The Christmas Card Conundrum
By mom4life | Category: The Journey of Motherhood
Receiving Christmas cards is lots of fun. I especially love the ones that include photos. However, if I am being completely honest, sending cards out is not always my favorite thing to do. I enjoy being done with it, but I don’t really enjoy the process of doing it. I get caught trying to decide how many cards to send, what to include in the cards, when to send them out (yikes, wondering if it is too late to still get there by Christmas), wondering how many will be returned with a now outdated address. . . And not that our friends and family are not worth it, but the cost of the cards and postage quickly add up too.
This year as I contemplated this Christmas card conundrum, I had an epiphany. I would send out a Christmas card, but it would be one that would be fun for me to make, fast for me to send and one our family could enjoy for years to come. Here is the Christmas Card that I created:
Once I finished making it, I simply had to create an email list to send it to (I also posted a link to it on my facebook page). Now next year I am totally set as my email list is all ready to go. Another great feature is that I can download the video to my computer and save it so that we can enjoy the little “scrapbook” highlights of 2010 for years to come. I have used Animoto to create several videos this year such as Quinten’s birth, Hunter’s Birthday and some camping trips. Each of them have been not only fun and easy to make but have resulted in a final product that I could never create on my own. Although you do pay for the service of creating full length video slideshows, they do allow you to create free 30 second video clips that can at the very least give you a feel for how the service works and if it would be something you would enjoy. If you decide it is something you would like to try, you can click through to the Animoto site here and use this referral code “qkwstghl” to get $5 off your membership. Then send me a link to the first video you create, I would love to see how it turns out:)!
If the video/sideshow option seems daunting to you, but you would like to try something easy and different this year, you could consider making a Fotobabble card. This method is as easy as selecting a photo and adding a voice recording which you can then share via email or online (plus the Fotobabble service is totally free).
Or another option is to use a service like Cocodot where you can create a really cute card online and send it digitally (via email or facebook) or via regular mail. With this service you can send one card to up to 25 people for free to try it out and after that they have rates for sending a single card as well as monthly, yearly or even 2 year memberships. Cocodot is great not only for cards but for invites as they have RSVP management. I am a fan of the design and layout of the cards they offer and like the extra touches they include such as stuffing the digital card in a virtual envelope and closing it with a seal (of course you get to pick out the style and colors for all of these).
Now as for what to do with all the wonderful Christmas Cards you get once the holidays are over. . . I found 5 great ideas for repurposing your old Christmas cards that you might enjoy.
So now it is your turn, what about you? Do you send out Christmas Cards? Why or why not? What do you think of the options above (pros/cons)? I would love to hear your thoughts!
This is a nice idea, especially for social friends (facebook, church) or co-workers, never thought of it before.
I like sending Christmas cards still – mostly because I like getting them! I use them every year for decorations – clipping to a garland around a doorway, wreaths, etc. The past few years I’ve had to save them though because we get so few anymore
I only mail out 20-25 to close friends and family with our latest family photo, so it keeps it small and doable.
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mom4life Reply:
December 20th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
@Danielle, Thanks for your feedback Danielle. I like that you use the cards for decorations! There is a major disadvantage to my ideas above and that is that not all people have an email account or online access. My mom and grandmother for example.
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Love it, Heather!!! This is a great idea for everyone that does have an e-mail, and traditional paper cards could be sent otherwise =} It solves the whole write a Christmas letter, card, print pictures and address the envelopes thing for at least a good deal of people on the Christmas card list! I wonder if I still have time to put one like this together? (Yep, I’m so behind that we don’t even have decorations on our tree yet – we just got it this weekend.) Thanks for another great idea! May you and your beautiful family be blessed beyond belief, and may you all stay healthy and warm =} Merry Christmas!
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mom4life Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 2:33 pm
@DeAnna, Oh dear, no tree decorations yet:)!? I hope you have a great week getting ready for Christmas and that you don’t feel too stressed out. Maybe go the Fotobabble card route this year. It is both fast, easy and fun!
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Thanks for sharing, Heather. I have to say even though I knew about your new baby, I still teared up when that part came up in your video card. Seeing Q’s smiling baby face did the same. I just love babies!
I like the video card idea but I really do like sending photo cards that people can keep up on their fridge or cut out and put in a frame. I know it is very expensive, we printed 150 this year, but I figure it is our gift to our family and friends. We type up a one page letter telling about our year from the seven kids perspectives and enclose it. The feedback has been great. People really love the letter and learning about our lives from the previous year’s letter/card.
I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed when I open a Christmas card and find no note, no news whatsoever AND I haven’t heard from the person in any other format during the year. I really love seeing pictures and hear how people are doing… even if there have been so bumps in the road over their past year.
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Trisha W. Reply:
December 20th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
@Trisha W.,
P.S. I also keep names and addresses in our computer so I can do a simple mail merge to print out labels when Christmas time comes around. I had to let hand written envelopes go by the way side years ago.
But, we do tend to make the special trip to the post office to purchase the current Madonna & Christ child stamps to affix to our envelopes.
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mom4life Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 2:31 pm
@Trisha W., Oh you cried? that is so sweet! I can totally understand your desire to send out the photo cards and the way you do your letter sounds really special. I am sure your family loves it! I am with you on the disappointment about opening a card and finding no letter/note or news too
. Keeping names and addresses on your computer is really smart. I have done that too in the past and I would print them off on Avery labels to make the addressing easy like you do. Thanks for all your feedback!
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Heather,
What a great Christmas “card”. I have never thought of putting together a video. Giving me great ideas for next year!
This year I did do one of those custom hard covered books that I took some of my blog posts and used them to help me remember things and basically made a memory book for the year of 2010. It took FOREVER to put together but it’s fun to remember those little things – like kids discovering their fingers fit perfectly in their noses.
I pray that you have a healthy pregnancy and birth and 2011 brings your family happiness and blessings beyond your wildest imaginations!
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mom4life Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 1:16 pm
@Alaina Frederick, I love the idea of doing a book each year. It felt to daunting to do this year but I have it on my list of things to try next year. I bet yours turns out really cute.
Thank you so much for your well wishes sweetie!
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That’s a great idea Heather. I haven’t thought of sending a video for Christmas although I sent one out as my baby announcement. It took a while to put together but the recepients really loved it. I’ll try the Christmas video for this year. This is a great way to display the loads of digital photos we accumulate throughout the year.
Thanks for sharing.
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mom4life Reply:
January 17th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
@Clara, what a great idea about using it for a baby announcement! I bet your Christmas video will turn out great this year (especially if you are planning ahead so far;)!
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