Post Card Catalog!

Nothing is better than a full mailbox! However if you want your mailbox to continue to be full you must send outgoing post. It's imperative that you reply to all of your wonderful pen friends if you want to keep the magic going! Big piles of mail can be a little overwhelming, though, can't they?  Did I reply to this letter? What about that letter? Uh Oh! Did I send a thank you for that package? See what I mean? Overwhelming!

So in an effort to be more organized I have a little snail mail system that works pretty well for me. Allow me to share...

I start with a 3x5 card file box.  I call it the "Post Card Catalog." Inside this lovely container (really it's just an old, not-so-lovely, unused recipe box) I have placed alphabetical dividers behind which I file my pen pals by name. I created two custom dividers with an index card and a stick on tab. These are "To Reply..." and "Mailbox Magic". 

When I receive a piece of mail I find the pen pal's index card (or create one if it's a new pen pal). This card includes the name and mailing address of my pen friend. On the back of the card I've created two columns, "Received" and "Sent".  I write the date on the back of the card under "Received" and draw a little box under the "Sent" column.

I file the card under the "To Reply..." where it stays until I get a chance to write back.  After I've sent my reply I check the box and file the card alphabetically by name. Sweet! Organization! 

I do keep my incoming post in a small box so I can refer to it when I'm writing replies. (I purposely keep this box small so I can't get too far behind!) 

I also have a snail mail journal. I make a short entry about the post I receive...

"29 Sept 2014 Got some lovely post from a new pen pal from Australia! She included some snaps of a wallaby, koala and kookaburra!"

I try to avoid packrat tendencies so I only save extra meaningful post...things I feel future generations might enjoy reading...like love letters from Mr. Murphy!  

Oh! You might be wondering about that "Mailbox Magic" tab???  Well, that is where I place the "post cards" of people to whom I want to send some spontaneous mail. Magic!!

Go postal, everybody! (In an orderly fashion)

XOXO Mrs. Murphy