Time to mail all the Christmas cards and Holiday greetings. It’s snail mails shining season. And I love all things about it. But I recognize it can feel overwhelming, like an obligatory chore even. Here are some of my top tips to put the joy back into sending Christmas cards:
*Get your postage stamps early – especially if you want the holiday themed ones, they often run out. It also saves you from worrying about it later when you are ready to sit down and write the cards. Aren’t this years stamps from Canada Post beautiful. Which ones do you like best?
*Family photo card? Get the camera out now. Don’t make it a bigger deal than it needs to be and don’t hold out for the ‘perfect’ shot. Some of the best family photo cards over the years for me have been the casual ones and even some ‘blooper’ ones.
*Set up a designated space in your home for writing your Holiday mail. This way you can pop in and out and write a few cards when you feel like it without having to go through the whole ordeal of regathering supplies and setting up. If no corner is available, put all supplies in a tote bag and pull out when you need. This option also lends itself nicely to writing cards in cafes or at your library.
*Don’t forget why you are sending the cards. It is that magic of snail mail, that personal connection that travels from mailbox to mailbox that means so much. We are sending our holiday greetings and best wishes to people we care about. It is about caring and making time for people.
Keep reading for more tips…
Mailing deadlines
*Start earlier than later – nothing worse than ‘cramming’ to get your cards done. Kinda sucks the joy right out of the whole experience. Mailing deadlines for cards (not packages) set out by Canada Post for Canada are as follows:
LOCAL – December 19th
REGIONAL – December 18th
NATIONAL – December 15th
USA – December 12th
INTERNATIONAL – Dec 1st (depending on country there may be slightly different deadline dates)
More info on mailing deadlines by Canada Post
Holiday Mail deadlines from United States Postal Service
Royal Mail has their own schedule as well
Try something new
* Send out your holiday mail later – perhaps waiting until the New Year is an idea that works better for you. Sending out a ‘Happy New Year’ card would delight and also lighten the burden of the Christmas deadline
* Holiday card swap – a twist on the cookie exchange, suggest to your friends a card swap, how fun would that be! Include a recipe inside.
*next level – take your card decor up a notch by using washi tape, wax seals or vintage holiday stamps
* Host a Christmas card writing party – invite all your friends and tell them to BYOC (bring your own cards), put the hot chocolate on and write your cards. A Christmas Letter Writing Social if you will.
What other ideas do you have that would encourage all of us to send Christmas cards?
I’ve have already started and now I realise I’ve been following all these tips… Before having read them! 🙂
This year, I’ve decide to write longer letters to people I hardly communicate with. For the close friends and family, a short note would do.
Oh, I just love that lighthouse stamp! Christmas stamps from Spain aren’t my favourite this years, and you can buy them before 20 November. So I’m sending the postcards and letters with past years’ stamps.