4Real Forums: Do you send Christmas cards?

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Topic: Do you send Christmas cards?

Poll Question: Do you send Christmas cards?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Yes, to many family and friends.	21	[36.84%]
Yes, to a select few.	7	[12.28%]
Yes, to those who send a card.	0	[0.00%]
Yes, every year.	9	[15.79%]
Yes, most years.	9	[15.79%]
Yes, every few years or so.	2	[3.51%]
No.	8	[14.04%]
Other - explain	1	[1.75%]
You can not vote in this poll

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Angie Mc
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 1:47pm \| IP Logged

This Poll of the Week comes from Nicole (Nique)

.

Do you send Christmas cards? To whom? How often? Vote (one vote at a time) as often as is fitting.

And if you have extra time, share your Christmas card sending tips. When do you mail them? Do you work on them all at once or over time? Do you work on them alone or does the family help? Where do you purchase your cards? Any traditions connected to sending cards? How do you display your cards? Tell all

!

Thanks for participating and thanks, Nicole, for the poll idea!

Love,

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Angie Mc
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Erin
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 1:54pm \| IP Logged

Voted no, never that organised.

On a good year we send out a Christmas newsletter.

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MaryM
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 2:11pm \| IP Logged

Send out about 50 each year - well most years, occasionally overwhelmed and don't get them out.

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cvbmom
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 3:35pm \| IP Logged

Dh's family ALWAYS sent Christmas cards with photos due to being spread out all over the country. Sooooo, we have taken on the tradition of sending out Christmas cards with family photos each year. Sometimes we don't get it out until the Christmas Season

, but we do get them out. Our "card" has become an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper with a photo collage and "Merry Christmas 20xx" printed on it. The envelopes are printed on the printer as well. The kids stuff and stamp envelopes, and it's done fairly quickly. Honestly, it's not much work that way. Granted, it's not a personal Christmas card, either, but occasionally, we'll put a personal note in some of the envelopes. It's not much work on me, but it still keeps family happy

God bless,
Christine

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 4:09pm \| IP Logged

I gave up on cards.. too much time and labor and money wasted because I could never actually get them mailed.

Next year I think I'll let my 13 yr old (she'll be 14 then) try sending some out for the family. She mentioned it this year but I wasn't prepared for it.. next year we'll plan on it and set aside money for cards and stamps and see how she does with getting them ready to go and helping someone remember to mail them.

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stefoodie
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 4:47pm \| IP Logged

MaryM wrote:

Send out about 50 each year - well most years, occasionally overwhelmed and don't get them out.

This is my answer too, except I picked "to a select few" because there are my "must sends" every single year (about 10-15) -- mostly family and really close friends with whom we exchange cards yearly, and then the rest are "if we get to them", not because we don't care but because

a) we communicate via other ways, i.e., e-mail, Facebook
b) we run out of steam or time and have to put off card-sending 'til Easter or some other less busy time

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LucyP
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 5:02pm \| IP Logged

Usually yes. I will send out maybe 30 and will try to include a photo and a handwritten personal note, to family and friends. But this year, I don't think I can afford to send cards - I would like to, so perhaps we can find a way to squeeze some pennies and send the cards - I bought plenty last year on a special offer so it just postage I need to pay if I leave out the photo of the kids. My tradition is to get a basket, put the cards and pens and address book in it and slowly write the cards and personal notes during the last couple of weeks of November and the start of advent. And we kiss the cards as we post them - the kids love that. We display the cards we get on our art line in the dining room, and I try to keep the cards after Christmas and pray for the intentions of the senders of the cards one a day - but to my shame, always run out of steam on that one. This year we have a proper little manger on the sideboard to collect good deed straw in, and I am thinking of putting the cards in there after Epiphany, and ask the children to pull one out each evening as part of setting the table and we can pray for the intentions as part of our grace. That way it hopefully won't be forgotten.

Mimip
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 6:48pm \| IP Logged

I wish there was a vote for "Send way too many!!!"

We try to send a new Christmas Photo of the family every year. We send somewhere around 80 cards and they usually get sent in time for the New Year since I love to get a Christmas picture. (We love to take pictures on the beach in December and send them out to the rest of the US

) This year we are taking our Family picture in MN and so they will be sent out when we get back.

I usually address and write a personal note on the back and then my kids stamp and seal them shut.

I just wanted to say that I keep every card sent to me EVERY YEAR! I know, its a bit crazy but we love them all and I keep them in a 3 ring binder that my sister in law gave me the year I married into the family. (I'm on my 3rd binder

) I place the cards on cardstock and then in page protectors. We also pray for the families up until the Feast of the Presentation and then the Christmas card book gets put away until next year.

Oh and last year I ran out of pictures and had to send all the Ladies on here just cards but if someone is up to a Christmas card exchange this year, I'll make sure to order enough

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Mimi
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Angie Mc
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 7:07pm \| IP Logged

For the past several years, my dd has sent our our Christmas cards

. If it wasn't for her, no cards would have been sent! We'll see if she is up to the task this year.

We keep the list to ~50 and don't sweat it if we don't get to it. Even those of us who LOVE to send Christmas cards deserve a free pass every so often

.

Love,

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Angie Mc
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leanne maree
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 7:07pm \| IP Logged

I send out christmas cards for our friends and our clients every year.
I find it centres me on Our Lord as I write each card. Each card is written with each person / family in mind.
I make sure they have a special message on each one.
Its just something we have done always, even as a child, and we send out around 1st wk in December.

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Leanne
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lapazfarm
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 7:09pm \| IP Logged

Yes, usually, but sometimes we just don't get around to it. Cards have never been a big deal in our family.

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KC in TX
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 8:37pm \| IP Logged

It doesn't mention whether on time though. This past Christmas, I sent them out in February.

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Nique
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Posted: Nov 29 2010 at 9:42pm \| IP Logged

LucyP wrote:

This year we have a proper little manger on the sideboard to collect good deed straw in, and I am thinking of putting the cards in there after Epiphany, and ask the children to pull one out each evening as part of setting the table and we can pray for the intentions as part of our grace.

I LOVE this idea Lucy!

It's been interesting, reading what everyone has written! We always purchase our Christmas Cards from the local Right to Life group. It takes about one weekend for everyone in our family to sign each of their names

on all the cards! Keeping a few "extra" put aside for those who send us a card, but weren't on our original list.

I've always enjoyed sending cards..but have found our list has gotten shorter over the years..in that if we send one to someone and don't hear back (whether mentionning it when we see them next, a call or a card back) after the second year, "no more soup, er .. Christmas Card for you!"

No hard feelings, but its nice (for me) if the gesture is at least acknowledged in some sort of way.

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Grace&Chaos
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Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 9:12am \| IP Logged

I've sent out cards every year. It's become a tradition to take a group picture of my kids twice a year. Once on the 4th of July (this becomes my screen saver) and the other in November (this becomes our Christmas card picture).

For times sakes I turned to purchasing Photo Cards on Shutterfly about 4 years ago. I just print the labels and the kids have an assembly line: insert, lick, put labels, put stamp and mail.

I usually do this right after Thanksgiving and mail out the first week of December (it might be the second this year

).

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SuzanneG
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Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 10:01am \| IP Logged

I've sent out cards every year since we got married.

I love picking out the cards and ordering return address labels and addressing envelopes! We usually take our family picture when "Uncle Scott" is here at Thanksgiving.

This year we are waiting until after baby is born, as the arrival of a BABY BOY must be included in our card for 2010!!!! So, it'll be a new year's card this year. Which reminds me.....I need to start a new thread, so y'all can brainstorm for me about something.....

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Maryan
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Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 3:24pm \| IP Logged

I used to be fantastic with all things handwritten until Dan's dad died. And then we received so many wonderful notes from people that I'm still trying to catch up and haven't done Christmas cards since. This year I'm bound and determined to send out some.

I have all the stamps and cards from past years to help me get started.

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Chris V
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Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 3:55pm \| IP Logged

I have to admit that I'm one of "those" people that love, love, love to send out Christmas cards every year! I love sending them, and I love receiving them. My husband really, (honestly) couldn't care less about "the card" - which is why I'm in charge of that particular tradition.

Funny story - in our 13 years of marriage, and having him not care (at ALL) about our Christmas cards (what pictures I used, what I wrote, who I sent them to) all this time, last year, as I was on the cusp of mailing them all out, he happened to glance at the card (which I hand selected, and hand made them from select materials that I labored over for weeks), he didn't like one of the pictures that I had printed on the card. Eeek! Are you kidding me? He refused to let me mail any of them out. So I had to order the cards from Costco...very, very last minute, using a preapproved photo.

In case you're wondering, the picture that he refused to share was one of him and a deer he harvested last year with his bow and arrow. It was a BEAUTIFUL picture of him (he was so happy), with a BEAUTIFUL deer that fed our family well. Such a moment of joy, pride, and truly encompassed so much of who he is and what his passion is (being an avid outdoor sportsman). .... but he said it was boastful. (sigh). oh well. I'll be getting his approval for this year's card

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folklaur
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Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 5:46pm \| IP Logged

Chris V wrote:

I have to admit that I'm one of "those" people that love, love, love to send out Christmas cards every year! I love sending them, and I love receiving them.

this is me, too

stacykay
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Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 7:56pm \| IP Logged

I also love sending out cards (and getting them!) I think, for me, it has lots to do with what I grew up with (much like my love for pumpkin pie!) I have wonderful memories of watching my mum sit at the table, writing long newsy notes in every single card she sent that went out of state (and since she sent one to every aunt/uncle - her mom was oldest of 10, and every one of her cousins,) that was a lot of cards. She wrote to every friend who had moved away, kept up correspondance with all my dad's friends from childhood; you know, the usual wife/mom thing.

Of course, that was back when calling anyone long distance was terribly expensive. I think my mum only called her parents a few times a year (they were in MO, and we were/are in MI.)

In many ways, I appreciate the ability to make calls and talk to folks long distance without that huge expense. I talked to my parents nearly every day, until they passed away. It definitely keeps loved ones connected. But I do miss the handwritten word. I have a number of letters from my parents and grandparents (even some written to and from my great-grandparents.) I treasure them. To glance at a note, and simply from the handwriting, to know who wrote it, is very comforting to me.

I usually enclose one of those infamous Christmas letters to those we rarely see or talk to throughout the year, but I always include a handwritten note with them.

In Christ,
Stacy in MI

Angie Mc
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Posted: Dec 02 2010 at 5:14pm \| IP Logged

3 more days to vote! Thanks for joining in

.

Love,

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Angie Mc
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