It’s striking how many things in life are better when you get in the habit of expressing gratitude. And it’s not about just saying “thanks” often in passing. Overuse of verbal Thank-Yous has led to their feeling about as earnest as the word “amazing.” The best way to express gratitude and have it be received and felt by the person you’re thanking is to hand-write a personal thank-you note. And the sure-fire way to make sure you actually say a timely “thanks” is having personalized thank-you cards on hand. Here some of the best kinds of thank-yous you can write.

Holiday Thank-You Cards It feels crummy to start a New Year without closing out the thank-yous from last year. Even though Christmas was just a few weeks ago, it’s important to get those thank-you cards out the door so you can move forward with your fabulous year. Simply choose a couple great pictures from the holidays – they don’t need to be posed or processed, smiling kids in jammies and a blur of wrapping paper works great – and upload them to one of Mixbook’s holiday thank-you card templates. Put them in the mail with your leftover holiday stamps and feel a great weight lift off your chest!

Birthday Thank-You Cards I just celebrated a milestone birthday and it felt great to send really heartfelt thanks to all the many people who made my celebration special. I chose a simple chalkboard design and personalized it with a tiny picture of me raising a glass of bubbly on the back. I felt that it was a nice way to make the card feel special without it being narcissistic. For kids, it’s just the opposite. Everyone wants to see a big photo of the birthday boy or girl, and kids relish the celebrity status they have when they’re printed on their very own thank-you cards. And that’s a big help when you insist that they be a part of the process of saying thank-you to the many people who made their day great.

New Year Thank-You Cards Even if your New Year’s resolution wasn’t about being more grateful, it feels darn good to do a little reflecting at the beginning of the year. Before plowing forward into 2014, look back over the past year and think about the people who have made your life better and make a point to say thanks for the specific ways they made your year better. Not only will it lighten your spirits and theirs, it will perpetuate the wonderful relationship you have with that person, ensuring that this year is as filled with love and encouragement as last.

Wedding Thank-You Cards It’s standard protocol, of course, to personally thank everyone who attended your wedding and/or gave you a gift. Depending on the size of your wedding, that could mean a lot of thank-you notes to write! Simply choose a Mixbook wedding-themed thank-you card that matches the rest of your wedding stationery or depart from the theme and do something fun with photographs. Friends and loved ones will enjoy receiving your note and – trust us – every thank-you note you put in the mailbox will leave you with a sense of accomplishment. And if you create beautiful cards with Mixbook, you’ll also feel a great a sense of pride. Make sure you keep really meticulous track of everyone you’ve thanked formally. You don’t want to miss someone – especially once word gets out about your gorgeous thank-you cards!

Thanks for This and That In addition to sending thank-you cards out for specific events, it’s great to have a stockpile of thank-you cards on hand for the little things that come up. Whether it’s a quick thanks to someone who watched your cat while you were away for the weekend or a heartfelt thank-you addressed to someone who went the extra mile to make a job connection, there are plenty of reasons to say thank-you early and often. When you keep great personalized note cards like the Thank You Banner from Mixbook at the ready, it’s that much more likely you’ll get the right message out the door in a timely way.