Time To Send Holiday Greetings!

Yikes! There are just a little over 5 weeks until Christmas and I need to start thinking about whether or not I will send holiday cards this year! I typically purchase my Christmas and New Year greeting cards when they're on sale at the end of the previous year's holiday season. I really then have no plausible excuse the following year not to send them. However, as the holidays quickly approach and the days get busier with Thanksgiving, decorating our home inside and out, shopping for the perfect Christmas gifts, the seemingly endless task of wrapping, cookie baking, school parties, work parties, oh and of course my real job (the one that pays me!) my grand plan seems to fall apart! Oh my, it's exhausting just thinking about what all I need to accomplish within the upcoming weeks!

Anyway, what actually happens every year is that I decide prioritize my tasks. To lighten the load, sending holiday cards is moved to the bottom of the list of things to do before Christmas. Then the first of the holiday greetings almost always arrives around Thanksgiving and more cards fill the mailbox each day thereafter. The guilt sets in and I feel the need to send our holiday greetings to family and friends. I actually love sending and receiving Christmas and New Years cards. The problem is that I don't love addressing the envelopes. Now Zoey's Attic Personalized Gifts can help! The new self-inking stamps with personalized return address come with festive holiday designs such as ornaments, reindeer, and even a sweet polar bear! Also, if desired Zoey can create a totally unique design just for you. There are even a "Love, Santa" stamp and a "North Pole Special Delivery" return postage stamp.

The imprints from the self-inking stamp pads have fabulous resolution and the ink dries within moments with no smearing. The impression is even certified as waterproof, and the stamp pad has a long service life of up to 20,000 impressions. Now that's a lifetime of Christmas cards for me! In addition, nonholiday return address and label designs are also available and make super great gifts! Well, I need to start addressing my cards! Happy Holidays friends!

Easy Valentine's Day Cards

Now that you've created the perfect Valentine's Day card holder we need to start thinking about the "Be Mine" cards for our family and friends! In our home we try to make homemade cards for family and the closest of friends.  Kiddos love stickers, so for the preschoolers it's so easy to simply use a piece of construction paper and stickers and then have them print their name on the their masterpiece.

an original "Erin" from long ago....

The little ones in our family love making a mess with paint! Finger painting a heart shaped cutout is definitely a fun activity and will make the sweetest personal Valentine's Day card for mommy, daddy, grandma or grandpa. Creative Connections for Kids has some great suggestions for Valentine's art for toddlers. 

Valentine Art
Courtesy of Creative Connections for Kids

AboutParenting.com has directions for simple, inexpensive and oh so cute Valentine's Day cards using construction paper and heart and flower paper punches. These Valentines are perfect if you need to make cards for an entire class at school.

Paper Punch Valentine Cards
Courtesy of About Parenting

The adorably cute robot Valentine's Day cards from Lisa Storms are fun to make and are perfect for boys and girls to give their friends on Valentine's Day. They are made using a miniature candy bar for the robot's body.

Valentine's Robot Card
Courtesy of Lisa Storms

These are just a few ideas for homemade Valentine's Day cards. So, if you're running out of time you can always pick up a package of totally awesome cards at your local Target, Walmart, or Dollar General store. Here's a store bought Valentine I received from my Daddy many moons ago...

Popular themes for this year's Valentine's cards of course include Elsa, Anna, and Olaf from Disney's Frozen. Party City offers a package of 28 Frozen Valentine cards for $3.99. Also included are 28 lollipops to slide into a pre-cut slot.

Disney's Frozen Candy Card Kit
Courtesy of Party City

And each and every year the superheroes are popular Valentine's cards for the boys. Target has a 16 pack of Spiderman cards that actually punch out and become wearable masks. They also have Valentine's cards featuring a personal favorite, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! This pack of 16 cards also includes a mini poster. How fun is that!

Valentine's Day Cards
Courtesy of Target.com

Whatever your plans are for February 14th,  Zoey's Attic wishes you a Happy Valentine's Day!