Now that we've concluded what could arguably be considered the greatest gift-giving, party-hosting time of the year, we can now take a minute to think about all the great swag we've received and cool parties and dinners we've attended. I can see that you're nodding your head while reading this, so I know that we are in agreement.

So, now that the time has passed, that's it, right? Wrong. Aside from a "thanks" that you verbally gave to the gift giver and/or host of the event, you really need to write out a thank you card. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, although fancy is fine, too. What you need to do is show gratitude to the person who spent time and money on you--to show that their efforts were not wasted.

Thank You cards, not unlike their written letter cousins, seem to be a dying art. From what I've seen even from other people I know, it is something that is not even given consideration. Sad but true.

While I am no Miss Manners (er, make that Mister Manners), I was raised to write out a thank you note specifically detailing why we were thankful for what the recipient did or gave. My mother made sure that the note(s) went out within 48 hours of the event, too, to make sure that the recipient understood that the note was not just an afterthought but, rather, something sincere.

Even beyond the exchange of a civilized if quaint thank you's, there is one added benefit to spending ten minutes writing out a thank you note: you will be remembered fondly. If we are talking about an annual event or something else that you would be interested in attending at a future date, doesn't it make sense to do everything you can to make sure that the host or hostess remembers that you actually cared that he or she went through all the trouble to put it together in the first place?

Next time you're at Hallmark or in the stationery aisle of your local store, why not pick up a pack of thank you notes? Good things happen to those who show gratitude.

Speaking of which, thank you for reading my article and have a pleasant day!