Perhaps some people have more time for sending cards this year, since less time commuting and going out.
Our annual letter has evolved to a format with words on page 1 of the Holiday paper (usually purchased, but this year we have HP InstantInk so used a banner made of my husband’s mountain photo) and photos on page 2. I put a short hand written note on each too.
I appreciate any holiday card. But the more fun ones have a letter or handwritten note or photo.
We sent out a lot again this year. I was actually thinking this might be the last year but DH likes to send them out to keep in touch with people we don’t always do the best job of keeping in touch with over the year. So I ordered several boxes for next year. So I guess we are committed!
There are still some papyrus cards available on line and I always appreciated your posting when their sales hit. I ended up ordering just after Xmas from hallmark. They had some cute cards.
Happy New Year! I miss those Papyrus after-Christmas sales. I am left with 6 cards for next year. Today my daughter noticed that we did get many cards from friends this year. Much more than any other year. If you know of where I can order them I would appreciate it. I don’t even have a Hallmark near us. I appreciated receiving all those cards. It was like getting a nice surprise in the mail each day that brought some cheer.
I can’t imagine buying a card a year ahead of time. I always make the card. Before kids it was usually Santa doing something appropriate to where we were living at the time, after kids it usually had something to do with the kids’ current interests, now it might be topical or it might just be one of my paintings. I get card stock and print them out on the computer along with a short update letter. There have been years when this all seemed like too much trouble or cards went out very late. I did a Valentine’s letter that was pink with Petra pictures one year.
I am impressed by people who have the inclination and talent to handmake
cards. I have one friend from up north who made one this year that folded into itself and stood up. Very clever and very impressive, but not my thing. This year I went out the day after Xmas to see what cards were on left over and on sale and there were NONE. The clerk laughed when I asked where they were and said “good luck- you are late”. This was noon on Dec 26!! For me, I have no problem buying for next year when they are on sale, and apparently lots of people had the same thought! Since we send out over 115 cards, getting them at a discount is a big help for us.@raclut I ended up ordering this year’s post holiday sale cards on line.
I also went into my neighborhood Hallmark on December 26th for their sale and there was not a box of cards to be found. I don’t think I was too late that day - I think they were sold out before the holiday.
I send out photo cards but I like to put checks in cards in my kids stockings. I sent my husband to Target to look for a box of cards a day or two before Christmas and he couldn’t find any.
Crane’s has holiday cards on sale:
I think a lot of people sent out cards this year who haven’t in a while. I’m still getting cards and letters. We’ve never had so many before.
We’ve sent out photo cards with both a greeting and a brief update for years but skipped last year and I thought we might be done. Youngest is 24 and they have their own lives. This year we happened to get a perfect family picture and we also lost our family dog after 15 years (he was in the picture). About December 20 I started feeling sentimental and we ordered cards from Shutterfly with a Happy New Year message rather than our traditional ‘happy holidays’ message. I’m really glad we sent them but it really (really) might be our last year.
I love receiving cards (photo, newsletter, any type) although this year we received significantly less than usual. Not sure if it’s an anomaly or if it’ll be the new normal.
Even so, I was in Target on the 28th and there wasn’t one box of cards left.
I just asked my oldest D and she said she’d consider sending them when she has a family.
I’m still getting some too - all postmarked before Christmas. Have to love what was done to the post office.
We are also still receiving cards here which makes me happy since our tree and decorations came down over the weekend which always makes me sad, but especially so this year.
I received a card today (01/08/21) that was postmarked 12/18/20!!
I have one bill I mailed out 12/19 that still hasn’t been cashed and one donation (very local) mailed 12/12 that hasn’t been received/cashed. Both places usually cash things super quickly.
I hope someone can fix the post office. It doesn’t surprise me at all that some Christmas cards are still arriving.
We received more cards than we have in a long time. People spending more time at home due to Covid or realizing that connecting with your people matters more than ever? It was a nice surprise, but I still didn’t get my act together in time 
You may not be done receiving cards. Today I got an email saying a card I mailed from Colorado arrived on Long Island (NY) on Jan 4th
I just received another card yesterday.
Our daughter lives in Amsterdam so we haven’t been able to visit due to Co-vid. She sent Christmas cards. Funny thing is that rather than addressing them with our names, she addressed them as Mom/ Dad or Grandmommie /Papa. Not sure if I should tell this kiddo with her masters how to properly address an envelope or give her such a big hug! Of course the mailman would know that Grandmommie and Papa live at this address!!
Voting for a big hug !!!I love that she addressed your cards like this - brought up the memory when I addresses a thank you note envelope to my grandmother using grandmother (never grand anything but mother!) and she wrote my parents and told them that they need to teach me how to properly address an envelope and it was not the post office or postman’s business that she was a grandmother (she had to be in her late 70’s at this time and I was the last of the grandkids!).
