Hosted by Simple Mom… check out her blog for the FULL story!

This week’s project is GATHER YOUR ADDRESSES for your Christmas Cards.  NO!  It is NOT too early.  Doing these little things in ADVANCE saves you when you NEED to be doing things like baking etc.

Some places to FIND your card addresses are:

• your wedding mailing list
• university and/or sorority alumni databases
• church directories
• your kids’ school directories
• Facebook

A great way to compile these and save time on the addressing is to make your list in a simple Excel or Open Office spreadsheet.  When the time comes around you can print your addresses on white mailing labels, stick on the envie and poof… done!  You could even print those addresses NOW and file them away for a later date.  To break up some of the cost right AT the holidays you could EVEN buy the stamps NOW, place them and the printed labels in a file folder and all you have to do later is get the cards… I am going to try and achieve this goal this week…

Then you must decide WHAT type of Christmas Card to create!  Decisions, decisions… Will it be a photo greeting or just something cute off the sale aisle?  Depending on budget you can personalize ANY old card by sticking a photo of your family or a family newsletter inside.   You could even go GREEN and do no hardcopy cards at all!  Go to an E-greeting for your family and friends.  This year we will be doing a combo.  Since yours truly, is a photographer, I might be the black sheep of all my amazing photog friends if I did not send a REAL card… so I will do both a printed card and an e-card!  Its the best of both worlds   Whatever you want to do, decide now.  Most photographers have a cutoff date of late October for professional card and it may take you a trip to SEVERAL store to find that perfect pre-made greeting card.  Start now to reduce stress LATER!

For more great ideas on organizing your holiday card sending and great ideas for FRUGAL, CREATIVE Holiday cards, hop on over to Simple Mom.

Popularity: 5% [?]