We took down our Christmas Cards today

[Anonymous]

So OP - are store bought cards without any family photos third tier holiday cards?

[Anonymous]

Christmas cards? Y’all still living in 1993 over here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Card sending has definitely dropped off. We have this cheap cardboard "wreath" that holds cards, and in previous years it was overflowing and I had to double up some photos. Last year I think it looked particularly sparse. This year it's mostly full but definitely no doubling up.

Here's the thing . . . sending a card is an act of love. It's about spreading joy. It's about trusting that people love you and want to know what you're doing. It's also about trusting that if they don't send you a card, it doesn't mean they don't care. I seriously doubt there are Scrooges out there merrily crossing people off their lists. People are just overwhelmed and tired and cutting themselves some slack. So when you get that, "OMG I got your card, love it! Wish I had the bandwidth to send cards myself!" text you think, well this is nice. We wouldn't have had this interaction if I hadn't sent you my card. I'm glad you received it with love and reached out. And you send a nice text back.

That's all. Don't overthink it. Don't internalize it as rejection. Spread love, and receive love, and recognize that things are shifting from paper to electronic. And while I would take a mailed card over a text any day, I also love our planet and recognize that flying little pieces of paper all over the country perhaps isn't the most eco-conscious way to show people you care.

I don't do posed pictures for the card. I just find some picture of all of us from our year where we're together and looking happy. Yes, it's usually on summer vacation. If you like wearing matching plaid shirts and posing next to a bale of hay surrounded by Autumn-themed tchotchkes, more power to you. But that's not us, and if you can't appreciate that about us and need to judge us, you're being a bit of a Scrooge. It's not a contest. It's just a way to reach out and show people you care about them. Same thing goes for not hand-writing labels. I have tremors in my hands and we sent out over 300 cards. If you like hand-writing yours, again, great! Let that fill you with the spirit of the season. But judging people who can't or don't do it that way . . . is that negativity really necessary?

I feel so loved by the car dealership and the veterinarian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Card sending has definitely dropped off. We have this cheap cardboard "wreath" that holds cards, and in previous years it was overflowing and I had to double up some photos. Last year I think it looked particularly sparse. This year it's mostly full but definitely no doubling up.

Here's the thing . . . sending a card is an act of love. It's about spreading joy. It's about trusting that people love you and want to know what you're doing. It's also about trusting that if they don't send you a card, it doesn't mean they don't care. I seriously doubt there are Scrooges out there merrily crossing people off their lists. People are just overwhelmed and tired and cutting themselves some slack. So when you get that, "OMG I got your card, love it! Wish I had the bandwidth to send cards myself!" text you think, well this is nice. We wouldn't have had this interaction if I hadn't sent you my card. I'm glad you received it with love and reached out. And you send a nice text back.

That's all. Don't overthink it. Don't internalize it as rejection. Spread love, and receive love, and recognize that things are shifting from paper to electronic. And while I would take a mailed card over a text any day, I also love our planet and recognize that flying little pieces of paper all over the country perhaps isn't the most eco-conscious way to show people you care.

I don't do posed pictures for the card. I just find some picture of all of us from our year where we're together and looking happy. Yes, it's usually on summer vacation. If you like wearing matching plaid shirts and posing next to a bale of hay surrounded by Autumn-themed tchotchkes, more power to you. But that's not us, and if you can't appreciate that about us and need to judge us, you're being a bit of a Scrooge. It's not a contest. It's just a way to reach out and show people you care about them. Same thing goes for not hand-writing labels. I have tremors in my hands and we sent out over 300 cards. If you like hand-writing yours, again, great! Let that fill you with the spirit of the season. But judging people who can't or don't do it that way . . . is that negativity really necessary?

I feel so loved by the car dealership and the veterinarian.

Hahaha. And the contractor that did work on our house 15 years ago!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So OP - are store bought cards without any family photos third tier holiday cards?

OP depends.

I got a store bought card with a lovely note. A Hallmark card not a knock off. Had a picture enclosed I could frame of wanted. Hand written address and return address that was first tier.

I also got a card clearly knock offs cheap Chinese made cards from a box set at 99 Cent store. Stick in address, Stick on return address with no note. Those are passive aggressive FU cards and when sent late are straight to trash cards.

[Anonymous]

TLR but Second Tier Cards is the best.

OP, cards are expensive these days. Even second tier Shutterfly plus stamps to send to maybe 75 people cost me easily $200. I didn't even pay for fancy calligraphy or high-grade paper. Add in that most people are on FB or IG so we see each other's kids throughout the year and there isn't much new. Plus, of course, the environmental component.

I still send cards, and I love receiving cards but I understand why many people have stopped doing it. I've cut back and don't send to the random college or former colleague-type people that I otherwise haven't communicated with in a decade or more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TLR but Second Tier Cards is the best.

OP, cards are expensive these days. Even second tier Shutterfly plus stamps to send to maybe 75 people cost me easily $200. I didn't even pay for fancy calligraphy or high-grade paper. Add in that most people are on FB or IG so we see each other's kids throughout the year and there isn't much new. Plus, of course, the environmental component.

I still send cards, and I love receiving cards but I understand why many people have stopped doing it. I've cut back and don't send to the random college or former colleague-type people that I otherwise haven't communicated with in a decade or more.

You do know cards are recycled paper and mailman comes to house anyhow. Posting on line is worse for environment as it is backed up on massive data centers forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TLR but Second Tier Cards is the best.

OP, cards are expensive these days. Even second tier Shutterfly plus stamps to send to maybe 75 people cost me easily $200. I didn't even pay for fancy calligraphy or high-grade paper. Add in that most people are on FB or IG so we see each other's kids throughout the year and there isn't much new. Plus, of course, the environmental component.

I still send cards, and I love receiving cards but I understand why many people have stopped doing it. I've cut back and don't send to the random college or former colleague-type people that I otherwise haven't communicated with in a decade or more.

You do know cards are recycled paper and mailman comes to house anyhow. Posting on line is worse for environment as it is backed up on massive data centers forever.

But is it worse than the post you just made on this forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So OP - are store bought cards without any family photos third tier holiday cards?

OP depends.

I got a store bought card with a lovely note. A Hallmark card not a knock off. Had a picture enclosed I could frame of wanted. Hand written address and return address that was first tier.

I also got a card clearly knock offs cheap Chinese made cards from a box set at 99 Cent store. Stick in address, Stick on return address with no note. Those are passive aggressive FU cards and when sent late are straight to trash cards.

I am just loving these. The idea that seome went through the effort to buy and mail something as an FU. OP if you are not a troll what goes on inside your head is hilarious and mind-boggling to me!

Also who would frame a pic of someone else they received in the mail? That sounds pretty creepy!

[Anonymous]

We’ve been out of town since before Christmas, but USPS informed delivery shows 7 (seven) cards being delivered today.

[Anonymous]

A Hallmark card, not a knock off. 😂😂😂💀💀💀

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So OP - are store bought cards without any family photos third tier holiday cards?

OP depends.

I got a store bought card with a lovely note. A Hallmark card not a knock off. Had a picture enclosed I could frame of wanted. Hand written address and return address that was first tier.

I also got a card clearly knock offs cheap Chinese made cards from a box set at 99 Cent store. Stick in address, Stick on return address with no note. Those are passive aggressive FU cards and when sent late are straight to trash cards.

I am just loving these. The idea that seome went through the effort to buy and mail something as an FU. OP if you are not a troll what goes on inside your head is hilarious and mind-boggling to me!

Also who would frame a pic of someone else they received in the mail? That sounds pretty creepy!

Not endorsing most of OP’s opinions… but I send photographs tucked in most of the cards I send for framing or putting in photo albums. These cards (~10) are to family (including godparents, etc) and while I definitely text them kid photos throughout the year, I also print out a couple good ones for saving. None of us save digital photos or use social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So OP - are store bought cards without any family photos third tier holiday cards?

OP depends.

I got a store bought card with a lovely note. A Hallmark card not a knock off. Had a picture enclosed I could frame of wanted. Hand written address and return address that was first tier.

I also got a card clearly knock offs cheap Chinese made cards from a box set at 99 Cent store. Stick in address, Stick on return address with no note. Those are passive aggressive FU cards and when sent late are straight to trash cards.

I am just loving these. The idea that seome went through the effort to buy and mail something as an FU. OP if you are not a troll what goes on inside your head is hilarious and mind-boggling to me!

Also who would frame a pic of someone else they received in the mail? That sounds pretty creepy!

I just like how Op went from “cards bring me so much joy I am upset I don’t get many of them anymore” to “some cards are FU’s that go right in the trash and others get judged on if they tell a story or have pictures I can frame.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So OP - are store bought cards without any family photos third tier holiday cards?

OP depends.

I got a store bought card with a lovely note. A Hallmark card not a knock off. Had a picture enclosed I could frame of wanted. Hand written address and return address that was first tier.

I also got a card clearly knock offs cheap Chinese made cards from a box set at 99 Cent store. Stick in address, Stick on return address with no note. Those are passive aggressive FU cards and when sent late are straight to trash cards.

I am just loving these. The idea that seome went through the effort to buy and mail something as an FU. OP if you are not a troll what goes on inside your head is hilarious and mind-boggling to me!

Also who would frame a pic of someone else they received in the mail? That sounds pretty creepy!

Not endorsing most of OP’s opinions… but I send photographs tucked in most of the cards I send for framing or putting in photo albums. These cards (~10) are to family (including godparents, etc) and while I definitely text them kid photos throughout the year, I also print out a couple good ones for saving. None of us save digital photos or use social media.

You went through some effort and care at Xmas. You go straight to Xmas card First Tier club. I do save pictures of nieces and nephew. My MIL and my mother treasured photos of grandkids in cards they could frame.

I went to xmas and a 30 year old single “child” was in attendance. He got gifts from uncles and aunts and he got xmas cards in mail. He showed up empty handed and did not send out cards. Like he was raised in a garbage bin.

As he moves forward in life who wants to go to his wedding, give baby shower gifts, who will even attend his funeral. He will die alone like the unibomber in a sad cabin in the woods. But hey his parents saved on a few stamps.

Soon he will be a 40 year old “crusty” DCUM kook - that relative you never see or hear from.

All a chain reaction from his parents poor Xmas card Hygiene. They saved on cards and created not one but three Xmas card monsters children who one day their future kids will ask why is there no one to invite to their parents funeral only to realize the same will happen to them

[Anonymous]

The num of senders has dropped off. Postage is more than the cards.