The holidays are in full-swing and 2020 is finally coming to a close. As we stay home to try and stay safe and healthy, we all have seen the number of e-commerce orders skyrocket, placing a heavy burden on our shipping carriers.

Our carriers are working with reduced staff due to COVID-19, increased volume during a pandemic, and inclement weather growing like the "nor'easter' on the east coast.  It's a challenge for everyone, and we know we're all doing our best. 

In this post, we wanted to share an update on how this may affect your orders from Curious Baby and what we're doing about it to help make this holiday as stress-free and peaceful as it can be. 

Carrier's Shipping Turnaround Times

We work with two main carriers at Curious Baby: UPS and USPS. Because our product is classified as a bound book, we ship 99% of all of our orders as "Media Mail" via USPS. However, we do offer the shipping upgrade for those that choose to via UPS and also our international orders via DHL Express. 

According to the carriers, here are their delivery turnaround times to ensure your package arrives by Christmas.

• USPS Christmas delivery
• First-Class/Media Mail 12/18*
• *While USPS hasn't changed their guidance, we feel it is important to share that this date feels like it is too close to guarantee holiday delivery. We will certainly ship your order out on-time, but we must be realistic and know that it may not arrive in time, as we are hearing news that USPS is overwhelmed and currently missing deadlines. 
• UPS Holiday Deadlines
• UPS Ground: 12/15
• UPS 3 Day Select: 12/21
• UPS Second Day Air: 12/22
• UPS Next Day Air: 12/23

As of writing this on 12/15, we're seeing very different shipping turnaround times for our USPS orders. We're seeing orders shipped 12/10 arrive in two business days to the east coast, and orders that are shipped in-state within Texas, saying they are still awaiting shipment. (We ship all orders centrally Sugarland/Houston, Texas.)

There's no predicting when or which packages will move quicker, so please be prepared in the case that your order is delayed or running late. (See our poem greeting card below to help). 

The Frustrating "Pre-Shipment" Status May Persist

With the influx of online shopping happening this holiday season, we have been notified by our carrier partners (USPS, UPS, etc.) that shippers are frequently opting to skip the origin scan upon picking up packages from facilities to expedite processing.

They are often not scanning all shipments during initial pick up and instead they’re scanning them when those packages arrive at distribution centers (typically 24-48+ hours after pickup).

They have said that the status of “label created or not yet picked up” may persist into coming weeks, even though the package is en route to your destination. 

We know that it's frustrating to see this and may lead you to think that your order is sitting on a warehouse shelf, but trust us that it's not. 

We're shipping 99% of orders same-day

As you may have seen on our latest instagram post, we've upgraded our fulfillment operations to a commercial fulfillment partner.  We caught up with all the orders from Black Friday and Cyber Monday in less than 48 hours after going live with this amazing new partner on December 9th. 

To catch up on all of our deliveries, we sent an incredible volume of packages out the week of December 9th and if you have any issue at all when your package arrives, please email us anytime at hello@curiousbabycards.com and we'll make it right. 

If your order is running late, or if it doesn't arrive in time

We know that many of our customers ordered Curious Baby Activity cards for family and friends this holiday season and we're so thankful for that. 

While we can't control what happens with the mail, we can do something a little extra to make sure you have something tangible to put under the tree. 

Click the image below to download our holiday greeting card and print it on your printer at home or at a friends house. We've written a poem and designed something special so that you don't have to worry about what to do if your package doesn't arrive in time. 

(Folding Card Instructions:

Click on the image above and a PDF will open. Click Print from your browser. Fold the greeting card along the dotted lines. Add an extra notes and sign and pop into an envelope.)

We know you'd rather have your gift in-hand, but we thought this might be the next best thing. So don't stress, give yourself a break and let us give you something special to help make it fun. 

Gift Cards Arrive Instantly

If you're just starting your holiday shopping today and you're looking to purchase a thoughtful gift for a new mom, dad, or grandparent, we'd like to recommend choosing a gift card. Delivered instantly to your email. 🙌 No postal delays necessary :) You're welcome to use our greeting card above to add to your gift card when putting it under the tree :) 

Don't Forget to Say 'Thanks' to Your Postal Worker

Whether it's sharing some holiday cheer, a smile, some homemade cookies, or something fun or unexpected like buying them a lotto ticket, please take a moment to say thanks for all the hard work they do each and every day for all of us.

See you next year!

Well, 2020 has been one for the books. We can't wait to start fresh in 2021. Stay safe and stay healthy everyone!