Well, not really. Because the cards are so cute!
Every year, I say I am going to get my Christmas tasks done early. I say things like:
“I will finish Christmas cards right after Thanksgiving.”
“I will be done with shopping and wrapping by Dec. 15th.”
“My house will be decorated the first weekend of December.”
“I will make five different kinds of Christmas cookies.”
I hear you laughing.
So, when my neighbor, Lauren, mentioned using Shutterfly to order her cards, and how easy it was, my interest was piqued. I had used Shutterfly before, for gifts like photo books. I also used them for a baby announcement. (Apologies to my second child, for whom I never even sent one out. Isn’t that always the way with the second? I love this little pink bird design so much, I could almost justify sending out Matilda’s birth announcements a little late. Oh? You think five years late is too long?)
I love the professional look of their photo books, and they have such great variety in designs to choose from. . . Cute travel book themes to document a family trip, or a Christmas theme. I also used them as a way to make a baby book. Sure – stop me if you’ve heard this one before – I started a baby scrapbook for both kids. . . and stalled out a few months into their first years. Much easier to just upload the pics, and create a photo book right then and there. You can use their designs or customize your own. They make great gifts. Someone on my list is getting one this Christmas, but I can’t say who – They might just be reading this post. . . .
And they’re affordable! They start at just under 13 bucks. Who wouldn’t hand over 13 bucks in exchange for having a baby’s first year documented and in your hand, without all the pile of half-finished scrapbooks all over the dining room table? Not to mention, have you ever been in a scrapbooking store? Pretty darn hard to get out of one for thirteen bucks.
So, I create my photo book gift online, and get my Christmas cards at the same place. That just made my life much easier!
Oh. My. And I just found this. You can have a photo printed onto canvas. How cool is that? May have just solved the “what to put up over the mantel” question. Just have to figure out which photo to use?
* Disclaimer: I have to admit that when we discussed Shutterfly at the bus stop, Lauren told me about their generous blogger promotion – You blog about Shutterfly’s products, you get 50 cards for free. Not a bad deal, I thought, since I blog all the time anyway, why not whore myself out for free cards? But when I thought about how cute the Shutterfly cards are sitting on my mantel every year, it was a no-brainer. I’m glad I’m getting them for free, but I think they’re cute, whether or not I’m getting paid goods or services to say it. I’d say it anyway!
P.s. Everywhere it says, “Christmas?” Just do a find and replace and insert “New Year’s.” KThanx.
I finally caved and did this (but on Snapfish). They sent me a coupon for a book and I made one for dream child and then they sent me a coupon for a free one, so I made one for the in-laws, who paid for the nice camera to capture images of dream child. I got so excited, I suggested outsourcing our Christmas card to them as well. Holy smackdown by the other people that live in my house. “It will lose that handmade touch”. “You want our cards to look like everyone else’s? It will have the website name all over it!”. Of course, we’ve yet to recieve a card that has the website name on the front (it’s on the back, I’ve checked every one thank you very much.).
Looks like I’m still going be babysitting the desktop printer this year…..
“Holy smackdown made me laugh.”
No time for me to sit at a printer. . . You made me feel better, though.
I think I might teach dreamchild how to do it for me. That way, I can hand it off entirely next year, either to her, or some nice website I can pay to do it for me.
And you still have plenty of time to get those holiday cards out! It’s still weeks away.
You whored yourself out way before snapfish. Ba-dum-dum!
Too true, lou.