Holiday, Christmas Cards

It may seem like a ways away but Christmas is really just around the corner when it comes to being prepared. Think ahead now and avoid feeling the anxiety and last minute stress that really shouldn't be part of the Holiday Season. Shop the sales racks at your favorite stores now and save time and money. A couple of my favorites are TJ Max and Home Goods (usually located in the same store), Target clearance end caps, and of course Craigslist! Don't be afraid to get something used and turn it into something fabulous. Everyone loves a home made gift.

Christmas Cards should also be on your mind. I absolutely LOVE receiving Christmas Cards, especially photo Christmas Cards. Add a family newsletter in there and I'm a "happy clam."

Here are a couple ideas:

1. Have your baby walk across a long strip of butcher block paper using green and/or red paint (not at same time). Cut that up in 4x4 squares and glue it to folded colored card stock. Use Winter and Holiday shaped paper cutouts to decorate a couple spots, or all four corners.
2. Get your kids to draw a picture of something seasonal, or turn their handprint into something seasonal yourself using a sharpie. Feel free to glue a design to cover with sparkles. Scan it. Go to Vista Print and (using one of their highly promoted sales) make a bunch of copies of one sided cards (or splurge and do a folded card).
3. Support a local photographic artist and do a fun family shot! Order through your photographer for high quality cards, or buy a cd and order your own through shutterfly or snapfish, etc.
4. Take pictures of your kids yourself. Cut and crop and paste mutliple together in a collage form. Use adobe photoshop or hey, scissors and glue (scan finished product at high photo quality) See Vista Print at above #2.

Gift tag finger painted by one year old and labeled with computer printed stickers.