When it comes to wishing someone a happy Thanksgiving, it’s much more thoughtful to send a physical card. Digital alternatives — e-cards, anyone? — just don’t really cut the muster, or can appear offhand. Melding the online and offline worlds, Dear Inbox is a Gmail plugin that makes the process of sending a greetings card as easy as composing an email.

Available for free in the Chrome Web Store, the extension give users the option to send a physical card straight from their Gmail inbox. It places a button next to the usual compose button that brings up the Dear Inbox menu. Designed to look much like the Gmail compose interface, the menu instead enables users to chose between a range of seasonal categories and card designs that can be customized with personal details. Users enter a personal message as the body of the email, and their drafts are saved automatically, much like real email. Obviously, the recipient field needs to be a physical address. The service currently offers a subscription service for USD 1.99 a month, which includes up to 3 cards, while a one-off card costs USD 2.49.

Are there other ways to make it easier to link online friendships with physical gifts?