Sending the Perfect Christmas Card

While home over Thanksgiving I gave my Mom one of her Christmas presents early, something I do every year – help with our family Christmas Card.  When they were in town in October we were able to take a cute family photo before heading off to see Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway and I was able to turn it into a lovely card with a short blurb about the family on the back.  Now hundreds of them are on their way to my parents house and it got me thinking about my own Christmas Card. 

Four years ago, six months into my blogging career, I sent out my very first holiday cards to friends and family but since then, have stopped. I can not decide as 2016 comes to a close and we enter 2017 if snail mail is worth it but I definitely want to use this holiday season to stay in touch with the ones that I love and all of those who support my blog.   So that is where you come in – I need help choosing the perfect one and I have quite a few christmas card options to get me started. But first there are four questions to ask:

1.  Electronic or Snail Mail?  Every year since I was born my parents have sent out Christmas cards via the USPS to hundreds of relatives, friends, and colleagues and growing up we got more than a hundred every year in return and it was a such a treat to get to open the pretty envelopes after school and hanging them up on ribbons over doorways. 
2. Christmas Themed or General Holiday? Should the card be Christmas themed or general holiday team for those who do not believe in or celebrate Christmas? This is an age old question that starts with your religion and then the understanding and acceptance of those you are sending cards to but to be on the safe side Happy Holidays or Wishes for the New Year is always a good bet.
3. Photo or No Photo?  Personally, I am HUGE fan of photo cards – I want to see your pretty face and if it is a family friend, I love to see how much the kids have grown or how people are aging.  The only time where I think a photo is passable is a dentist office, yeah, no pictures please. 
4. When Do You Send It? The holiday season just seems to be getting longer and longer but my preferred time to send Christmas cards depends on question one – electronic or snail mail – because you have to factor in delivery but I think the perfect arrival time is the sweet spot after Thanksgiving and before December 20th.  

And with all of that decision making I will let you know what I am thinking – electronic mail, holiday themed with Christmas colors (the best of both worlds), and sending it Tuesday, December 13th.  Take a look at a first draft of the card with an photo from Gaudi’s Casa Batlló taken on my Spain trip as the image, see above.  Thoughts? 

If you are in need of cute ideas for a photo I think these 25 Fun Christmas Card Photo Ideas are adorable, that these family photo ideas that can easily be adapted into a Christmas Card, or this adorable photoshoot my blogger friend Samantha did this week.  But back to the cards, I chose the design above but here are eight other Christmas and Holiday card options, a mix of paper and electronic, to choose from (all of which can be found here): 

Which of these is your favorite?