Every year without fail, though, a card arrives in my mailbox with - gasp - grammatical errors. I know, I know. This may not bother some people at all! But if you, like me, want to avoid misspellings at all costs, here are some helpful tips for making sure your holiday cards & gifts send the right message.

How to Write Your Last Name on a Card

• Never use an apostrophe. They are possessive! Unless you’re trying to say, “This is the Schreiber’s holiday card,” (and I sincerely doubt you are) you can just avoid them.
• If your last name ends in S, X, Z, CH, or SH, add an “es” at the end. Example: The Clauses
• If your last name ends in any other letter(s), simply add an “s” at the end. Example: The Meakems
• If you get confused by any of the above, you can simply sign your card “The _ Family.” No need to double pluralize, as "family" already implies multiple!

Ta-da! It’s that easy. Happy holiday prep!