With Thanksgiving now behind us, the countdown to Christmas has officially begun. Families everywhere are busy setting up their trees, adorning their homes with festive decorations, and pondering the perfect gifts for their loved ones. To ensure those presents arrive in time for the big day, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced crucial shipping deadlines.

The USPS advises that to guarantee delivery by December 25, all Christmas cards and gifts must be shipped by December 17. This date is relevant for items sent from any U.S. state except Alaska and Hawaii using USPS Ground Advantage Service or First-Class Mail Service. For those opting for USPS Priority Mail Service, packages should be sent by December 18, while Priority Mail Express Service users have until December 20.

“The earlier you send, the better: Don’t delay, mail and ship today!” emphasizes USPS. For senders in Alaska and Hawaii, December 16 is the deadline for USPS Ground Advantage Service. For international shipments, dates vary; packages heading to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the Middle East should be sent by December 9 to ensure they reach their destination by Christmas.

Packages sent from Central and South America, on the other hand, must be sent by December 2. It comes after experts shared the well-intentioned Christmas presents you should never give to loved ones: anything to do with weight loss. That means no healthy teas or gym memberships, as experts found in a recent study that that self-improvement gifts often make recipients feel judged rather than appreciated. In five experiments involving a total of 1,340 participants, researchers from Florida International University compared reactions to self-improvement products versus neutral versions of the products.

In one test, participants were gifted a ‘Get Lean’ weight-loss tea instead of Moroccan tea, while in another, the gift was a ‘Communications Skills’ calendar rather than a trivia-based ‘Did You Know?’ calendar. Across every scenario, people who received the self-improvement gift rated it lower, spoke less positively about it, or were more likely to endorse negative online reviews. When they purchased those same products for themselves, however, the effect vanished. ‘Gifts are supposed to signal love and generosity,’ study author Dr Linnéa Chapman said.

‘But a self-improvement gift can threaten someone’s view of themselves as lovable and acceptable as they are. It challenges a very basic social need—to be valued without conditions.’ It also comes after experts warned travelers that bringing Christmas gifts to the airport could incur hundreds in charges for breaking airline check-in rules. ‘Airlines are cracking down on baggage allowances, and checked-luggage fees can quickly add up, especially when budgets are already stretched by the rising cost of living,’ said an expert at SCS Chauffeurs. ‘If you’re traveling abroad with Christmas presents this year, packing smart is essential.

‘Without careful planning, valuable gifts like bottles of alcohol, perfumes over 100ml, or even beautifully wrapped gift sets of travel-sized items could be confiscated by airport security, or face an airport check-in fee per person. ‘Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can pack smart this holiday season, like avoiding heavy items and leaving out anything that takes up unnecessary space.’ The experts claim the worst presents to carry in hand luggage are beauty gift sets, toy weapons, full-size bottles of alcohol, toys with batteries and kitchen knife sets. The experts advise against wrapping presents beforehand. Security may need to inspect items, and unwrapping gifts at the airport is inconvenient and a waste of wrapping paper.