This Year’s Holiday Card: Wishing You Well!
I started working on this year’s holiday card in October. I try to start early every year or else it starts to feel too stressful around Thanksgiving and Christmas to finish them on time. It’s the same template every year (less stress!). I pick 16 photos from the year, write captions, and write a letter to print on the backs. I pay a graphic designer $25 to pop in the photos and format everything in the template. Then I print them on GotPrint.
I make sure to stuff a spare copy of our holiday card into the boys’ easy, peasy scrapbooks as a memento. It’s fun to compare how much the boys grow from year to year.
What are you thinking for this year’s holiday card? Are you doing one? Skipping it? Or do you never do one?
6 Comments
Mamaschlick
This is so nice! Do you print it on a postcard at gotprint? How much does it end up costing? 2 years ago I discovered staples cards and love then-cheap and easy. Thanks for sharing, your year looks amazing! I love active families.
Sara Cotner
Hi, Mamaschlick! Yes, I do a full color postcard front and back (a letter is on the back).
SIZE: 5″ x 7″ Vertical
PAPER: 16 pt. Premium Matte Cover
PRODUCTION TIME: Regular
Rounded corners
Total cost for 100 is $43.78. Then it’s $25 for the graphic designer + envelopes + stamps.
Mary B.
I gave myself a strict “one chance” opportunity to take a more staged Christmas photo of my kids, otherwise my plan was to use some shots from the rest of the year. My photoshoot worked, and I managed to grab a simple photo of my kids in their Christmas jammies, reading a book. I opted for a Costco design, and that was that.
We do have some blank notecards for my kids to draw on, for their teachers/daycare provider/friends. M is only two, so he scribbles and I paint a tree outline on top. G is almost 9, so she does her own designs. Low-key and lovely!
Sara Cotner
I’m so glad it worked, Mary! I forgot that I had my friend print cards for me at Costco one year. They were great! And I love the idea of kids making cards. So sweet! (The tree scribble is especially cute.) Thanks for sharing!
Allison El Koubi
Sara! Loved receiving your card this week. You know how much I love holiday cards!
I’m proud of myself for being able to take advantage of PearTree’s 60% off coupon by ordering before Thanksgiving (sometimes I wait too long and can only get 30-40% discount). Since we started doing our annual card, we have always used PearTree.
I feel like our cards are similar in that they provide some insights – both from the photos and the text – into how the year went. I love how reflective and honest your letter is with sharing your own joys and challenges from the year.
I start thinking about possible *themes* for our card early on in the year. Here are a few from the past 9 years:
11 Memorable Moments from 2011 (that was the year of our trip around the world!)
12 Revelations from 2012 (#becomingparents)
13 Reasons why 2013 was Bittersweet (moving from Baton Rouge to Lafayette…)
16 Sweet Moments from 2016
18 Milestones from 2018 (the year we both turned 40!)
This year: 20 Unexpected Delights from 2020 🙂
I may need to pivot soon, though… I mean, it’s going to be hard to fit “29 New Experiences from 2029.” But we’ll see…
I do love reading back through our cards each year at Christmas (they are part of our decorations). I also save them for the boys to have their own set when they grow up. They are a great record of our family’s history!!
Sara Cotner
I always love your cards, too, Allison! And thanks for including your themes here for ideas.