Dec 1- QotD- Do you send out Christmas cards?

[Julie Billingsley]

I'll be asking a question of the day during the holiday season. It will get us talking about our holiday season plans and traditions and might even inspire your December layouts!

Today's question is about Christmas cards. Back in the day, my mom spent hours writing letters to put in cards. But as times have changed, I've noticed less and less Christmas cards are being sent out. And the cards I receive aren't full of wonderful letters they way they were back in my mom's day. Instead cards are often pre-printed with the sender's name, no personal touch at all. Last year was a tough year for us financially with my husband out of work for several months, so we didn't send out cards. Because sending out cards is expensive these days! This year we will be sending out cards to family and best friends only. Are you all noticing the trend towards fewer and fewer cards each year? Will you be sending out cards this year?

[Lyd]

I send out about 100 cards every year. It's one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season.

[jacinda]

We don't send out cards. Close family and friends are in constant touch via phone, email, facebook and skype anyway, so really no need to send out a Christmas card. I don't think it's a big thing over here.

[littlekiwi]

Originally Posted by jacinda

We don't send out cards. Close family and friends are in constant touch via phone, email, facebook and skype anyway, so really no need to send out a Christmas card. I don't think it's a big thing over here.

totally agree with you there

[mrshobbes]

like Jacinda, Christmas cards aren't really a big thing here. I only realized it's considered a tradition when I became a digiscrapper and saw all these awesome card designs/templates

[Andrea Gourley]

I don't send a lot but my good friends and very close family will get a handcrafted card and I've bought the rest. A couple of years ago I would have made them all but there us no way I have time to do this now!

[adrianka]

I've noticed less cards over the last 20 years. I'm the kind of person who loves to send out cards, so I do. It won't be as many as usually this year (but there will still be 35). If the others don't follow, I don't care, it's not like it's an exchange. That said, I love receiving them, too.

ETA: I was talking about cards I buy. When I have time, I do my own, but this year I won't make more than 20. I was sick for weeks and I just didn't feel like it. Hand-made cards are not a tradition here. Neither are cards featuring photos of family and such.

[mariewilcox]

This is one of the traditions I let go of after DH passed over 8 years ago. Each year before that I sent out 100 or more - we had a lot of friends from being in the military for so long and we all looked forward to hearing from each other every year at Christmas. There are some that I still keep in touch with and I send out less than 25 now. It's expensive and I have so little free time - I'd rather spend that free time making new memories with my family.

[Tracyfish]

I usually send out around 40 something each year. In fact my husband's family in Alabama and Tennessee talk about them each year when we go about how much they love to get them. I've also been instructed that I have to include a family pic instead of just L.J. since they only get to see us once a year LOL! (many of them are not on FB)

I love sending them and getting them, but I have noticed less and less as the years go on.

[dana]

i am sending out this year - hopefully next week some of my family keeps theirs up all year long b/c it's usually a pretty good picture of the girls.

[Kara]

I always have, but it's gotten to be so expensive and I find that we're receiving fewer and fewer cards. I'll probably just send them out digitally this year. With the advent of Facebook, we are in almost constant contact with the majority of our friends/family anyway, so a newsy letter like in past years would be redundant.

[KateD]

I try to send out cards each year, although I've missed a couple of years. This year I got my cards printed early and already have most of the envelopes addressed. I just have to finish up my letter and put the cards in the mail. And I have to get it done today, because the finished cards are going to be my Countdown to Christmas photo for today.

On a side note, I love how scrapbooking tends to help me get things done that I might otherwise procrastinate about .

[lhaslem]

I always send them out (about 45 I think), and almost 99% of the time I use a picture of the kids...for some reason I don't think I'd spend my time for a photoless card...not sure why. I love to receive cards, especially with pictures, and haven't thrown any away in 10+ years, it's so fun to go back and look through them all (and on a pinterest side noted, I found a cute little idea for binding them together in a book each year)...

[tettletop20]

I always send out cards. If I don't, I get asked about it!

Last year I sent out about 40. I noted in my address book that I could have used about 15 more, so this year I ordered 55 - guess we'll see how that goes.

[MamaBee]

It's one of those things I think I'm expected to do... ugh, do I loathe it... and as years past - force my hubby to sit down with me to sign and address them. And it probably is Dec 23 or so... lol!

I've cut way back on who I send too... I mostly send to the older generation, because they like to see photos of jake... and I also note for my hubby's family (my family is small), if we got a card from his cousins or not last year and that will determine if we send them one this year... the cost of postage is off putting when you are doing bulk mailings.

[*Celeste*]

I bought 120 cards and have sent out around 115.

[heathergw]

I got 75 cards this year... and send to just close friends and family... family alone is almost 50 LOL.

[mummytothree]

I haven't sent out Christmas cards since 2006 or 2007. And even then I didn't get them out till the new year!! I have made a few in the past years but just haven't gotten them printed or sent out!! Once again I have made one this year and I plan to get it printed and sent out but if I succeed.....it will be a miracle!! If I succeed I'll send it just to family....maybe 20 to 25 cards!!

[mariewilcox]

Yikes Heather! That makes me really appreciative that I have a small family! LOL - If I sent to just my family (and I'm counting aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents) I would have 5 to send - LOL.

[NeverendingJen]

We're mailing out approximately 72 cards this year, and about 50 of those get a letter added into them. We have a lot of friends from the various duty stations we have been at that we keep in touch with.

[nanienamou]

I've never sent Christmas cards. It's not a big tradition here. I think the only cards we receive are from the dentist and our insurance company, lol!

However, I do give handmade cards with school pics to the immediate family at Christmas parties. And I send some with little gifts to the kids' teachers.

[marlathrall]

I'm sending out 100 cards this year. I'm sending them to most of the people we invited to our wedding last year. Most of those are family and my husband's farmer friends. Next year, I may trim back depending on how many cards we recieve.

[maryinaz]

I usually send out 40-50 cards each year, but this year I'm only sending a digital one through email. I lost my address book this past year, so I'm kind of stuck. I'll include a bullet list of our year's events - I've done that for 2 years and everyone loves that instead of a letter.

[nesser1981]

I'll send out less cards this year, I use to be in the 100 cards range. I include a Christmas newsletter in a few of them for the people that aren't in contact via phone or facebook. Mainly older people in my hometown back in Florida.

[melmos75]

This is the first year I will not be sending out cards. Expenses are too tight with my DH losing his job this year and having to take a job making half his salary. I still might design one and send it via email and/or post on Facebook.

[Nutmeg]

I haven't decided yet if we're sending out Christmas cards. We said last year that we'd start sending them this year, but money's really tight after our move. But at the same time, I feel it's especially important to send cards to our friends and family now that we're 1000 miles away.

[crecia27]

I do generally but could not get all the kids together this year so I just decided it wasn't worth stressing over. I told them since they wouldn't cooperate I was going to use the money to buy a class at Big Picture that I was wanting with the money I would have spent

[lightwriter]

I use to love making Christmas cards and sending them out the day after Thanksgiving. It has gotten to be too big of an expense. This year I plan to make a digital card to send and only people that don't use e-mail will get one printed from my printer at home.

[lovely1m]

I send out cards I made to family and close friends. It always includes a picture of my son. Actually since I got divorced, I just sign the cards from Nicholas even that way I can send them to all of my son's families without it being weird or anything.

[Keely~B]

I used to, with actual writing and everything, but I haven't the last few years. I never wanted to send out just a card and signature, and it just got to be too much. I send out a handful and that's it.

[Nettio]

Nope, we don't. If we had kids maybe we would since I know people love seeing photos of how kids have grown each year. But with just two of us it seems like a waste especially since with technology it's so much easier to keep up with family and friends already.

Originally Posted by NeverendingJen

We're mailing out approximately 72 cards this year, and about 50 of those get a letter added into them. We have a lot of friends from the various duty stations we have been at that we keep in touch with.

Ok, I have to ask, how in the WORLD do you keep up with all the address changes? LOL! I can barely remember my own address half the time. I can't imagine tracking all the address changes for people we've met in various places.

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by Nettio

Nope, we don't. If we had kids maybe we would since I know people love seeing photos of how kids have grown each year. But with just two of us it seems like a waste especially since with technology it's so much easier to keep up with family and friends already.



Ok, I have to ask, how in the WORLD do you keep up with all the address changes? LOL! I can barely remember my own address half the time. I can't imagine tracking all the address changes for people we've met in various places.

LMBO! It is not easy, but usually we put up a call on facebook. Most of our group actually sends out change of address cards when they move so we can update them. I have a huge excel file that I update. It has their name, duty station where we met them, current address + phone number in it.

[KateD]

Originally Posted by Nettio

Ok, I have to ask, how in the WORLD do you keep up with all the address changes? LOL! I can barely remember my own address half the time. I can't imagine tracking all the address changes for people we've met in various places.

We send out to military friends, also, and it's not easy to keep up with all the address changes. Typically, I have to e-mail some of them every year to get updated addresses. It's kind of a pain, but I do enjoy exchanging cards with our old friends. (We're not really FB users, so that's how we keep up with a lot of them)

[Nettio]

Originally Posted by NeverendingJen

LMBO! It is not easy, but usually we put up a call on facebook. Most of our group actually sends out change of address cards when they move so we can update them. I have a huge excel file that I update. It has their name, duty station where we met them, current address + phone number in it.

Oh yeah wow, that's hardcore, LOL! Using Facebook is smart though. I've actually thought about sending change of address cards before but usually I forget in the stress of the move and then it seems silly to send them like a year later, haha. That's really cool though!

[KyRainbow]

I don't send out many, but I do send out about 20-25 each year. I used to send out generic store-bought ones, but now I design mine around a photo of dd or the two of us and have them printed (Persnickety Prints, lol). I also usually cheat and create address labels on my computer and print them, saving myself the hand cramps from addressing them.

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by Nettio

Oh yeah wow, that's hardcore, LOL! Using Facebook is smart though. I've actually thought about sending change of address cards before but usually I forget in the stress of the move and then it seems silly to send them like a year later, haha. That's really cool though!

Last year we got several of them in christmas cards when people had moved in the spring, it happens every year. I've still got a few addresses to track down for this year.

[Stacey42]

I inadvertently gave it up in 2007. I do a digital photo card & email it to everyone on Christmas day instead. I suck at putting things in the mail. Always have. Christmas cards were often mailed on the 27th of December. Or on Halloween, depending on how I was feeling. In 2007 I addressed a bunch of cards but never bought the stamps. I found them again in 2009 when I was looking for old cards for a JYC layout. Half the people had moved in the 2 years so I never mailed them. I consciously chose not to send them in 2008 & have never looked back.

[gracelikerain]

I usually send around 30. I like designing a photo card and some stationary so I enjoy doing it. If it was a real chore, I wouldn't do it.

[HeatherKS]

I love doing Christmas cards. My mom always did it and I love receiving cards in the mail too! We do family, close friends, and dh's coworkers also. That said, I haven't even started on ours this year . . .

[taracotta7]

I send 25-50 usually. Some years I include a letter updating everyone on the events of the year for our family. Not every year though.

[kscwgirl]

I send them.. and on the top of the inside I print a Highlights of the year. I send around 30 out and I love getting them in the mail.

[clearskies]

I LOVE Christmas cards. It's one of my favorite parts of December. (I took last year's down when the movers showed up to pack our house in August...) This year I'll probably send around 90...

[Jengerbread88]

I hesitate to call mine a card- I'm sending out a photo I took of Zach with the Christmas lights, with maybe a little note with it. Facebook keeps everyone up to date with the big things, so a newsletter isn't necessary this year. I'm not putting these pics on facebook yet, though, so it's a surprise.

I'm only sending it to my siblings in Germany and Brazil, and my grandfather, since we don't see him often. Otherwise, no cards- everyone is either close enough to get a personal holiday greeting, or isn't really "important" enough to warrant sending a card to. That sounds bad. Lol.

[rach3975]

I think I'm going to send some, but probably only 20 or so. Growing up, neither my family nor DH's did holiday cards. After we had kids we started sending a photo card because we were getting some and felt the need to reciprocate. We send to both our extended families (most of whom don't do cards) and a few friends. The biggest reason we still send cards is to keep in touch (at least marginally) with some of the friends and relatives that we only hear from once or twice a year. The few years we haven't sent some of those relatives let us know how much they missed getting that photo in the mail.

[Sharon Kay]

For years I stamped cards or hand scrapped ... and rarely, if ever, did they actually ever get sent out ... even back in 2009 when the 3 boys finally got their pics taken together and got great pics that were Christmas card type ... still didn't make it out the door. I wish I could ... it just doesn't happen.

[cardinalskate]

I'm horrible about sending cards. I always have the best intentions, but, it doesn't always happen.

[LeeAndra]

Yes, I love to make them, and there are many (old) people in both our families who we don't get to see often and are not on Facebook/email, so this will be the only firsthand information and good photo they receive of the kids all year.

My MIL keeps it on her fridge all year long.