get it there on time.

Don't let your letters and packages miss Christmas, send them out by these dates:

DECEMBER 15
Standard Post
For larger packages (up to 130") that aren't urgent; delivers to most locations in 2-8 business days.

DECEMBER 20
First Class Mail
For envelopes and packages weighing up to 13 oz.; delivers to most locations in 1-3 business days

DECEMBER 20
Priority Mail
Flat-rate pricing options for packages and envelopes; delivers to most locations in 1, 2, or 3 business days

DECEMBER 23
Priority Express Mail
Flat-rate pricing options for packages and envelopes; delivers to most locations overnight

stamps in season.

 It's Here, It's Here! The new issue of Stamps in Season has arrived!

As always, the page spreads are very nicely designed with photographs of the new stamps! It also contains tips for sending fun holiday mail!

Some of the tips included in this edition of Stamps in Season are:

• Greetings from Holidays Past

      • Save the Christmas cards you receive this year, and give them new life next year with a little creative handiwork. You can turn them into...

          • Gift Tags

          • Postcards

          • Place Settings for Holiday Meals

          • Recipe Cards for Christmas Cookies

          • Homemade Ornaments

• Advice from a Gingerbread Architect

      • Bake the gingerbread when humidity is low, since moisture can cause the cookie to soften and become less sturdy.

      • If you're making your own pattern, cut the pieces out of cardboard and tape them together to see how they fit. 

      • Give yourself plenty of time. After constructing the frame, let the icing dry before adding the extra weight of candy. 

      • If your house is large and needs extra support, make reinforcements out of gingerbread or candy sticks and apply them to the inside corners using icing.

• Crafting your Holiday Letter

       • DO

          • Share the highlights of your year

          • Keep it positive

          • Be personal yet humble

          • Share funny stories

          • Include a family photo

          • Include a short handwritten note

      • DON'T

          • Recount every single event

          • Share bad news

          • Talk only about your kids' talents

          • Use sarcasm (the tone might get lost)

          • Send multiple shots of each person

          • Forget to proofread (especially names)

• Stay in touch with USPS

      • Facebook:

          facebook.com/USPSstamps

      • Twitter:

          twitter.com/USPSstamps

      • Pinterest:

          pinterest.com/USPSstamps

      • Instagram:

          instagram.com/USpostalservice

Sign up here to get each edition of Stamps in Season or pick up a copy at your local Post Office!

batman first day of issue postmark.

Do you want to receive the official Batman First Day of Issue postmark? If so, here's how to do it!
DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 8.

STEP 1:
Affix one or more of the new Batman stamps to an envelope (or envelopes) addressed to yourself or someone else.

STEP 2:
Place the envelope(s) in a larger envelope addressed to:
Forever Batman Stamps
Special Events Coordinator
380 W. 33rd Street.
Room 4032
New York, NY 10199-9998

STEP 3:
Mail the envelope(s) to address above. After applying the postmark, USPS will mail the envelope(s) back to you or your addressees.

national postal worker day.

HAPPY NATIONAL POSTAL WORKER DAY!
Thank you for delivering happy mail to our mailboxes all year long!

Image from: pretendingtofarm.typepad.com

Today is a day to appreciate and thank the men and women that work consistently to help is send and receive all of our happy mail and packages! Take an extra minute today to say thank you to your postal worker and let them know how much they are appreciated.

Postal Service employees may accept the following items:
• Snacks and beverages that are not part of a meal
• Items with little intrinsic value (greeting card, pen, coffee mug, etc.)
• Perishable items ( flowers, chocolates, cookies, etc.)
• Items with a value of $20 or less

Postal Service employees may not accept cash-in any amount or form
(bills, checks, money orders)

Ways to show your appreciation to your postman:
• A nice little card thanking them for their hard work
• Bottle of water (After all, it is pretty hot in July)
• Giftcard (Starbucks, 7-11, WaWa, etc.)
• Homemade Cookies
• Etc.

"See the mailman dressed in blue, will he bring a letter to you? He works when it rains and when it snows, he even works when the wind blows."

stamps: year of the horse

Image from uspsstamps.com

Year of the Horse stamps is the seventh stamp in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Horse begins on January 31, 2014 and ends on February 18, 2015.

Across many cultures, in the United States as elsewhere, the Lunar New Year is celebrated in various ways, often with parades and parties. Firecrackers are traditionally used to scare off the evil spirits and welcome this time of renewed hope for the future.

Combining artwork by Kam Mak with two elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps - Clarence Lee's intricate paper-cut design of a horse and the Chinese character for "Horse," drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun - art director Ethel Kessler has created a culturally rich stamp design that celebrates the diversity of the American experience.

The Year of the Horse stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp in sheets of 12.

You can read more about the Year of the Horse stamp here.