Your Opinion on Photo Christmas Cards?

I love getting them--but it depends.

The widow whose children I grew up with in a posed portrait with her cat? Kinda made me sad.

My aunt and uncle who are empty nesters and are trying to drink in as much as the earth has to offer before my uncle's health fails him? LOVE IT and inspires me. Although he has chronic pain, they've been to Egypt, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and this year went to Dubai. I can't wait to get their card!

I actually really do like the family letters as well, but my kids are too young to have achieved much other than bowel control :)

I am complete opposite, I'd rather have a photo card then a plain ol' card. I save photo cards...I throw away plain cards.

And a card does not mean more to me, because someone hand writes the message "Have a Merry Christmas" instead of it being typed.

I think Christmas cards are out dated anyway.....but I still do them.

(I also wanted to add....I wish the people annoyed by cards would tell me. It would save me postage!)

I love cards of all kinds, and don't feel they are narcisistic at all. I enjoy seeing the happy smiles on people young and old.

They sent you a a card to wish you a Happy Holiday and your put off by it? Ba humbug to you!

I love photo cards. I don't think they are narcissistic in any way--surely not "blatant narcisism"!
If couples I know that don't have kids send a photo card--I still like it.

I like receiving Christmas cards in any way, shape or form. I don't care if it's handwritten, pre-printed, photos (love these!) or even an email with a link to a cute e-card. I think about the person/family who sent it and am grateful they thought of our family during the holidays.

I fell kind of guilty when I get them because I know they are pricey. I feel obligated to keep them and not throw them in the trash at the end of Christmas. But, what am I going to do with a stack of photo cards?

I dont get put off by pictures of people that dont have kids. THey had fun taking the picture and making the card. That's cool, whatever, but when they do one of the family pets, that annoys me. I dont want to see ur pug slobering in reindeer antlers!

However friends and family choose to wish my family a happy season is just fine with me.
I love to see pictures, receive personal notes and even read those braggy Chistmas letters (OK sometimes just for the comedy;)
We have a wire tree card holder they all go on and it is a great conversation piece for the season. Looks cute and it's fun to see pics of people you don't get to see all the time. I'm even guilty of putting the trash collector and real estate agent's cards up there, why not, it's nice to be acknowledged right?

I love Christmas cards because when I write them I feel transported to another world. When I pull out my stationary and my favorite pens and sit down at my desk, in my mind I am transported back to the past when advanced transportation didn't exist and the many miles between me and my loved ones would mean many months of backbreaking travel. As I hand write each card, I imagine the person I'm writing to is sitting right there in the room with me, silent and smiling as I regale them with all the goings on in my life, such as they are and hope to receive similar tidings from them. Then I'm thrown back into the future as I insert a photo of my child dressed in something red sitting in front of our Christmas tree, happy as a lark, and I grin as that image is worth a thousand words.

I'm just sad that these past couple of years I was unable to send out cards because the cost was prohibitive. A job loss and bad economy really can suck some of the simple pleasures from life.

I actually really like them. It's cool to see what my friends (I live 1,500 miles away from most of my friends and family) are up to, how they have changed, (with kids or without), or special trips they have taken. I put them all together in scrapbook pages each year.

I think they are ok - maybe a little dorky but so are the cards I do with my kids on them.

My snarky self comes out with the family newsletter that people send - normally that they bounce between first and third person in voice, and usually seem a little braggy. This year, X got a promotion at work! Y got a gymnastic trophy!

Maybe my family newsletter would be different - Everyone at my office got fired this year except me! Y got behavior notes three times in a week for biting! Z signed up for soccer but refused to play!

I know, bah humbug to me too!!! I'll bake holiday cookies and try to reform my snarky self.

I like getting ANY card from anyone. It's fun. I think the reason that photo cards are popular with the people without kids at home is that they are so much easier than having to actually write on each card? I never did a photo card til I had my kids because I don't like having my picture taken. I also don't care if everyone knows where I went on vacation. Once I had kids, it was actually more cost effective to buy the photo on the card then purchase a card and get photos to stuff inside. It was also faster and easier. I live 1600 miles from all but 4 of the 60 families we send cards to, so I think the photo part is important.

Well, call me a scrooge, but I could care less about Christmas cards. It seems like we get all these letters/cards from people we never hear from the rest of the year and the Christmas letter is a big brag fest. With facebook I see pics of everyones kids all the time anyways.

.

Like others, I hate the brag letters but I don't mind pictures of adults, no kids. Look at it this way, they probably feel really left out this time of year. The photo cards are SO common now that they probably feel like no one cares about a regular card. And not having kids, they may feel all the pictures people send of their kids are obnoxious but if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. If we hadn't had kids, I doubt I'd ever have sent one of just me and my husband and I hate when he makes us include us in the card vs just our kids but cards of just adults don't bother me at all. I still like seeing if friends are changing in terms of how they look and again, I feel like this time of year might be a bit tough on them so if they want to participate in the photo card thing, no problem.

& the photo cards end up in the trash....along with the traditional ones. So sad....that so few people actually keep them.

I love receiving update letters! They're fun....& quite often fodder for family jokes. :)

I love photo cards, with or w/out kids. Again, either I enjoy the update or they're good for a laugh. :)

I have received photo cards with handwritten personal notes on them.... or the photo card is included with the update letter.

But my all time fav would be: my cousin's DH writes an update each year that is funny, personal, & always irreverent. Love receiving their update letter ....which is the front/back of an 8 1/2x 11 sheet of paper + a photo card....which is always taken on vacation "somewhere" + usually a snapshot or two of them doing something fun. Total overkill & totally eagerly anticipated each year!

Oh, & then we have my uncle's annual Christmas Story. It is always dark, twisted, perverted beyond belief, & always involves death & heartache. My Gma is devout in her faith & is always horrified over the contents of his Story. It "pains" her to know that her son is creating these stories! We all love them. We all look forward to them. & he's quite vocal about having to be completely blitzed to be able to write them.....

I agree with the response from Molly in Detroit who says, "how can you be 'put off' by someone's card to you?" I think that in this day of selfishness, I am glad that someone took the time to send a card and not a text or email. I am happy that my single friends have enough self-love to take a pic and send it to me. So may of us seem to 'opt out' of all of life's joys once our nests are empty. I save all of my cards until I get a new one from friends and family. I keep and preserve all picture cards along with the cards from deceased friends and family and put them out each year.

To the person who said they are pricey? Not really..I guess thats a matter of relativity.

But our daughter is 17 now..and I am horrid at doing pictures, taking them, being in them..UGH. But I do like seeing the pictures, whether they are the nice posed ones in similar outfits, vacation or casual shots with pets or what not. I just like them!

Last year I decided to do something different for us in the photo card realm since I hadn't done one since our child was a tot (we always just bought a few boxes of cards we liked, wrote a message or signed our name, and mailed them off.)

But now we take several of my art student daughters work and do a multi photo card. This year one space also has one of her Senior pictures we liked. We got excellent commentary last year so decided to do it again this year with more of her recent works! Last years had 6 pictures including her sculpture, some digital art, simple sketches and a full color drawing form her portfolio. This year has 8 total, small pictures, with her Sr shot, digital art, drawings, a painting, and some 3D paper art she recieved some acclaim for. This is our way of sharing how proud we are of our daughter. Many of our card recipients are relatives who live far away so have no chances to see her work otherwise.

I still handwrite a message, saying I hope they enjoy dd's little art showing for them and have a Merry Christmas, etc. Time comsuming, but I like the personal touches. JMO~

My brother and his wife send out Christmas cards with them....and their pets. Whatever. If that's the way they want to be remembered during the holidays then I am okay with that. I think it's weird too.
L.

I so agree with you!!! I love cards from friends and family far away that are photos of their kids are they get older. LOVE them. and yes the cards of jsut adults are very odd. I think I've only gotten something like that once. At least take a picture of your pets!!!

As for liking the cards with handwritten salutations - I stopped the photo cards when the kids were small and instead use regular cards and include a photo inside. It began when I was looking for a photo card that included a manger or anything to do with the birth of Christ - and I couldn't find one. So I just order a bunch of prints of a Summer vacation photo (now that the kids are teens there's no way I can get them to pose in Christmas attired) and include them in a regular Christmas card and then handwrite my wished and any news.

As for the newsletters - they really make we want to puke. Of course, they're only going to include good news. Who writes a card and includes my teenager was admitted to a psych hospital, my husband just finished the 12 step program after a month long binge when he lost his job and my older child dropped out of college after we spend $10K in tuition does nothing but lay on the couch all day with a remote control in his hand! haha. Just once I'd like to see a Christmas newsletter infused with reality!

I like them, but I don't like putting pictures of my husband and I on them, although he does, so I usually try to use a familly picture. What really bothers me is the notes about all the family happenings. I really don't care what little Timmy did all year or what grades he got or what sports he played. I only receive one photo Christmas card of someone without kids. But it's kind of a running joke with everyone that receives his card. He takes his Christmas hat on all his vacations and when he finds a spot that he likes, he puts on the hat and takes a picture. The best was when he was on a zip line in Mexico with a santa hat on.

I love receiving cards in any shape, form or fashion too! We have a few friends that have chosen not to/couldn't have children of their own right now for various reasons and they will send me photo cards of them with their pets. We are a pet family so I understand that their pets are part of their family. Personally, I'd rather receive a whole-family in the picture photo card rather than that of just the kids...it's the adults that I'm friends with afterall. But I love seeing how everyone is growing and changing.

A couple of years ago I put all the cards that I had saved into a scrapbook---it is just the holiday photos/photo cards. We love to pull it out and look at it and I will tell my kids how I know them, etc. They love to hear the stories of all the friends that have been an important part of our lives at one time or another.

I also do a letter b/c not all of our friends are on Facebook at all or regularly. I try not make it too braggy and rather just update what the kids are into these days (sports, special interests at school, etc.) or what's new with me or my husband or exciting trips that we've taken. We don't send letters to everyone on our list--just those that we know enjoy receiving them or that we don't talk to all that often. Photo cards go to the rest that we keep in more regular contact with. I love receiving the letters, too, and even if some of them tend towards the braggy side I just try to remember that I'm glad they thought of us to even send something!

I LOVE them. It makes me so happy to see my far away best friends and family members (with their kids if they have them...who get bigger every year). I'm a little disappointed when a friend does not include a photo. I miss all my loved ones who live all over the country/world and we have a special photo hanger where we leave up these photos year round so we can see their smiling faces.

A little put off I guess. But I probably shouldn't be! Even with families with kids, I prefer to see what you DID (like a vacation pic or the kids cutting down the tree) as opposed to a portrait of you just SITTING there. I think a vacation pic or similar makes it less weird.

I hate the narcissism too (ostentatious displays of wealth, exotic vacations....). But that does not mean a childless couple who sends out a photo is doing that.

I've done a photo card every year since my oldest son was born. He is now 17, and my younger son is 14. It is SO fun to go back and look at all those Christmas cards past. Older son turns 18 this spring, so this is our last one with both kids as minors. :(

We only do the kids though - don't think my husband and I would want to do ourselves. Maybe we would do our doggie?

I like to send a note with my cards. It's the one time of year that I think about every single person or family on my card list. I always dread getting started, but once I do I'm really grateful that we can do it

I love photo cards, and you can get folding ones that leave a space for you to write inside of them. Ours last year also had a backing with a message and space to write a personal greeting. I think it's a bit odd to see one if people have no kids or pets (we used to do hilarious ones before we had kids with our dogs and our cat -they were big hits because the animals were so funny), but it wouldn't bother me.

I like photo cards. Actually, I like all cards! I love to let people know at this time of year that we're thinking about them, and I like to be thought about in return. If a Christmas photo is of a whole family or if it's of just one person - who is aging at the same rate I am - I still enjoy it.

Handwritten messages are wonderful, but many people don't do it because their writing hands would fall off (I'm one of those, but I like to make the card/letter as personal as a machine can make it).

The show-off part of a Christmas letter can be questionable - but, on the other hand, maybe it's a good thing to let people sound braggish once a year. It's better than bragging over a back fence or in a break room every day. Generally speaking, people relate only good stuff in a Christmas letter - unless something really big occurred during the year, like a death in the family. Maybe it's a good thing to recognize that fact and not get too upset (or too envious) hearing about the world travel and the new house. We may be giving the writer/sender a chance to stop thinking for a moment about the impending divorce, the kid on drugs, the relative's cancer, or the fear of foreclosure.

I love photos of ALL the people I love, not just children, especially if it's a great shot of them on a fun trip or in an unusual or exotic place!
One year my husband and I sent out a card with a wonderful photo of just the two of us in the wine country. We got lots of remarks along the lines of: well we love seeing your kids but it was nice to see the two of you for a change (this was several years ago, before all the high tech photo collage cards you can do at home now.)
And my cards are always signed by hand, whether it's a photo card or not.
Also, the photo cards are the only ones I keep. The other cards get cut up and recycled into gift tags and other crafty projects :)

I have to say I love getting cards from friends and family, with or without kids! Some people we don't get to see that often and getting a card from them is nice! I don't get why it is a bad thing to send cards to people whether you have kids or not. I prefer photo cards over the no picture cards because I love the pictures and have a place for them.

I'm with you CarrieT! I love seeing my friend's and family's faces and we keep them up all year long!

I agree on the creepiness factor of couples without children (unless they're perhaps your parents or a much-loved family member that you don't get to see often). Preferrably, the photos are just of the kiddos- as I usually don't prefer to see how adults are aging over time (kids are cute, adults aren't...). As for photo cards, there are many variations of the traditional card that a person can still attach their photo to and add the personal message inside. A photo card with a generic "Merry Christmas, the Smiths" is just tacky, especially when printed and not handwritten... Why waste the postage?

It goes w/out saying that it's a bit 'weird' when it's an adult couple only on the card. AWKWARD!

I also think it's weird when the parents are on the card EVERY YEAR... we really only care about the kids...

I like them - even if no children. Like so many who posted here I don't see people as often as I'd like and I love that they took the time to include me because it takes time and expense. What I have grown to dislike is the "Christmas Letter' - aka bragging letter - lol. Yes, I am happy to hear what is going on in their life, but some, just some, go beyond that. Anyways. This year (thanks Molly) I will receive them with joy and gratitude.
(ps - we didn't have time to do a chirstmas card - I am so bummed. Maybe valentine's!)

I don't see it as weird. We only have one set of childless friends who do this. They are dear friends, and they do look a little different every year. Even if they didn't, we don't see each other often. It's always nice to see them. I guess you don't feel the same way about your friends. To each their own.

I do Photo Cards or include a photo for close friends and family. Everyone else just gets a regular card.

I haven't gotten any from just adults, though I would find that a bit strange too. I do get some from friends, and, like you said, although I like to see the kids, there's never any writing on them. I wish that people who send out photo cards would put a little personalization on it. I know it takes a lot of time to write out cards, but just a sentence or two on the back would be great! It seems very impersonal to me....

I don't do photo cards. If I receive them I think, oh, it is so and so in a Christmas sweater or oh, they've made the children all matchy-matchy. Then at the end of the season the photo cards go in the trash.

I think it is strange when people send out the cards and the pictures are of their kids in bathing suits. Doesn't that seem odd? Here's my kid in a bathing suit...happy winter holiday...

I used to feel the same, kind of.....but you know what, I've found I actually enjoy getting the photo cards of adults with no kids when they are from people I don't get to see for years at a time (i.e. cousins, out of state friends, etc.) It is nice to have a real picture of them to hang on the fridge. :)

We do the photo cards because we have a 2 yo, and I know everyone wants to see how he is growing up. But my ideal would be to send out "real" non-photo cards, something really pretty with lots of glitter, with a hand-written note and a wallet photo of my son inside. But I just don't have the time! And the photo cards are so easy and cheap. :)

Happy holidays!

I love getting the photo cards, I like to see friends and families kids, pets, whatever. I think it makes them more fun to receive than a plain XMas card, but really, any card is nice to receive. Once I had kids, I started doing a photo card as well. We have family and friends that we live so far apart from that we hardly ever see, I think the photo XMas card is a nice way to show people how your family is growing.

You are hilarious.

But I don't know that I'd go so far as to say that the people who are sending these photo cards are narcisistic, or even weird for that matter. Maybe they have time to take lots of nice pics of themselves because they don't have kids!

This year was the first year we sent out "photo" cards, and I didn't put any pics of hubby and I, just of the kids. And you are right, it is for those who don't get to see our children that often and it just tickles them to death when they get that card in the mail.

I find it kind of weird if the adults are NOT included in the pic. After all, the adults/parents are the ones I'm friends with, not the kids. Ya know what I mean? And the grown-ups change from year to year just like the kids do. We usually do a family letter inserted into a card and include a photo either separately or we'll have a variety of them on the newsletter. We look forward to those "braggy" letters; I want to know what everyone has been up to (and I'm told people enjoy ours as well).

We save the photos in a special xmas album, and the cards usually are recycled into gift tags.

I love getting cards. But what do you do with them after ? I use to make place mats out of the noramal cards . Circle cutters by creative memories and overlap to make a fun place mat and laminate them. But what do you do with pic cards ? Do you throw them away or save them for years ??? I just don't see scrapbooking all the photo cards of people that you do only see or hear from once a year.

We still do a real card and put a photo inside.

Having said that... I'm okay with photo cards of adults when there's a reason. For example, a friend of mine got married just before Thanksgiving last year. They sent a Christmas card with a wedding photo, which was really beautifully done. Aside from that, I don't see a reason to send me a picture of an adult!