= Time Saving Tips To Get PackagesTo Arrive On-Time (NAPSA)—With only a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the holidays can be a very busy time. Among the many items on people’s “to-do” lists is sending cards and presents to friends and loved ones. Since time is of the essence during this hectic season, here are a few practical tips to save you time...and help ensure that your holiday parcels arrive on-time: How to best address: When addressing holiday packages, make sure both the delivery and return addresses are printed on only one side of the box. This will help avoid confusion when parcels are sorted. And, addresses should be bold enough to be read from an arm’s length away. If your penmanship is not always legible, consider creating address labels on your home computer. Not only will it make the addresses easier to read by the delivery person, but the labels can be saved on your computer and used year after year! International exchange: If you are sending packages internationally, print the delivery and return addresses in all uppercase letters, and if possible, limit each addressto five lines. Save yourself time at the post office by going online, printing out any necessary declaration forms from your home computer, and filling them out before you head outthe door. Store more: Having some boxes, packaging tape and packing materials handy at home can save you the time and hassle of having to purchase these supplies and pack your items at the point of shipping. In fact, new Scotch packing noodles from 3M are easy Avoid the holiday shipping rush by keeping supplies, such as packing noodles, at homeinstead of purchasing at the last minute. to store year-round, because they’re sold in compact“slices.” To package an item, simply break a slice into a box, place your item inside, surround it with more noodles, then seal the box. The unique interlocking shape of Scotch packing noodles resists the settling of items to the bottom of the box, where they are most likely to be broken or damaged during transit. And, gift recipients will appreciate that packing noodles have no static cling— which means no filler material sticking to them or their furniture when unpacking. Don’t be boxed in: Need a box, but don’t have a new one handy? In a matter of minutes, you can make an old box new again. Simply use a utility knife to carefully cut the entire length of one edge of the box. Then, turn the box inside-out so that the “clean” side is now the exterior. Use Scotch packaging tape to seal the cut edge.
