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)

Tis’ the season to give – receive – and now return. The National Retail Federation estimates shoppers will return more than $46 billion in merchandise this year – that’s up almost 10 percent from two years ago.

Returns season is in full swing at UPS. Today consumers will return more than 500,000 packages!  It’s so many, we’re calling it National Returns Day. Just like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we now have a self-proclaimed, unofficial holiday.

With the rise in online shopping this year more people are returning those gifts they couldn’t try on or touch before Christmas. The math is easy: more online shopping = more returns. Many retailers now offer free return shipping, making it even easier for consumers to swap wrong sizes and colors. Today’s deluge of returns will keep our drivers busy delivering just as many packages back to retailers on January 6, 2012.

Want to know everything you’ve always wanted to know about returns? You’re invited to our @UPS #HolidayReturns Twitter parties to learn tips for hassle-free returns. Join the first party at 1 p.m. EST.  Blogger Melissa Dawn Lierman (@TimeOutMom) will moderate and the experts from @TheUPSStore will offer helpful shipping advice. 

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

Don’t forget to stop by each party for a chance to win great prizes, including a $100 gift card from Zappos who just happens to have a great returns policy. It’s easy – just include the party hashtag #HolidayReturns in your tweets.

Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings: afternoon party rules, evening party rules.

Here’s wishing you Happy Returns in 2012!

UPSers from around the world recently were asked how they make the holidays sweeter. Here’s what some of them had to say.

John – Kentucky

Telling someone who is working at a gas station or restaurant that I appreciate what they do.

Leslie – Texas

I take in baked goods to my mother’s nursing home where she has been an Alzheimer’s patient for nearly nine years. It is very good to see their faces light up when they get something special for them. Some of these patients rarely get visitors.

Chi Wah Kwok – Hong Kong, China

Enjoying time with my loved ones.

Velma – South Carolina

What touches my heart is when I bake for someone who has nobody to care for them anymore; seeing the smile on their faces when I knock on their door with a plate of baked goodies. WOW! My heart skips a beat when I see their eyes light up with hope again, after thinking they had been forgotten. This is one of my reasons for baking for the season.

Eamon – Pennsylvania

In our house we make the holidays sweeter by not forgetting the little ones. Our dogs are so often overlooked when we make ourselves all these nice treats. We make doggie cookies and such to help them feel the holiday spirit.

Rene – Netherlands

Reaching out to the less fortunate around should be part of everyone’s December holidays. It will make you and the other warmer during the cold days.

Jennifer – Indiana

My husband, kids, and I, have a tradition each Christmas Eve. We all sit together in our family room and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” My children are not put off by the fact that the movie is in black and white either. They love it. We eat the cookies we had all baked and decorated together while the movie. It is just so wonderful to be all together creating these memories for our children to cherish.

Brenda – Kentucky

I always remember to help UPS sprinkle a little extra brown sugar on every batch of packages, measuring delivery time perfectly, never being a cookie-cutter company, and using all the right ingredients in the dough to grow the business.

Raquel – Sao Paulo, Brazil

Baking sugar cookies is a family tradition.

John – Arizona

It’s hard to make the holidays sweeter in tough times like this when you are trying to scrape by and provide for your family. I like to bake cookies with my kids to give out to family members as an inexpensive way to show our love for them. I’m not sure where I would be if it wasn’t for UPS. I am very grateful for the job I have. There are too many families out of work right now.

Rachel – New Jersey

Unfortunately, I lost my home to Hurricane Irene and will be spending the holidays in a hotel. I will make it sweeter by giving to families and children in need. My life will eventually go back to normal, but a lot of theirs will not. You always must give to those in need because one day you may be the one asking others for help.

Balpreet – Mississauga, Ontario

Love is the primary ingredient in having the perfect holiday. Give to those in need and don’t think about what you receive.

How do you make the holidays sweeter?

The holidays are the perfect season to upgrade to UPS My Choice Premium Membership! Available to customers across the United States, UPS My Choice helps avoid the disappointment and hassle of missing a home delivery by giving YOU control of how UPS will deliver those tasty gingerbread cookies from Aunt Sally the day before they arrive.

Premium Membership has it privileges…

Q: I have to pick up my Christmas tree and holiday décor to deck the halls. Can I select what time my package will be delivered?

A: No problem, UPS provides an approximate 4-hour delivery time, but by upgrading to Premium Membership you have the flexibility of a 2-hour Confirmed Delivery Window.

What’s more, you can have peace of mind by providing “leave at” instructions so that your driver knows where to safely place you package.

Q: What if I needed to reroute package so that my spouse can pick it up?

A: You’ve got options! Have the package delivered to The UPS Store retail location nearest you, to another address or reschedule delivery at a time that’s convenient for your spouse. It’s that easy.

No one knows better than Joe Montana that timing is everything. Check it out!

Go to www.ups.com/mychoice/pr today and sign up to become a UPS My Choice Member or upgrade to Premium Membership.

The holidays can be a whirlwind of gift buying and wrapping, decorating and eating. Before you have a meltdown, check out these last-minute packing and shipping tips and know that you can ship as late as Dec. 23 for delivery on Dec. 24. And remember, The UPS Store is open later during the holidays to take care of your last-minute packing and shipping needs.

Shipping something fragile? We can help.

Help is just around the corner. The UPS Store certified packing experts can properly package gifts that are fragile, such as glass and cookies. They can help you professionally pack your items as well as let you know of any rules and regulations for shipping certain things. For example, did you know that perfume and cologne are considered hazardous materials?

Using a proper shipping box matters.

Resist the temptation to pack your gifts in those old boxes from last year and to use materials like newspaper or real popcorn to cushion them. Boxes weaken during the shipping process, so reusing a box will not provide proper protection for your shipment. Use professional packing materials like foam packaging peanuts, bubble cushioning and professional packaging tape to help avoid any risk of your gift being damaged. Be sure to include a copy of the shipping label inside the shipping box with both the destination and return addresses.

The Pack & Ship Promise.

Keep in mind that participating The UPS Store locations offer the Pack & Ship Promise, which will reimburse you the item’s value, the full retail price you paid for packaging materials and services, and your cost for shipping (excluding Declared Value charges) in the event an item, packed by The UPS Store and shipped via UPS, is lost or damaged. Get details about this service as certain restrictions and limitations may apply.

Here are a few other great ways to safely get those packages to your loved ones:

• Use a shipping option that provides a package-tracking number. You can see where your package is at all times, eliminating the need to call your family for the third time to check if it has arrived.

• Take batteries out of any toys, electronics, etc. before shipping them.

• Ship wrapped presents to your destination, before you travel so that the perfect bow you meticulously worked on for a good 10 minutes will stay just as beautiful as when you tied it.

• Avoid wrapping boxes in brown paper or tying them with string. You don’t want your package getting caught or torn, especially because if the paper is torn off, so is your label.

• Don’t use duct tape, masking tape or cellophane tape to seal your boxes for shipping. Packaging tape is the only way to go.

• Once all of the packing is done, you can recycle any leftover packaging peanuts at participating The UPS Store locations.

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)

That’s right, folks: another Twitter party come and gone. This time, @TheTravelMom, Emily Kaufman and five fabulous blogger panelists helped UPS and The UPS Store host the #HolidayPacking Twitter party focused on having the best travel experience this holiday by packing and shipping holiday gifts ahead of time, not to mention your luggage!

Participants shared some great travel stories, both the good and the ugly, and lessons learned in the process. @UPS and @TheUPSStore shared some helpful  tips on avoiding the headaches that can come with holiday travel, including UPS My Choice, holiday packing tips and luggage shipping.

The conversation was lively and informative.   Here are some of our favorite tweets about everything from the best ways to pack your items to the strangest things shipped to loved ones. Enjoy!

Do you travel with gifts or ship them to your destination?

@janettwokay: Both. The larger gifts get shipped. The smaller ones go into carryon bags. #HolidayPacking

@MACMOMof3: Absolutely ship them. No room in the car for wrapped presents plus the kids are bound to get into them. #HolidayPacking

@tkharmonic: If you fly, you can’t have anything wrapped, it’s too much of a pain so I just ship them to my Mom’s house. #HolidayPacking

@julybug17: I ship them to final destination, traveling is exhausting enough I don’t want to worry about the gifts #HolidayPacking

@msmary1962: You can ship your things when you fly cheaper than taking them on the plane nowadays. #holidaypacking

What are some unusual items you have shipped during the holidays?

@thetravelmom: My mom loves good deli pastrami and I sent her the essentials for the perfect Reuben Sandwich once #HolidayPacking

@LifeWithoutPink: I once shipped a big lamp to my in-laws. What a project but it got there safe and sound thanks to @UPS! #HolidayPacking

@KaratewithaZ: My parents are always overnighting us fresh caught Alaskan fish and crab. Always frozen and tightly packed. #HolidayPacking

@CaringMom: I have shipped Holy Water to a friend…………it’s true! #HolidayPacking

So stressful to miss deliveries when you are traveling, especially when it is gifts. What options do UPS and The UPS Store offer?

@UPS If traveling during holidays, #UPS_MyChoice lets you re-direct shipments to @TheUPSStore or another address #HolidayPacking

@thetravelmom: My son came home from college but his suitcase didn’t. To be safe I used a @UPS luggage box when he went back to school. #HolidayPacking

@LifeWithoutPink: Love that you can track your packages to ensure they arrived safe and sound, especially during the holidays! #holidaypacking

@Unkatchable73: I absolutely LOVE the mychoice now… I can see what and when it’s coming #HolidayPacking

@dragonfly777: #HolidayPacking I recently moved. @UPS My Choice has been a fantastic service for me!! Thank you!

@MACMOMof3: My Choice is great. It’s exciting to know a package is on its way #HolidayPacking

And a few more of our favorites…

@KaratewithaZ: I LOVE getting UPS packages this time of year! I do a little “UPS” dance when I see that truck stop in front of my 4plex #holidaypacking

@MACMOMof3: The UPS store in Huntersville, NC was my favorite. Shipped presents to my husband for FREE while in Afghanistan. SO nice #HolidayPacking

@BlessMyGOFoods: I watched a UPS worker packing a huge box of gifts for an older woman here in Henderson NV…I was so impressed #HolidayPacking Love my UPS

@myfolly: Our UPS store is so great, there’s never a line and the people are so nice! #HolidayPacking

If you missed Thursday’s #HolidayPacking Twitter party, no worries. Join us Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET for our #GreenHoliday Twitter party, where we’ll feature UPS’s Chief Sustainability Officer Scott Wicker and Aman Signh (@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.

When your name is Dancing Deer Baking Company, the holidays are a critical time of year and it’s important to have the right business partner pulling your sleigh… or in this case – your trailer.

Dancing Deer started small using a former pizza parlor and a few convection ovens to bake cakes from scratch. The small business quickly morphed into a retail operation and earned recognition for making “the best cake in America.” The cakes are still baked from scratch, along with cookies and brownies that can be ordered online at DancingDeer.com.  You also can find items made with all-natural ingredients at natural food stores, specialty grocers and supermarkets around the country.

About 35 percent of the company’s annual volume occurs in November and December when holiday gift items such as the Dancing Deer Assorted Brownie Tin and the Christmas Carol Cookie Collection are in high demand.  The Boston-based business adds about 150 seasonal employees to handle the rush when orders increase from 1,200 to 12,000 shipments each day. In addition to more internal manpower, the company relies on UPS to handle holiday logistics. Quantum View® allows customers to track their shipments and helps the operations team manage incoming and outgoing orders. In December, two UPS trailers become permanent fixtures at Dancing Deer’s loading dock. On extremely busy days, those trailers can be filled with holiday orders in just 2 hours. “UPS is our largest and most critical supplier,” said Frank Carpenito, president and CEO. “We need our gift products to arrive on-time and in perfect condition.”

Dancing Deer is passionate about giving back to the community and will send 5,000 packages of cookies to U.S troops stationed abroad for the holidays. The company’s Sweet Home Project assists homeless and at-risk families with opportunities for a higher education all year long.

Through the UPS Small Biz Daily Deals promotion, Dancing Deer is offering a 20% discount to @UPS Twitter followers using the coupon code: UPS20. Hurry and place your gift orders – the offer expires December 18.