CHRISTMAS CARDS 2019

Here is my Christmas card secret: I send them every year, without actually sending them myself.

The year I had six-month-old Trey (three Christmases ago), I discovered that some holiday card companies offer a “send it for you” option, and will mail them out directly to your recipients instead of mailing you the box of cards. Yes, please. Most years, and especially the years that I have an infant, I go this route, because creating the Christmas card is time consuming enough without having to stuff all those envelopes, stamp and seal them. I just click a button at checkout, upload my address book, and pop champagne. Christmas cards, mailed and done.

There are only a few companies I know of that have this option. Of them, only one I know of is socially responsible, planting a tree with every order and printing all cards and envelopes on recycled paper (paper culture). That’s who we went with this year, and I really like them.

I wrote a little something about our year on the back. I didn’t do birth announcements for Blaire so this also kind of served that purpose. We usually skip the professional photoshoot in favor of a self-timer run for it session, so yep, I took the photo on the front, and am also in the photo on the front. It was taken in five minutes on the side of our house. It’s always kind of a shuffle trying to get the photo, but I’m budget-minded and am a control freak when it comes to family photos. The photos on the back Daniel and I traded taking with each kiddo. Usually (and miraculously), we get something we can use, although it is getting harder now with one more kid to work with.

I love Christmas cards! I love seeing how our friends’ kids are growing up together each year, and the changes that seem to happen overnight. This is one of my favorite holidays traditions I look forward to every year. Fun fact: Daniel and I got each other’s family Christmas card growing up. I love thinking about that when we send ours out. You just never know. :)

Happy holidays to all of you, and thanks for being here. Hope you have a wonderful and joy-filled Christmas season.

Shared in partnership with Paper Culture.