Saying Thank You

Thank you tubes

THANK-YOU TUBES

Filled with goodies and trinkets, these decorated cylinders are a sweet alternative to standard thank-you notes. Dan Morehead of Paducah, Kentucky, is a professional bass fisherman, and whenever he gets a new rod, it arrives in a mailing tube. What to do with the surplus cylinders? His wife, Jennie, together with their two kids, Sarah, age 7, and Van, 2, turn them into Thank-you Tubes -- a perfect gesture of gratitude for the holiday gifts they receive.

First, they decorate the outside of each tube, leaving room for an address label. Then, from a roll of paper, Jennie cuts a large sheet on which she prints "Thank you" or "I love you" in big letters. She then gives it to the kids to color. When they're done, they roll up the banner and slip it into the tube along with small treats, trinkets, and a sprinkling of confetti.

You can address and mail each tube, or arrange a special delivery: wrap it in festive paper, tie on a bow, and present it in person.

Holiday season isn't the only time the Morehead kids mail out their festive missives. Nor are they always called Thank-you Tubes. When fishing competitions take Dan on extended stays out of town, for instance, he knows he might be the lucky recipient of an I-Miss-You Tube.

A SHOP-AND-SWAP FOR SIBLINGS

Nancy Peper of Lutherville, Maryland, has three kids between the ages of 9 and 13 who love swapping presents with each other. Nancy, however, was never keen about taking them shopping during the frenetic holiday season. Plus, the kids usually picked gifts that they wanted for themselves, or that were inappropriate or too costly.

As an avid tag sale shopper, Nancy hit on an idea that has saved her time, money, and stress. She opened Mom's Store, where all the gifts are pre-approved and affordable.

During the year, she picks up CDs, audio books, games, and toys on sale and stashes them in the attic. Just before the holiday, she prices them from 25 cents to $3. Then, one at a time, she invites the kids into her store (a selected room in the house) to peruse items she's put on display and choose gifts for their siblings. With each visit, Nancy swaps out the gifts with a new batch so the kids never see the ones that are meant for them. The kids exchange these small but heartfelt sibling gifts on Christmas Eve to ensure that the gifts get the attention they're due, rather than get overlooked in the frenzy of Christmas Day. "This has turned into quite a tradition in our house," Nancy says. "The kids have asked to have Mom's Store for birthdays too."

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