I am chronically ill and mostly housebound. Letters and Christmas cards are one of my favorite ways to feel connected to all the people I don’t get to see. I tend to make a long list of people I want to send to and start early. I get all my cards from the thrift store throughout the year when I’m able to go out, so they’re all different and it’s inexpensive. I just write a simple message for each person/family. No photo or anything fancy. It’s old fashioned and makes me so happy. I feel festive and get a chance to think of all the people I care about. I spend some of October and November writing my cards and send them out sometime in December.
Some people tell me they are stressed about cards when they see that I hand write notes in all of mine- and I tell them the same thing- let it go! You don’t have to do it! This is something that brings life and connection to me. A way to show love within my limitations. It’s not the same for everyone :)
I appreciate that you mention that we don’t all show love in the same way. It’s so true. I also handwrite notes in my Christmas cards, because it’s meaningful to *me*, but not everyone does that, and that is perfectly okay.
I love the idea of identifying your Christmas essentials!
I find that Christmas cards work best if we order them early and address them over time. I order them when a good coupon comes out, order stamps or pick some up at the post office, and then print out a list of addresses. Then I keep it all together in a box that is left out for a couple of weeks, and anyone who wants some quiet time doing something festive can address a few, crossing the addresses off the list. It's kind of fun. The younger kids enjoy putting on the stamps and using the return address stamp.
That said, last year we didn't do 'em -- just no room in the budget. And that was fine, too.
Doing them over the course of a few weeks is fantastic advice. That is what we usually do and it works well!
Funnily enough, I didn’t send any last year, either—for the same reason. It would be easy to feel guilty over it, but that doesn’t help anyone. It’s okay if our Christmas “essentials” are held lightly and adjusted when necessary.
I do enjoy sending out Christmas cards/letters, but I love this reminder that it can be a bit more enjoyable when all the various steps are spread out over a chunk of time. That's probably one thing that creates stress for people.... doing all those steps in a short amount of time!
Yes! I find it’s the same with other things around Christmas like wrapping gifts. I can’t save it all until the last minute or I would just cry. Gotta spread it out over at least a few sessions!
Those little sessions of wrapping/putting things together/addressing are the most enjoyable parts of Christmas prep for me. I'm not sure why, but it kind of feels like a treat!
You are getting started early with thoughts on Christmas Shannon! I loved receiving your Christmas card last year and still use it as a bookmark :) Christmas cards are part of our family's essentials as well and we have been publishing a Christmas newspaper for the last ten years or so. Each person in the family contributes a column, joke, picture etc. which results in a fun, light-hearted glimpse into our lives without "showing off" the achievements of the year. Will need to get started on this year's edition soon...
I absolutely love the idea of a Christmas newsletter. I bet your family and friends love receiving it every year!
And I have to start thinking about cards early or I would never do it! I am not like some people who can cram that into the last week of November/early December. :)
Shannon, I love this so much — even though I espouse note writing of all kinds, i agree completely that sending holiday cards can be adapted to fit appropriately into your family’s priorities…and if it doesn’t fit, the people on your list will enjoy hearing from you just as much at other times of the year too…maybe even more!
Christmas cards/letters are maybe the one thing I am really consistent about and really truly enjoy! I don't know why but I just absolutely love the whole process -- from picking a photo, summarizing the year in the note, collecting addresses, having my kids lick envelopes, dropping them at the post office. And I actually use it as a way to relax 🙂 all that being said, if Christmas cards are a source of stress, absolutely Let It go! And just know there are crazy people like me out there who are just weird and like these things 🤣
Not weird at all! I love that each of us is truly unique— we all have different things that light us up and that is what makes the world so endlessly fascinating.
Last year I really wanted to write a full page newsletter and include a nice family picture. It's something I hadn't done before but was feeling like it would be a special thing to start doing, as I don't keep up with family and old friends through social media.
A wise friend told me that she always sends her newsletters out in February over Valentine's, instead of cramming it into the busy Christmas season. She loves that she has time to read through and even write replies to her friends' letters because she's not busy working on hers until later.
I took her idea one step further and sent out my family newsletter in April! Sure, a little untraditional? But my friends and family were really excited to receive it and no one wagged a judging finger at me saying "you're late!" I learned that people are just happy to hear from you, regardless of how fancy you get or how late in the year.
This is so very true. People are always happy to hear from those they love, no matter how fancy/plain, and no matter when/why. I love the idea of a spring family newsletter!
I am chronically ill and mostly housebound. Letters and Christmas cards are one of my favorite ways to feel connected to all the people I don’t get to see. I tend to make a long list of people I want to send to and start early. I get all my cards from the thrift store throughout the year when I’m able to go out, so they’re all different and it’s inexpensive. I just write a simple message for each person/family. No photo or anything fancy. It’s old fashioned and makes me so happy. I feel festive and get a chance to think of all the people I care about. I spend some of October and November writing my cards and send them out sometime in December.
Some people tell me they are stressed about cards when they see that I hand write notes in all of mine- and I tell them the same thing- let it go! You don’t have to do it! This is something that brings life and connection to me. A way to show love within my limitations. It’s not the same for everyone :)
I appreciate that you mention that we don’t all show love in the same way. It’s so true. I also handwrite notes in my Christmas cards, because it’s meaningful to *me*, but not everyone does that, and that is perfectly okay.
I love the idea of identifying your Christmas essentials!
I find that Christmas cards work best if we order them early and address them over time. I order them when a good coupon comes out, order stamps or pick some up at the post office, and then print out a list of addresses. Then I keep it all together in a box that is left out for a couple of weeks, and anyone who wants some quiet time doing something festive can address a few, crossing the addresses off the list. It's kind of fun. The younger kids enjoy putting on the stamps and using the return address stamp.
That said, last year we didn't do 'em -- just no room in the budget. And that was fine, too.
Doing them over the course of a few weeks is fantastic advice. That is what we usually do and it works well!
Funnily enough, I didn’t send any last year, either—for the same reason. It would be easy to feel guilty over it, but that doesn’t help anyone. It’s okay if our Christmas “essentials” are held lightly and adjusted when necessary.
I do enjoy sending out Christmas cards/letters, but I love this reminder that it can be a bit more enjoyable when all the various steps are spread out over a chunk of time. That's probably one thing that creates stress for people.... doing all those steps in a short amount of time!
Yes! I find it’s the same with other things around Christmas like wrapping gifts. I can’t save it all until the last minute or I would just cry. Gotta spread it out over at least a few sessions!
Those little sessions of wrapping/putting things together/addressing are the most enjoyable parts of Christmas prep for me. I'm not sure why, but it kind of feels like a treat!
That is the way to do it!
You are getting started early with thoughts on Christmas Shannon! I loved receiving your Christmas card last year and still use it as a bookmark :) Christmas cards are part of our family's essentials as well and we have been publishing a Christmas newspaper for the last ten years or so. Each person in the family contributes a column, joke, picture etc. which results in a fun, light-hearted glimpse into our lives without "showing off" the achievements of the year. Will need to get started on this year's edition soon...
I absolutely love the idea of a Christmas newsletter. I bet your family and friends love receiving it every year!
And I have to start thinking about cards early or I would never do it! I am not like some people who can cram that into the last week of November/early December. :)
Shannon, I love this so much — even though I espouse note writing of all kinds, i agree completely that sending holiday cards can be adapted to fit appropriately into your family’s priorities…and if it doesn’t fit, the people on your list will enjoy hearing from you just as much at other times of the year too…maybe even more!
Writing is one of my yearlong 'essentials', It gives me great joy to write.
It gives me a lot of joy to write letters, too. Sometimes a handwritten letter can be a lovely Christmas gift, too!
Christmas cards/letters are maybe the one thing I am really consistent about and really truly enjoy! I don't know why but I just absolutely love the whole process -- from picking a photo, summarizing the year in the note, collecting addresses, having my kids lick envelopes, dropping them at the post office. And I actually use it as a way to relax 🙂 all that being said, if Christmas cards are a source of stress, absolutely Let It go! And just know there are crazy people like me out there who are just weird and like these things 🤣
Not weird at all! I love that each of us is truly unique— we all have different things that light us up and that is what makes the world so endlessly fascinating.
Last year I really wanted to write a full page newsletter and include a nice family picture. It's something I hadn't done before but was feeling like it would be a special thing to start doing, as I don't keep up with family and old friends through social media.
A wise friend told me that she always sends her newsletters out in February over Valentine's, instead of cramming it into the busy Christmas season. She loves that she has time to read through and even write replies to her friends' letters because she's not busy working on hers until later.
I took her idea one step further and sent out my family newsletter in April! Sure, a little untraditional? But my friends and family were really excited to receive it and no one wagged a judging finger at me saying "you're late!" I learned that people are just happy to hear from you, regardless of how fancy you get or how late in the year.
This is so very true. People are always happy to hear from those they love, no matter how fancy/plain, and no matter when/why. I love the idea of a spring family newsletter!