Christmas cards

[ChristineF]

I'm having a difficult time deciding wether I want to order Christmas cards with our fall family pictures, at a discount or if I want to have more Christmassy pictures taken (think fairy lights and/or Christmas tree backdrop) and risk paying more for my cards. What kind of pictures is everyone using on their holiday cards?

[MommaTrish]

I'm doing combination Christmas/Baby announcement cards. So it'll be a Christmas-y picture of the baby, and a Christmas-y picture of all 5 of them.

[lovely1m]

I have been using vacation photos the past few years. Thus this year, it will be my son in swim trucks on the beaches of the Caribbean. Not at all Christmas-y.

[hollyxann]

It's nearly impossible for me to get all of us together (2 step-daughters) for a picture for our cards so they usually end up as just a generic Christmas card with no pictures.

[NeverendingJen]

I just use my favorite photo from the past year.

[carriesmom]

I am doing a Christmas card and putting my Chrisnext week just to get my Christmas cards done and then it goes back down until Thanksgiving.

[SeattleSheri]

I haven't decided what we are doing. I usually make our holiday cards at the end of November or early December. I think you can still have a pretty festive card with fall photos.

[adi&co.]

i've decided to just slip a printed picture in with a generic card this year.

[Jjriward]

I think I'll be using my fall photos this year. Maybe not... I haven't totally decided. Guess I better figure it out!

[Deannaj]

I might do picture cards this year--because we had a big family reunion this past summer to celebrate our 50th anniversary--and we had a photographer there. All four of our children, their spouses, and all 15 grandchildren were there--and it was the very first time we were all together at the same time and place!! They were "summer" photos, but taken by the fireplace--so that should count right??

[Megan Turnidge]

Last year I used our fall photos, but picked a card template that had similar colors.

[LeeAndra]

Meegs, it should be illegal for everyone in a family to be that gorgeous. Dang.

I don't usually use Christmas-themed photos. Especially now that I will have a 12yo, 5yo, and 7mo, it would be a holiday miracle to get all three of them together, clothed festively, posed, smiling, and looking at the camera all at the same time. I usually just choose the best headshot I have of each kid from that year and put that on the front of the card.

[If I am feeling especially punchy one night, maybe I will attempt a formal shoot or at least taking individual shots of them in front of the tree. Not sure how drunk I would have to be to set myself up for that disaster... ]

With the baby, I will wait until just before I send out the cards since they change so much from month to month, but the older two look the same.

[Sherri Tierney]

The last few years I have used my kids' school pictures. This year I'm not loving their school pictures so that idea is probably not going to fly. I buy the pictures on a CD and it comes with the copyright release so I have no problems using them. Then I don't have to send school pictures to everyone. If I don't do that, I just set up a quick photo shoot and snap some pictures.

[Megan Turnidge]

Originally Posted by LeeAndra

Meegs, it should be illegal for everyone in a family to be that gorgeous. Dang.

Awww thanks!

[marlathrall]

I will be using fall pictures.

[ChristineF]

I played around with our fall pictures a little bit and I think I might go for it. But now I can't decide what picture to use. I'd appreciate any pointers.

One with just the kids:

or


Or one with lots of pictures, including one of everyone:

or one with colour, but less Christmassy

[adi&co.]

Out of those, I love the second one the most

[carriesmom]

I like the last one best.

[eranslow]

The first one or the last one

[BrattyMeg]

I love the first one with the kids or the last one with fall pics in color

[lovely1m]

I like the last one.