The Christmas Card Connundrum
How many people beside my mother-in-law still bother with Christmas cards? Has emailing/facebooking/tweeting taken over? (Not for her! With a week until December, hers were posted last Friday..) I do love paper cards: old fashioned ones, ones with a bit of sparkle, or something nostalgic or humourous... it's hard to go past a bit of Christmas cheer you can hold in your hand. And, ignoring the sort that say "To:... From:..." (because they don't really count), it's a great way of getting a greeting and some news from friends you might not have seen all year. Although the Christmas letter can sometimes be a bit daunting with the details of everyone's health issues (gastro in September, October and November..) and awards (Johnny, 5, has a scholarship to Oxford) D'oh.
But I must admit, over the past eight years (since having children), my enthusiasm has waned somewhat. Some years I've plonked the last cards in to the post some time around New Year's Day and tried not to feel humiliated at my obvious lack of organisational skills. Other years, I've just admitted defeat and not sent any at all, which has a nasty follow-on effect, because card giving is also about card receiving, and if you miss a year as I did, you suddenly find you drop off the list for a lot of people. Moving house multiple times doesn't help either, as any change in address means some people never find you again (try http://www.whitepages.com.au/ people)
I have a box of cards (used and unused) together with address labels, envelopes, stickers and coloured pens all ready to go. Unfortunately, that box (well it's a crate really) is somewhere under our house, and I'm not sure I can bribe the kids enough to climb in and drag it out.
So how to re-enthuse all of you out there who think cards are passe and an outmoded form of Season's Greeting? I love this idea of Martha Stewart's on how to display your cards. It's a decorating idea that anyone can do, it will be unique to your household and look fabulous! If you don't already have a mirror hanging up in a living room, eating area or hall way, get to it! They can be relatively inexpensive from any homewares section, or check out 2nd hand stores or garage sales. Grab some thin tinsel and string up your cards!
But I must admit, over the past eight years (since having children), my enthusiasm has waned somewhat. Some years I've plonked the last cards in to the post some time around New Year's Day and tried not to feel humiliated at my obvious lack of organisational skills. Other years, I've just admitted defeat and not sent any at all, which has a nasty follow-on effect, because card giving is also about card receiving, and if you miss a year as I did, you suddenly find you drop off the list for a lot of people. Moving house multiple times doesn't help either, as any change in address means some people never find you again (try http://www.whitepages.com.au/ people)
I have a box of cards (used and unused) together with address labels, envelopes, stickers and coloured pens all ready to go. Unfortunately, that box (well it's a crate really) is somewhere under our house, and I'm not sure I can bribe the kids enough to climb in and drag it out.
So how to re-enthuse all of you out there who think cards are passe and an outmoded form of Season's Greeting? I love this idea of Martha Stewart's on how to display your cards. It's a decorating idea that anyone can do, it will be unique to your household and look fabulous! If you don't already have a mirror hanging up in a living room, eating area or hall way, get to it! They can be relatively inexpensive from any homewares section, or check out 2nd hand stores or garage sales. Grab some thin tinsel and string up your cards!
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