Do you send holiday cards? If so, let’s make it easier.

The holiday season is a wonderful time to connect with friends and family through greeting cards. However, the process can sometimes feel overwhelming. In the video, we explore how to make sending holiday cards easier and more enjoyable with some simple organization and automation techniques.

Approaching Holiday Cards as a Project

First, consider your holiday card sending as a project with multiple steps. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

  1. Draft and finalize your holiday letter
  2. Prepare letterhead (or purchase on post-holiday clearance)
  3. Print letters
  4. Update your recipient list
  5. Print mailing labels
  6. Purchase stamps
  7. Assemble and mail cards

By breaking it down this way, you can tackle each step systematically and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Maintaining Your Recipient List

An Excel spreadsheet is an excellent tool for managing your holiday card list. Here’s how to set it up:

  • Include columns for name, address, city, state, and zip code
  • Add a “Christmas Cards” column to track sending and receiving history
  • Use a formula to automatically determine who should receive a card this year
  • Here is the formula I use:
    =IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(“23″,$H2)),”Christmas Card List”,””)
    Column H is the column that holds my records of the years I have sent to and received cards from each person

This system allows you to easily update your list each year and keep track of your correspondence.

Automating Address Labels

Save time by using Word’s mail merge feature to create address labels:

  1. Open a new Word document and go to the “Mailings” tab
  2. Choose “Start Mail Merge” and select “Labels”
  3. Select your label size
  4. Choose your recipient list (your Excel spreadsheet)
  5. Add fields to your labels (name, address, etc.)
  6. Preview and print your labels

Pro tip: Print a copy on plain paper for a handy checklist as you receive cards.

Updating Your List Post-Holiday

After the holiday season:

  1. Update your spreadsheet with who you sent cards to and who you received from
  2. Adjust your formula for next year
  3. Remove contacts as needed by simply not updating their entry

Displaying Received Cards

If you have blinds in your home, try this simple display method: slip each card over one of the slats for an instant, space-saving display!

Conclusion

By implementing these strategies, you can streamline your holiday card process, saving time and reducing stress. This allows you to focus on the true joy of the season – connecting with loved ones and spreading holiday cheer.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

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