Second Annual Christmas Card Challenge

It's no secret that I love Christmas cards. I send them out every year, no matter what. There have been times I got them in the mail only a couple days before Christmas, but they still got out! Over the years I have noticed the amount of cards we receive is directly related to the amount I send out. I send out a lot. Thus, we get a lot. It is like a party in my mail box during the month of December and I love it.

Last year I decided to do a Christmas card challenge. I am doing it again this year, but upping the anti. This year a $20 Starbucks card is at stake. I decided to stick with the same categories I did last year:

• First card to arrive
• Best handwritten note
• Best photo(s)
• Best update
• Best overall

Once I choose a winner from each category...actually the first to arrive category is all about how punctual someone is...I will draw a name from those five people and that will be the winner of the $20 Starbucks card. 

If you want to join in the fun, but don't have my address, feel free to email me at jgrimbleby(at)gmail.com and I will provide you with an address to send it to. And be sure to check out last years winners for some inspiration. 

And, just in case you doubted how into Christmas cards I am, I actually picked ours out in October. But, I wait to order them until Thanksgiving weekend because there are always insane card sales that weekend. I told you I am way into Christmas cards...maybe too much! 

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Christmas Card Challenge

I love Christmas cards. I have been sending them out since Ian and I got married. Notice the "I". I am quite certain that Ian could care less about sending out Christmas cards, but I enjoy it. So there you have it.

The month of December is an exciting one for me because I LOVE GETTING CHRISTMAS CARDS. It literally makes my day. That makes me sound pathetic. But it does make me oh-so-happy. I thought it would be fun to start a tradition of showing off my top five cards received according to categories. And if this breaks some friendship privacy laws by sharing someone else's Christmas card, I am guessing I will know next year when I don't receive one from you! But, you won, so get over it! 


First card to arrive - Most people (myself included) seem to get their Christmas cards out right before Christmas. Not my friend Brittany. She is on top of things and won the coveted spot of being the first card to grace my Christmas card holder.

   
Best handwritten note - I love photo cards. I pretty much think they are the best. But I also love handwritten notes with the cards...which is ironic given I didn't even see my cards before they went out this year (I had the company I ordered them from send them out). I have to say, this was my favorite note from a former co-worker/friend.

   
Best photo(s) - Do you see this family?! They look like they belong in a magazine!

   
Best update - Not many cards come with updates or letters anymore now that most people send out photo cards. I do like it when people put the ages of their kids on the photo cards though so I can once again be reminded how old I am because my friends have kids that are already how old?! Anyway, my friend Anna knocked it out of the park with her year by the numbers update. I mean, she included cups of coffee consumed, what's not to love about that?!

   
Best overall - I am not quite sure what it is about this card, but I was drawn to it as soon as I opened it. I don't know if it is the picture, the cool font used or the simplicity, but I really like it. And it so happens that I am related to these folk by marriage, sort of.

And since I am showing off Christmas cards, I should show off mine so you can rate it too. Go easy though because I really like the design of it and am already thinking how hard it will be to top next year...I told you I was in to Christmas cards!

Sorry for the bad pictures. Taking pictures of cards is way harder than I expected. 


Now you know the categories, so feel free to spend the next 11 months designing the perfect Christmas card so you can win one of the coveted spots on Jessica's Top Cards next year.

So did you send out a card this year? Do you normally? 

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Around the House

Lately a little house has been providing hours of entertainment for my kids. Seriously, hours. Everyone that enters our house must first be shown the house by Connor. Got that? House within a house. It's amazing that such a simple thing could provide so much enjoyment. The thing is made of cardboard after all.

It's only been up a few days now and taken such a beating. Heck, it took a beating within minutes of being assembled. Hello child attempting to jump through the window! Everyday I have to go at it with tape. And everyday, practically every hour, it is in a different position in Connor's room.

 

As for the coloring, you would have thought the kids would have been all over that. In fact, Connor was begging for the markers. Once they were out, he had no interest. He watched while my brother and I colored the house...for an hour! Who knew it would be so fun to color a cardboard house?! My brother just told me today, I need to come back over so we can finish coloring the house. SO MUCH FUN. I'm not quite sure why, but it is.

This has made me realize that it is about time I start stalking craigslist for the perfect little play house for our backyard. I am thinking my kids would love it. Plus, I don't think this cardboard one can last too much longer with Connor around. He climbed up on the roof. I kid you not. The roof of a cardboard house!