🎄 Christmas is less than three months away.
I know. It feels a little early to say that out loud. 😂
If holiday cards are part of your tradition, though, September is actually a pretty good time to start thinking about them.
I started thinking about Christmas cards earlier this month, and part of the reason is that I do a lot of coordinating behind the scenes for my family. I am already putting together template options, looking through potential photos for our collage, and helping get a short family update started for everyone to review.
A lot of those little pieces have to come together before the cards can actually move forward. I do some of that coordinating because it helps my family move faster once we are ready to put everything together.
I also have my own cards to work on for my customers. I am using cards I already have on hand and writing in each one personally as a way to say thank you and let them know how much I appreciate them.
My holiday schedule tends to get busier as the season gets closer, too. Starting early gives me more breathing room and means I am not trying to squeeze every little card-related task into an already-full December.
💌 You do not have to do everything at once.
Honestly, this is probably my favorite holiday-card advice.
You can break the process into pieces and work on them when it fits into your life. I am planning to address envelopes throughout September and October for exactly this reason. With all of the other tasks, chores, and lists that come with everyday life, it feels much nicer to tackle one piece at a time than to create one giant holiday-card project.
Maybe your first step is simply finding the cards you already have. Maybe you want to make your list. Maybe you need to find addresses or decide how many cards you actually want to send.
None of those steps feels particularly huge on its own.
📸 Your holiday photo does not have to be a formal holiday photo.
If you are sending a photo card or including a family photo, you may already have something that works.
Think about a family photo from a trip you took this year. Maybe you have one from a staycation. Maybe someone snapped a picture during family game night or family movie night. A selfie works, too. You could use a photo of yourself, a picture with your pets, or something someone else captured while you were spending time with people you love.
You do not necessarily need to schedule a special photo session just to have a holiday-card picture. Sometimes the photos that already exist are the ones that tell the best story about your year.
✍️ Decide how you want to share your message.
This part can look a lot of different ways now.
You might handwrite a personal note in every card. You might type a family letter and include a copy with your photo card. You might print a shorter update to tuck inside. You might do a combination of a printed family update and a handwritten sentence or two.
There is no rule that says your holiday card has to look a certain way.
If you are including a family letter or photo insert, remember that those pieces take some time, too. You have to write the update, proofread it, print however many copies you need, and then prepare everything to go into the envelopes. Giving yourself extra time makes that process feel much less like a December deadline.
🗓️ Think in small steps.
If you like being ahead of the game, you do not have to finish your holiday cards this weekend. You can simply give yourself a place to start.
For my customers, that last step is the goal. If the cards are already written and addressed, I can get them out as soon as I have everything I need to mail them.
🎁 One tiny step is enough.
You do not have to finish everything today. Even one small step now can make November and December feel a whole lot easier.
Personally, I like getting a few things out of the way early so I can actually enjoy everything that comes with each holiday. I would much rather have a stack of addressed envelopes waiting for me than a giant list of things I still need to figure out.
So if holiday cards are on your list this year, maybe this is your sign to pull them out, make your list, or address five envelopes.
💌 Let us make this a little easier together.
What is one small holiday-card task you could knock out this week?
If you want to share, leave your answer in the comments. I would love to hear what everyone is tackling first!
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