2017 Gift Packing & Shipping Tips

Pak Mail recommends shipping gifts early in the month to ensure on-time holiday delivery by Friday, December 22.

2017 Holiday Gift Shipping Countdown

The carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) post holiday schedules. The following cut-off dates are based on these schedules and our holiday shipping experience. Pak Mail includes additional time for potential delays due to inclement weather and increased package volume.

Shipping Week Three: December 18-22

• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 3-day on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx 2-day/overnight on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 2-day on Tuesday, December 19.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx overnight on Wednesday, December 20.

Before your trip to Pak Mail – especially if it’s part of your “honey do” list – be prepared with the following shipping information:

• Address and phone number of the recipient (must be a physical address for UPS, FedEx, and DHL).
• Contents of the package (if already packed and sealed). Save time and let Pak Mail pack for you.
• Value of the items.
• When you would like the package to arrive.

You will be asked if the package is safe to leave on the porch. Due to reports of porch theft this time of year, we recommend a delivery signature on most packages. We can also ship to the recipient’s work address.

Merry Christmas!

2017 Gift Packing & Shipping Tips

Pak Mail recommends shipping gifts early in the month to ensure on-time holiday delivery by Friday, December 22.

2017 Holiday Gift Shipping Countdown

The carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) post holiday schedules. The following cut-off dates are based on these schedules and our holiday shipping experience. Pak Mail includes additional time for potential delays due to inclement weather and increased package volume.

Shipping Week Two: December 11-16

• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx Ground by Wednesday, December 13.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx Ground by Thursday, December 14 (to Maine/northern New England), or Friday, December 15.

Shipping Week Three: December 18-22

• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 3-day on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx 2-day/overnight on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 2-day on Tuesday, December 19.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx overnight on Wednesday, December 20.

Before your trip to Pak Mail – especially if it’s part of your “honey do” list – be prepared with the following shipping information:

• Address and phone number of the recipient (must be a physical address for UPS, FedEx, and DHL).
• Contents of the package (if already packed and sealed). Save time and let Pak Mail pack for you.
• Value of the items.
• When you would like the package to arrive.

You will be asked if the package is safe to leave on the porch. Due to reports of porch theft this time of year, we recommend a delivery signature on most packages. We can also ship to the recipient’s work address.

Merry Christmas!

2017 Gift Packing & Shipping Tips

December has three full weeks before the Christmas holiday. Hanukkah begins in the middle of the second week. Pak Mail recommends shipping gifts early in the month to ensure on-time holiday delivery by Friday, December 22.

2017 Holiday Gift Shipping Countdown

The carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) post holiday schedules. The following cut-off dates are based on these schedules and our holiday shipping experience. Pak Mail includes additional time for potential delays due to inclement weather and increased package volume.

Shipping Week One: December 4-9

• Ship Hanukkah gifts this week.
• Ship international gifts DHL/FedEx this week (recipient is responsible for duties and taxes).
• Ship APO/FPO/DPO packages USPS Priority Mail by Monday, December 4.
• Ship APO/FPO/DPO letters/cards USPS First Class by Monday, December 4.

Shipping Week Two: December 11-16

• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx Ground by Wednesday, December 13.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx Ground by Thursday, December 14 (to Maine/northern New England), or Friday, December 15.

Shipping Week Three: December 18-22

• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 3-day on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx 2-day/overnight on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 2-day on Tuesday, December 19.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx overnight on Wednesday, December 20.

Before your trip to Pak Mail – especially if it’s part of your “honey do” list – be prepared with the following shipping information:

• Address and phone number of the recipient (must be a physical address for UPS, FedEx, and DHL).
• Contents of the package (if already packed and sealed). Save time and let Pak Mail pack for you.
• Value of the items.
• When you would like the package to arrive.

You will be asked if the package is safe to leave on the porch. Due to reports of porch theft this time of year, we recommend a delivery signature on most packages. We can also ship to the recipient’s work address.

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Giving – Drop off new, unwrapped toys at Pak Mail Colorado from now until December 15.

Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, in Los Angeles, California. Five thousand toys were collected that year during the campaign before Christmas. The first toy was a handmade doll.

Toys for Tots 1992 Poster

Almost 50 years later, in 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official activity of the US Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. The 2012 Toys for Tots campaign distributed nearly 16.8 million toys to more than 7 million children.

The local Toys for Tots coordinator contacted us to join the 2016 campaign. This is Toys for Tots’ 100-year anniversary and  Pak Mail Colorado’s fifth year as a Colorado Springs Toys for Tots drop-off location. The program’s mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys and to distribute them as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. Their goal is to provide these children with a message of hope and to help them experience the joy of Christmas.

Providing a convenient drop-off location for Toys for Tots fits in well with Pak Mail Colorado’s other community service projects: Cell Phones for Soldiers and Styrofoam and packing peanut recycling. Giving back to the community is what it’s all about.

There are several ways to get involved; see the Toys for Tots Call to Action. The ultimate success of the annual campaign depends on local community support and the generosity of folks who donate the toys. It’s an honor to play our part. Thank you for doing your part to help families in need.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Secure Package Receiving

It’s that time of year again! Along with the increase in holiday online shopping comes package receiving and the potential for porch theft. Don’t let your Christmas gifts sit at your front door tempting fate. Open a private mailbox and pick up your packages at our secure location. The benefits of renting a mailbox include:

• A physical Colorado Springs address with unique box number.
  

  Pak Mail Private Mailbox

• Secure package receiving from UPS, FedEx, DHL, OnTrac, and USPS.
• Email notification of package receipt.
• Best value ($144) on a 12-month rental of a medium-sized mailbox.
• Convenient business hours, Monday thru Saturday.

Click here or stop in to learn more about renting a mailbox at Pak Mail.

Drop off new, unwrapped toys at Pak Mail Colorado from now until December 18.

Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, in Los Angeles, California. Five thousand toys were collected that year during the campaign before Christmas. The first toy was a handmade doll.

Toys for Tots 1992 Poster

Almost 50 years later, in 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official activity of the US Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. The 2012 Toys for Tots campaign distributed nearly 16.8 million toys to more than 7 million children.

The local Toys for Tots coordinator contacted us to join the 2015 campaign. This is Pak Mail Colorado’s fourth year as a Colorado Springs Toys for Tots drop-off location. The program’s mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys and to distribute them as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. It is their goal to provide these children with a message of hope and to help them experience the joy of Christmas.

Providing a convenient drop-off location for Toys for Tots fits in well with Pak Mail Colorado’s other community service projects: Cell Phones for Soldiers and Styrofoam and packing peanut recycling. Giving back to the community is what it’s all about.

There are several ways to get involved; see the Toys for Tots Call to Action. The ultimate success of the annual campaign depends on local community support and the generosity of folks who donate the toys. It’s an honor to play our part. Thank you for doing your part to help families in need.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

The Christmas season is upon us. Where did the year go? Pak Mail offers secure packing services and shipping — UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS. You do the shopping and gift wrapping… we’ll do the rest! We’ll help you choose the most cost-effective method to ensure your Christmas holiday gifts arrive safely and on time.

Quick tips for shipping holiday gifts:

• Keep all receipts for gifts purchased.
• Come prepared. Information includes:
  • Ship-to name, address, & phone number;
  • Contents of the package being shipped;
  • Which items are fragile;
  • Value of the item(s) being shipped; and
  • When you would like the package to arrive.
• Ship early in the season.
• Perfume, wine, and liquor cannot be shipped.
• International & APO shipments require an itemized contents list for customs.
• Shipping guarantees can be interrupted by inclement weather, so ship as early as possible to allow for possible delays.
• There are no deliveries on Christmas Day.

Shipping holiday gifts is simple and easy at Pak Mail!

Packing Peanuts for Container Gardening

Are you planting this Spring — flowers, vegetables and herbs? Tight on space and using containers for your gardening? You can save your back and reduce the weight of the containers with Styrofoam packing peanuts. Make sure you use the pesky plastic peanuts and not cornstarch ones. Cornstarch peanuts might be better for the environment, but when wet will dissolve into a gooey mess. How-to resources abound on the Internet. Simply search “using packing peanuts for container gardening” and you’ll have plenty of advice. Here are two that might be of interest: Garden Artistics or eHow Home. Instructions vary, but the basics are:

• Replace half to two-thirds of the potting soil with packing peanuts.
• Place the peanuts in the bottom of the container.
• Fill the rest of the container with potting soil.
• Add the plants and some water.

Pak Mail sells packing peanuts for container gardening. They are a lightweight solution to patio container gardening and provide excellent drainage. If you have an overabundance of peanuts from shipments, bring them to the store and we’ll recycle them for you.

1992 Toys for Tots Poster

Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, in Los Angeles, California. Five thousand toys were collected that year during the campaign before Christmas. The first toy was a handmade doll.

Almost 50 years later, in 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official activity of the US Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. The 2012 Toys for Tots campaign distributed nearly 16.8 million toys to more than 7 million children.

The local Toys for Tots coordinator contacted us to join the 2014 campaign. This is Pak Mail 232’s third year as a Colorado Springs Toys for Tots drop-off location. The program’s mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys and to distribute them as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. It is their goal to provide these children with a message of hope and to help them experience the joy of Christmas.

Providing a convenient drop-off location for Toys for Tots fits in well with Pak Mail 232’s other community service projects: Cell Phones for Soldiers and Styrofoam and packing peanut recycling. Giving back to the community is what it’s all about.

There are several ways to get involved; see the Toys for Tots Call to Action. The ultimate success of the annual campaign depends on local community support and the generosity of folks who donate the toys. It’s an honor to play our part.

Drop off new, unwrapped toys at Pak Mail 232 from now until December 17.

Have you ever been to London? In March? Three weeks of visiting our son, riding the Tube, and seeing the sights… what fun! After an up-and-down-cold winter in Colorado, it was a pleasant surprise to hear birds singing, see flowers and trees blooming, and soak in the color green. Every plant imaginable was putting on a show! Spring fever hit me with a passion.

Jet lag took a few days and then out came the cleaning supplies. Mind you, my husband and I have already downsized (from a 1200-sq-ft house to a one-bedroom apartment to a 35-ft fifth wheel) so spring cleaning doesn’t take a lot of time. Yet I remember our first steps after our decision to sell the house and can empathize with anyone going through the process. Essentially I followed my own downsizing tips and the task became less daunting.

Now I’m anticipating springtime in Colorado… probably in May. That will lead to another round of cleaning caused by spring fever. It’s amazing what you can accumulate in a home on wheels.

daffodils and green grass

forsythia blooms

weeping willow

magnolia blossoms

farm in Wales, UK