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Holiday Cards- How Personal?

The address book thread made me think of sending holiday cards, and how people feel about the ones that people get printed and then just stick in the envelope to mail without a personal note.  My mom and I have very different opinions, and I wonder if it's a generational thing or just varies person to person.  I don't have a problem with the "mass-mailed" type of holiday cards (and that's what we are sending this year) because I figure it's the thought that counts.  I see both sides; I would love to be able to write a note to each person, but there are about 50 families on our list and that is just daunting to me at this time of year.  I ordered some off Tiny Prints and will be hand-addressing the envelopes and getting them out in the mail this weekend.  I'm thinking of writing "thinking of you" or "much love" on each printed card to personalize it a little.

My mom thinks that unless you write a long personal note on each card, it's pointless to send one out.  When she gets the photo cards without a personal note, she just says "is that it?" and is disappointed.

Are you insulted when people who send you cards don't write a personal note?  Do you try and personalize a photo card to get a little of each?  What's your approach/preference?

Re: Holiday Cards- How Personal?

  • @SarahA519 - I want to say I'm disappointed (because sometimes I am) but that is super hypocritical because the cards I sent this year were pre-printed photo cards. I usually do personalize the note in my Christmas cards but I decided to use a wedding photo on them this year and I don't think I could write on the type of paper they were printed on. 



  • We sent out just plain ones this year with no notes..I thought about it, but I was lazy and I own that. I think its the thought that counts tho.
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  • I think they are both personal in their own way.  The generic cards you buy in target of 50 you can make personal with a hand writtten note.  You can also personalize a holiday with a beautiful family photo.  I enjoy getting the family photo cards with my friends who have kids I get to see how their kids are growing up.

    Anniversary

  • I definitely can see where there is lots of room for different opinions.  I LOVE when there is a handwritten note, but just don't have it in me this year to do for others.  Maybe next year will be a different story.  I should come up with a nice sentence and buy cards next year with more space to write. 

    @Peaseblossom55: I'm not really writing a note, but we didn't use a picture either, so I guess we're kind of out of luck.  Definitely food for thought for next year.

  • I think in this day and age, sending any card at all is somewhat personal. I think most people realize you aren't just sending one to them and you have time to write a novel to 50 people. Don't feel bad at all. It is indeed the thought that counts.
  • I'm disappointed when people don't write personal notes on them, not gonna lie. Even if the card is a photo card that's personalised -- take the extra five seconds and write a note.

    We used wedding photos (figured it was the only year we could do that without being AWish), and printed them through VistaPrint. The front was personalised and had "Love, DH and HisGirl."

    But then on the back of all four dozen of them, I wrote a personal message. Some were short (and redundant): "Wishing you a happy Christmas and a very merry new year!," and others were longer and more personal, but I wrote something on all of them, no matter what. 

    Honestly, it took me longer to address the darn things than to scribble a personal message on them. 
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    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • I'm disappointed when people don't write personal notes on them, not gonna lie. Even if the card is a photo card that's personalised -- take the extra five seconds and write a note.

    We used wedding photos (figured it was the only year we could do that without being AWish), and printed them through VistaPrint. The front was personalised and had "Love, DH and HisGirl."

    But then on the back of all four dozen of them, I wrote a personal message. Some were short (and redundant): "Wishing you a happy Christmas and a very merry new year!," and others were longer and more personal, but I wrote something on all of them, no matter what. 

    Honestly, it took me longer to address the darn things than to scribble a personal message on them. 
    I did the same exact thing!



  • @Swazzle -- great minds think alike!! 
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    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • I will give props to my man: he insists on signing his own name to every card we give/send. I thought for Xmas cards he wouldn't, but he did. He always insists I sign my own name as well.
  • I don't mind the mass mailed Holiday cards at all. It's not like a thank-you note I don't think it needs to be personalized.


  • I personalize some and not others depending on who the card is going to. Some people just get a picture and a brief "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love lm and BF" and others I actually write out a letter. The ones I write out a letter are going to people like my grandparents, best friends from college, aunts and uncles I have a close relationship to, etc.



  • I personalize some and not others depending on who the card is going to. Some people just get a picture and a brief "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love lm and BF" and others I actually write out a letter. The ones I write out a letter are going to people like my grandparents, best friends from college, aunts and uncles I have a close relationship to, etc.
    This is how I was too this year. We sent out about 60 cards but only put a personal note in some. I don't mind when people don't personalize them. I just like that people thought of me/us in the first place.
  • I'm (currently finishing up) mass-produced cards. Most of them I'm just writing "Merry Christmas, me and FI. Some of them I'm doing little doodles in, mainly for people who I don't see throughout the year. 

    I got caught up in trying to stay on top of baking this year that I forgot about Christmas Cards, if I had more time, I'd do doodles in all of them.
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    Anniversary
  • I write at least something on each card, even if it's just "Have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! Love, Emmy and Husband." I do get a little disappointed if people don't write anything, but it's nice to even receive a card.
  • I took everyone's advice and wrote a message on most of the cards. A couple of the cards we being sent to people we had already received cards from with no message. The quick message (longer for some people) didn't take much time at all. I think after writing what felt like a million thank you cards last week, I just needed a push to write notes again.

    Thanks everyone! I personally still do not mind if I get an unpersonalized card, but now see most people do (at least a little) so I figured I'd write them and do things the best way I could.

    @Pepperally: My H insists on signing too, and I make him lick the envelopes. It's a good compromise!
  • I am sending my cards out tomorrow and wasn't going to add a little note but probably will now. We did our family photos on the front and the four animals on the back. We only have 30 cards to mail out so it shouldn't take too long.
  • I think pre-printed cards are fine. I love getting personal messages, but we send 50+ cards a year and there's no way I'm hand writing that many messages. PLUS, I actually prefer to see pictures. So many cousins and friends live out of state and it's so much fun to see recent pics of what they've been up to in the last year. We actually have a board in our entry way where I hang them all and leave them up through January.
  • Personally, I like the picture holiday cards, and the short and sweet ones.

    Giving me a laundry list of every good thing you've done this year just makes you seem boastful, and sort of like an asshat.  Especially because if we're even remotely close, I already know those things.  And if we're not close, I don't care.

    Just my .02.
  • I just sent out my Christmas cards on Saturday. I have always gotten practically-free vistaprint cards. This is what I got for 2013:
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    I typically do not write a personal message, due to the glossy feel of the photo cards. Practically everyone I know sends this style out. I wish more people in my friends/family sent them out, I love seeing them every year.
  • Most years I do a newsletter with updates, our favorite books and movies of the year, and a word search or something similar. This year it was postcards only! I do write a short message, but I get so few cards from people (I get more from my insurance company than from family and friends!) that I'm happy to get any card, message or no!
  • I might write something like "Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" and then sign our names.  That's it.
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