Well its that time of year again when I turn into the Crazy Christmas Mom. Happens every year no matter how hard I try to remain calm and in control. This year, however, I am determined to enjoy it all without any craziness. This year I am forced to preplan every last minute; have every hour accounted for. Both my kids are in weekend long hockey tournaments between Thanksgiving and Christmas. For the first time ever, my house was decorated and Christmas cards photo was taken before Thanksgiving. The Christmas decoration part was easy. It's getting the 2 kids and the dog to actually look happy for the Christmas card that sends me into the first phase of Christmas craziness. How one very happy family can look so miserable in a photo, I'll never understand. But me trying to take the Christmas card picture is nothing short of torture for everyone involed. That is until this year. A friend of mine is starting her own photography business and I signed up to be her first customer. The photo was taken. The kids and the dog laughed and smiled the whole time and actually had fun doing it. Next step was off to Shutterfly for the card selection process. Problem here was that I had so many great pictures and Shutterfly has even more great cards to choose from. Where to begin? Try here:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards
There are pages and pages of styles to choose from. From 1 photo to several. From flat card to folded. There are so mnay choices, I may even make a calendar for the grandparents with pictures of the kids on every month: http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars
All my time management is being thrown out the window as I sit here trying on different card styles on my pictures. It's simple. Upload your pictures to an album on Shutterfly's website and experiment with hundreds of different styles. From contemprary, to traditional, religous, Christmas, or general winter themes. There is something for everyone at Shutterfly.
My kids love to have our dog in the photo, as do I, but sometimes, I admit, he takes away from them. He is big and white and huge and seems to suck up all the flash. He tends to be the focal point, overshadowing the kids. I found a way around that on Shutterfly. I can have a folded card with one photo of just the kids on the front, and on the inside flap will be another picture with them and the big white furry friend.
So, don't waste any more time! Get over to Shutterfly and start trying on cards for style. The sooner you order, the happier you'll be. I have always been thrilled with the customer service from Shutterlfy and the quality is fabulous. One step in the right direction of a Calm Christmas Mom!
