Christmas Cards

[dakcp2001]

Do you still send them? Do you put the newsletter? I have noticed that each year I wonder if I should bother with the Christmas cards, but since I do enjoy getting them, I keep sending them. I am not a fan of the newsletter however, unless you are close family. My little sister said Christmas Cards are an outdated tradition and no one in her generation does them. Is this true?

 

[crashbb]

I send a few out - maybe 10 or so. There are a few people I know how like sending and getting cards, so I exchange with them. No newsletter, but I do write personal messages etc. in each of them (often telling them some of my news, if they are people I haven't spoken with in a while).

 

[LJSquishy]

Everything is so technology driven these days (listen to me, I'm only 28!) so I enjoy sending real Christmas cards with a short note. I always send them out the day after Thanksgiving. I do not like newsletters -- no one really cares what your family has been up to each year. My mother-in-law sends one every year and it offends her grown children. One year she mentioned in it that one of her sons (my brother-in-law) lost his job. Several years she mentioned that we didn't have kids like her other sons (I have infertility issues) but at least we have two "granddogs". We desperately tried to have a child and I have had several miscarriages. Newsletters are just too insensitive.

I also sort of dont like the photo cards either. I don't really get why I need to see how big your kids are getting each year. LOL I would much rather receive a regular card that has a handwritten short note in it. Photo cards come across as lazy to me because you just have them printed and mail them out...don't even have to sign your name!

 

[maslex]

Yes I do send out Christmas cards. Usually about 40. I even go as far as making them myself. I have already made all of mine and will send them out tomorrow.

 

[mamamary]

I chose other because I'm not sure if I'm sending them this year. Up until now I always have. My DBIL is very ill and that is all my family can think about right now. So unless he recovers extremely quickly (which we hope), I think I may pass on it this year. I do love to receive cards though and I like seeing picture cards of kids as they are growing thru the years.

 

[usnuzuloose]

No one I send cards to sends any. I am done , except for our customers.

 

[MIGrandma]

Yes, I still send Christmas cards. I just got my box/address book out this morning, and saw that I sent 28 last year so not a lot, quite a few less than I used to but over the years people pass away, stop sending, etc. so the list has gotten smaller. I do enjoy sending them out, and include a personal note or longer letter to some, especially relatives that live far away that we never get to see.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

I sent them out yesterday. I used to do a newsletter type, but this year I decided to just send cards. It has become a sad task. My old address book is filled with the addressed of dead family and friends. Each year it seems I have a shorter list. I feel we are the last generation to send snail mail greetings. I really enjoy sending and receiving cards.

 

[design_mom]

I sent about 40 this year. I enjoy sending and receiving cards. I try to write something personal in each.

I don't mind newsletters if they're a nice overview of the year/family. I get a couple that are over the top that make me roll my eyes, but in general I like them.

I like all the cards I receive, but my least favorite are the kind that have everything pre-printed including the names -- no signatures, no personal note, etc. Just seems rather impersonal, but -- hey, at least they thought of me.

 

[pigletgirl]

We're doing a newsletter along with card. Many things have changed over the past year, and it's nice to keep everyone updated of where we are in life (aka, moving and the baby!). DH and I are actually going to type up a draft this afternoon. I want to get them out next week. Office max has some nice holiday paper we'll use to print it on. No pictures though, that will be next year!

 

[minkydog]

I just finished writing about 35 Christmas cards. I have always done a newsletter, mainly because my very large family is spread across the US and we rarely see them. Don't worry, I keep it to one non-braggy page, 12 font, double spaced. But this year all the kids are grown and it doesn't seem right to send out a letter about what they're doing. I mean, really who cares that DS26 is working 50hrs a week at the same job he had last year, ya know? Besides, we're almost all connected by Facebook now so if I want to tell them stuff, I'll just tell em.

 

[donac]

I still send out cards and also do a newsletter. My dh has specific restrictions on our newsletter. It is to be only the front of a page and have lots of pictures.Nothing too braggy just information to all the family and friends that we don't see too often. I was just looking at pictures to use this morning.

 

[thedonduck]

Do you still send them? Do you put the newsletter? I have noticed that each year I wonder if I should bother with the Christmas cards, but since I do enjoy getting them, I keep sending them. I am not a fan of the newsletter however, unless you are close family. My little sister said Christmas Cards are an outdated tradition and no one in her generation does them. Is this true?

I guess, I don't know how old your sister is, but I am 27 and DH and I have always sent out Christmas cards (since our first Christmas living together). We send out around 40 every year. The last 4 years, I have made up cute photo cards to celebrate the big events of our lives that year! (1st year was a Thank you picture from our wedding, 2nd was introducing our son, 3rd was introducing our daughter, and this year our move to FL). We receive cards from the majority of our friends as well. So I guess I disagree with it isn't part of this generation!

 

[Styx Fan]

I enjoy both sending and receiving Christmas cards. For the last 12-13 years our cards have included a letter and picture of either the family or the kids.

I continue to do this because I enjoy getting letters and pictures from other people. A generic card with no message or pictures is kind of boring to me. Especially ones that are a pre-printed signature. I do care what your family is up too and how the kids are looking.

Yeah, some Christmas letters are over the top, but nobody makes me read them. I try to keep ours interesting and "real". While I am not going to come right out and say my kid is flunking history, I will say that history is something of a struggle this year. My family is far from perfect and I want my letter to reflect that, not just be brags. But I don't think anyone wants to read a long list of problems and woes.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

We send....list gets smaller each year.
I ordered from cardstore.com and found one that had pic area and small newsletter area. Just stated what we were up to, vacations and children's activities, etc. Also we that we were thankful for what we had.

Not one stating what we bought, how fabulous things are, how perfect things are, how one of my kids MVP on fall sport's team, named to conference soccer team, named regional MVP, both kids on honor roll, etc etc

I HATE THOSE!! Just a general what we are up to, hope you are doing well and wishing them a great new year.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Yes, but only because my husband makes me.

He creates a lovely card each year of pictures of us on vacation.

I'm not sure I want people to see me without make-up on a boat in front of Land's End, but it is important to my husband. I do get to veto any pictures I hate, though. He didn't travel for most of his adult life until he met me, so I understand the meaning to him. You should see our list of future trips.

We do a hand-written note to each recipient, but I loathe newsletters.

 

[ilovemk76]

I still send them buy the number is way smaller than it was many years ago. My cards are all written and ready to be mailed.

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm one of those who voted "other."

I love Christmas cards. Mine will be going out one day this week; I ordered stamps from the USPS website Saturday morning.

I only send a letter to 2 or 3 friends who live cross country(out of about 100 cards.) It's certainly not a brag-fest: this year's letter will mention the death of my mother in law last Christmas, my husband's hospital trip while we were at the Beach Club, and the fact that we were so very lucky in Hurricane Sandy. It's about US, not our achievements.

The photo cards I get (along with ours) are in display in the living room, on the cover of our old AC unit. They stay there until ours is ready to go up for the next year. So last year's came down over the weekend. I love looking at the pictures of family and friends throughout the year.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

I still send out cards. You want to know what I hate? I hate getting the emails and Facebook messages asking for my address every year from the same people. Doesn't anyone have an address book? We have not moved. And I also don't care for the newsletters. I send Christmas cards to people I genuinely think about at Christmas, mostly family And close friends.

 

[Rafiki31]

I stopped sending out cards a few years ago.