When getting together with friends and family this holiday season, many picture sitting around a large table in comfy chairs, reminiscing about all the great memories of the last year. Or even waking up on a cold, snowy morning, opening up the wooden dresser to throw on a sweater before venturing outside to take in the natural beauty of a snowfall in December. There’s just something about the smell of hickory or maple wood furniture to set the festive mood.

With Thanksgiving having come and gone, the holiday shipping season is officially upon us. This can certainly be a stressful time of year making sure gifts for out-of-state friends and family make it on time. If you’re planning on shipping gifts this year, stay ahead of the game by knowing the particular deadlines for each carrier so that your gifts arrive in time for Christmas.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The best thing since sliced bread.” Well, Great Harvest Bread Co. in Cedar Rapids takes that saying to a whole new level.

Over 15 years ago, Dion and Laurel Williams moved to Dion’s hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The couple own and operate the Great Harvest Bread Co. bakery, a popular spot for lunch and all things baked goods. All Whole Wheat breads are made from flour they mill every day to ensure that the customer is always getting the best bread made fresh daily. To keep things exciting, GHB has daily specialty bread and baked goodies.

Picture this: You’ve had a long day at work. You’re tired, you had to scrape the ice off your windshield and traffic was terrible. You finally pull into the driveway 45 minutes later than normal. You trudge through the snow, unlock the front door, walk in and all of a sudden, Jake, your 2-year old golden retriever jumps up, knocks you down and showers you with kisses and a wagging tail, happy you’re home. Instantly, your bad day is forgotten.

In case you weren’t aware or hadn’t ever thought about it, Thanksgiving typically is not an occasion for a lot of shipping (unlike the upcoming holiday shipping season). It isn’t very easy to ship a turkey or Grandma’s famous stuffing, but that doesn’t mean Thanksgiving isn’t a good time to share love.

These days, everything seems to take place at breakneck speed. Email, text messages, Skype, and Siri have created a culture where the answer is at your fingertips twenty-four hours a day. Unfortunately, some tasks are rooted in tradition and still require some human interaction. For example, passport applications for minors require a signature and notarization from any parent who cannot be present. Or, sworn financial statements for legal proceedings require notarization to validate the document’s authenticity.