Quick Shout Out 'Bout Christmas Cards

Here are some quick facts about Christmas cards and how sending them with me will be
easier, faster, cheaper, and more efficient!

Do you buy a box of Christmas or holiday cards for like $2 bucks at the Family Dollar and sort of dread the time and effort it's going to take to write in them, dig out your family and friends' addresses, address them the envelopes, put a stamp on each one and then haul them off to the post office? I used to do that. My cards were sort of boring and actually getting them ready and getting them out was seriously no fun!

But now that I have a little one of my own and want to share something a little more special around the holidays, I've found that this new card sending system not only makes my life a WHOLE lot easier, it's really fun. I can get creative with my cards in a way I never have before and I'm so excited to send them out this year!!!

So here are a couple of questions...

In lieu of cards, do you send out those typed pages on Christmasy paper with a couple of family pictures printed on them that tell about your family's year? How long did that take? Maybe not as long as hand writing in Christmas cards, but it still took a lot of effort I'm sure...but did it have that sort of "specialness" factor that made your family and friends decide to file it away because it was such a nice keepsake? Probably not.

Do you send those Walgreens or Walmart photo postcard things? With the envelopes, they are $12.99 per set of 20 (from walgreens.com), which is about $.65 per card. Not bad I guess, but they're postcards essentially. And for a postcard, that's not a great value.

walgreens.com also does a nicer 5x7 folded card with pics, but they're $1.99 a piece! Crazy!

Folks....THERE IS A BETTER WAY THAN ALL OF THESE PUT TOGETHER!!!

My beautiful 5x7 folded card, with an envelope,
that can be highly customized is only .$62!!!
(add as many pictures as you want for a one time charge of $.31)
Can you believe that???
And I haven't even gotten to the best part
that makes this such a great value!!!

*You never have to leave your house to send these cards. In fact, you can send them right from your laptop while sitting on your own couch!
*You have over 3,000 holiday cards to choose from...or you can customize your own!
*You can add as many pictures as you want for just $.31!
*You buy your $.44 stamps right on the site...you don't have to go to the post office!

Here's the really sweet part!
We print them...
We stuff them...
We stamp them...

We mail them for you...

AND YOU'RE DONE!!!
Your cards took just a couple of minutes, so you can quit stressing and
move on to cookie baking and decorating and shopping and family fun!

And that's just Christmas cards ya'll. Imagine having that kind of value and convenience for ALL your card sending needs...birthday invitations, birthday and anniversary cards, Thank You's, sympathy cards, get well soon cards, congratulation cards (I'm starting to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump..."shrimp salad, shrimp scampi, shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp on toast...." LOL).

If you're interested in this system, email me (angiethecardlady@gmail.com) and I'd be glad to share more with you You can also try sending out a card by clicking this link and my automated system will set up a gift account for you to try our service for free.

Thank You and HAPPY CARD SENDING!!!

Christmas Budget

So, this is the year! This is the first time we are taking Christmas shopping for our little girl seriously. Before you gasp in astonishment because we have somehow deprived her, remember, she's just two. Her first Christmas she was just 7 months old, so needless to say there wasn't much to get her besides a few little musical toys and a couple of stuffed animals. Then last year, we got her a dancing Brobee (from Yo Gabba Gabba), and 3 or 4 learning type toys. The rest of her gifts came from family. I'm just so grateful that we have such a generous family that just love to buy for her for Christmas. Not that our family has a lot of money or shower her with gifts, but when you have a large family, and everyone does a little, it adds up to a lot for each kid. But this is the first year that we've been thinking about what we are going to get her for Christmas and it's throwing me for a loop.

This year, our budget is TIGHT! We have made it clear to all the adults (who we usually buy for) that we aren't exchanging gifts with them this year and to PLEASE not buy anything for us. I'm also wondering how or what kind of budget we're going to have for the other kids in the family (7 to be exact). I want to get them all something (remember the everyone doing a little adds up to a lot thing) because I love them and don't get to give to them any other time of the year, but I just don't know what they'd like? I'm usually the really boring aunt that buys every kid a couple of books for Christmas, but who knows what I'll do this year. Whatever it is, it can't cost a lot.

So back to the budget for little G....We've been perusing the toy fliers (I'm really impressed that the big box stores have put out some nice catalog type things this year) and I've been jotting down ideas of things that I think she may like. But I'm sort of getting hung up on what to budget for her gifts. What is a general rule of thumb for buying your child Christmas presents? My first thought was $100...a nice, big, round number. But my husband was like, "Uh, no, we can't do that!" So, I threw out $50 and he said that that was more like it. So what do you think? Is $50 for your 2 year old for Christmas too little or too much. I know it's a personal decision that one has to make according to their family's needs, but I'm just wondering what some of you are doing or what you have done in the past.

I do have a little list going of things that I know she'll be happy with.


I think she would love a doctor's kit.



I also want to get her an art easel. These are pretty expensive, so I'm not sure how that will work out.


I also want to get her some dress up clothes,

some play-doh,
some bongo drums,


and some art supplies (I know...weird list).




But since the papers came out, I have fallen love with the Fur-Real walking kitty. And Target has it with their coupon for only $9.99. She loves kitty cats, so I think it could be a favorite.



And I'm seriously considering getting her her first Candyland. Walmart has it for only $5, and Toys R Us has it for $1 (with rebates...but who wants to fool with that). I know she's only two, but I think I want it more for me than her, so whatever. ha!

So, let me know. What is your budget this year? Are you feeling a pinch this Christmas? Do you buy gifts for all the kids in your family? If so, what are some of the things you get them? I'd love to hear your ideas!

The Snowy Day

Seeing my little G in this red snow suit she got for Christmas reminded me of the book The Snowy Day.

Little footprints like in the book.

She had so much fun.

So much that she threw a little tantrum on the floor when we had to come in.

But a cookie made it all better! Go mommy!