Holiday Hints

It’s opposite day here on the Out of Office blog, and while we love (dearly love!) Thanksgiving and all the great traditions that come with it, we know the holidays have a flip side too. They can get stressful...really stressful.

For instance, I know that in previous years, I’ve had a lot of anxiety about the meal. A couple years ago, my now-husband and I hosted BOTH our families (that’s 11 people, folks!) at my little house on Thanksgiving Day. I made every side dish imaginable to satisfy any and every want, need, craving or food allergy. And I thought I had the turkey taken care of because we ordered one. Simple enough, right? Not so much – my dear now-husband (I hope he’s not reading) took care of the ordering part and sent the confirmation to me. Upon opening the confirmation e-mail, I saw that he sent the turkey to house number 92. I lived at house number 94. There wasn’t even a 92 on my street. Panic! We ultimately got the turkey and it all worked out fine, but boy, was I nervous! ...read more

Calling all aspiring graphic designers, creative folks and talented artists out there…we want to hear from you! While there are thousands (literally thousands) of templates and designs for holiday cards on www.fedex.com/designprint, we know that there is no limit to creativity and that some of the best ideas come from you, our readers and customers. 

So, it’s time to get inspired and submit your best holiday-themed design to our first-ever holiday card design contest, Deliver Your Design. Visit www.fedex.com/deliveradesign to see the great prizes for the winning design and read the contest rules. But don’t delay, there’s less than a month before the submissions portion of the contest ends on Dec. 12 and voting gets started! ...read more

Today we celebrate Veterans Day, a day to recognize all those who have served in the armed forces to protect United States and its people. The Out of Office Blog team wants to recognize all the great men and women who have served this nation and continue to protect its freedoms today.   

Many of you may know a friend or family member in the armed forces. A few months ago, my brother left to serve overseas in Afghanistan. Although I think of him often, I don’t send e-mails or packages as often as I’d like. So, I created a small “Encouragement Card” that reminds me to send support to my brother through e-mail or by mailing a care package, like we did around Memorial Day. I designed the business card to include his photo and contact information – plus it fits nicely in my wallet. Now when I go to mail a package, I always have his address handy.   ...read more

Pssst…we love letting our readers in on secrets and great deals. If you missed the “early bird special” we shared in September, then we have another chance for you! FedEx Office is offering a Friends and Family discount on holiday cards and calendars ordered online from Nov.1 – Dec. 15, and you, my friends, qualify! Visit www.fedex.com/ffpromo to place your order and receive the discount. 

This comes just in time for the holiday card season! Now I just have to decide how to design my card! I‘m thinking our dogs sure would look cute in Santa hats for our cards this year…    ...read more

As you’re putting the final touches on this year’s Halloween costumes and preparing for eager trick-or-treaters, the Out of Office crew has a couple ideas to make your parties and your Halloween happy. ...read more

They say the early bird catches the worm…and the savings! We know our readers love deals and we couldn’t resist sharing another good one.

If you’re like me and are making early plans for your holiday greeting cards this season, take note! Now through Sept. 30, you can save 30% on personalized cards and calendars from FedEx Office. (It’s even easy to remember – 30% by the 30^th!). You can choose from hundreds of holiday designs or personalize cards, greeting cards and calendars with your own photos and messages. Even better, seven-day delivery is included at no charge for all Design & Print Center orders! 

Terms & Conditions

*30% discount available on FedEx Office® Design & Print Center orders made through the fedex.com/greetings website with no minimum purchase required. Does not apply to rush or shipping or courier charges. Discount offer expires Sept. 30, 2010. Discount applies to orders placed online only.

For many, Labor Day signals the unofficial end to the lazy days of summer. This might sound depressing, but I think the holiday should be a celebration of all the hard work we’ve been doing at home and on the job. Whatever your profession–nurse, teacher, mom, firefighter, lawyer – you’ve earned the right to celebrate!

No matter how you plan to mark the occasion, we at Out of Office want to help you make the most of your Labor Day. ...read more

This is Part Three in our three-part series on celebrating the upcoming Fourth of July holiday in style!

With Independence Day coming up this Sunday, I can’t wait to celebrate with family and friends (and enjoy a long weekend, too!). I always look forward to seeing our Fourth of July fireworks, but this year I wanted to find different ways to celebrate the holiday. I thought I’d share some fun and festive ideas I discovered online:

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What’s better than spending a rainy afternoon coloring? How about baking chocolate chip cookies? 

I thought both sounded pretty satisfying and came up with a way to combine the two for the ultimate Father’s Day craft project – a colorful and custom mailing tube, filled with homemade cookies!  Whether you’re shipping the cookies or just using the tube as a fun wrapper, this is definitely an affordable, fun and delicious Father’s Day gift idea that adults and kids will surely love making.

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This Memorial Day, when you’re enjoying your day off from work and perhaps grilling out or spending time with family, take a moment to remember the reason for the holiday. It’s a time to reflect on our country’s history and thank those who have served in the armed forces to protect our freedom and safety. Both of my grandfathers served in World War II (one fought in Iwo Jima and one was an airplane mechanic), so I am especially thankful on this holiday.

To help commemorate the occasion, consider sending a care package to a serviceman or woman serving overseas right now.  

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