Every year I try to cut back and every year I have toooooo many.

93 so far this year.

wow. i don't even know 93 people.

i had 4. i have a few more but i don't have addresses. i'm not including the cards that were in packages i sent though...

not that it matters or that i'm counting or anything, but i'm still waiting to receive any myself.. it's still early though.

This is kinda funny. I am not sure how many I sent out, but I had quite the stack when going to the postbox. I gave my DH the cards (we were in the car and he was by the postbox) I had and I even accidentally gave him one that I just had our friends name and his cats name on, (just as a little joke, he just got a new kitty) with no address, as we were going to go and visit him. I bet the postperson is going to love reading that!

On the outside it has our friends name and then Phantom & Ashe (his kitties names)! I bet they will think, "Wow what kind of name is Phantom for a kid?" lol!!!! Ashe I could see, but imagine a kid named Phantom? Poor kid! lol. Of course there is probably someone who has named their kid that or worse I'm sure!

If that isn't bad enough, I signed it from my DH & I and our two cats, "Baxter", which I could see as a "child's name", but our other cat's name is "Puddy".

We have no kitty smilies. We need one! lol.

Also don't mean to offend anybody if you happen to have children named Phantom and/or Puddy! I just really feel for them! lol.

Anyways I figured I would share and give someone a laugh.

Just 5!

I lost count after 5 boxes and having to go buy more! About 80 of those were family and friends. Then I sent about 36 to the military hospital for wounded soldiers, about 20 to sick children that I send cards to on a regular basis and then some of my military mom friends sent addresses to send a card to a soldier that they know and so on and son on. I have never in my life sent that many cards. Usually get 30-50 mailed but this year with my son being in the Army it has been crazy. I also bought boxes of cards to send to the Troops...about 25 I think, can't remember. A local radio station here was collecting boxed Christmas cards to send to the Troops so that they could send cards home to their loved ones. So that got me thinking...everything seems to go to Baghdad so I sent DS 6 boxes for his Unit.

My list has grown to over 100. Next year I would love to trim this number down.

The funny thing is you never can be sure who to take off the list.
One example: there was a couple who have not returned my cards for a couple of years now and I was all ready to take them off my list this year.
But a few months ago I bumped into them when they unexpectedly showed up at my Mom's Memorial Mass. Afterwards, we were talking about various other things and all of a sudden she grabbed my hand and told me she really looks forward to my Christmas Card and photo each year. She explained that she just never got around to sending out cards the last couple of years, but she really enjoys getting them and she thanked me for it. She even said she hangs the cards up!

The other thing is that I would completely lose contact with some of these people if it were not for the fact that we exchange Christmas cards and keep each other up to date on what is happening in our lives. Some of these people were so kind and generous to either me or my Mom in the past, so I would hate to completely lose contact with them now.

I am always looking for ways to make the whole thing a bit easier. I have made up mailing labels on my computer so I don't have to write out the envelopes etc. I also type up a little letter to enclose in the card. But somehow the whole thing still takes so long. Next year I will try to start earlier in the year and maybe trim a few names off the list ( hope so anyway!!) I will also continue to look for ways to make the whole process a bit easier and faster :-) --Pookie

Yeah, my list was over 120 2 years ago and I keep paring down, but then I feel bad. I definitely send out more than I get, but I also ...well this is the only way I keep in contact with some folks.

And after my dad died, I do feel its my job to take over the Xmas cards for his relatives.

I never think it is too bad until I go to buy stamps.

Same with me Ennay, a bunch of the names are people who showed a lot of kindness to my Mom before she died. I am really grateful to them and I depended on them because Mom lived so far away from me. So I do want to maintain some sort of contact with them.

I also sent out quite a few "Sweet Shack" gift sets from Bath and Body Works this year to the folks who were very kind to Mom. I figure they could have all those YUMMY Holiday smells in the shower, but no added CALORIES :-) --Pookie

about 20! Didnt have the time this year to do more!

I only sent one. I feel like such a Scrooge. But where do you find the time? I just finished my shopping and have about half of the presents wrapped. I haven't even decorated yet! Perhaps if I weren't sitting here at work.

I'm sending out one card this year to my aunt who is now estranged from everyone else in the family. What can I say, my dumb ol' bleeding heart misses her terribly.

I think the final list was 40. Not too bad - I'm sure its only going to get worse.

So far I haven't sent out a single one. But I have finished the draft of the letter for relatives (it came out to 4 pages this year), I just need to finish personalizing it for each of the 3 relatives that get it. The relatives are also getting homemade guava jelly this year (I've got 68 jars of the stuff, got to get rid of it). For friends I normally include a handwritten note-it's looking like I'll do those on the plane to Chicago on Wednesday. All told, it will probably be around 10-15 cards that get sent out.

zero....but I don't have any friends or family that I only contact at xmas so it has no effect on whether or not I am in touch with people.

It is something that I stopped doing due to cost.... 51 cents a card...I have decided to change my focus at xmas, which I feel for so many years was falling into the category of excess...this year we are trying to recycle, reuse, regift...and do charity in the inner city....instead of a huge family xmas dinner that is stressful and meaningless due to the sheer numbers and efforts of finding a big enough place and all the organization that goes into that...we are inviting people over on xmas day that don't have family to be with....can't imagine ever going back to cards....and while we are on the topic...I hate cards that are just signed with a name....depressing!

Liz

Liz - thats why I like having a smaller list. Everyone gets a personalized note.

I also used them as save-the-date cards, sort of, for my wedding in April. Made sure we said "hope we see you on April 21st!" on them all - dual purpose!