Wednesday, October 10, 2012

{31 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas} Day 10~Cards, Cards, Cards



For years, I thought it so silly for the stores to put out Christmas items in October. People hadn't even had time to think about Thanksgiving when they were bombarded with Christmas. Then one day I had an epiphany..... why not take advantage of some of these offerings even if I wasn't "ready" for Christmas just yet. 



Christmas Cards

I still love to send and receive Christmas cards. I know it is an extra expense to mail Christmas cards but in this world of email, Facebook, and text messaging, it's a simple express of days gone by that I like to hold on to. (As a side note- our family also has an Advent tradition involving the Christmas cards we receive that I will share in a later post)
As soon as I start seeing displays of Christmas cards in the stores, I buy several packs. 

Hint... 

Buy next years cards a few days after Christmas, when the stores put them on sale for 50% off. I wasn't able to do that last year and really didn't want to pay full price for each box of cards- so what to do? Check out discount stores like Big Lots or Ollies. I was in Ollies the other day and they had just put out a display of cards. Now- they are probably last years cards but there is no date on them so shhhh....don't tell anyone. I was able to purchase two boxes of cards for $6.00. 

Now that I have the cards, if I don't plan when I am going to write well wishes and address them they will most likely put me into a panic two days before Christmas when I remember they haven't been sent yet or they will get tossed into a drawer and forgotten about. I have a general idea of how many cards I will be sending so I make sure to purchase enough stamps before the day I decide to write out the cards. I like to get the cards done on the Friday or Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. I put in a Christmas movie and set out to work. By then I am ready to let the Christmas season begin. I don't usually mail them until mid-December but at least they are done and ready to go! 

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