If you want to make Valentine's Day special for the grands, send a valentine with a unique postmark. Just send your mail to a town with an appropriate name, where your missives will receive a special postmark before being remailed. You can choose from towns named Valentine in Texas or Nebraska or Valentines in Virginia. Volunteers in Loveland, Colorado, have had a postmark program for 66 years.There are also two Lovejoys, two Lovings and two towns named Sugar City, as well as other destinations suited for more intimate missives. What grandma or grandpa wouldn't love to get a valentine from a sweetie postmarked Eros, Louisiana, or Romance, Arkansas?
Check out the full list of available postmarks on the USPS website. To get special postmarks, just send your valentines inside a larger envelope. Address the packet to the postmaster of the selected city and label the packet "Valentine remailing." The USPS site just advises to "allow enough time," but the Loveland volunteers advise mailing by Feb. 9 for out-of-state destinations. I'd advise mailing ASAP and giving the parents a heads-up so that the envelope doesn't get torn up or discarded. The post office's Love Ribbons stamp will add another special touch.
Photo © USPS
I had to laugh about your suggestion to give the parents a “heads up:” on the special postmark. My grandchildren tear into an envelope and make short work of the card just to get to the cash that is usually enclosed:)