Christmas is 10 days away as of Monday. If you haven't sent gifts in the mail yet, you don't have much time left.

Mid-December is very familiar territory for the United States Postal Service, as it works to meet the high demand of holiday gifts.

"Two hundred thirty-seven years of delivering joy to our customers in this area right here," said Mark Wahl, strategic communication specialist for the United States Postal Service.

That joy takes a lot of work. It's a busy time. That's why the Postal Service advises getting those packages in earlier rather than later.

The recommended mail-by date for Ground Advantage and first-class is Wednesday, Dec. 17. It's the most affordable option if you're shipping anywhere nationwide, depending on weight, Wahl said.

For Priority Mail, the Postal Service advises residents to get packages into the post office by Thursday, Dec. 18. For Priority Mail Express, you want those packages in by Saturday, Dec. 20.

Wahl said the Postal Service says new processing machines nationwide will help the package pace.

"We've installed 620 new processing machines across the country," he said. "We went from the ability of processing 66 million packages a day to 80 million today."

Wahl also has tips for people who are bringing in packages during this time of year to be mailed.

"Know how much it weighs, where it's going to, and when it needs to be there," he said.

The United States Postal Service is still looking for adopters for its Operation Santa lists from children writing letters to Santa, Wahl said.

Additionally, he said that people should keep their walkways clear so that workers can safely deliver packages to homes.