se7en

Our Christmas Planning List needs some attention, it is nearly mid-November and I need to get going beyond just writing a list of things to do…

Our Christmas Boxes are stuffed and the pile is getting stacked at the door as little people add their last bits and pieces…

So, the next thing in our list of Christmas things to do is the Christmas cards.

We love Christmas cards in fact if you want to see how important to us they are have a look at our Christmas Card post from last year: Real live letters from fairy princesses and the postman and all that!!!

So many of our friends live on the furthest side of the world and I must say there was a stage in our life when we had more friends scattered to the four corners of the world than locally. Bizarre but true! Anyway instead of sending gifts to the four corners of the world we send cards.

Now I am not planning to have our cards posted by the weekend but it is one of those projects that can easily be split into “baby steps” and so is achievable by the end of the month.

Here are our Se7en steps to Christmas Cards:

1. Envelopes: If you choose to send open post cards or cards in envelopes you will need to gather some postage supplies.

2. Addresses: I have a drawer where I keep all our post related goodies… writing paper, envelopes and our address book. Every year as our Christmas Cards arrive in the post I slide the incoming addresses into the front of our address book and then when I address our outgoing cards I check that the addresses all correlate and make any updates.

3. Addressing the Envelopes: This could be the most daunting thing about Christmas Cards and depending on how many cards you send out it can really be a drudgery job. I keep everything I need in one spot and when I get a chance I sit and address a couple of cards. A couple a day over the next two weeks will surely cover our list. Not to mention I totally love my address book and frankly I could go and live in such a fun and colorful place.




4. Photographs: Now that the boring part of the project is underway… we can get onto the fun stuff!!! I try and include an up-to-date photograph of all the kids – believe it or not, not everyone is on the internet (!!! – still) and so especially for those folks a photograph is essential. Also it is nice to have an annual photograph of everyone… That being said it is not that easy to get a photograph of se7en + 1 kids all looking basically all-right, not necessarily all smiling and/or looking in the direction of the camera!!! – Trust me this may not be achievable and maybe I should do individual pictures and collage them!!!

5. Crafting: Crafty cards are fun… and they will most likely include sticking, folding, cutting, drawing whatever. I need to be inspired for this. A deadline helps! And while I don’t have to get crafting today I need to be looking at lots of ideas to get my mind in gear. I saw a lovely collection of Card Craft Ideas over at Kids Craft Weekly. Otherwise Family Fun, Kaboose and Craft Jr. will have lots of crafty card ideas – not to mention Se7en!.

6. Words and Putting it all Together: I am not one for a huge amount of words in our cards – Happy Christmas and everyone’s name is quite enough for me to achieve. So last bits and pieces need to be added to the card, sometimes I get lucky and find a teeny tiny South African Decoration, like a bead ornament, to pop into the envelope. Then stamp them and pop some stickers on the envelopes and we are in the home straight.

7. Post Office: This is the most daunting thing about the entire project… I will have to go with se7en + 1 trailing along behind me. Queues we can do, even all the space age things to fiddle with in our post offices we can do – I know they are trying to engage their customers in all things postal – but they may have missed their market with all their funky colored machinery and buttons to press and stacks of postal goodies all at knee height – moving on!!! The most daunting thing is getting to front of the queue and then havong to pay attention to the person there… thats generally when the wheels come off!!! And I will be told that Christmas cards should have been sent in march and now you will need to pay at least half a months salary per card in order to get it to its destination in time… Harsh truth: I don’t care if it gets there on time I am far more concerned that it leaves me on time (and March is not that time – the end of November is)!

Now my deadline really is the end of November I really don’t feel like having this project lurking around in December… but trust me don’t panic if it ends up to be Christmas Eve and you still havn’t posted them. Reframe your “mental picture” and send your friends New Year Cards. Trust me on this, there is nothing nicer than a real live letter from the far side of the world, whenever it arrives!!!

And just in case you think this ship of “Se7en + 1″ is rolling along in perfect order – one year I didn’t send New Year cards or even Valentine cards, eventually I sent our overseas friends Easter cards. Trust me you can always move the gateposts and friends should be friendly enough to understand that life can get away somewhat!!!

I popped this post onto the Works For Me Wednesday Site – go and have a look there for all sorts of tips on absolutely anything.

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