Don’t get me wrong I LOVE the holiday season…bright colored lights, holiday songs on the radio 24/7…buying or making the perfect gift for a special friend or family member.
BUT
There is soooooo much to do…and as a woman, wife, mother – a lot of it falls on my shoulders.
Decorating – sure TC will get out the ladder and hang the lights, he will go get the tree with TW and PWG and set it up, he will get out the inflatable of Santa and the reindeer playing poker (yes we actually have this) and get it set up…but the rest is up to me…which means other than the lights and blow up things we only have a few other decorations scattered around the house.
Gift Shopping – ummm all me…I am sure if I asked TC to go buy something he would…but in my mind it is far simpler for me to go and pick it up and be done with it and know it got done…So not only does this encompass shopping for my family – but also assorted nieces and nephews and yes even TC office…I love it when he comes to me and asks “so what are WE giving this year”
Holiday Cards – all me….for the past 5 years or so I have lovingly hand stamped and crafted our holiday cards…all 75+ of them. Let me tell you that is a lot of cards…as I looked about this year – between the girls school work, sports and other activies, my craft shows and working – I was just dreading making all those cards…
THEN….
I came upon SHUTTERFLY
Oh happy day…
In the past I have received cute photo cards in the mail during the holiday season and many years ago I actually made one up and sent it out for the holidays one year. The problem I had all those years ago is the fact I only had about 10 templates to choose from and none of them really floated my boat…
So I wasn’t expecting much when I went in search of a cute template for a photo card.
Well color me surprised…
I am so not a “traditional” Holiday person- dark reds and greens, holly sprigs, cardinals, realistic Christmas Trees – sorry they don’t do much for me…I am so much more a “mod” holiday person – give me the pinks and greens and aqua’s and I am a happy girls. You can save that fancy loopy script – give me some funky fonts.
BUT
There is soooooo much to do…and as a woman, wife, mother – a lot of it falls on my shoulders.
Decorating – sure TC will get out the ladder and hang the lights, he will go get the tree with TW and PWG and set it up, he will get out the inflatable of Santa and the reindeer playing poker (yes we actually have this) and get it set up…but the rest is up to me…which means other than the lights and blow up things we only have a few other decorations scattered around the house.
Gift Shopping – ummm all me…I am sure if I asked TC to go buy something he would…but in my mind it is far simpler for me to go and pick it up and be done with it and know it got done…So not only does this encompass shopping for my family – but also assorted nieces and nephews and yes even TC office…I love it when he comes to me and asks “so what are WE giving this year”
Holiday Cards – all me….for the past 5 years or so I have lovingly hand stamped and crafted our holiday cards…all 75+ of them. Let me tell you that is a lot of cards…as I looked about this year – between the girls school work, sports and other activies, my craft shows and working – I was just dreading making all those cards…
THEN….
I came upon SHUTTERFLY
Oh happy day…
In the past I have received cute photo cards in the mail during the holiday season and many years ago I actually made one up and sent it out for the holidays one year. The problem I had all those years ago is the fact I only had about 10 templates to choose from and none of them really floated my boat…
So I wasn’t expecting much when I went in search of a cute template for a photo card.
Well color me surprised…
I am so not a “traditional” Holiday person- dark reds and greens, holly sprigs, cardinals, realistic Christmas Trees – sorry they don’t do much for me…I am so much more a “mod” holiday person – give me the pinks and greens and aqua’s and I am a happy girls. You can save that fancy loopy script – give me some funky fonts.
Well I found the MOTHERLODE of cute and fun holiday Photo cards at Shutterfly – they have plenty of designs for you more “traditional” folks but if you are like me you are going to be in heaven. There are over 300 different templates – 300 people…if you can’t find one you like then you have some serious design issues…
Here are a few of my favorites:
They have a variety of sizes and styles – they have a nicer cardstock based photo card and your less expensive photo paper photo card. I know that sending Holiday cards can get expensive…so my plan this year – to put together TWO holiday photo cards…one using the nicer cardstock base to send to close family and friends and one using the less expensive photo paper to send to those acquaintances where the Holiday time is just about the only time letters and information is exchanged (come on we all have that list) – this way everyone gets to see the wonderful pictures of my family but it is a little easier on my wallet.
But – what I love is in addition to the HUNDREDS of templates for Holiday cards they have a ton of other types of photo cards.
Need a Birthday Party Invite – they have all sorts of cute templates – for ages 1 to 100
And the best thing – take a bunch of pictures at the party – upload to Shutterfly – create not only some wonderful Thank You Cards - but go ahead and make a cute and stylish photobook of all the fun.
Shutterfly is going to make the girls next birthday super easy for me…
But going back to the Holidays...because you know it is creeping up on us like a pair of too small underwear...
In addition to the photo cards and photobooks Shutterfly has some wonderful gifts to create for the holiday season – think about it - you could get a bunch of gifts bought in one simple afternoon – and what is so great about the gifts – you design them and it is something that is special to you and your family and friends…
One of my favorite gifts is the Photo Mug - you can create a whole collage of pictures – this makes a great gift for a grandma or a grandpa…just grab about a dozen pictures of the grandkids you have taken throughout the year – and click to add them to mug…something that is practical and personal all in one fell swoop. Grandma can look at her darlings every day. I will say I put together one of these to give to the girls godmother…and then wound up keeping it for myself – now I get to look at my cuties every morning when I drink the elixir of the gods (aka coffee…the vodka doesn’t factor in until later in the evening)
Another great gift is a Desktop Plaque. Like the mug you are able to use more than one photograph. But what a great gift this would make if you have that PERFECT photo…you know the one in a million shot where everyone looks simply fantastic…TC and I went to a wedding this spring and someone managed to snap an awesome shot of both of us…I am so getting myself a Desktop Plaque of that picture to remind me that every once in a while I clean up quite well…and since it is basically its own picture frame you don’t have to buy anything else – what a great gift at a great price.
So thanks to Shutterfly I am going to be able to spend a few hours crafting and creating on my computer and in the end I will come away with my holiday cards and a number of really cute, very personal gifts for family and friends…
