Back story: Thanks to the pre-Christmas insanity, with all the baking and gift buying and decorating and wrapping and mailing, I was turning into Mrs. Grinch. Which is sad, really, because taken individually, I like each of those tasks. I like to bake. I like to buy gifts. I like to decorate and wrap and enjoy the season. It's just that it's too much, too fast, and the pressure sucks the joy out.
I wished I could postpone some of the activities until after Christmas, when the rush comes to a dead halt and I still have a week of winter break to enjoy. But the kids have this thing about opening gifts on Christmas morning (go figure), and it's somewhat anticlimactic to put up a tree on December 26.
And that's when it hit me - why send Christmas cards when I could send New Year's cards and actually enjoy the process of designing and mailing letters to our many far-flung friends? There's no law that says the cards have to be received before December 25 to count. Holiday cards are tiny bubbles of happiness whenever they arrive.
Genius.
Thus, I sat down on December 27 last year and throughly enjoyed ordering these cards from Shutterfly.
This year, I'm in the mood to try something new, and my favorite Christmas cards came from friends using Minted. I've been shopping the site the last few days, in-between snuggles and games of Zingo and skating sessions on the new backyard rink.
I've narrowed it down to these options:
A)
B)
C)
D)
You might notice, I'm all about the fun and bright and the whimsy. But honestly, how am I supposed to choose? Minted has more than 250 New Year's photo cards. I'm a notorious waffler when it comes to stuff like this. Because I love it all.
Which one do you like best? No guarantees, but maybe it will help me make up my mind.
Minted is compensating me for reviewing their New Year's cards, but my choices and opinions are entirely my own. I'll be sure to let you know what I think of the cards once they arrive, too.
C or D...I'm also a waffler, but I know that I like the last 2 better than the first 2. :-)
ReplyDeleteSuch a great idea to do New Years cards instead of Christmas cards! I like the first option best, but all are pretty! :)
ReplyDeleteThe first one!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. I didn't send out Chritmas Cards and I normally do. I like C best!
ReplyDeleteI really like the first one but also like B because you can put more pictures on it. I was in the same boat as you this year so I decided to do Valentines day Cards :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see :)
ReplyDeletebrilliant ;)I was saying that word in my head while I was reading this, but then had to google the spelling...the word never looks right to me. I love that first card that spells out "twenty thirteen" and also love your blog. I liked you on facebook because I entered a giveaway but now I am noticing that everytime something shows up in my feed from you I am asking myself, have I loved well today??? :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy Happy! Love that one the most. And I'm WITH YOU! I mailed out the second half of our cards today. Today! Three days after Christmas, three days before the new year. Why??!?! Next year, if I can't get my act together by December 1st (yes, you read that right, because that was my GOAL this year), then New Year's cards it is. I completely "missed Christmas" this year because of all the STUFF I had to do. And I hate that. Anyway, can't wait to get your card. ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't think any of them look like your family. I would be careful to double check them when they come in the mail.
ReplyDeleteI like them all- but I think my favorites are B and D. And I wish there was a giveaway with this too- because we are sending out New Years cards too! :)
ReplyDeleteJust discovered your blog and all your creativity. Appreciate!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who only sends New Years' cards and it is so fun to get her card in the mail after all the Christmas hoopla! Sending and receiving cards, Christmas and New Years' alike, is one of my favorite things about the season! When else do we get so much fun snail mail? :) So...which did you choose?
ReplyDeleteI ended up going with the first option. I actually started out decided for C - but then I realized the red border across the bottom of the sample card (which is what really drew me in) is actually a blanket from the sample photo! So then I didn't like it nearly as much and I went back to A. I will report on the finished product as soon as I get it!
DeleteThis is a brilliant idea! I have been so depressed this week because we are getting NOTHING in the mail. Not even junk. And before Christmas is so fun, because every day you get something.
ReplyDeleteI liked all these options (I know I'm too late). But I kind of liked B, because it had such a short note on what everyone was doing this year. It was almost a Christmas letter, but so easy to read! You'll have to post your finished product online somewhere for all of us to see.