How many holiday cards do you send out?

[jennifer_r]

DH and I have a small family, but by the time you include friends and a few close colleagues, it comes to about 60. Plus, we write a personal note in each one - I guess we don't have to but it seems like a nice touch. 60 seems way too high but maybe it's average.

So, how many do you do?

[denna]

We do about 25-50, but we usually guess much higher than that on everything. DH has a *huge* family, 11 Aunts and Uncles, 26 cousins (not including DH), 2 sets of Godparents (divorced) and MIL and FIL are seperated too. Once you bring in my seeminly small family of 4 (including me), plus some other close relatives and friends we hit the 40 mile marker or so. We always figure much more but usually cut down because we dont send cards to the cousins in college or younger just an 'all-inclusive' one to the parents.

[cmdunn1972]

I bought a box of 25 because I thought it would be enough! I guess I underestimated the size of DH's family. We used the entire box of 25 picture cards, and I don't have any left to send to close friends. I guess I could make do and send regular greeting cards to friends, but I don't have a picture of DS to include. Lesson learned for next year!

[katerinasmom]

We send out close to 90 cards each year - about 70 to family (and psuedo-family) and the rest to friends.

[Jenn98]

We sent 80 this year. And I managed to get a personal note in each one and send a photo of DD, too! And I'm 9 months preggo! (Can you tell I'm so proud of myself;) ) I actually did it with an ulterior motive: I'm due right after Christmas and so I addressed/stamped/put address labels on all the birth announcements as I did the Christmas cards so that I wouldn't have to do it after the baby comes. I'm glad I did it too, since there were about 7 addresses I needed to track down from friends/family who had moved and that might not have happened should I have already had the baby.

[caleymama]

We sent out about 80.

[sidmand]

We were a little late and just did them last night. We ordered 60 thinking that was more than enough...well, at the end we were deciding who should and shouldn't get a card (or a picture of DS) because we only had a handful left! There were definitely a few more we *could* have sent but didn't have to. FWIW, our families are decent sizes but I don't think the majority were to family.

I saw in the B*itching forum about someone hating when they get cards without anything written in them. I hate that too, but have definitely been guilty of it in the past and nearly did it this year because we were so late! But about 90% of the cards we received this year don't have anything at all written in them and so I was determined to write in as many as I could!

Debbie
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[candybomiller]

I'm the lonely 10-24 voter. DH and I are both from small families and just don't have that many friends.

[deborah_r]

I'd love to see a spinoff oh, jow many do you send and how many do you receive! Although I don't have the energy to set it up right now. Because I'm somewhere around 50 sending out, and I know we don't receive near that many. So why do I feel compelled to do this? And it's not just to show off my cute kid, because I sent out cards before he was born too.

[amp]

This might sound harsh, but when someone who isn't really old or really good friends, if they don't send us a card for a year or two or three, they get dropped. If they don't take the time to remember to send one ot me, I'm not gonna bother. So my list tends to remain the same size, even if we meet new people.

[TaChapm]

I always used to write a personal note in all of my cards but as the family has grown I have less and less time. This year I was just happy to get the tree up and the cards out. I did at least take the time to personally address each card rather than print them out on the computer. If someone was sick or had just had a baby I would write a personal note but otherwise I didn't.

I know some people consider it tacky but with 3 kids 4 and under some things just have to get pushed aside. At least they are getting a card and a picture of the kids.

Tara
Mommy to Jackson 11-10-02
Tyler 6-9-05
& Baby Jaci 8-10-06

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[LarsMal]

I order 100, but usually have a few left over. I have a HUGE family, and DH's isn't small, either. Between that and our friends/co-workers, it adds up.

Before we had DS I didn't send out quite as many, but now that he's here and we do photo cards, I send them to everyone. Of course this year I decided to wait until DD gets here and send out a combo Happy New Year/birth announcement. So that may go over 100. YIKES!

[klwa]

I ordered 90 this year and sent out 78 so far. Still haven't given them out at church or to DS's daycare providers, etc. So I'd say we'll have gotten rid of almost all of them.
-Kris

[jgriffin]

I voted 51-75, since I think we usually send out over 50. This year, though...we haven't done them. :( And if we do, they'll probably wind up being part holiday card and part thank you note. I used to write stuff in each card, but our families are large and I honestly don't think most of them care if we write something or not. I agree it's a nice touch, but when I think of the photo cards we receive, almost none of them were personalized.

[jennifer_r]

Glad to hear that my number is in the norm.

Jennifer

Mom to:
Christopher 12/29/89
Adelaide 8/23/04
Bronwyn 11/9/05

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url] Woohoo! 1 year and counting . . .

[Wife_and_mommy]

It's up to about 70. Our list has grown since we had children. I need to go through what we get this year and pare it down.



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I love them most when they are sleeping.--Me
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[SnuggleBuggles]

30-40. I send them to family and close friends. That's it.

Beth

[SpaceGal]

We sent out a little over 50 cards this year. I have a tiny family and DH has four siblings. But with family, friends, and co-workers it just adds up.

I try to include a little note for those people we sent a card to that we haven't spoke to in a while. Otherwise just a holiday greeting. I don't usually write letters but man, writing out just 50 or so cards totally kills my hand.

[katiesmommy]

Yep, I was one of those that said none. Big fat goose-egg. Zip, Zero, Zilch. I don't have enough people to send them to to justify doing them at all. Instead, I'll send out an e-card to the small handful of people.

[Fairy]

Ok, so I'm slightly insane, but here's what I do. I keep the names and addresses of everyone on an Excel spreadsheet and carry over the previous year onto the current one to see who I sent to last year. I write a personal note in each card (more or less) and I since DS's bday is in September, his portrait for that year is new, so I include one in many of the cards (some cards get dupes of snapshots, others get nothing; depends, as truly, not everyone wants to see a picture).

Here's the nutso part. I also log everyone who sent ME a card. I do this cuz one year I realized that there were several people that I'd sent a card to for years and years in a row that never once acknowledged my card, so when DS was born, I decided it's time to stop the madness. So, now if we don't get an acknowledgement (and it doesn't have to be a card, it can be just keeping in touch throughout the year or a measly email) two years in a row, they're off the list. I've got this all logged beginning in 2004.

Tip: Go to Barnes & Noble (or wherever you like to buy boxed cards) the day after Xmas, and you'll find all their boxed cards marked down to el-cheapo prices. I usually buy all my boxed cards for the next year. I buy a couple boxes of Hanukkah, four or five boxes of Happy Holidays and/or Merry Xmas, and one very beautiful "Joy" or "Peace" box. I alwyas have extras from the year before, so i carry those over, too. There are years that I have carry overs from two or THREE years before that makes me say, "hmm, guess I didn't love that card as much as I THOUGHT I did."

Yes, I know. I'm nuts.

[Fairy]

Would you like to be my friend? You seem pretty cool to me!

[crayonblue]

Zip. I got a ton of cards this year and I plan to send out cards next year but this year it just didn't happen.

[mommyto4]

I usually keep it to around 30. It's hard for me to find the time to do those. I don't think I could handle any more than that.

[ribbit1019]

I need to revise my answer I voted under 50 but apparently we sent out more than that 36plus50minus16 is however many we've sent. We got the Costco cards tonight and DH finished them. I told him if wanted cards to go out this year he needed to do it, and he did!!! Two mailing days left before Christmas, but Hey, he did it! Every other year I've only sent out 50 so I have no idea who all is getting cards this year, lol.




Christy
Wife to Richard
My Waterbabies
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[julieakc]

Wow....I guess I really am wacko. I ordered 150 cards...I've sent 114 and DH just asked me for a couple for people at his office.

Edited to correct # (just remembered that I gave a few with non-printed labels)

[candybomiller]

I would be honored to be your friend. :)