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Why you won’t be getting a Christmas card from me

November 30, 2016 by Jill 9 Comments

I’m not a bah humbug person. Far from it. I love Christmas. I’ve been playing Christmas music since mid-November and nagging my husband to get up on the roof and string enough lights so that our house can be seen from space. I wanted to bring our elves on the shelf (yes, there are two) out before Thanksgiving but I was vetoed.

But, if you’re checking your mailbox looking for a Christmas card from me, I’m probably going to disappoint you. I got married in 2009 and I’ve sent out family Christmas cards exactly twice since then. I mailed out really cute custom cards from Shutterfly in 2013 and in 2019. Sending cards seems like a nice thing to do in November but it almost never happens.

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Table of Contents

  • Here’s why you won’t be getting a Christmas card from me (probably)
    • 1. It costs too much
    • 2. It takes too much time
    • 3. You already know what I’ve been up to all year because hello? Social media.
    • 4. It becomes more of an obligation than a heartfelt gesture
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Here’s why you won’t be getting a Christmas card from me (probably)

1. It costs too much

Christmas is a season of giving but it’s also a season of spending. We’re pretty conservative gift givers but there are teacher gifts, white elephant gifts, holiday clothes, holiday tips, holiday food…the list of extra spending starts to add up. One year, I decided I’d make homemade cookies in handmade containers instead of buying everyone gifts and at the end of the day, I’d doled out more cash on baking and craft supplies.

Related: The most popular (and most easiest) cookie recipe on my website

Designing and printing 100+ cards plus postage isn’t a small expense. It won’t bankrupt us but it’s a substantial chunk of change I could put towards some other part of our holidays or just not spend. And so I do just that.

Full disclosure: I did look at the cards offered on Minted.com this year because I have heard good things about them. I just didn’t get very far. Maybe next year. Or not.


2. It takes too much time

Finding the right picture, designing the card, making address labels with cutesy poo Christmas trees, taking the whole shebang to the post office. Maybe it wouldn’t be a massive, stressful time suck if I were more organized and had my Christmas cards done in early November but that usually not be me.

I will always be that person who thinks of Christmas cards somewhere around December 18th, after I’m already knee-deep in my to-do lists and holiday stress. I really love Christmas and all the holly jolly things that go with it but like many people, I have the tendency to pile too much on my plate during this time a year and I usually end up (momentarily) losing my crap at some point during the holiday season, no matter how many times I tell myself I won’t lose my crap.

Telling myself it’s okay not to do all the things is how I get through the holidays and stay semi-sane. It’s okay to remove some things from your list. Because you’ve always done something or because you feel like other people expect you to do something isn’t the best reason to keep doing something that stresses you out or doesn’t give you joy. I’m a slacker when it comes to Christmas cards and I’ve given myself permission to just acknowledge that and move on.

It feels pretty good.

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3. You already know what I’ve been up to all year because hello? Social media.

Social media has changed the way we keep up with our friends and family. Sharing pictures, videos, snippets of news or even longer, more in-depth updates are what most people use Facebook and Instagram for. If you want to know what our major milestones for the year have been or if you want to see a bazillion cute pictures of my kids, all our moments are on social media.


You can argue that we rely too much on digital communication and insist that we should all spend more time unplugged and you might not be wrong, but the reality is that communication has changed. And for me, that extends to snail mailing Christmas cards.

4. It becomes more of an obligation than a heartfelt gesture

I hope someone who plans to send me a card isn’t reading this and crossing my unappreciative ass off their Christmas card list because if you send me a card, I genuine love hearing from you and appreciate the gesture. Unless you’re that guy who keeps trying to get me to refinance my home loan, that is. I’ll put your card on the mantle if I’m feeling ambitious or place it in my little silver snowman basket if I’m not.

Read more: Subscription Box Gift Guide. Buy THE BEST gift for someone without leaving your house!

If your card includes pictures, I’ll ooh and ah over how your cute kids and dogs are and how creative/beautiful/amusing/inspiring your card is. I will cherish any card you take the time to send me. I might send you a text or tag you in a holiday meme to show you I’m thinking of you but I won’t send you a Christmas card, probably. If that gets me knocked off your Christmas card list for next year…well, I more than understand.

If you hate sending Christmas cards or if you’re stressing because you’re afraid you’re not going to get your cards done on time or that your family pictures are going to suck, you’re not alone. If you don’t send Christmas cards, you’re not failing at Christmas and you’re probably not lacking holiday spirit – I know I’m not.

Come on…I own an elf costume and I put up two trees in my house. Nope. No lack of Christmas spirit going on over here. Just a lack of Christmas cards.

And that’s okay.

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9 Comments

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Comments

  1. Kate Hensley says

    December 1, 2016 at 10:39 am

    I went several years sending cards to my old Aunts, my Dad out of state and a few cousins and two close friends out of state. This year my Aunts are all gone as is my Dad and only two out of state cousins remain. On these cards I wrote a message to the individual.
    It was not a lot to do for these important people in the history of my life. I took a few hours in the recliner watching Hallmark and patting the cat from time to time. Cost $12 or so. They don’t care what it looks like, what’s inside is the important part.
    This year I am an orphan at 70 only the 2 cousins remain, with a few friends, have to print my notes in large letters to make sure they can read, but again it just takes an hour or less.
    Happy to say that I have a daughter, two step daughters, 5 grandchildren and 3 great grands now and lhey of course don’t replace parents and husband and aunts and uncles. They have created new loves and family.

    Reply
  2. Mary says

    December 20, 2016 at 4:32 am

    You know what it is BS! I sent over 20 cards this year you know how many I got 1! I am sick of you Scrooges and Grinches. Stick your online quick messages where moon doesn’t shine! BS!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 20, 2016 at 7:28 am

      Wow. Sorry you’re feeling so bad about this. I didn’t send any cards and I’ve received several. I’m happy and grateful for every person who thought enough of me to send a card this year. I hope they’re not cursing me on their end because I didn’t reciprocate. Merry Christmas to you.

      Reply

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All About Jill

I'm a digital content creator and essayist who copes with parenting and most other situations with humor and snark. Just so you know, if this weren't the internet, I'd be smiling awkwardly and answering simple questions like "How are you today" with gems like "I like pockets."

I really do love pockets, though.

I spent 26 years in the USAF, which went by really, really fast. I'm very proud of my service but I'm loving my second act even more. Writing gives me the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and that's what makes me happy. Welcome.

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Jill Robbins
Happy Wednesday. 📷 taken at Wasserman Wranch n Happy Wednesday.

📷 taken at Wasserman Wranch near Alpine. Check my bio link for more information. 

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"Intelligence + Character. That is the goal of tru "Intelligence + Character. That is the goal of true education." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I saw a lot of posts about Martin Luther King yesterday when I was doing my scrolls through social media...on a day where I wasn't supposed to be ON social media, ahem. We hear and see a lot of Dr. King's words and quotes one day a year. So, instead of apologizing for posting this "a day late" I'll share that I'm challenging myself to remember some of these important words more than one day a year.

Our kids are watching us right now. I mean...they're always watching us but I think what they see in these times is more important than ever. Nuturing our kids' intelligence and character is more important than ever. My kids are 10 now - this picture is about four years old - and they are absorbing EVERYTHING we say, how we say it and even what we don't say. 

This mural is near the suspension bridge in downtown Waco. Waco is famous for all the Magnolia things but there's a lot there for families, too, and the park around the bridge is a great place to explore along the Brazos River. 

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Here’s something you’ve probably never seen be Here’s something you’ve probably never seen before: my bottom teeth.
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I always hide my crooked bottom teeth in pictures and I’m super self-conscious when I talk. So I did something about it.
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I wore braces as a kid and my top teeth are straight but my bottom teeth are shifting and one tooth is traveling into the back of my mouth and I have some crowding. My orthodontist said it’s very unusual to put braces on just half your mouth but my bite is still aligned so they didn’t have to put them on my top teeth - my wallet is thankful.
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Questions I’ve already been asked:
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1️⃣ At your age? Yes, at my age. I still care about my smile. 
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6-9 months.
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Little things can really be big - do you agree? M Little things can really be big - do you agree?

My husband gets up with our kids twice a week and does their breakfast and morning routine and takes them to school so I can sleep in. I don't laze away the morning in bed - it usually amounts to about an extra hour of sleep for me and a little more peace and quiet as I start my day. 

This probably seems like a little thing but this is huge for me. The mental benefits of not having to set my alarm on a schoolday is truly my love language. I would rather have sleep than flowers or presents. 

On those morning where my husband takes my kids to school, I will inevitably find the kitchen not "just so." There will be spills on the table or something that didn't get put away. I resist the urge to be sarcastic or to ask "Um, is there a reason we have four boxes of cereal just sitting on the counter?" or point out that it would take less than 30 seconds to wipe a tabletop or put a box back on the shelf. I resist saying stuff like "I guess if I want it done a certain way, I have to do it myself." I don't even say that to myself. 

My husband isn't "doing me a favor" by taking care of our kids. When I talked about being stressed and tired during an argument last year, he offered to take some things off my plate and giving me two mornings where I don't have to set an alarm was one of his ideas. It's part of the give and take of marriage and even though it makes me clench a little when I see spilled milk or stuff that hasn't put away, I appreciate having a partner who shares the load with me. 

My marriage definitely is not perfect and I'm in no position to give relationship advice. But for us, this one little thing is a really big deal. 

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