“Thank you so much to whoever sent this wonderful (include the name of the gift, you can even include a photo of it). It didn’t come with a gift note, and I’d like to be able to thank you ...

If straight talk doesn’t work, be bold. The next gift could come with a box of thank-you cards. Or send this column to someone who may forget or doesn’t know a note of gratitude is appreciated.

But because I had boxes of free ... lovely to see you at Thanksgiving this year!" Step 2: Thank them for the specific item given and tell them how you have already used the gift, or plan to ...