Sunday, November 25
Chel's Holiday Plan - The CardsFirst, take your list (made during the initial Question stage), however long it is, and cut 10 percent. Just delete them. If you've only got 10 names on the list, cut one. If you've got 40, cut four. It's not an unreasonable amount, and quite frankly, it helps me feel like I'm paring down, making things easier for myself. It may only be in my head, but it helps. And never have more than 50 people on the list. That's just unmanageable, I think.
Everything else can be done in small blocks of time, so it's not so overwhelming. I can do an amazing amount of stuff while I watch an evening of television.
1) If you're buying cards, decide if you want plain cards from the store that you can drop a photo into or photo cards. If you want photo cards, start taking those family pictures and uploading them to Snapfish or some such place. Order photo cards now.
2) Plan to address envelopes (or key in labels) one evening watching television. Stick the labels and stamps another evening. You can buy stamps online to avoid the line at the P.O. and to be sure that you get the cute stamps. (Keep in mind what stamps cost these days when you're making your card list!)
3) If you're making your cards (which I have never done before but am doing this year), make a list of everything you'll need to make them and buy those things all in one shopping trip. Then, decide when you're going to make them. Set aside an hour or two or three or whatever, but do it in one block. And decide that you'll do it all in that amount of time and that whatever doesn't get done, just won't. And that's fine.
4) I always take my stack of envelopes and make two stacks - the folks who get a name signed to the card & the folks who get a short note. And I mean a short note! (If I get photo cards, the note is printed on them, so this step is already done!) Then, I do the signing and note writing.
Because I want my purchases to be positive, I'm trying to make purchases from people or organizations that give back or from people selling their own goods. I've already bought prints from French Toast Girl and she also has beautiful cards made from her own artwork. I also like the M.D. Anderson's Children's Art Project that allows children with cancer to experience the healing touch of art.
And now, I know there are people who want to write big newsy letters about what happened in their family all year long. I hate those. If I don't know you well enough to have a general knowledge about what happened in the last year, why are you sending me a card? Sheesh.
But if that's your thing... Buy cheap recycled paper and use a font big enough for us to play the error game without losing our eyesight (those of you who know me and Mike in real life know we like to edit stuff that comes in the mail for errors).
Now, go make a list!
[ posted by Chel on Sunday, November 25, 2007 ]
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