Christmas.. Christmas.. Christmas time is here... and that means..

Christmas Cards!  Yes, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet (ok it's TOMORROW!  yikes!), but I have already been thinking, and more importantly STRESSING about the perfect Christmas Card. 

I heard about this awesome promotion that Shutterfly was having, 50 free cards if you blog about them!  I was floored.  I was already checking out the new selection of cards on their site, and lo and behold, this great promotion has dropped in my lap!  It was fate.  Ok, it was kind of spooky that I had just been telling some friends about Shutterfly's great new selection.  I admit, I had checked out the competition, Kodak gallery, snapfish, even walgreens.  But BLECH.  Boring.. nothing exciting.  I think I have seen the same cards on those sites the past 3 or 4 years. 

I have used Shutterfly in the past for cards.  I think the quality is amazing and the shipping is super quick. They are forever having awesome deals, sales and coupons.  This year, is even better (or maybe worse!) because they have really stepped up the selection.  So many choices....  what to do.. what to do..  I am really liking the simplicity of the designs.  In all honesty, they look like the same designs that I have seen on much more expensive sites.  I tend to have a love affair with Shutterfly for their Holiday Cards anyway.  I think their site is easy to maneuver, and working in a web ui environment, I am all about user experience on web sites.  I like the fact that I can filter my results.  I know I want a bunch of pictures, I know I want the larger card size option.  Heck, I could even narrow it down by color, which is really cool.

Link to Shutterfly's full array of Christmas cards

I have definitely narrowed it down to a few choices:



or this is nice:



or this:



I think I am liking this last option.  I was forever doing the card with one big picture of the kids, and three little pictures; one for each of the kids.  This year, I am forgoing the formal pictures, and I have decided I am going to go with a bunch of pictures from the year.  Showcasing some of the fun things we did as a family.  And like bigfoot or the loch ness, I may make a rare appearance on the Holiday card...

I do have to say that I get a bit stressed out with the cards.  I want the perfect looking card, I want the wittiest, sweetest and most perfect saying.  I have a draft of the card already saved.  I am waiting to see if I can get a nice dressed up family picture tomorrow on Thanksgiving. But who knows. The kids do not always like to cooperate.  They see Mom pull out the camera and they skeedaddle...  or my favorite is when they are all posed so nicely.. the battery in the camera usually dies, one of them has to start hitting the other, or my personal fave, when I say.. ok, look at me...  they all look in different directions.. I am not really sure if they don't realize that I am speaking to them from behind the camera...  but they all end up looking away from me.. maybe this year I will say, look away from me.. whatever you kids decide to do.. DO NOT LOOK AT THE CAMERA...  I am sure that will bring a lot of shock and confusion.. and maybe.. just maybe.. the perfect shot.... 

This year I am thinking that I might do a few calendars as well.  I love the personalized Calendars.  Last year my siblings and I got all the kids together and had a bunch of pictures of the kids done for our parents.  We put them in to a calendar and also made collages of the images for them.  Out of all the gifts that my parents recieved, their favorite by far was the calendar.  They get to see the smiling faces of their grandkids every day.  I have to admit I have one up in my cube at work as well, and I am forever getting compliments on it.  Of course it could be that my kids are just so stinking adorable.  But it is a great idea.  What I love about it too is that you can put in important dates.  Each year I am forever having to write in birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  This is so much easier.  I just type in the important date and viola! 



I have also been eyeing the photo mugs.  I mean who wouldn't want a mug with the mugs (ok, crickets.. not funny.. I KNOW!) of my kids on it..  It's the sole reason my ex husband drinks coffee on the one night a week that he takes the kids overnight.  Wouldn't that make a lovely gift for him and his girlfriend?  They can sit and stare loving at eachother over a nice morning cup of coffee, with our kids pictures on it.  I think that's a brilliant idea...  I am going to get right on that.  You can even order a mug that comes with chocolate.. what's better than that?  Yummy..  chocolate..  It's great marketing, put chocolate in any picture and I am sold... 



So I close this blog with this..  Go to shutterfly... Check out their awesome selection.  You definitely won't be disappointed.  I have never been.  I mean seriously.. what more could you want..  Great selection, great prices, super fast shipping, and unbelievable quality. 

Another thing I have noticed, when I get cards in, I tend to flip them over and you see where the cards were created from.  I think a good 80% of them are from Shutterfly... So if you haven't jumped on the band wagon or drank the Shutterfly Kool Aid, I challenge you to at least check them out.. See the selection, but please please please do NOT suggest any additional card styles to me.. because I have a hard enough time narrowing it down on my own!! 

And if you are a blogger, well then put your blogging hat on, and get on it..  You would be foolish not to!