Who has holiday cards to send? On the years I send them, my cards usually go out closer to New Year, so I appreciate this tongue-saving hack from Kim:
Just tried this when I was tired of licking Christmas card envelopes. I got out my daughter's Aquadoodle marker. It was incredibly quick and efficient:) You can buy them at most box stores without buying the Aquadoodle set with mat. So even if you don't have one it would be worth the investment.
If you've never seen an Aquadoodle, it's a great toy — a white mat that changes color when "painted" with water. The marker that comes with the set is basically a felt-tipped pen you fill with water. Ours is floating around the house somewhere.
Other ideas for dealing with envelope-sealing fatigue: get your kids to do it, or forgo envelopes altogether. My holiday "cards" are usually letters I fold into thirds, staple, and address/stamp/send as-is.
More: Christmas hacks
oh my goodness, genius!
too bad i already sent mine out – blech.
Wow–what a fabulous idea!
Isn’t that what kids are for?
You can also use a small piece of sponge with a bowl of water, but I never remember that when I am mailing. This is a great idea if you already have one though–love the lack of mess!
You’re not supposed to send staples through the mail. If you send a “self-mailer” (like a letter folded up into thirds, for instance), you need to close it with tape. Staples get caught in postal machinery, which can rip your letter and send it directly to the dead letter office instead of Aunt Suzanne’s.
I used to be in charge of a multi-million dollar direct mail program. Trust me, I know way more about what can and can’t go through the mail than anybody ever should. 🙂
For about a dollar, you can also purchase a special little bottle with a sponge on the end. These can be found at an office supply store and are about the size of a fat pen.