Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the fifteenth day of the month is "Volume."
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In my regular snail mail rotation, the end of the year is so easy because I can send Halloween cards in October, Thanksgiving cards in November, and Christmas cards in December. It's so much easier than that stretch from May through September when there are no holidays. If anyone is really interested, I also batch send Valentine's cards in February, St. Patrick's Day cards in March, and Easter cards in April. The rest of the months are tricky!
I am planning on sending this large volume of cards out tomorrow, which gives USPS a week to deliver them. For Halloween, I sent them out with nine days to spare and my sister and mom still didn't get theirs until two days after Halloween, so who knows if I'm giving them enough time.
So, I am sending eleven cards to my nieces and nephews, one to my sister's foster child, one to my three regulars, and to two good friends.
I talked to one of my cousin's yesterday and she had been at a family birthday party over the weekend and my aunt and uncle who I send regular mail to had a confab about it. My other uncle (the father of my cousin who I was talking to) who was at the party seemed a bit hurt that I wasn't sending him mail, so I'm a tiny bit worried I'm going to have to send something to ALL my aunts and uncles (and my mom is one of ten siblings, so this could get intense...).
Are you sending Thanksgiving cards to anyone in your life?
That is a LOT of aunts and uncles! My parents both had one brother and one sister, so I can hardly imagine having that many. I don't do Thanksgiving cards myself, but I like the idea. I'm trying to get myself organized to do Christmas cards, though.
ReplyDeleteI am actually debating Christmas cards this year. Everyone else does them, so I think ours might get lost in the shuffle, but if I do them on irregular holidays, it's more meaningful? I don't know. I'll probably do them just because I always do them.
DeleteWow, I'm impressed. I only send Christmas cards, and I can barely get myself to do that these days. I will say that completely out of the blue, my sister sent me a Halloween card this year and it was really fun. So I'm sure these people appreciate getting your cards!
ReplyDeleteI hope they do. I know I like getting snail mail, so I assume other people do, as well!
DeleteWhat ccr and Jenny said...it's enough of a struggle to get Christmas cards out let alone any other holiday. And we don't get any Halloween or Thanksgiving cards either. But with that said, it's never a bad idea to reach out to people and let them know that you're thinking about them.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do like sending them, probably more than people like receiving them, but I do hope they like the acknowledgement that I'm thinking of them.
DeleteI'm not sending any Thanksgiving Cards, but did receive one. I like it, so pretty-- and unexpected. Like getting NY card instead of a Christmas one. Much appreciated
ReplyDeleteI do it because I like to do it, but it's nice to know that people appreciate it!
DeleteI always send Christmas cards, but that's about it these days. When I was a teenager I moved to a new province and sent A LOT of snail mail back to friends I had left behind. Now my daughter has an address book and loves to send letters to her "pen pals" but I mostly just stick with Christmas myself at this stage.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with others - an unexpected card is SO fun!
When I was a teen, I used to send letters to my cousins, but they never wrote me back, so I have never really had a proper pen pal! I'm so envious of Abby.
DeleteI do Christmas cards and then the one off "congratulations on the baby/house/new job!" cards. And Birthday cards sometimes. When I was little, my aunts and uncles always sent me birthday cards, some of which I still have in a box somewhere. I try to send postcards when we travel, but we always forget and then end up writing them at home when we return.
ReplyDeleteI agree - it is so lovely to receive a piece of mail that isn't a bill or ad or request for money.
Oh, I LOVE sending postcards when I travel and I prioritize actually doing it from the location so the postmark is not from my hometown! But I honestly wonder who else pays attention to postmarks.
DeleteI love that you do this! Getting mail is so lovely and fun. My mom usually sends my daughter a Halloween card and a Valentine's Day card, which is so delightful. I used to be much better about sending cards, but it began to feel like a burden rather than something I enjoyed, so I stopped. I do send out Christmas cards, though! It's one of my favorite things about the holidays!
ReplyDeleteGetting holiday cards in the mail is one of the more exciting aspects of the holidays, I agree!
DeleteYou are so great about sending snail mail. That is something I want to work on in 2023. We send Christmas cards but that's kind of it besides birthday cards for my grandma. I take the easy way out and have shutterfly address the envelopes for me, though!
ReplyDeleteIf sending mail isn't your thing, I don't think it has to be your thing! I do it because I love it, but certainly don't expect other people to do it.
DeleteOnly Christmas cards here! It's a lovely idea though. I think since I DON'T ever send mail like that, it might be fun to randomly send some of my aunts and uncles hand written letters sometime. They'd probably get a real shock and surprise out of it! Could be fun. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I heard on a podcast today something about ways to reduce holiday busyness, and one of the suggestions was to use pre-printed address labels/ return labels to speed up that process. Hand writing the addresses on is actually my favorite part of sending the cards! I don't really "love" the process of picking photos/ designing the card (I typically make a card highlighting a few of our favorite travel pics from the year). It can be a hassle to find pics that fit the template, look good together, etc. But once it's ordered and done, I really enjoy just sitting by the fireplace with a tea with my lap desk and writing out the envelopes. :)
My mom used to be really big on postcards when I was little! She'd send them to my grandma, and when the boys were little she'd mail them postcards too if they were traveling. Gosh, I don't think I've sent or received a postcard in ages! That just made me a little nostalgic.
I have an return address stamp to make addressing envelopes easier. I haven't written our address on an envelope in years! I do handwrite the send addresses, though, because I'm too cheap to pay for the printing. I'm sorry, I meant "frugal."
DeleteOops, forgot my question- are these cards you send like all Hallmark type cards? Or are they blank cards that you buy big stacks of? Or handmade cards? Or simply a letter? Just curious, as I find actual cards in the store to be quite expensive, to buy a single birthday or other card.
ReplyDeleteOh, good question! I have a bit of everything. Maybe I'll write a post about this!
DeleteI love that you send snail mail regularly! I think an actual letter in the mail is still the greatest pleasures ;) I don't send mail for Thanksgiving, but I will for sure send holiday cards.
ReplyDeleteI agree that getting "real mail" is one of the greatest surprises an adult can have. It's such a joy.
DeleteI think getting a letter or postcard is one of the greatest things. I only send Holiday cards, maybe birthday cards here and there.
ReplyDeleteI try to be on the ball with birthday cards, but I'm not going to lie, I've had to send many a belated birthday card in my day!
DeleteI have never herd of TG cards, but it isn’t such a big deal here. I have even pretty well given up Christmas cards although I tend to make one and send it via email. Postage is very expensive here.
ReplyDeleteI love that you send so much Snail Mail; it really is a special experience when someone takes the time to do that.
ReplyDeleteI need to do better and you are inspiring me!
This is so fun! I don't think I've ever received a Thanksgiving card, but what a cute idea. I don't send snail mail AT ALL, not even Christmas cards. It's just not my thing!
ReplyDeletethanksgiving is not a thing in germany so no cards. But i am an avid christmas card sender and need to start preparing that...
ReplyDeleteMy mom is a classic card-sender, like you. This year? Holiday postcards. They should arrive - I hope - early this week.
ReplyDeleteI would bet anything that the people who receive your cards love them, whether they're willing to admit to that or not. :)