For me, the time change always signifies the beginning of the holiday season (that and Starbucks red coffee cups). And with this busy time comes the annual question… to send out holiday cards or just receive? Take a look at these tips for organizing your holiday card send out (and let me know how you prep for this mass mailing in the comments)!
Set a date to send out the cards and work backwards. Ask yourself, what needs to happen to send the cards out on time? Here’s a short list to get you started:
- Buy stamps,
- Pick out cards (or)
- Have family picture taken
- Choose a group photo from summer vacation
- Update address list of card recipients
- Addressing cards (handwritten or typed)?
- If you haven’t created a master address list, now is the time. It will save you tons of time next year and there’s nothing like having all your friends and family in one spot on the computer.
- Deciding to handwrite each envelope can get time consuming so make it easier on yourself and get the kids involved. They’ll be thrilled to be included and recipients will get a kick out of the handwriting.
- To save time, you can always use the printer to quickly create labels (make them unique by using a fun font or color scheme).
- I would also use this opportunity to look at your backstock of holiday cards. Think about using up the remaining lot you have from previous years and save yourself a trip to the store. By doing this, you’ll free up space in your home, save some money and I can guarantee no one will remember they’re recycled from yesteryear.
- For incoming holiday cards, their shelf life is the holiday season. Recycle them when you take down your holiday decorations so you’re not accumulating massive amounts year after year.
- Does this already seem like more work than you have time for? Remember, no one is expecting a holiday card. The decision remains entirely up to you and if it’s a low priority or there just isn’t enough time in your schedule—just say no.
Image from Flickr user Elliot Stokes used with permission under Creative Commons License
Beth Zeigler knew she was on an organizing path when at the age of 5 she was maximizing her closet space to function as a second bedroom for her dolls. Throw in her background of delegating tasks to her younger brother throughout childhood–and her transition to organizing developed quite organically. Check out her web site at Bneato!Do you have a room or area in your home that needs organization help?
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