Do you know what I love to get in the mail (besides amazing products to try out and tell you about)? I love getting hand written notes. Doesn’t everyone? I love them because I know all too well that finding the time to sit down with a pen and paper is hard to come by, and so when someone does it, they were really thinking about you, and devoting a slice of time just to you. It makes me feel so special!

I especially love when I get notes from my nieces. They aren’t exactly old enough to write me, on their own, but I’m delighted to hear from their mommies what they are up to, or if something I sent them is a hit. And I absolutely adore when they write or color on the note themselves. I don’t know why, but that takes the note from really sweet to priceless for me!

As Darah grows, she will have many opportunities to send notes to her cousins and friends (perhaps with a little help from mom). Between birthdays, Christmas and special visits from family members, there are several times each year when a hand written note to her loved ones is in order!

I still have some of the thank you cards that we used when she was a newborn, but they just scream baby, and little Darah is decidedly a toddler now! I have been looking for some cards that are perfect for a tot, and that will still be useful until she is at least 6 or 7, should they last that long. And I found them!

Check out the great online stationery company called Paperspring. This company was launched in 2008, but it comes out of a company, Charlie Chan Printing, that has been around for over 40 years, so they know a thing or two about how to deliver quality products and outstanding customer service!

Customer service is actually something I’d like to highlight about this company. When I placed my order, I received immediate confirmation. A handful of hours later, I got word that my order had been shipped! That’s right, SHIPPED! Same day! Who does that?! Paperspring does.

A week after the order was shipped, I got a follow up not from Paperspring making sure I was pleased with the service and the product I received. I was given an email address to send any and all feedback to, and I could tell that they genuinely wanted to hear about my experience. That tells me that this company is satisfied only if the customer is thrilled with their experience. Anything less will not do.

And I was thrilled with the experience. I thought Paperspring had a wonderful variety of stationery and cardstock for all sorts of occasions. It took me a while to decide (due to all the cute stuff on the site) but I ultimately went with the birdy thank you cards in plum. I put Darah’s full name on the card, and I’m not keen on sharing that online, but to the right you’ll see what it looks like. You have the option to add some text on the inside, but I opted to leave it blank.

I didn’t have a specific color in mind when I was shopping for Darah’s cards, but I LOVED that you can, in fact, browse by color. What an awesome feature!

There’s one more thing that rocks about Paperspring: they are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as a chain-of-custody provider of recycled paper made from environmentally sustainable forests. From their site, “All of our matte cards are printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled thick cardstock. Furthermore, we utilize chemistry-free and waterless printing processes in our operation, in order to provide our customers with the greenest forms of printing.” That’s awesome, Paperspring!

I had a truly delightful experience placing an order with Paperspring, and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to this site for holiday cards, birth announcements, or anything else! Right now, you can snag $10 off a $50 purchase by using the code SEPTEMBER at checkout! Get on it, ladies!

Win it!: Paperspring wants to offer one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader a $50 gift certificate to their shop! There are so many different ways to spend it…the tough part is deciding what to get! This contest will run until October 2nd at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me something about the best card or note you ever gave or received, and what made it so memorable.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Paperspring on Facebook
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
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Don’t forget to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.