3 Great Ideas for the Best Holiday cards this crazy year & a special offer from me to you!

It's August, I know, but I am a holiday card addict. Once Thanksgiving hits, my husband knows that my favorite part of the day is opening the holiday cards that arrived in the mail. Most years I use the holiday cards to decorate the garland that covers the stair case so I can look at our friends and family all month long.  Sending wishes of Peace, Love and Joy are things I take very serious.  I truly believe it makes the world a kinder and gentler place as we spread love through the mail. 

I usually have our family holiday card planned out a year in advance. Last year I focused our card around our trip to Europe and Russia.  This year the plan was to get some epic photo as we were vacationing and mountain biking in Whistler BC or maybe ocean kayaking with the whales in the channels of Vancouver Island.  Obviously, none of that happened since the borders between the USA and Canada aren't even open.  (Thanks Covid-19, read with an eye roll.)

So I'm on to plan B because this year, more then ever, I want to connect with those that matter to me.  Realistically, I know that good old snail mail will be the best ( and safest) way to let my friends and family know I love them.  It's possible that many of our holiday family gatherings might not happen because we love each other too much to spread germs and risk poor health to our precious loved ones. This isn't the reality I wish for but, at this point in 2020, I'm not letting the RONA throw a wrench in my attempt to spread good cheer.  

As I make the best of my "Plan B" I have determined it will still involve our bikes and the mountains, just the mountain close to our home.  This really has been the year of the bike in our family, so it seems like a portrait should be created to commemorate the many miles and miles we have put on our tires due to biking being one of the only "social distancing" activities we can do.  Just like all my clients do, I am in the process of picking out our clothing and scheduling with my kiddos for next month.  As a photographer, I am not exempt from all the leg work a mom must do in order to get everyone portrait ready.  More importantly, I have wised up to know I have to hire a professional to make sure the image is what I want it to be.  Why would I go through all the leg work to have the perfect location and the perfect outfits and then skip the essential part where I want to perfect expressions from my teenage family members. (Oh let's be realistic, the hardest face to get smiling is the husband..... for every family, it's always dad.)  

The truth is "Plan B" has me really excited now.  I find a great joy in finding new solutions that let me still keep my traditions alive.  It makes me feel like things are just a little bit more normal then the news reports would have me believe.  Part of the mental resilience we need to keep our spirits health and strong is to find ways to continue practicing the things we love and value.  I value sending love through the mail during the holidays and I am going to keep that tradition going because we need it more today then ever.

So what are you doing for your holiday cards this year? NOW is the time to start planning.  I love creating custom cards for my clients that really showcase their gorgeous family photos and personal style.  More then ever before, this year will be the year you want to make an extra effort with your cards because we NEED to stay connected to our friends and family. 

Here are my top 3 suggestions for holiday cards during this covid year and a special holiday card offer