No card for you!!!

Last week I was telling someone about ordering our Christmas cards to send out this year and how I was hoping that 150 cards would be enough. This person gasped and says, "It's such a waste of money.  Why don't you just give the money you would have spent on cards to a charity instead. That will really get that holiday spirit pumping!" I was caught off guard and didn't know what to say. So here is my response:

I love Christmas cards. I love receiving them. I love taking a picture of my family every year and I love sending them out. I know it is a hassle to get pictures made, a hassle to make the cards, a hassle to address them all and yes, it is not cheap to send. But I love Christmas cards. I save them year to year bound together with a little ring and love to flip through and reminisce.  I love to open the mailbox and see that first card smiling back at me. I love to ooh and ahh over everyone's families and their cute designs and photographs. I love Christmas cards. I love sticking that huge stack of envelopes in the mailbox knowing that in a couple of days, everyone I love is going to see my cute babies faces and will get a chuckle out of it. 

This is truthfully one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I tend to get stressed and bitchy about the planning, gifts, activities, baking etc. but I really, truly love Christmas cards. So instead of giving the money I would spend on them to charity I am going to continue just as I have and send out those fun Christmas cards to everyone I love!  Instead of giving that money to charity, I am going to use it for something that I love and what brings me my own personal Christmas Joy and puts me in the spirit to pass that attitude and joyfulness to my family.  

That is where I get my christmas spirit pumping. And of you have a problem with that...no card for you!