Christmas Cards

03 Oct Christmas Cards

• I send out a lot of Christmas cards and it takes a long time to write them all. To avoid spending hours at a time, I start doing them in early November, just four or five  each day. It breaks a daunting task down into an achievable one. I also have a special book with all the names and addresses for my Christmas card list so I don’t have to go looking in various places for them. Dollarama has very nice religious cards for those on a tight budget. Rachel D.

• I always buy my Christmas cards, Christmas computer paper and decorations after boxing day when they are half price. It saves me time, money and hassle. Jane

• Before I figured out how to make labels on my computer, I used to buy a pack of labels for envelopes. In the month of November I’d leave them by my phone book and slowly write each person’s address on a label with a pen. Then I’d grab the kids one Sunday and set up an assembly line at my dining room table – different cards, labels, stamps, return address labels, a wet sponge for wetting and sealing envelope. I’d pick the proper card, stick the label on, hand it to my husband for signing, he’d pass it off for a stamp, another would put the return address on and the last one would seal it shut. It would go super fast and be a great family event. Little kids were there, so if needed they could draw on or sign cards as they went by. Now, with the computer, I figured out how to make address labels and print them out on a sheet – all of 2 minutes each year. The process goes much faster. Irene F.

• As our family grew, we found it easier to write a Christmas newsletter and include some pics of the family, either as a separate photo, or digitally incorporated into the body of the letter. We just grab a Sunday in November when all our kids are at the table. We ask each one what was noteworthy about their year, write it down, glue everyone’s together and voila – a quickie newsletter. We mail a lot and also email some. My friends just love it and I’ve put copies every year in my kids’ baby books. We often re-read them to see what our family was going through each year as they were growing. The pace of life makes us quickly forget, and these Christmas newsletter become quite special. Irene F.

• I find the most stressful thing about Christmas for me is the family photo I like to send in each Christmas card. The ones at the local “portrait studio” never turned out just the way I wanted and it was SO stressful to get us and all the 7 kids there and ready to go (and smiling). Not to mention how expensive it is ! So one August we were at our local park – just a gorgeous spot with lovely scenery and a friend of the family snapped a family photo of us. Well I think it was one of the best photos of all of us ever! So now every summer I grab a friend of one of our kids and go to the park. These pictures also hold special meaning for us since this is one of our favorite places to be as a family. The picture always turns out so beautiful with the water behind us and we are so much less stressed which makes for a great photo ! Then I simply email the shot in to the department store making it into a lovely card and I have all of my Christmas cards in my hands in September so I can get to them nice and early! Melinda B.

• I traditionally make my own Christmas cards.  Of course things are busy when it is time to send them out so what I’ve started doing is buying materials for the cards after Christmas when they are on sale and I make cards in early January (when I have plenty of time to dedicate to crafts) so I have some ready for the next year.  I often host afternoons with friends to make cards which ties in socializing with an activity which I always enjoy. Michelle S.

• I am a busy mom and have little time for writing cards. I just choose our best family picture (usually taken in the summer) and then submit on-line to a company like Walmart or COSTCO to print off with a greeting. It helps get them made quickly and then mailed out.

• I don’t have a knack for writing. One year I just compiled the best photos of our family during the year into a collage, got someone to scan it in, printed it out and mailed it around. Lots of friends greatly enjoyed it. In a glance, they knew what we looked like, what we were up to and how much we enjoyed each other. Kim

• The easiest way for our family to send greeting to friends is to buy those holiday photo packages at Walmart where you submit a family photo and it gets put into a kind of Christmas postcard. We then mail it out and feel we personally kept in touch with our friends. Maria S.

• We make a great effort to find Christmas cards that depict the true meaning of Christmas. It is our way of sharing our values with our friends and reminding them of the great joy we experience during this holy season because our Savior is born. U.J.

• We don’t send out Christmas cards. We make an effort to get together with friends on tobogganing hills, at the skating rink or through a phone call to wish them the very best of the season and show our appreciation for their friendship. This allows me to relax and enjoy, rather than worrying about how my house looks or finding the time for cards. We have more fun laughing and it builds great memories. Marta

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