There is never a wrong time to send a thank you note. NEVER. Think about it -- have you ever been mad at someone who said thank you? Let's revive this dying art -- right now.

All you need to remember to write great thank you notes is to <em><strong>be prompt, sincere, and specific</strong></em>.

<strong>Be PROMPT:</strong> You should send out the notes as quickly as you can- in fact, the sooner you write them the easier it will be for <em>you</em>. Why?

Because it allows you to <strong>be SINCERE:</strong> It is much easier to write of your sincere gratitude for your awesome new gift if you write soon after the excitement of opening the present. Trust me, it is much harder to sound sincerely grateful once you realize you have no place to put the thing.

<strong>Being SPECIFIC</strong> is important because people want to know that you actually liked what they gave you. And do mention how you plan to use the gift (for example: <em>Thank you for the beautiful picture frame, I can't wait to use it to frame the group picture from my birthday dinner. I will always think of you when we use it. We'd love to have you over for dinner next time you're in town so you can see it in action...</em>)

Another reason that being specific is important is that nowadays most people will order your gifts online and have them shipped directly to your home. While convenient, this is highly unsatisfying to the gift giver because they don't get to experience the joy of seeing you open the present. You don't want them to sit around wondering if you ever got it and whether you liked it or not. Don't put yourself in the awkward position of having someone call or write you to ask if you've received their gift - send those notes out ASAP!