Who gets your Christmas/holiday card?

[emscraps]

We pretty much send cards to all our family and close friends, much to my husband's complaints..LOL. I usually cross them off the list if they were aquaintances from something, for example my 13 year old's preschool friends, that we haven't talked with in more than 5 years. Or something like that.

[MSPeeler]

Wow. This post actually made me think. I find it very selfish to be honest to not send a card (if you can afford to!) out of spite because they dont send one back. These past 2 years have been very hard fianancially for us, so I only send a card to 10 people. My brothers, in laws, parents and grandparents. I would be heartbroken if a family member didn't send me a card, but others in our family one only because I wasnt able to send one that year.

I don't wan this to come off rude, just how I genuinely feel. XOXO

[Tree City]

Michelle, I find it interesting that you assume that I stop sending cards out of spite. (And your post wasn't rude. You said what you think, and I respect that.) I must say however, that as far as why I send--or don't send--a person a card, I respectfully disagree with your assumption. I realize that I stated what I did but I didn't explain WHY. So, here goes. I give someone two years to send me a card before I stop sending one to them. The first year I don't get a card from someone, I assume it's because (1) you lost my address, (2) your card was lost in the mail, or (3) you just forgot about/didn't do cards this year. The second year that I don't get a card from you but I've sent YOU a card, I assume you have my address (because I've now sent 2 Christmas cards to you, plus random notes/photos throughout the years), so not sending me a card must mean that you don't want to send out cards and you don't want one in return. I don't want to stop sending you a card, but I'd be so embarrassed if you got my card and just threw it in the trash. I work hard to make my card--this year involved not one, but TWO stinking photo sessions because DD refused to smile in the first one lol and a few hours in front of my computer and then of course the $27 just to print the cards, plus money for postage and envelopes and the time to address envelopes--and I want the card and the sentiments that go with the card to be welcome in your home. If you stop sending me a card then I take it that you don't want a card from me. (And I'm using the universal "you" here, obviously. LOL!)
And money is tight for pretty much every family that I know. And time is important for everyone. Michelle, you mentioned that you're sending out 10 cards this year. I asked in my original post who gets your holiday card and why. You are sending cards to family--your rule smartly involves saving money as well as giving the card to the people who matter to you. And that's part of my strategy too: I want to send cards to the people who want them, and if you don't send me a card, then I'm going to save my own money by not sending one to you. And if a friend or family member of mine doesn't have money to send out cards, I don't know if I'd want to send them one because I don't want that family member to feel guilty about not being able to send one in return.
As for spite...well, I hate my MIL. Hate her. And I don't like her sister (the aunt I mentioned in OP). Actually, there are basically 2 people in DH's family that I don't dislike. So when I address anything to them (bday card, Christmas card, whatever), I grind my teeth because having to interact in any way with these gossip-mongering banshees makes me want to punch myself in the face. So, is it spiteful to be annoyed that Aunt used MIL to get DH to tell me that I should send Aunt a card? I don't know. But I sure as hell hate the passive-aggressive BS that DH's family pulls, and having to deal with them at the holidays makes it doubly worse because I want to be happy this time of year and they make me so mad that I can't see straight. But they all get my *%#$^&^* holiday card!
But enough about those people. I turn into a blubbering idiot when I talk about them (as you can see in the above paragraphs), so I'm going to stop talking about them. I am going to go have a cup of (decaf) coffee and a handful of chocolate chips.

[StarWarsFans]

I need to go through my address book and decide who I am sending one too. I mostly send to my older relatives who don't have Facebook and don't see pictures of us on a regular basis. Stamps are so crazy expensive this year, that I will probably not send to many that I stay in regular touch with via the internet. They can see our card online.

[MSPeeler]

Thanks for explaining Sara. I didn't really mean "spiteful" I guess, but I generally don't have a great vocab when it comes to expressing feelings. Frustrating at best maybe.

I actually made my own cards this year as well, but have yet to get stamps for them (crazy .45 each!!), I'm hoping that I will have stamps before Christmas lol

Anyway, thanks for explaining again. I'm in a tense state at the moment with the medical issues and stress of holidays, I hope you understand

[Tree City]

Michelle, you are such a sweetheart--It would take a lot for me to get upset with you or to think that you were trying to be mean. The problem with me explaining who gets my cards is that it makes me think of DH's family, and as you probably picked up on lol, talking about them makes me nuts. You didn't make me mad--those in laws make me mad! lol/col.
And as I said in the thread you posted in our forum, I am praying for you! HUGS!
The funny thing is, EVERYONE limits who gets a holiday card. I've never met a single person who sends holiday greetings to everyone they've ever met. I used to send a Christmas card to the pastor who married us--he had been the pastor at my church growing up and I wanted him to see the couple he married (one of HUNDREDS if not thousands that he officiated for) and how we've grown into a family. But then I worried that, even though he's known me for over 20 years, what if he's forgotten me? He hadn't been the pastor at my childhood church for quite some time--I'd sought him out to marry us because I respect him, not because he was my church's pastor. What if he doesn't remember what I look like?! What if he gets the card and is like "Who IS this?!" lol. Those stories are why I thought this would be a fun thread. And I still think it's fun, and I'm glad you told us who gets your card and why.

[kl.winters]

I usually make our card each year using some of my own products and for the most part, I love doing it but then again, it's so much work because I'm so darn picky. I fuss with it forever and drive myself crazy. We don't send out as many cards as we did in the past. It's mostly family and a few close friends that we're still in contact with on a regular basis. Seems silly to me to receive a Christmas card from a friend that I haven't heard from all year. I'm never sure if it was sent out of guilt for not being in touch or if they really want to wish me a Merry Christmas. It's an interesting topic. I think we only send out about 30 cards, which I need to get to ASAP.

[missdamsel]

I haven't sent cards in years, mainly due to financial issues. This year I found a GREAT deal on line and oredered cards for 75% off (they turned out about $.53 each and THEY address them and mail them for FREE!! I asked openly on FB who wanted a card. I did all of those and the immediate family that didn't respond (such as mom, sister, brother, nieces and nephews, etc). I sent out 44 this way and then ordered 15 extra to be mailed to me. I don't expect to go thru those, but if I do, I will figure out what to do after that.

[trina513]

Wow - $0.53 for mailing, addressing is pretty good deal! I thoguht abotu diong something like that - but I usually send a letter with mine. I told my hubby that we seriously need to cut down on our list - but he didnt know who to cut! LOL

[Ambelleina]

I don't send cards.

At all.

I figure it's just going to end up in the trash.

That's where the cards I get end up, anyway.

*opens card/reads it*
"Aww, how sweet."
*throws into trash*

So the lesson is: don't send Christina a card because it will get thrown away!