank you, and thinking of you – - etc. Thank you for the reminder. I think I’m going to pick up a stack of cards today and start using my handwriting.
Blessings!
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i absolutely do! it may be a lost art, but more than that, happy mail is such a rare thing. it’s not just the note of thanks, but getting something other than “bills and junk” that makes me happy. so i like to pass that on. also, i just love stocking up or making new cards to use, i usually have a stack or two in my drawer… the best way to get new lovely stationery is to use up the old stuff
ana @ i made it so´s last [type] ..pressing pause…
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yes, I do…I have a specific day to do so. I enjoy writing thank you notes or notes for people I am praying for on Mondays while laundry {which I despise!
} is going. I know how much I love receiving letters in the mail! We have taught our children to do the same…for the most part, no electronic thank yous!
lisa´s last [type] ..Back to SchoolBack to RoutineMonday
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I love hand-written notes, letters, etc. but, sadly…I don’t use them as much as I should. I collected stationary for a long time, collected is the key word. My aunt go me hooked when I was young. Time to dig out my cute stationary and get writing. Awesome post, Thanks!
Kristin´s last [type] ..How to Insert Images in Gmail
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Knowing how much I love to receive letters and thank yous in the mail, I will not let myself give up this beautiful communication. And I am trying to pass this along to my daughters as well. They have written many a thank you in their young lives! After we have been invited over to share a meal, any meal, I always try to get a note out to the mailbox within a couple days – and the whole family signs it, not just me. It’s an act that could be easily pushed to the bottom of the list, or even forgotten about, but I really try to keep it up. It’s a tangible way to teach our kids and to remind ourselves about always being grateful.
Brenda @ afarmgirlsdabbles´s last [type] ..Layered Brownies with White Chocolate Caramel
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I have a stack I need to write and send this week. I enjoy writing them and I enjoy receiving them. True Confessions…I don’t appreciate it when a hostess of a bridal shower says “and our gift to the Bride is that we are letting her off the hook and she doesn’t have to write thank you cards to you ladies”. Writing a thank you is a great art to develop and it is meaningful form of communication that encourages. This is just my opinion and I know it’s not shared by all but I’m throwing it out there :0)
ellen b´s last [type] ..Blue from Canada
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i actually LOVE sending snail mail, so i’m really good with thank you notes. i love getting personal things in the mail so i like to do the same for others as much as possible
Diane´s last [type] ..grateful- week 20
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Yes, I do. And I LOVE receiving hand written letters. If, for some reason I’m out of nice stationary I will type a letter, but I always use a font that looks handwritten just to add a bit of the traditional.
Sugar Mama´s last [type] ..When Soccer Makes Me Crazy
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I always write ‘personalized’ thank you notes. I try to get them in the mail within a few days of the event/gift/etc… or I may forget to send them. I have a large supply of ‘blank’ note cards and a roll of stamps that I keep together for this purpose so things are convenient and readily available for me. If it were more difficult to ‘get to’ I may put it off and then forget. I love your content suggestions. I think I stick to the same format (basically). I agree that it is beginning to become a lost art. I still love receiving person ‘mail’ so I just assume others like receiving it as well…thanks for the reminder of how important this is.
Cherri Engle´s last [type] ..Hello September
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I do write thank you notes, not as often as I should but I do write them. You are right in this age of instant communication so many of our children and even us older generation, have lost the art of writing in general.. I know that when my mother died as I was going through her things I was taken back each time I saw something written in her own handwriting. Our handwriting has our personality engrained in it, and it can be a trigger of a memory or thought as we look at and re read things that those we love penned. I do think however we are going to lost this with this current generation…… and that will be very sad.
blessing to you and yours Curtis & Sherrie
Curtis & Sherrie´s last [type] ..Having fun
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I too, am a big believer in the hand written thank you note. As an Army wife, I was taught early on that you always bring a hostess gift when you’re invited to someone’s for dinner and you always write a thank you note. It’s something I grew up with anyway, but would love for all five of my children to pick it up. I have about half of them trained now
Paula´s last [type] ..Just the Two of Us Anniversary Weekend
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I do! I wish more people did too!
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I will admit I’m not the best at handwritten thank you notes, even though I love sending them and receiving them. Thank you for the great post and your pictures always inspire me!
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Yes I agree, some occasions definitely deserve a handwritten thank you note. I certainly hope it is not a lost social art. This world could use a re-introduction to social graces! Thanks for bringing it to light.
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I love sending thank yous! They are a GOOD THING! And even before my kids could write, I would tuck a drawing or scribble of theirs in with the note for gifts they had received.
I also think it’s important to MAIL the notes. I have been getting them via email and that just makes me a little sad. Put a stamp on them, even if it’s to a neighbor! It’s so lovely to get mail that’s not bills…
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While I might not be very good at always sending notes, though I do try to, we’ve worked at instilling that art into our girls. My hubby is very good at thank you notes, so our girls have gotten good at sending them for almost everything.
kirstin´s last [type] ..Entertaining on 3 Different Levels
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I DO write handwritten thank you notes, and I think it is something that should be TAUGHT to our kids.
I just know how much I am blessed when someone takes the time to thank me for something.
I also am a big believer in “double thank you’s”. I always try to mention it a second time be it in an email, or verbal or whatever. “Hey I wore that cute shirt you gave. It made me think of you! I love it!”
Just my thoughts…..
God bless!
Fiona’s Mosaic´s last [type] ..Sweetest Thing Cupcakes!
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I just treated myself to the prettiest little box of thank you notes. My son’s girlfriend’s mom recently sent me a lovely gift for being involved in her daughters life while she is out of the country due to health issues. I do not have a daughter so you can imagine just being a part of this lovely girls life is thanks enough, but I have made sure there was roses and red velvet cake on graduation day, a special lisa leonard necklace for her birthday etc. When I received her gift, I sat right down with my pretty notes and thoroughly enjoyed writing the thank you, after reading your post, I’m so glad I covered all my bases! I even remembered to add that I can not wait to meet her in person. I would also like to add that my sons have never received a gift without sending a thank you, I think it is terribly important!
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You make such a good point. It is so easy to get caught up in our fast paced lives, emails and tweets are instant and easy. But I adore receiving a hand written letter from friends and loved ones. Which always reminds me “If I love receiving, then they will as well”. This happens to be an aspect of my relationships that I am trying to improve upon
Thank you for the reminder of how important hand written notes truly are.
Tickled Red´s last [type] ..Shakespeare- Monkeys & Fun
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We do (most of the time). Sometimes I forget to for straggler gifts – like if a gift comes AFTER a birthday party, after I’ve written the bulk of the notes, maybe I let it slip, but for the most part we do… and I actually feel like we get a lot of hand written thank you notes back!
Molly @ The Creative Maven´s last [type] ..Chalkboard Welcome Sign
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Yes, I write handwritten notes – frequently! People love to receive them and always comment about how rare it is. I’ve given a number of graduation gifts this year and only received two thank you’s. Guess they are going out of style. I’ll keep writing and sending them because I know how much I enjoy receieving them.
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Not only do I write thank you notes (within 2 weeks like you!), but my kids have been writing thank you notes since they could write. At first, they were fill in the blank thank you notes. Now that they are a bit older, they have to write at least 3 sentences. Love the blog post!
Amanda´s last [type] ..Memory Lane
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I love letters and notes. I love thank you notes. I love real mail. I love stationary!
It is frustrating to me to send a gift and never know if it was received. That to me is the biggest issue with lack of thank you notes these days. It is common courtesy.
For those of you teaching your children to write thank you notes, well done! Press on. It is so worth it to help foster thankfulness and courtesy.
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I have some waiting to go out today, in fact! Granted, they’re a little late–a month since the baby shower–but as I’m a new mom, I’m pretty sure my relatives will cut me some slack. I’m getting better about making them more personal; I’ve only had occasion to receive a few myself (rather than them being addressed to my parents), but when a close cousin sends a thank you like “Thank you for the gift of money, we will be going to Disneyland. Love, So-and-So” you start to think that maybe you should be more choosy with your words!
Mrs. J´s last [type] ..No Spend Month- Days 2 and 3
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I always write thank you notes and “just because” notes. I’m really big on that. I think it’s so important. With all the “technical” gadgets we have these days, I think people have forgotten about good ol’ snail mail! I think enjoy getting ‘good news’ in the mail too!
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one of my dearest friends brought us a loaf of homemade banana bread this morning – what a gift! after she left and we enjoyed the delicious bread, i decided to RIGHT THEN create a thank you card for her (seizing the moment of inspiration). my daughter and i pulled out our crafting stuff and made a simple, personal thank you card … which will go in the mail today!
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YES! Love all the comments too from those who still find joy from writing them too!
Susan´s last [type] ..Frugalista Mom Strikes Again!
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Our whole family writes thank you notes for different reasons but I also write about 100 thank you notes a year beyond that. (Wow, that seems like a lot when you add it up!) Our family is stateside missionaries based out of Texas. We have churches and individuals all over the country that support our family and ministry with prayer and financial support. I send 3-4 handwritten thank you notes to each supporter every year so that I can personally express just how thankful we are. We send a newsletter out to everyone so when the pressure to write the perfect thank you note gets to me, I’m tempted to just say an extra big thank you in the newsletter and be done! But I know in my heart that’s not what I want and I forge ahead trying to put my thankfulness on paper.
Thanks for the post!
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Yes! I think thank you notes are a must for a generous gift or a kind gesture. An electronic thank you (text, email, etc…) implies not wanting to be bothered with the act of thanking someone for going out of their way for you. It’s lazy and a bit rude. My pet peeve is going to a wedding or a shower and not receiving a thank you. It’s not that I give because I expect a thank you, but I do feel like the person didn’t value the time/money/effort I made to celebrate them if they can’t even say thanks. This is a great post!
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I absolutely adore both sending and receiving a thank-you note. I love that someone took the time to write to tell me they enjoyed some part of our shared time.
Bridgett´s last [type] ..Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Thai Dressing
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This may sound crazy but I don’t write thank you notes for gifts I receive for Christmas or birthdays, but I will write thank you notes to friends that host dinner parties or things like that. I love writing and sending (and receiving) hand written thank you notes!
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Yes. It is a must. I have 5 different cards for such things. I want people to know I appreciate even the smallest of gestures. I think young people need to be taught this though. It is getting lost in all the rat race of the world though. I love it when I get thank you notes from teenagers though, from birthday, Christmas, and graduation gifts. It really means something to send and receive a thank you card. I hate cards in general but a thank you card is a must.
Regina Williams´s last [type] ..Bubble Boy
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YES! I am a total fanatic about cards and thinking-of-yous and especially thank you notes.
In fact, I recently got married, and my honey and I actually packed our thank you cards, stamps, pens, and photos of the wedding and took them with us after our dinner – we wrote, stuffed, stamped, and sent our thank yous while we were on our honeymoon!
Extreme, but true. =)
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