I don't get into cards. I enjoy receiving cards WITH MESSAGES from friends I rarely see, but cards with a mere Happy Holidays and the name don't do a thing for me. Cards from people I see everyday seem unnecessary, too. Hmmm....maybe I am part Scrooge....at any rate, do you all send cards? Who to? Do you just sign your name or do you include a message mentioning how you are and what you're up to? Do you send newsletters?

At this point I am only sending to far away friends and I always include a message (usually fill up the side of the card).

Just curious as to what others do.

By Andi on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 02:43 pm:

I send out card every year (sent them out last week) and I ALWAYS send them with a message. I agree with you, I don't like it when you get a generic card with just a name.

By Boxzgrl on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 03:05 pm:

I send them out to close family and friends and they generally include a family photo and a brief note in each card, nothing generic. I don't send an "All about us" letter on our family situation because those seem too "braggy" to me. I send out about 30 a year. They are all handwritten and decorated with holiday stickers and stuff.

By Babysitbarb on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 03:16 pm:

I send between 40-50. I usually put pictures in ours and I actually make my own. I have tried to cut down on my amount and usually I only send to people who send to us. I enjoy getting them. I have received two already.

By Yjja123 on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 03:33 pm:

I send to family and friends. I do include a newsletter but personalize each one. I also include a few photos that capture our years highlights. Each card also has a handwritten message and is decorated by hand. I send out roughly 30 cards.

By Conni on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 03:50 pm:

We do cards with just a name! LOL I thought the point was to wish friends and family a happy holidays not break my wrist writing a seperate note to 50 diff people. I do not care for those printed off newsletters. They dont seem personable... But we get many of them. They go in the trash after we read them.

Its funny how different we all see things.

By Vicki on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 04:03 pm:

I also usually just sign our names. If it is someone I haven't talked to in a while, I might write a little note. Really, I am not a big fan of those letters either. I agree that allot of them seem very "braggy" to me also. We get about 4 or 5 of them a year. I usually send cards to family and friends and include a school picture of dd. I think we send out about 40ish cards.

By Kaye on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 04:12 pm:

I send out about 100 cards. I keep trying to cut down the list (we only receive about 30 cards), but a lot of them go to family and we have moved so many times I just can't choose I hand stamp my cards and sign them all by hand. I do use preprinted address labels. And for about 20 friends I write notes. I have seen a handful of great letters from people (most do seem braggy or depressing!) I do enjoy reading them, but don't feel like i would do a great job writing one. I think about it each year though.

By Debbie on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 05:11 pm:

I send out about 40 cards to family and out of town friends. I also include a photo of either just the dks or all of us. I don't usually put a note, just sign our names. Our family lives all over the place and we rarely see them(except for immediate family), so it is a chance for them to see how the dks have grown.

By Kay on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 08:59 pm:

I send out about 80, and they're always photo cards with a picture of the kids.

By Missbookworm on Friday, December 2, 2005 - 09:11 pm:

I only send them to family! My dad, my mom, my oldest son's grandma they each include my little one's most recent school pictures.

MY GOODNESS! you guys send out soooooooo many cards!!

By Amyk on Saturday, December 3, 2005 - 07:53 am:

We send out about 50 cards - with a picture of our 2yo ds - unless it is to someone who sees him all the time and is not a relative. We also do a newsletter. I do agree that a card that is just signed is sort of a let down. I try not to make our letter braggy - just a review of the year. I love getting pics!!! I have a large extended family that lives far from me - so exchanging pics and news helps me to feel connected. There are also old work friends, etc. that I send cards to once a year and it is nice to see how their lives are progressing.

Oh, and I keep all the pics I receive and put them in my photo albums.

Amy

By Reds9298 on Saturday, December 3, 2005 - 08:32 am:

Me too, Amyk! When I get photo cards I sometimes cut off the Christmas part or leave as is and then put them in albums. I really like to get photo cards, and even getting a generic Christmas card is thoughtful to me!

We send out about 40 cards and I think I've done it all! We did a newsletter for the first time last year (personalized) that I've decided against now, we're doing photo cards this year (no notes), and for years I stamped my own cards by hand and decorated them.
Love getting cards and love sending them, too! Mine are going out next week!

By Colette on Saturday, December 3, 2005 - 09:46 am:

I send out a lot, not sure how many. I always write a personal note inside each one.

By Pamt on Saturday, December 3, 2005 - 12:24 pm:

I send out 50-60. It used to be more, but if I don't get a card in return for a couple of years in a row then I take that person off of my list. We do a newsletter because I love to get newsletters! There is one friend of ours from high school whose newsletter is one of the highlights of Christmas every year---it is hilarious!! And that's the tone I go for---funny more than braggy. I aim for an Erma Bombeck tone to our newsletter while still recapping the year for friends and family far away. We also include a photo most, but not every, year. I also write a brief personal note in each card.

I agree that if a card is merely signed (or especially printed--ugh!) that I don't get too excited. I'd much rather have a newsletter, handwritten note, or at least a photo. If it's just a pre-printed card, why bother? However, it it was a handmade card, then that would be very special.

I don't send cards to anyone locally. However, since we have lived in 4 different states and have met people from all over the world we definitely have scattered friends. It's funny, but some people are just "Christmas card friends"--they are people I never see or hear from otherwise except at Christmas. Some friends from college weren't particularly close friends, but I feel like I know them better than ever now from their annual cards.

By Tink on Saturday, December 3, 2005 - 01:09 pm:

I send out about 20 per year. I usually include a quick personalized note but I don't include a newsletter. I do include a family picture or pictures of the kids. They just go to our extended family (small family) and friends that we don't see all the time.