|by Megan McCoy Dellecese
There was a time when people vigilantly
selected their Christmas and holiday cards.
Beautifully illustrated pieces of artwork filled
with carefully penned words with news of the
past year and kindnesses for the year to come.
It’s like a scene out of a heart-warming old
movie. But, this nostalgic moment is no longer
reality for many of us today. The more hectic
the season gets and the more cards that show
up at our homes, the higher the stress level
rises to get our own stack out in the mail. A
once-wonderful tradition has turned into just
another obnoxious obligation.
Not to mention, the sweet “White Christmas”
lyric has also turned into an ecological nightmare. With the glut of gift wrapping, tissue
paper, boxes, bags, bows and other disposable
items (fruitcake?) this time brings, we’re all
looking for ways to cut back on the waste
during the holiday season.
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There are several ways to “green” your greeting
card habits, ranging from massive changes to
small considerations. Here we’re sharing just a
few, depending on your realm of comfort.
#1:
The biggest change you can make in
this tradition is simply not sending
any. If this sounds severe, you can still try
touching base with folks using less paperintensive means. Email or call friends with
whom you’d love to chat (and even mention
that, while you’re cutting out the card-giving,
you just wanted to touch base with them and
wish them the happiest of holidays). It may
actually mean more to them in the end than a
card.
#2:
If you’re interested in selecting a fun
card that represents your family but
still don’t want to add to the wastefulness,
e-cards are a fun and modern way to show off
the fam and give a warm greeting. Select from
a variety of companies, like traditional Blue
Mountain, cause-helping Care2 or the hilariously cheesy JibJab. You can also DIY it by
taking your family’s picture, editing it using
PicMonkey, Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft
Publisher, and send it as an email attachment.
This will also cut back on the costs of stamps
and materials.