Eleven Tips for Sending Christmas Cards

I don't put up a Christmas tree, but I send Christmas cards.
That is, I mean to send Christmas cards. I miss a year here and there, but always with regret. Christmas cards are a tradition started by the first director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum in 1843. A jolly, ol' tradition, I fear it is dying.
Sending holiday cards has declined in the era of Facebook and e-cards. But there are good reasons to keep it alive. If you can't get the task done--it can be a big task--send New Year's cards.
Below are some helpful facts and advice about sending cards:
1. You find out who has moved without telling you.
Every year a few cards come back marked "not at this address." Some surprising, some not. Until Facebook and LinkedIn, if you lost touch with someone, you lost touch with them forever. Perhaps they wanted it that way, but don't let old friends get away that easily. Google them.
2. Don't send cards to people you see everyday.
The practice of sending cards to everyone you know bloats your list. Plus, it negates my number one reason for the card in the first place: to keep or strengthen a connection. Rule of thumb: if the intended lives in the same city, think twice. Exception: you have a cute dog, cat or kids and you send those photo cards.
3. Only buy full-price cards from the Humane Society, the Cancer Society or other charitable organization.
I bought adorable puppy cards this year and 10% of the cost goes to help animals.
4. Not feeling charitable? Buy cards on sale.
Full-priced Christmas cards are expense, closing in on two dollars a card for the nice ones. Add in the stamp and your valuable labor and you can run into some dough. But on the other hand, if it's expensive, it means you have a lot of friends.
5. Send cards to people you want to stay in touch with, but don't want as Facebook friends. Many relatives fall into this category. But send them to your (out-of-town) Facebook friends too.
6. Buy stamps online.
I only use a dozen or so stamps in the course of the year. Thank you, online bill paying. When I needed a hundred stamps fast, I learned how difficult it is to get the sticky buggers. The tiny post office I frequent removed their vending machines and the line that takes a half hour when three people are in it, snaked around the building.
Try to find a USPS truck these days. The problem with mobile post offices is they are mobile. And there is something quaintly old and new about buying stamps online.
7. Use return address stickers.
I am a traditionalist about handwriting the addresses. But this year, return address stickers saved me half the work. Next year, I may figure out how to run labels. If I use a handwriting font, my cards will have the same warm touch without my warm touch.
8. Don't over plan it; you will fail.
Every year, I consider making Christmas cards with a clever photo of G and me in some exotic place or with our animals on the front. The perfect photo never materializes and if you keep waiting, you'll be in the same boat as the Chicago Cubs. Don't hold the bar too high; you will fail.
9. Write a few personal lines in the card.
Some people gold-leaf stamp their names inside their cards or just dash your first name above some deep holiday sentiment. When I get those cards, I think, "that's it?" Why bother?" But I'm still glad they bothered; I feel just a little Charlie-Brownie.
I sometimes just dash first names above my deeply felt sentiment too, but it is usually necessary and I feel bad about it.
10. Don't feel bad about sending a family newsletter.
If a lot of stuff has happened and you only can word it in so many ways, by all means, write the family newsletter. I enjoy them, especially when they are more revealing then they should be. (I didn't know Susie had a drug problem, hmmm.) Before writing, read David Sedaris's Christmas story, "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family."
11. To get into the Zen of it, sing "White Christmas" to yourself.
It'll feel less like a chore, I promise. Once I am on a roll, my personalized lines start getting pithy and I start making small philosophical statements to people I haven't seen in years that have no specific relevance to that person. This year I started wishing some of my recipients a prosperous New Year. Or a Berry Obama Christmas.