Every year I inevitably find myself scrambling at the last minute to put together a holiday card that is not only presentable but also punctual. Accomplishing both seems like an impossible feat. Thus some years our “Christmas card” turns into a “New Year’s card” instead.

This year I decided to keep it simple. In the past I felt I had to have the perfect card. I would search for unique templates and designs for weeks. This year I focused on keeping it simple. I don’t want this annual tradition to be one that I dread, but rather one that I look forward to.

Here are my secrets this year:

The Photographer

I am frugal. I will be the first to say it. I am all about a good bargain. However, there are some things that are worth the splurge and photographs are one of them. Family photos are timeless and invaluable. I have pictures covering the walls and shelves of every room in our house. I have never once regretted getting family photos, but I have definitely regretted a few times when I chose not to get them.

So when it was time to take pictures for this year’s Christmas card I turned to my friend Megh from Oh Miss Meghan Photography and she captured the heart of our little family so well. We chose to do pictures in German Village, a Columbus gem that holds a special place in my family’s heart.

Megh was amazing. Guys, she even packed fruit snacks for Quinn. She knows that the way to that girl’s heart is right through her little belly! She captured so many in-between moments, not just the posed, staged photos. The moments that I didn’t even realize were happening because they are our normal. She captured our personalities and made the process an experience rather than one more thing to check off our holiday to-do list.

The Cards

Again, keep it simple. Don’t make it more stressful than it needs to be. This is a chance to share updates with family and friends and to let them know that they are loved and seen.

I am so excited to have chosen to go with Pinhole Press this year for our family’s holiday cards. I can honestly say that I have never created a Christmas card so quickly and easily. It was stress free, reasonably priced (especially with the code BLINK25 for 25% off between now and December 31, 2018) and there are loads of designs and formats to chose from.

The cards arrived within the week!

Typically I handwrite the addresses because I am too cheap to pay for someone else to do it for me. However, this year I decided that my time was too valuable. I made sure to update our addresses in an Excel spreadsheet first and then did a quick mail merge in order to save the time (and hand cramping) of addressing them ourselves. Our return address is a stamp that we had made on Etsy when we were first married. It’s one of our best and cheapest investments. This year Quinn even got to help stamp!

And there you have it. Easy peasy.

Quinn’s Favorite Boots

If you’re looking for a way to keep track of your crazy holiday calendar, I am equally obsessed with Pinhole Press’ dry-erase calendar decal. Though Ryan and I have a shared iPhone calendar, I am a visual person and love having our family calendar posted in the kitchen for a daily reminder of which direction we are all going. It’s so easy to add and to change from month to month. Plus, it can easily be removed if you decide to hang it somewhere else!

Use code BLINK25 for 25% off on your own holiday purchase between now and December 31, 2018.

*I received product in exchange for my honest opinion of the above named products. All thoughts, opinions and reviews are my own.