Christmas Cards Are Another Holiday Tradition

The holidays are almost here. Soon we will be beginning to start all the chores. First, on the list is the buying of gifts. That isn't always the easiest of tasks. But second on the list are the Christmas Cards.

Now don't be groaning. Christmas Cards are still nice a thought. Let's just think about it for a moment. Christmas Cards are cheaper than buying a present. You don't have to wrap them. They don't take that long to prepare. The bonus is that it makes people smile. What do we usually find in our mail boxes, bills and junk? Isn't it nice when you see a pretty card staring up at you instead of bills and junk? And no, Christmas Cards being sent via the computer do not count. Only Christmas Cards that you can touch and feel counts as being real Christmas Cards.

But like all things you should actually take the time and do the act of sending out Christmas Cards correctly.

First, organize all your addresses. Get out all those scraps of paper. Get out all those old envelopes. Finally, get out that old address book. Glance through the addresses and see if you think they are the correct ones.

Now you need to buy the cards. Where to go? Should you go to a fancy stationary shop? Should you have your cards personalized? (If you choose to go this route you better not wait until the last minute). Do you want to add pictures to your cards? Finally, do you really want to buy a Christmas card or do you want to make one? Make one? Yes, you can. There are many websites which will allow you to print up your own cards. Some examples of these sites are: mycardmaker.com, printfree.com, or crayola.com to name a few.

After you get the card you want and the number you need, you could be more creative and buy some nice bright red and green pens to use when signing your cards and adding your own special remarks to the card. Yet, when it comes time to addressing the cards, you should stick with blue or black ink to make sure the people at the post office can read the address.

As you are addressing your cards, make a list of who you sent cards to and make room on the list to mark who sent you cards in return (just for the fun of seeing who remembers you in return). Be sure to remember: old teachers, your preacher, the doctors your family sees, your insurance agent, the loan officer that got you that great price, old neighbors, family members you don't see all the time (especially the older ones), the mail carrier, the paperboy, and any and all others who made a difference in your life over the past year.

I also always like to add a holiday sticker and stamp to the back of my envelope to make my cards look even more Christmassy. Of course, you should try to buy Christmas postage stamps to use on your cards, if you can.

A small tip, when sealing the envelopes and attaching the stamps, use a sponge. This saves you from getting that icky taste of glue in your mouth, which is hard to get rid of once it is there.

Now the only thing that is left is sending out your cards. Be sure to mail them early. People love to hang their cards up for others to see.