This time of year, the United States Postal Service gets busier and busier trying to keep up with holiday deliveries. But how can you make sure your package, once it's on its way to the post office, arrive — and stay — in the right hands?

• Don't leave any packages outside for long periods of time. You can always put your mail on hold at the post office if you're going to be away from home. There's also an option to pick up packages at the post office if you'd rather not have the package delivered to your doorstep.
• Use sturdy packaging. It's the best way to make sure nothing arrives damaged.
• Make sure the address on the package is correct and legible. Sometimes, this is out of your control; if an address should somehow become unreadable, you can always include a card in the package with the intended recipient's address, so the post office can find it and ensure its delivery to the correct destination.
• Of course, ship early. The deadline for first class and Priority Mail packages to reach their destination for Christmas — according to Anthony Hall, acting postmaster at the USPS Albany distribution center — is Dec. 20. The cutoff for Priority Mail Express is Dec. 22.