It's the time of year to send out your holiday cards! I absolutely love this tradition and look forward to sending (and receiving!) cards each Christmas. Today I'm partnering with Minted.com to share my tips for making the holiday card process enjoyable and stress-free!
Minted is also offering a lucky reader a $200 credit to spend on your own cards or any of their amazing products made by independent artists, ranging from art prints to home decor (such great gift options!). Be sure to enter through the Rafflecopter at the end of the post.
As our calendars get packed over the holidays, sending out cards can seem like one more daunting thing on your to-do list, but with a little planning it can be so fun! Here are my tips:
1. Order early! If you haven't already, now is the time to place your holiday card order. You want to give yourself plenty of time to receive the cards and then send them out before the holidays (New Years cards are also a fun option if you get a late start!). I have used Minted's cards for the past several years, and not only do they have some of the best quality around, they also have great turn-around times. I've typically received my cards in less than a week after placing the order. Even better, they are offering 15% off holiday cards through Nov. 24!
2. Pre-address your envelopes - another feature I absolutely love about Minted's cards? They'll do the addressing for you - for FREE! Talk about a huge time saver. And these aren't the address labels you've printed off your home computer in years past; Minted's envelopes come in a variety of beautiful fonts and designs to match your cards. You just upload your address spreadsheet once and Minted will keep it online for you year after year. So when it comes to ordering your cards next year, you can scroll through the list to update any addresses as needed and hit order. It couldn't be easier!
3. Buy your stamps in advance - I bet I'm not the only one out there that gets a strange amount of enjoyment from selecting just the right stamp to put on my holiday cards. ;) Well, I can tell you from experience, there is nothing worse than waiting in a long line at the post office to discover they are all out of the stamps you wanted! So buy early before their supply is picked over. Even easier, order them online where they have all the options! I was excited to find these geometric snowflake stamps that happened to match my envelope liners.
4. Set aside a special time for your cards - this is key to making it fun! Dedicate a morning for your cards. Turn on some Christmas music, make yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, and get all of your supplies in order. I love this quiet time to be thankful for all our family and friends on our Christmas card list. If you have a long list, divide it up over a couple of sessions.
5. Leave a space for a personal note - I love how most holiday cards now are of the photo variety. It is always fun to get photos of your family and friends looking their best! But I do always appreciate a little handwritten note, even if it is just "Hope you have a Merry Christmas!". I like to leave a little space on the back of our cards for the option to write in a personal note. Minted allows you to choose from a variety of card backing options.
We did a family photo for our Christmas cards this year, and I'm so excited how they turned out! I have my talented friend Amanda of ARG Photographs to thank for these beautiful photos. If you're in the San Antonio area and looking for a family photographer, she's amazing! Amanda also does the sweetest Holiday Mini Sessions for kiddos set against a festive background. This year, they are being held on Dec. 5. Check out the details here.
I hope you have a great time sending out your holiday cards this year. Here's a little something to help you out!
Win a $200 Credit to Minted!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post is sponsored by Minted. Family photo used on cards by ARG Photographs. All content and opinions are my own.