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Love is in the air … and on the road as UPSers gear up to deliver gifts of love for Valentine’s Day. While jewelry topped last year’s list of Valentine’s gifts, candy remains a popular option too. Online retailers will be busy, with 32% of U.S. consumers saying they plan to purchase their Valentine’s gifts on the web this year.

If your love comes in the form of homemade goodies, check out the #HGEATS Twitter chat on February 8 at noon ET. The UPS Store will join Kimberly Moore (twitter.com/hungrygoddess) as they share tips for packing and shipping food. With sweet thoughts on our mind, we created the following infograph to celebrate one of the sweetest holidays on the calendar.

(click on infographic to see full size)

On Monday, millions of Americans and people across the world will honor Dr. King’s legacy through community volunteering. UPS is proud to be based in Dr. King’s hometown of Atlanta.

UPS’s founder, Jim Casey, shared Dr. King’s commitment for community service. Jim and his siblings founded the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) in 1948 to honor their mother, who struggled to raise the family as a young widow. Financed by Jim’s personal fortune, AECF serves as an advocate for at-risk children and families.

Every day, UPSers are out in our communities serving others. Whether it’s delivering packages, providing logistics support to disaster relief efforts or volunteering at a local school … being a part of a community means being involved in the community. In 2010, UPSers and their family members contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer time. Dr. King’s legacy is not simply limited to one day of service … every day is an opportunity to serve.

How will you serve?

The following video profiles UPS manager Terry Brown, who was recognized for his volunteerism with the 2011 UPS Casey Award.

Kermit the Frog famously sang that “It’s not easy being green.” However, the participants at our #GreenHoliday Twitter party could likely inspire Kermit to sing a new tune. Dozens of smart, practical ideas were shared … including a few from UPS Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) Scott Wicker.

Journalist Aman Singh (@amansinghCSR), joined by four fantastic panelists, kicked off the conversation. Scott Wicker shared insights about UPS’s environmental efforts, such as carbon neutral shipping. And The UPS Store offered practical guidance on how to choose eco-friendly materials for packing your shipments (hint: soy and starch-based packaging peanuts can decompose when exposed to moisture such as snow or humidity).

Here are some of the top tweets and tips shared during the party:

Today, everyone talks about being “#green.” How do you use it, if at all, as a criteria when you shop?

@LeonKaye: @AmanSinghCSR At this time of year, doing my best to shop locally and being smart about how I ship, and wrap! #greenholiday

@UPS: UPS CSO: Before I shop, I research purchases online to plan my driving route. Saves time + gas. #GreenHoliday

@candacki: @AmanSinghCSR q1 try to by green products, bring your own bags, shop at stores close together! #greenholiday

@diamondslady812: #GreenHoliday  i also buy online w/free shipping so i save gas and wear and tear on my car

@LeonKaye: By the way, in 2009 I used old & vintage post cards & turned them in2 greeting cards: http://t.co/UbilQAvr #greenholiday (instead of buying)

@TheUPSStore: Nothing like a homemade gift! RT @HealthyVoyager: @AmanSinghCSR Homemade gifts are budget + Eco friendly and a lot of fun #Greenholiday

@LeonKaye: We have to remember that when shopping online, we can support small business like those on Etsy, etc. #greenholiday

@msmary1962: I am a big freecycler and other sites that let people who want something you don’t have it. (matching what with have is hard) #greenholiday

@Julias_Child: I made my own recyclable wrapping paper, since most commercial (shiny) paper cannot be recycled. #GreenHoliday

 #Sustainability is a word that consumers don’t always relate to. How do we bridge the disconnect b/w consumers #brands?

@UPS: UPS CSO: Give people practical options. Shipping ground emits less CO2 than air shipments. #GreenHoliday

@UPS: UPS CSO: Also, options for smart packing – small boxes vs big boxes, recycle pckg peanuts, reusable express envelopes. #GreenHoliday

@UPS: UPS CSO: Sustainability is using resources wisely – socially, environmentally + economically. #GreenHoliday

RT @AmanSinghCSR: @UPS defines #susty in 140 characters! It is using resources wisely: socially, environmentally+economically. #GreenHoliday

Scott, what is carbon neutral shipping? How can people use this service during the holidays?

@UPS: UPS CSO: Good question. For just 5-cents extra, UPS offsets carbon associated w/ the delivery of your shipment. #Greenholiday

@UPS: UPS CSO: Carbon neutral shipping is available at most @TheUPSStore locations and at ups.com #GreenHoliday

@UPS UPS CSO: With carbon neutral shipping, UPS buys certified CO2 offsets to balance out emissions from transporting shipments #GreenHoliday

@UPS: UPS CSO: Planes are 8x more carbon producing vs trucks. Trains are 1/4 less vs trucks and ships are 1/2 of train. #GreenHoliday

What creative ideas do you have to reuse holiday leftovers, like wrapping paper and greeting cards?

@GingerCM: Q7 I have a year round box of wrapping & make tags with old cards. I haven’t bought paper or bags in years! @ups #GreenHoliday

@ChildMode: RT @AmanSinghCSR:Cards are great 4 cutting out + using 4 crafts or art projects. Bows can almost always be reused!

@kpswagger: I like to turn greet cards into place mats to use for next year. Something to keep the kids entertained, but is really neat! #GreenHoliday

@MOM4EVEREVER: q7 we take homemade ornaments roll in pb & seed them for bird after the tree goes down no waste #GreenHoliday

@janettwokay: @AmanSinghCSR Q7: Turning old wrapping paper inside out gives it a second life. #greenholiday

Looking for more practical ideas? Join UPS and The UPS Store on January 3 for #HolidayReturns Twitter party. Our moderator, blogger Melissa Dawn Lierman (@TimeOutMom), and a group of panelists will help get the conversation rolling.

Celebrating the holidays is a joyous event. Family, friends, food and gifts. Yet inevitably, returning gifts has become part of the routine during the holidays. In fact, January 3 is the top shipping day for holiday returns at UPS. Just as others created Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we’re creating a day too that’s dedicated to returns – National Returns Day.

Let’s face it. Returning gifts can feel like a hassle … collecting gift receipts, driving around town, standing in line at the store. Holiday returns are daunting, but they don’t have to be.

With our Twitter party, #HolidayReturns, we hope to deliver a bit of sanity and some clever ideas to help take the hassle out of holiday returns. Joining us as the party moderator is blogger Melissa Dawn Lierman (@TimeOutMom) and a team of panelists. UPS compensated Melissa and the panelists for their participation. To generate smart ideas and tips throughout the day, we’re hosting two parties.

Party 1 takes place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. If you’re getting ready to hit the mall (or The UPS Store) with your gift returns, join Melissa and our panelists for tips to make gift returns less stressful.

Party 2 takes place from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET. We’ll chat about gift returns’ success stories and ideas to take the hassle out of gift returns throughout the year.

Along with great ideas, our #HolidayReturns parties will feature prizes. To participate in the chat and prize giveaways, include the party hashtag #HolidayReturns in your tweets. Along with three $25 gift cards to The UPS Store awarded every 15 minutes, we’ll give away a $100 gift card to Zappos – who just happens to have a great returns policy – at the end of each party. Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings for the parties: afternoon party rules, evening party rules.

For many retail businesses, the holiday season delivers an important revenue surge. And with lots of holiday shopping comes a boost in holiday shipping. In fact, UPS expects to deliver 120 million packages during the week before Christmas.

Believe it or not, one of the most important decisions you can make when shipping holiday gifts is the box. Not all boxes are created equal – size, strength, and quality matter. Our infograph explains why selecting the right box is just as important as selecting the right gift.

(click on infographic to see full size)

It seems like summer was just a few short weeks ago, but there’s no denying it … the holiday season is here. And with the holidays comes logistics. Shopping for gifts, planning parties, sending greeting cards and shipping.

To help get holiday logistics under control, UPS and The UPS Store will host a series of Twitter parties to spark ideas and share tips for holiday planning. Joining us in the Twitter conversations are savvy bloggers who will lead the discussions along with a team of panelists. In the spirit of transparency, we want to disclose that we are compensating the blogger moderators and panelists.

Along with great ideas, our Twitter parties will feature prize drawings every 15 minutes. We’re giving away gift cards to The UPS Store and to UPS customers  Soft Surroundings, Wayfair.com and Anderson Seafoods. Want to win? Participate by tweeting during the party and including the party hashtag. RSVP by posting a comment and your Twitter handle to this blog post.

Let’s get this party started! Here are the details to join us:

#HassleFreeHoliday: Thursday, Nov. 17 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET

Get your game plan ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Mommy blogger Kelly Loubet (@Childhood) will lead a panel of bloggers as we discuss clever ideas to take the hassle out of the holidays. Our team with @UPS and @TheUPSStore will also share tips on holiday resources, such as packing and shipping services and UPS My Choice.

To participate in the chat and prize giveaways, include the party hashtag #HassleFreeHoliday in your tweets. Along with three $25 gift cards to The UPS Store awarded every 15 minutes, we’ll give away a $75 gift card to Soft Surroundings at the end of the party. Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings for this party.

#HolidayPacking: Thursday, Dec. 1 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever shipped or received? Travel expert Emily Kaufman (@thetravelmom) asks the questions with a panel and the @TheUPSStore team. Along with amusing stories, our panel will share tips to prepare for holiday travel and packaging gifts.

Join us by including the party hashtag #HolidayPacking in your tweets. You’ll also need to use the #hashtag for a chance to win a prize. During the party, we’ll give away three $25 gift cards to The UPS Store every 15 minutes and a $75 gift card to Wayfair.com at the end of the hour. Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings for this party.

#GreenHoliday: Thursday, Dec. 15 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET

Our final Twitter party will feature UPS’s Chief Sustainability Officer Scott Wicker and Aman Singh (@AmanSinghCSR), who writes about corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices. Scott and Aman will discuss practical and creative options to make environmentally-friendly choices during the holidays. Scott will also discuss the green services we offer our customers through UPS and The UPS Store, such as carbon neutral shipping.

Join the conversation and share your ideas by using our party hashtag #GreenHoliday in your tweets. During the party, we’ll give away three $25 gift cards for The UPS Store every 15 minutes and a $150 gift card to Anderson Seafoods at the end of the party. Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings for this party.

Getting a package delivered is fun. Waiting for it … well, not so much for most people. The drama of waiting was comically depicted by a College Humor video earlier this year. The video raised a few questions, which we answered.  Now we’re offering more than an answer … we’re offering a solution.

With UPS My Choice^sm, you get the option to select an approximate delivery time for your packages. Won’t be at home? UPS My Choice lets you re-direct the package to another address … like your neighbor, vacation home or your local The UPS Store for a $5 fee per transaction.

Frequently shop online? Consider UPS My Choice Premium Membership. For an annual fee of $40, you can pick a two-hour delivery window for your shipment. Or provide detailed instructions for leaving the shipment … such as by the garage or porch. And re-directing packages to another address is free.

UPS My Choice launches October 3. You can register for the service starting today by visiting ups.com/mychoice.

Want to learn more? Watch this video.

UPDATE:  11/28/2011

We have a new blog post on UPS My Choice that answers the top questions shared with us from customers. The post also features a video that demonstrates how to use some of the most popular features, including how to change a delivery, setting alerts and providing delivery instructions.

This Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the September 11^th attacks. For many, it is more than a day of observance … it’s a time to remember and honor those impacted by the event and reflect on acts of heroism.

Last week, we asked UPSers about their reflections on this day 10 years later. Employees responded from around the U.S. and across the world to share their thoughts.

Here are a few examples of what UPSers shared with us:

Kenneth – New Jersey

That particular day, a last minute decision to work from the NJ side of the region kept me out of the city. One of our technicians, after the first tower had been hit- still entered it and traveled downstairs to the subway system. “The fire was so high up in the building- they weren’t stopping anyone at first,” he would later say. We scrambled trying to find him for the next 40 min- the only UPSer unaccounted for that short time. I witnessed the second impact live- stunned, like the rest of us. Later in the month, I stood atop the 43rd Street building as they turned on the memorial lights. Forever the world has been changed- but as UPSers we moved through the change together.

Tyrone – Philippines

… On behalf of the Filipino people, I salute all the brave men and women who risked their lives trying to save others in that infamous incident. All of their deeds will never be forgotten.

Mary – Kentucky

…The days after when all airplanes were banned from flying, it felt so unnatural not to hear the sound of the aircraft taking off from SDF and flying overhead. What a wakeup call and a realization of how tenuous our life on this earth can be. My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones during these horrible attacks. I hope it never happens again.

Paul – Wisconsin

I remember this day like it was yesterday. My mom’s friend’s daughter went to her first day of work in the WTC on 9/11/01. That was her first and last day of work. She was never heard from nor did they find any remains of her. I still can’t believe that this actually happened on US soil. This is the reason that I’m proud to be serving in the United States Army Reserves.

Abraham – Netherlands

9/11 is a day of global tragedy. I, therefore, use this medium to express my deepest “heart felt” concern for those who lost their lives. Am also happy that the person behind this cruel act was brought to justice. God bless America and UPS.

Yvonne – Kentucky

I was working for UPS in Singapore on 9/11. I had just returned to my hotel room after work when my husband called and asked me to turn the news on my TV. When I did I thought I was watching an action movie and he explained to me what was happening at home. I was 12 time zones away and I felt helpless and scared to death. I wanted to go home where I thought I would always be safe but I realized no where was safe anymore. Our lives after 9/11 would be changed forever.

Mark – Missouri

I was in religion class when the attacks started. We watched the events unfold all day during school. That day also marked my first day at UPS. I didn’t even show up to work the human resource manager called me and asked if I was coming to work. I said I figured we weren’t working. He replied UPS is always open. So that night was my first night at UPS we where all in a state of shock. For the rest of my life I will be connected to that date by my seniority date 9-11-01.

Bethany – Connecticut

…The many people who lost their lives are remembered on this anniversary of the event by the nation but everyday by the loved ones they left behind. I hope we all take from this horrible tragedy that we need to live every day as our last. LIVE, LOVE, and LAUGH every day that is how we can truly honor those lost.

Andrea – Michigan

I had actually just started a 2 week tour of Ireland on September 9th so I was in shock when I learned of the attacks while taking a short break in one of the local villages. I remember not being able to get a line to call home, and the tour guide telling us that Ireland was put on alert due to the large amount of Americans who were vacationing there. I remember our plane being escorted by the Air Force when we returned to the U.S. Life has changed so much in 10 years never put off what you can do today.

This month, UPS celebrates 104 years of business. Our founder, Jim Casey, instilled in UPSers a spirit of service to our customers and our community. While Jim may not have regarded himself as a “hero,” his commitment to community service has delivered a lasting impact. Jim and his siblings founded the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) in 1948 to honor their mother, who struggled to raise the family as a young widow. The AECF serves as an advocate to help vulnerable children and families succeed.

And this spirit of serving extends to our customers … many of whom regard UPSers as heroes for their business.

Today, UPSers contribute their time and talents in a variety of ways:

• Providing logistics expertise to relief efforts in the aftermath of the Haiti and Japan earthquakes
• Coordinating the shipment of machinery to aid the Chilean miners rescue
• Serving in the Community Internship Program to assist neighborhoods that need help with poverty, drug dependency, homelessness and illiteracy
• Cooking meals for families staying at The Ronald McDonald House while their children undergo medical treatmen

Over the next few weeks, we’ll share stories of UPSers whose acts of heroism have made an impact on the lives of others. Like the story of UPS driver Ethan Callif who rescued a women trapped in her car that was sinking in a pond. And the story of UPS pilot Ray Robinson, who helps lead a summer aviation program for youth in Louisville, Ky.

Our series starts tomorrow with the entertaining story of Murray Wihlidal, a UPS supervisor in Canada, who delivered an urgent shipment of merchandise to John Mellencamp’s concert in Saskatchewan.

Summer has delivered its annual blend of heat and humidity to most parts of the U.S. For UPS drivers – who spend most of their working hours outside – staying safe during hot weather is crucial.

Here at UPS, we take a comprehensive approach to safety and wellness with hydration as a key element. In fact, our hydration program is a year-round effort that includes a hydration self-check card. According to UPS Occupational Health Manager Janice Hartgens, “Hydration is fundamental to our safety process. We would like our employees and their families to develop hydration habits that become second nature.”

So what are the best practices that UPS employees follow? And how are they useful to others? Read on.

U.S. Army photo by Christopher Miller

Drink water throughout the day

You’ve probably heard the old adage “drink 8 glasses of water a day.” Well, it’s a good practice to follow. At UPS, we recommend our employees drink 8 to 10 servings of water a day. And it’s important to stay hydrated even if you’re not thirsty. By the time you start feeling thirsty, you are already starting to get dehydrated.

Avoid drinks high in sugar and/or caffeine (e.g. energy drinks)

Caffeine and sugar pull fluid from your body, which contributes to dehydration and impairs the body’s ability to sweat.

Eat light meals and choose foods high in water content

Hot foods and heavy meals can slow the body down, making you feel lethargic. Foods high in sugar and salt contribute to dehydration. Instead, choose fruits and vegetables, which naturally have high water content.

Wear lightweight, loose clothing

Loose-fitting clothing can help keep your body cooler and helps the body lose less fluid through sweating. And don’t forget the sunscreen. Keep your skin protected when you’re spending time outside.

Know which medications can trigger dehydration

Believe it or not, some medications and supplements can affect your hydration levels. Allergy and asthma drugs, laxatives and supplements like ephedrine and stimulants can cause dehydration. Check with your physician for information and guidance.

Stay alert to signs of heat-related illness

Symptoms can range from tiny blister-like spots known as heat rash to more serious signs such as nausea and headache, which can indicate heat exhaustion. Ignoring the symptoms can lead to heat stroke, a potentially deadly condition. The CDC provides a list of symptoms on heat-related illness at its web site.