Why I Still Send Christmas Cards

Thanks to Minted.com for sponsoring today’s post; all opinions are honestly my own.

Earlier today, my best friend Erin and I had a discussion about Christmas cards. It’s the 13th of December, and so far she has received one. Our family has gotten three, one of which is from a company I partner with on the blog. It’s a stark contrast to ten years ago when I used to literally cover one wall of the dining room in our little town home with festive cards from friends and family. Is mailing cards a dying art? Erin argues that in the age of social media, everyone has already seen your best photos and knows about the important things happening in your life, making cards unnecessary. I see her point, and yet, I’m not willing to give up the tradition.

To me, there’s something festive about sending and receiving cards that Facebook and Instagram can’t replace. The rest of the year, the only things I find in the mailbox are bills and junk mail, but at Christmas time, I look forward to “real mail”…cheerful envelopes with holiday wishes from people who care about our family. Even if I’ve already seen the exact same pictures on a screen, I enjoy having family photos of friends and relatives in my hand that I can display on the fridge. I also like knowing that someone thought about us in the midst of their own celebrations and is reaching out to stay in touch. Plus, the artist in me loves seeing a beautiful card design. Those are just some of the reasons why I will never stop sending Christmas cards. This year, I created our family’s card on Minted.com.

I seriously considered several of the gorgeous designs in the Religious Christmas Card section, but I ended up going with “O Come Let Us Adore Him,” designed by Kate Sorensen. I’m sure it’s no surprise that the pretty hand lettered lyrics drew my attention, and I love the effect of the shiny gold foil dots and star. I tried a few other layouts first, but ended up wanting something that showcased just one photo, the one taken at the Civil Affairs Office in Chengdu the day “Scout” officially became a Latta. The background of the photo is red, and we’re all wearing different colored shirts, so I applied a black and white filter, which looks beautiful in the design.

The card back allowed me to choose a layout, so I opted for one more photo, taken at Thanksgiving, and a text block where I wrote a few things about each member of the family, including the cat who was trying to de-rail the train under our tree.

One of my favorite things about using Minted for our cards is that I could enter names and addresses, choose a font/design style, and get all of our recipients’ addresses printed for free! I don’t know about you, but I can definitely use the extra time this saves me. I picked out a star and dot design that coordinates perfectly with our card front.

While placing my order, I also added enough stamps to mail my cards. I chose a star design for this too, and when the cards arrived yesterday, all I had to do was stuff, seal, and affix the stamps. It’s literally never been easier for me to send cards!

This was my first time using Minted for holiday cards, and I was so pleased with the quality, not to mention how beautifully everything coordinates. I drove to the post office today to put these in the mail, and I can’t wait for friends and family to receive them. What about you? Do you still send Christmas cards? Do you get excited to receive them like I do? There’s still time to order and mail cards before the holiday…now through Friday at 3 PM PST, get free rush shipping with the code SHIP17 and your cards will be in your hands by December 19th. That’s plenty of time to adhere the stamps and send them to your favorite people! Check out Minted.com today and find your perfect card.

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4 Comments

  1. I’m so imperfect at these–they are often not sent until after Christmas Day (but anytime before Epiphany counts!), I have skipped years, and I don’t always put in a written update (not going to this year). Still, I agree that I love the tradition and am not willing to give it up. It’s especially important to me because we have moved several times, and will likely move several more times, and it’s a way to keep in touch with distant friends, several of whom do not use social media.

  2. Hi Amy,
    Since I started card making a couple of years ago, I also started sending them out to family and good friends (only those, who appreciate the work, though… ;o) and must say, that they are really highly appreciated, and I even get cards back a lot! Mostly only after I sent mine, I must admit… :o)
    But considering the amount of cards you have to send (according to the pile of envelopes…) the option you went for is definitely a very good one! It’s the thought that counts after all, and your family picture definitely looks great!
    I wish you and your grown family all the best for the upcoming holidays, and also for next year!
    Kind regards from Germany, Britta

  3. I love sending Christmas cards. It is one of my favorite traditions. I love seeing how families have grown throughout the year. It’s a great way to show people that you care about them. Merry Christmas to the Latta family from the Shadder family!

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