I don’t drink, but walking into Target or Wal-Mart right now makes me want to run home and pour myself a boot of something stronger than beer.
Tis the season for breakouts and breakdowns.
Seriously. Have you been to the mall recently?
Retailers have dumped their Halloween costumes and candy; bypassed Thanksgiving paraphernalia; and are shoving Santa down customers’ collective throats.
Fa-la-la-la.
We’re not even 85 hours into November and I already feel my inner Christmas Grinch bubbling up from the bowels of my being.
How can I feel so behind on Christmas preparations when I still have buckets of Halloween candy sitting on the kitchen counter?
Fortunately, there is one teeny-tiny ray of light in the darkness of my holiday stress fest: I’ve selected my family’s annual Christmas cards.
This year I am having a Merry Minted Christmas, thanks to the folks at Minted.com.
The uber-popular social commerce company offers some of the most unique holiday cards in the world. This is not your ordinary photo card venture ala Shutterfly. Rather, Minted features hundreds of incredible one-of-a-kind Christmas cards that put your loved ones in the spotlight.
If you are looking to create a show stopping holiday card that will rise to the top of the pack and land your greeting smack in the middle of Uncle Bob and Aunt Katherine’s refrigerator card collage, then you’ll want to check out Minted’s 2010 collection.
Here’s the holiday card I selected:
Like all of Minted’s mini masterpieces, the Four Square Holiday Photo Card is fully customizable. You can change the font, color and type. For example, the holiday greeting on the Four Square card can be changed to read: “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukkah”, “Holiday Tidings”, “Seasons Greetings” or any other quirky offering you can think of. What’s more, the card accommodates color, sepia, or black and white photos.
The Four Square is a great choice if you have multiple children or pets. Or, one very cute kid, like mine (humor me), who takes such awesome photos that it is virtually impossible to select just one (or four) to feature on a single holiday greeting.
If you don’t have kids, then consider adding a few favorite landscape or abstract images. The possibilities are endless.
If you prefer to go a more traditional route, Minted has hundreds of options to choose from, including this elegant snowflake card:
I love that it includes conservative seasonal touches, such as a Christmas tree and festive snowflakes, so that your family photo is not overwhelmed by obnoxious patterns and busy prints. Minted does an outstanding job of marketing simple yet beautifully designed cards with clean, modern typeface.
There’s a reason the company has been profiled on NBC’s “Today” show and heralded in Real Simple magazine as being a top choice for holiday greeting cards. The company does not skimp on any part of its product. Minted’s signature paper is the thickest in the photo card industry. In addition, the company offers a host of extras that you can add to your cards to personalize them even more, such as:
Timeline: Instead of a flat photo card you can opt to create a folded greeting that features room for four additional images, plus a chance to highlight four separate milestone dates in your family members’ lives. Next to each photo you have room to journal about a special moment that makes the date one to remember.
Liners and Labels: Save time and have Minted print your address directly on a set of matching envelopes that complement your card choice. You can also add a festive liner that adds a pop of color when the envelope is opened.
Backer: Forget about formulating an entire newsletter. Instead, opt for a card backer that provides space on the opposite side of your card to write out a short generic note to family and friends.
Another bonus to choosing Minted this holiday season is that the website is incredibly user-friendly. Minted’s easy-to-use system makes it simple to add your photos to your favorite card choice, select the color and font, add some optional features, and you’re done.
And if you can’t get the job done by Christmas, then choose a New Year’s card. Minted’s got a bunch of those as well, including this cutie:
If you like what you see, then Mint up your entire season with: corporate holiday cards, holiday party invitations and holiday menu cards. The company also offers a complete line of Hanukkah cards and non-photo cards as well. In addition, Minted just unveiled an array of amazing, cutting-edge photo calendars that really spice up the new year. (Guess what grandma and grandpa in Hawaii are getting this Christmas?)
Plus, if you place your order by Tuesday, November 9, 2010, you will score fee shipping by using this code: FREESHIP10. In addition, you can save an extra 10 percent by taking an online survey offered on the company’s website. Two good reasons to get cracking on Christmas chores and stifle your inner Grinch.