Holiday Cards

If you send out a stack of printed Christmas, Hanukkah, or holiday cards this year, include a personalized note on each one. It can be as simple as signing your name. Just include something to show that the person you are writing to wasn't just a field on a mail merge document.

The first year I sent out holiday cards from our family, I was the model of efficiency: posed family photo with standard pre-printed holiday greeting, laser-printed mailing labels that my Excel spreadsheet spit out, even laser-printed return address labels with little snowmen on them. I had those things signed, sealed and delivered in 2 days. I was pretty proud of myself.

It wasn't until a year later that it hit me: I had not so much as signed my name on one card. Of course my name had been printed on each one but without a handwritten message, that Christmas card was as impersonal as a plain red Christmas stocking from Target. From then on, I've always spent a few extra minutes to personalize my cards by handwriting something, anything! If you've ordered a photo card, you can write it on the back or find a space on the photo itself.

Remember: the point is to write it by hand, not have it printed. Knowing you thought of them personally is what makes your recipient smile (in addition to that adorable picture you've sent). Here are a few examples of things to write:

• Happy holidays! Love, The Smiths
• Hope your holidays are happy! The Smiths
• Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
• Looking forward to seeing you soon! Love, [first names of family members]
• Loved your card!
• Greetings from [state you live in if different from recepient's]

There's definitely nothing wrong with having a message printed on your card. Just factor in what you plan to handwrite so your printed message doesn't duplicate it.

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