Respect the Turkey

Written on October 27, 2011 in miscellany

I love Christmas. I do.

But holy cow, is it stressful. Between the buying gifts and stocking stuffers and scrambling to find scissors and buying wrapping paper and going to parties and entertaining friends and attempting to cook square meals… it can be easy to act, ummm, not so joyful, don’t you think?

One of these mild -ahem- sources of stress is sending out holiday cards. I’m always late, I always forget a few people, and they don’t arrive at people’s houses until December 23rd. Oops.

This year, I’m all, “You know what? Forget that noise. No Christmas cards.” Stop clutching your pearls, Southerner. I have an alternative.

I also love Thanksgiving. Amazing food (I want all the stuffing forever) and family time without the added element of gift giving. It’s just, let me wear pants with an elastic band because I’m about to go in on some turkey and cranberry followed up with an I’m-now-comatose nap. Beautiful, really.

So, I’m going to send out Thanksgiving cards this year. Shutterfly‘s got ‘em. (I used them for my Christmas cards last year.) We still have to take a family photo, so I played around with pictures we took last year (Baby Shark was so wee!) and um, pictures from Blogalicious. You don’t think my family would think it was weird if I just sent out pictures of me and my friends, do you?

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at NiceGirlNotes, Life Without Pink, and Complicated Mama! Pass the gravy and the sparkling cider! Also, love your table runner! Is it linen?

And one using a picture from last year.

I’ll send them out the week of Thanksgiving (and really, doesn’t Christmas ‘start’ on Black Friday?), and avoid getting paper cuts because I’m so haphazardly stuffing cards in envelopes around December 15th (the tax day of Christmas, if you will).

Boom. Done. Feel free to take my fancy idea.

I want stuffing now.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but my friends at Shutterfly were all, “Roo, since you are all about Thanksgiving, want some Thanksgiving cards?” And I was all, “Heck yeah.” And that’s how that happened.

Reminder! The What’s in Your Bag linkup is Monday! Monday, y’all.

Jenn

October 27, 2011 | 10:30 pm

Mmmm…stuffing, and turkey, and creamy mashed potatoes. And yes, respect the turkey!! Christmas festivities may commence on black Friday! :-)

[Reply]

Roo Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 9:42 am

Indeed, Jenn. I don’t want to hear any Christmas music until Black Friday. :)

Christine

October 27, 2011 | 10:47 pm

{smacking forehead} I love your idea! Stealing is an ugly word…let’s just say I’ll “borrow” this one… ;)

It’s all yours, boo.

Lisa

October 27, 2011 | 11:13 pm

Lol awesome. Love Shutterfly. They saved my bacon last year and I’ll be using them again this year. Thanksgiving cards aren’t going to fly up here in Canada though… It was 3 weeks ago, so now I’m late.

Hahaha, they do have beautiful holiday cards, though. Just don’t do what I do and wait until the last second and then hip check everyone in the line at the post office.

Chelle

October 28, 2011 | 9:31 am

That is an awesome picture and Thanksgiving cards are totally cool. You get it done and everybody’s happy cause they get a picture. This year, I won’t be doing cards. Last year I didn’t do cards. The year before that was the last time my three boys got a picture done together (my Christmas gift from them) and I sent out cards to all 3 people in my address book. And yes, I really have a handwritten address book. Who does that anymore?

The last family picture was when my 13 year old was 1. I don’t think anyone would be fooled, right? I mean, my husband’s hair was still black and we both weighed a lot less. Damn. Plus, I don’t know enough people to warrant the effort to force feed them a family portrait idea…oh well. One less thing to do.

Roo Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 9:38 am

Maybe I should just start drawing stick figure family portraits. What do you think, Chelle?

Chelle Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 10:15 am

Well, your stick figures are totally awesome. But you’re so pretty, I think your family wants to see you and your cute little baby bump. I guess you could draw a stick figure with a baby bump?

I think your stick figure artwork is going to be worth something someday, so that could work for you. Just tell everyone to hang onto the cards for a few years and then make sure to give you a cut of the profits.

Laurie

October 28, 2011 | 10:04 am

A couple years in a row I wrote our Christmas letter ON Christmas Eve! lol so my dad’s family got theirs hand-delivered at the family gathering that evening. Everyone else’s was late….now THIS year, they are going to be reeeeeaalllly late because a family picture now will be outdated a few weeks after Christmas so I’m waiting for baby #5 to arrive in January and will send out Happy New Year cards/pics – this will also help me cut down my list since I always say I’m going to and then I don’t. I end up sending out 80+ cards and receiving maybe 25. So this year (especially with money being tighter) I will only send to family and those I receive cards from. I’ll try ;)

Roo Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 10:35 am

Smart move, Laurie. :) Totally smart.

Ingrid

October 28, 2011 | 4:56 pm

I’m so bad about sending Christmas cards. Next year though…Family portrait, tacky sweater all the way.

Ingrid N. Reply:
October 28th, 2011 at 4:57 pm

Oops I forgot to add the “N” to my name.

Glamamom

October 28, 2011 | 6:16 pm

Great idea. I’m with you. Love Thanksgiving. And eating.

Ashley L. Pelletier

October 28, 2011 | 9:55 pm

Love the photo for your fam’s Turkey Day card…but I have a burning question…HOW did Baby Shark get that adorb nickname?! Been wondering since I saw it in print…

Roo Reply:
October 29th, 2011 at 1:11 pm

She bites things! And humans. :) I mean, not so much anymore, buuuut.

Mandy

October 29, 2011 | 2:22 am