Christmas without Consuming: Christmas Cards

Last year I sent approximately 100 Christmas cards for $100, including postage.

Pretty stinking cheap.

Unfortunately, not cheap enough for our current budgetary restraints. If $50 for a tree is unjustifiable, then $100 for Christmas cards is downright crazy. Not surprisingly, Nicholas suggested we skip the cards all together. HA! I have a card from every single year of our marriage. The joy I get from lining these all up every Christmas is probably not normal. Did he honestly believe I was going to just skip a year?!? Skip is not in my vocabulary...unless you are describing how you transport yourself down the street.

No, we are going to do Christmas cards.

The problem is how do I reduce an already low cost. I designed them myself and had them printed locally. Even if I print them myself, I can only reduce the overall cost so much because the real issue is postage. Stupid failing postal service.

However, I'm not giving up and I have a plan.

First, e-mail a majority of the cards. Duh! I am a social media maven! What the heck am I using snail mail for anyway?!? I'm actually super-excited about making the e-mail interactive so all our friends and family can click through to additional content like Flickr sets and videos. It will be the ultimate family newsletter and holiday greeting in one! So, if you are a friend or family and you have a working e-mail address, keep your eyes on your inbox for the subject line "Holiday Greetings from the Hollands." Be prepared to be amazed.

Second, print my own cards. I'm excited about the prospect of e-mailing a majority of our list. However, I think some older relatives without e-mail or far away relatives will still want the printed photo card for their fridge. So, some printing is inevitable but hopefully I will be able to save a substantial amount by printing them myself.

Third, cutting postage costs by sending postcards. I kept wracking my brain about the stupid stamps for weeks (ok...minutes) when it hit me. Postcards!  It's only 29 cents to send a postcard, as compared to 44 cents for regular postage. Plus, I'd save not only on stamps but on envelopes as well.

Despite the satisfaction in saving money, I'd be lying if I said I'm still not a little bit sad. I love addressing the last card and seeing them all stacked up and ready to go. And I love the thought of our cards slowly making their way across the United States to those who mean so much to us.

But just like everything else, I have to decide how much I value those things. And at this point, there isn't much I value more than being debt free.

Plus, our greetings will still travel across the United States...just REALLY fast.

~ Sarah Stewart Holland 

Amos's Monthly Photo: Month 6

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Amos: Month 5

Amos: Month 4

Amos: Month 3

Amos: Month 2

Amos: Month 1

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway: Vinturi White Wine Aerator

On the first day of Christmas, Salt & Nectar gave to thee...

Image by Vinturi

...a reason to enjoy the tastes of Sonoma, France, and Italy! 'Tis the season to raise a glass in honor of the holidays or throw one back to survive them. No matter your reason for being merry this season, you can enjoy a better bouquet, enhanced flavors, and smoother finish with the Vinturi White Wine Aerator and pretend you're in wine country instead of on the couch. Cheers!

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This giveaway is now closed.

Congratulations to winner Bridget Leet!

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Each person can enter a maximum of three times. We will use random.org to select a winner.

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling us how you like to unwind during the holiday season.

Extra Entries:
1. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about the Giveaway. Come back here and leave us a separate comment telling us you did so.

2. Subscribe to Salt & Nectar and tell us you did so in the comment section (again a separate comment).

The contest will run from today until Tuesday, December 6th, at 12 PM PST.

No purchase is necessary. Odds of winning are based on number of entries received. This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and older only.

Check back tomorrow for Day 2 of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

The Scoop

These daily sample sale sites can be a mom's best friend but not if you never have time to look at them! Now, all you have to do is stop by Salt & Nectar for the scoop on the best of all the sales. We search the top sites and recommend our favorite product on sale that day.

Sarah's pick: Scotch Naturals, $8.99, the mini social.

{ image via the mini social }

Scotch Naturals is the answer to my nails' prayers. The eco-friendly, non-toxic polish glides on easily, dries quickly, and yields a shiny finish (just like a salon manicure!), all without the worries of icky fumes or car paint-like glazes that damage your fingernails. I also love that these healthier polishes come in an array of on-trend shades—my faves are tartan swizzle, ceasefire, and velvet kilt. In addition to snagging a few for yourself, make sure to treat your little one to a bottle from the company's non-toxic kids' line Hopscotch Kids WaterColors (even I would wear the sophisticated miss mary mack shade). They definitely make the perfect stocking stuffer!

Sale ends 12/7 at 3am est.

Check back tomorrow for the scoop!

Sweet Talks with Elizabeth of Bump Smitten

Salt & Nectar's baby shower guru, Sarah Stewart Holland, has co-hosted six baby showers this year. SIX. And for every single one, she went to Bump Smitten for inspiration. Elizabeth is not only an incredibly talented graphic designer and mother of two, but she runs THE premiere baby shower blog. Bump Smitten is a one-stop shop for real shower features, DIY ideas, and shower theme inspiration or if you are just looking for some eye candy on a rainy Monday morning.



{q}    What do you list as your job title on your tax return? If the form offered more space, what would you really say?
{a}    Freelance Graphic Designer. Freelance Graphic Designer, Wife, Mother, Cleaning Lady, Cook, Dog Walker, Blogger, Photographer, Do-It-Yourselfer, Multi-tasker.

{q}    What’s your idea of mommy bliss?
{a}    Quiet. For just a day or two, then I’d miss the chaos. (Maybe a massage, pedicure and shopping spree thrown in as well.)

{q}    If you had more hours in the day, what would you do with them?
{a}    Spend more time with my hubby. Work, blogging, household chores, and children take away from quality time spent with him.

{q}    What’s the first thing that runs through your mind when your child screams like a prehistoric dinosaur?
{a}    Can anyone else hear him/her? If at home, are the windows closed? What’s wrong and why must you scream like that????? My ears hurt!

{q}    What’s your favorite children’s book?
{a}    “Put me in the Zoo” by Robert Lopshire.

{q}    What do you appreciate most in a mommy blogger?
{a}    Honesty. Short copy, too.

{q}   Who/What site do you most wish you blogged for?
{a}    Hostess with the Mostess. Love her!!!!!!!

{q}   Who is your favorite mommy blogger?
{a}    Rebekah from A Blissful Nest. We met at the BlogHer conference in San Diego and we clicked right away. She is simply adorable!!!

{q}    How did you fall into blogging? Any advice to fellow bloggers for staying the course and finding inspiration?
{a}    My friend, Emilie, introduced me to blogging and had the idea for starting Bump Smitten. My advice is to limit your posts so you don’t get burned out. I reduced my posts from 1 or 2 a day to 3 a week. It’s much more attainable! Also, find something you like to write about and that you can relate to.

{q}    Who is your favorite fictional mother?
{a}    Miranda in the “Sex in the City 2”—Love her speech to Charlotte about how being a mother is hard! I cried the first time I saw this… I was going through the constant crying from my 1 year old.

{q}    What mother do you love to hate?
{a}    The mom in “Mommie Dearest.” She was truly evil!!!!!!!!

{q}    You HAVE to join the cast of Real Housewives. Which cast are you joining?
{a}    I actually don’t watch the Real Housewives. I know. Missing out.