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Christmas and Holiday Cards

13 Nov By 6 Comments

I admit that I dont purchase Christmas cards every year. Although I take year round pictures of my kids, and I love to show them off via this blog and Facebook, when it comes time for Christmas I get incredibly busy and before I know it, Thanksgiving has passed and I am justifying not doing it till “next” year.

Basically, it never happens.

This year I was bound and determined to not only order something on time, but to get it into the mail before January 1st.

Minted.com

Clearly there are many printing and card companies on the Internet that you could choose from and many will have something unique you may be looking for, but I wanted to introduce you to Minted.com and what makes them special. Unlike many holiday card websites, you don’t get just one static look to choose from yearly.

Minted is very different in that they invite designers in on a consistent basis, hold design challenges, and the community, (that’s you) votes on which designs to sell to the public. This means there are 100s of varieties of holiday cards, Christmas cards, baby announcements, and even customized journals, all with fresh new designs that make it a website that you can visit at any time of the year for new and unique ideas.

We believe that great design lives and thrives in the hands of indie designers that people may not have access to through traditional retailers. Our goal is to use technology to allow our community to discover the work of great designers from all over the world. And at the same time, create a place where designers can get exposure and build their careers.

Minted holds monthly design challenges for stationery, invitations, calendars, and other categories and all graphic designers are invited to enter. The Minted community selects the best designs in a highly competitive process, which gives us a top selection of the freshest, finest cards in the world. Winning designers earn cash prizes, a place in the Minted collection, and commissions on all sales of their designs.

 

While looking through the mass amount of cards, I could tell a clear difference in designers work and it made the choices far from mundane.

In fact, it made it downright difficult to choose just one.

For my cards, I was really looking for something special. Two things really struck me as interesting and custom for my needs. First, they carried mini photo book cards. Check them out…cute, right?

 

And they carried “Yearline” cards, which broke down a timeline of your year to take your card from just a picture greeting, to a personal and informational way to share with friends and family important events in your life during the year:

Ultimately I fell in love with the design below, and used their personalization tool to create my card and then customize the envelopes, add a matching liner, and purchase matching labels (I didn’t focus on a holiday label). Here will be my holiday cards for the year (this is a screenshot of the online personalization tool, the actual card hasn’t arrived yet):

FRONT

 

INSIDE CARD/FOLDED

Custom Matching Envelopes; I picked the color and added a liner:

And I felt really good that I was able to support a designer and a small business at the same time with my purchase.

So head over, add a picture to the “Design Fast” area and look at your shot in a variety of cards at once, or just meander around and check out the lovely choices and individually test them with your shots. Either way, dont be me and push it till the last second.

To get you started, Minted has provided me with a discount code you can use to receive a 10% off your holiday cards:

READERS49

Have you ordered your cards yet this year?

~Trisha

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Disclosure: minted.com provided me with a code to share with my readers and one to facilitate this article and test out their product lines

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Last Chance! Facebook app Fun!

24 Dec By Leave a Comment

If you celebrate Christmas, Happy Christmas Eve and if you dont, happy Holidays! I wanted to remind everyone that its your last chance to participate in the Blue Mountain facebook application. Why you are strumming your fingers on the desk wondering when Santa is going to arrive (check out my NORAD tracker post!), you still have time to take a 4 person question and let your facebook friends and followers know exactly where you fall in the Got Joy App.

Got Joy?

Its really easy. All you do is head over, like the page (you will be in good company with the other 50K+ fans), and then go to the GOT JOY tab and slide the questionnaire to the answer that suits you most.

Here is a sample question:

Santa’s Helper

I was “Santas Little Helper” which today I really feel like. I went to Toys R Us (Yes, I’m nuts) AND Best Buy (Double Nuts) to finish up some last minute (read: slacker) Christmas shopping. Maybe had I Followed the Christmas tips I see on the page I wouldn’t have delayed so long!

Thats it! Dont delay..see you on facebook.

Big, Wet, Holiday Smooches!

Trisha

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Win $100 by Participating in the Remember That Time Sweepstakes!

22 Dec By 1 Comment

Win $100 by Participating in the

Remember That Time

Sweepstakes!

I wanted to give you heads up on how to win some last minute holiday cash…for you! Right now American Greetings is having a Remember That Time Sweepstakes where the top three most memorable stories will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card.

Whoop, Whoop!

Its super easy to enter…just head over and go to the Remember That Time contest page and you will get a page like this:

They have made it simple by allowing you to log in via your facebook account or by registering. I like the facebook option because its instant! After you are connected, you can write up your favorite story of 2010, including a picture if you like, and submit:

Once your story is up, you can have your friends and family vote you up! The top #3 will win a $100 Amazon Gift Card prize!! The good thing is if you are reading this, chances are that you are social media and blog savvy, so you already know to use facebook, twitter, and your blog to garner votes. Just share with your audiences, friends, and family to move your story up. Also because your friends and family can vote one time per day throughout the contest time period, you dont need thousands of friends to win! Just a few good supportive ones.

So head over and enter and by next week you could be celebrating the new year as a winner….btw, even if you dont want to enter yourselves, go read the entries. They are in most cases heartwarming and thoughtful and a few brought some tears to my eyes.

I love the holidays.

And dont forget that Holidays Pics and Wishes is a great way to bring a unique and fun twist to your holiday cards this year. With not only photos you can upload, but video, sound, and letters, they will surely make your mom grin with delight in her email.

Btw, I have been out of town since Saturday so slow on the content. It will remain this way up until next week and then I will be back in full swing…Love you all!

Trisha

*American Greetings sponsored blog post

Filed Under: All About Trisha Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Too late to send a card? Nope!

16 Dec By 1 Comment

I am probably the last person on earth that doesn’t send Christmas cards. Mainly the expense of stamps makes me want to hurl, but also addressing 50 cards at my dining room table makes my fingers cramp just thinking about it. Being a blogger sorta makes me techy and online E-cards is one thing I can actually get done. Create. Cut and Paste email. And done.

Its like an easy button that doesn’t make grandma mad.

This year, if you are like me and you have not and never will get around to sending a card in the mail, or if you sent your cards and forgot your 2nd cousin and your husbands BFF from college, save yourself some time and send out an ecard. Now e-cards are good for all occasions. It doesn’t have to be a holiday season, but the holiday cards, in my opinion, are always the cutest.

[learn_more caption="About American Greetings" state="open"] American Greetings Corporation is a leading manufacturer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships.

The company’s major greeting card brands are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings, and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods, American Greetings and Plus Mark gift-wrap and boxed cards and Date Works calendars.

American Greetings also has the largest collection of electronic greetings on the Web, including cards available at AmericanGreetings.com through AG Interactive, Inc., the company’s online division. AG Interactive also offers digital photo sharing and personal publishing at PhotoWorks.com and Webshots.com and a one-stop source for online graphics, animations, and more at Kiwee.com. [/learn_more]

Send a holiday pics and wishes card!

One thing I dont lack for around here is pictures of my beautiful daughter. And a chance to share them, email, blog, facebook, twitter, makes me a proud parent.

STEP #1:

The first thing you do to get started is pick a card out:

Step #2:

Personalize your card and upload some photos! You can change the greeting by a simple drop down and add in a name like “Smith Family” or Love, Mom.

Step #3:

Optional Steps that you can take advantage of or skip:

  • You can add a personalized letter to tell your family and friends whats been going on with you
  • Include a full slideshow showcasing your entire year
  • Add a voice message (gives you a phone number to call into and leave a message..so cute!)
  1. * – Tell a holiday joke
    * – Have your kids tell a story
    * – Describe your wishes for the year
    * – Have your family sing your favorite pop song or Holiday song
    * – Read a favorite quote
    * – Simply say, “Happy Holidays
  • Add a video! You can upload video right from your computer to be included. Maybe baby’s first steps, wedding vows, or some other special day you had this year!

Preview your card

That’s it, super easy. Now head over, add some pictures, videos, and sing a little Christmas diddy so you dont leave your family wondering if you Scrooged out this year..


Wide Selection of Free Ecards from American Greetings. Animated, Funny, Talking & More!

~Trisha

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this post is sponsored

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Feature Boutique: Moon and Back Studios

7 Oct By 3 Comments

Please welcome to MomDot, Myra from Moon and Back Studios!

1.  Tell us about your boutique and how you got started selling online?

I am a bit compulsive about documenting our family’s memories. For years, I’ve been designing spreads that showcase my photography and journaling. Somewhere in the process, I fell in love with graphic design. I needed more of an outlet for my creative juices. So I also began making photo cards as gifts for family and friends. My husband saw a business opportunity, gave me a nudge, and Moon and Back Studios was born.

2.  How did you come up with the name, Moon and Back Studios?

When my Jake, who is now six, was a toddler, we used to read Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. It became a family tradition to say “I love to you to the moon and back”. I bought the URL before we even had a business plan cemented because I just loved the name. Our logo with the three little birds in the three represents our family.

3.  How do you advertise your business and what advertising methods have you found to be effective?

I’ve tried a lot of different things, but in the end, it’s all about word of mouth. Since we’re small, we have total control over the customers’ experience. So I make sure each client has an unforgettable, personal experience. They get to work directly with the owners who have a vested interest in making sure everything is perfect. Not many design companies can say that. I also think new business owners need to spend as much time as possible on SEO. Developing content and networking are so important. It’s a lot of work. You simply can’t imagine how time intensive the startup is for a small business owner. And striking a workable balance can be challenging.

4.   We are very impressed that you run Moon and Back Studios while still working full-time outside of the home.  What has been the most challenging for you managing both careers as well as managing your family?

I’m a driven person, so probably the most difficult thing is to strike a balance. But I suppose that’s true for everyone in some aspect of life. For me, design is my creative outlet – something I enjoy so much that it’s hard to step away. So it actually doesn’t feel like I’m working when I’m on the computer in the wee hours of the morning. It’s hard to pull back at times, because there’s always so much to do. I’m so fortunate to have such a supportive husband and family. And I have learned to pace myself a bit better now than I did in the beginning.

5.   Can you offer any advice to other full-time moms who might be interested in starting an online business?

Don’t bother going into business unless it’s something you feel passionate about. It’s such a commitment that it has to be something you enjoy doing. Do your homework, get to know your market, and find a niche. There’s so much competition all vying for the same slice of the pie. Most online business models don’t require a fortune to get started. Try your products or services on some focus groups who can give you honest feedback before you take your idea public. Finally, choose your web designer carefully. We’ve been very happy with Staci at Quirky Bird.

6.  How do you come up with the designs for your beautiful products?  Do you create those yourself, or are you ever inspired by your clients?

Each of my designs is an original, but so often, a client will send a photo, and I’ll suddenly get inspired to create a new design. The cards you see in the store are really starting points for each design. Once I have the order, I walk our clients the process to make it easy. When our client sends her photos, I change the color scheme of the card to match, enhance the photo to make it look like a professional shot, and make any other changes to the design the client wants. By the time we’re done, the end result is really a custom design. Bottom line: we go the extra mile to give our clients what they are looking for. At least that’s what they tell me!

We’re also really excited about a new feature we’re offering for the holidays: folded press printed photo cards featuring inside printing. The possibilities really are endless! With inside printing, there’s plenty of room for a family newsletter inside the card with extra photos. The results are stunning! Check out more details here.

Myra has given MomDot readers a 10% discount off of a purchase of $50 or more!  Use code 10formomdot which is valid until 12/31/08.

Interviewed by Mommy Blogger Christy aka The Write Gal.

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