Shutterfly Christmas Card GIVEAWAY!

Much thanks to Shutterfly for providing me with the promise of many lovely Christmas cards in exchange for my sharing how much I love their products. We get our cards from them every year, and have not been disappointed once, so it was an offer I was more than happy to accept.

But here's the dilemma: the more kids we have, the more difficult it is to create appropriate cards. Do we just feature one family pic? What if we can't GET one good family pic? Do we give each kid his/her own spot? Do we find a card that features a combination of both, like last year?

Here are the cards from the last three years:

(Christmas, 2012: Is it just me, or is Elliot the only one who looks any older since last Christmas?)

 

(Christmas, 2011) 

 

(Christmas, 2010: Look at those CHEEKS on Sam!)

This year, I am [predictably] drawn to all cards "merry and bright" - I love happy colors and fun lettering. And our cards also needs to say "Merry Christmas" - none of this Happy Holidays politically correct stuff. Jesus is the reason for the season!

We only need two more kids to make this first card above a hit! Pretty sure we can't accomplish that by Christmas. ;) But I do love the black and white contrast in the center. And I certainly don't think our family is big enough to qualify for a tri-fold! I certainly don't remember seeing those before.

The Giveaway
I'm glad I still have a LITTLE time to think about this, because the options seem endless! But the even better news is that one of you lovely readers now has the chance to win a $50 SHUTTERFLY GIVEAWAY - including free shipping - so I won't be the only one overwhelmed with options!

All you need to do is have a look around Shutterfly's "Holiday Cards landing page"  and then come back here and comment on your favorite card(s).

For a SECOND entry, I would love it if you would leave a "merry and bright" comment of your own that you know might make me smile - because Mama can always use extra smiles! ;)

If you subscribe to my RSS feed (http://blog.hestermania.com) or already have, you can leave a THIRD comment letting me know. Wow, three ways to enter! Super cool.

The Details: Make sure you leave your e-mail address in the e-mail field so I know how to contact you if you win. All entries must be received by Tuesday, 11/26/2013 - so you have 1 1/2 weeks starting NOW. Please know that if you comment more or differently than the three specific ways mentioned above, or leave inappropriate comments, all of your comments (and therefore your entries) will be deleted.

Shutterfly wants to make sure I mention their plethora of photo gifts. DONE. And if you're a tweeter, which I mostly am not, please know they are having a Twitter Party #PhotosYouLove on November 15 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Happy card perusing!

Trackback:
Last year's Shutterfly Christmas giveaway

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UPDATE 11-27-13:
Commenter #14 LAURA is our winner! Laura, I've sent you an e-mail letting you know you won, and Shutterfly will be contacting you directly about how to redeem your $50 at their site. CONGRATULATIONS!

Gospel for Asia Collage, Year 3

It's that time of year again: Time to glue together our annual collage of gifts the kids have chosen to send to families in need through "Gospel for Asia."

Perusing the catalog. 

Deciding how to divvy up their $20 each. Hello, extra math time. 

Cutting out pictures of the rabbits and chickens and Bibles they've chosen to buy. 

Jacob. Using scissors. Without complaining or cutting off that person's arm or head. I was in awe. He did a GREAT, focused job. Hello, successful fine motor skills time.

Lily starting the collage, Jacob still cutting. 

See? No beheading! Rounded corners. I've noticed such an improvement in his overall focus and fine-motor stamina this year. Well, sometimes. 

Pasting on his addition. Lily had by now moved on to cutting out the remainder of the catalog's cute livestock for a collage of her own, which she entitled, "We want." Never one to mince words, that girl. 

The finished product...which Lily chose to hang in the exact same spot as the last two years...after I talked her out of hanging it on the front porch.

Before nap time, we spent some time praying for the kids and families who would receive these gifts. And for little hearts that would not be envious about giving -and not getting - these gifts. 

Trackback:

Last year's collage

The year before that

Christmas Cards and a GIVEAWAY

It's not even Halloween and apparently stores feel the need to put out their Christmas displays........whaaaaat? I completely don't understand how people can start focusing on decorating for Christmas when there are so many other things to focus on before that.

However, that being said, it is usually around this time of year that I start thinking about Christmas cards, since it would be nice to have those done ahead of time (as in, not just a few days before Christmas, like last year). So you can imagine my excitement when Shutterfly sent me an e-mail telling me they'd compensate me for posting about their 2012 Holiday campaign. Whaaaaaaat? Um, let me think about that.

YES.

Even if they weren't paying me, I'd say how every year since we started sending out Christmas cards, I've purchased them through Shutterfly. I always end up with some kind of promotion from them this time of year, and they have AWESOME stuff, so it's a mutually beneficial arrangement. So please go check out their Christmas cards, and they'd also like it if you checked out their current special offers.

Now for the extra fun part...a GIVEAWAY!

Between now and November 10th, one reader will win $50 off an order of $50 or more from Shutterfly -- super cool, right?! All you have to do is leave ONE comment in the comments section below (NOT in Facebook's comments, if that's how you got here) about anything interesting you'd like to tell me. Please make sure you put a valid e-mail address in the e-mail field so if you win, I know how to contact you. A winner will be chosen at random on November 11th.

* If you subscribe to my RSS feed (http://blog.hestermania.com) or already have, you can leave a second comment letting me know, thus entering yourself twice. *

Please note: Max two comments per person (2nd comment only to verify your RSS subscription). Other extra comments or anything rude will be deleted. The $50 credit does not include tax or shipping, it can not be combined with any other promo, and it expires December 14th, 2012.

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UPDATE 11-14-2012

Annnnnnnd the lucky winner is:

Annie!! The big sister of one of my wonderful roommates in college, and someone who showed me the way (literally) to being a Web Designer and Programmer. Here was her winning comment:

 

 Congratulations, Annie! E-mail coming your way shortly...

5x7 Folded Card

What Fun Christmas Card

Custom Christmas cards are always available at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Shutterfly was kind enough to give me a $10 credit off my next order for posting this link of one of our Christmas cards. Glad to do it! I love Shutterfly and have already spent the credit ;)

Christmas Ponderings...

Last year was the first year we did Christmas cards, and they were super cute (if I may say so myself.) I got a great deal online where they were all free, even shipping. Maybe I'll dig one up and scan it in so everyone can remember the cuteness.

This year, I have yet to score such a great deal, but I do have a $20 credit with Shutterfly from when Sam was born, so maybe I'll cash it in and get some Christmas cards. How handy that you were born, Sam ;) We're going tomorrow to get the Christmas pics taken, so hopefully we'll have some keepers!

I already found a design I really like that I think will fit our family well, but no way am I going to share it here BEFORE you get it in the mail...

I also like to give out calendars of the kids each year, but usually it's a lot cheaper to just buy the blank calendar and paste on my own pics in the allotted spaces.

Hmm, maybe if I have enough of a credit left, I'll pick up some personalized Mother's Day cards, as well... Not sure my brain can think that far ahead right now!

I'm still a little bummed that I never got around to posting about all of the personalized, home-made presents given and received last Christmas. I remember mentioning that in Christmas, 2008 I was super excited to be on the receiving end, and as a result, made a conscious effort to make a lot of my gifts last year, but alas the pics were never posted, and this year...forget about it! Sorry, everyone, but your gifts will be PURCHASED with love, not lovingly handmade.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Was hoping to get the village set up on the piano (right), but it just didn't happen.



Stockings for the new baby (no name yet!), Hoppyop (how Lily used to say Jacob), Lala (how Jacob currently says Lily), Mama, and Dadda. The pretty red/silver garland is from Michael's, and each stocking was only $1 at Old Navy! I just cut out the letters with felt and hand-stitched them on. Wonder how the names will need to be changed next year...?



One of the two doorways where we hung our Christmas cards.

All I Wanted For Christmas...

Looks like Jacob got his wish.



PS We're all feeling MUCH better now, thank you. That was some nasty stuff going around.

Home-made Christmas

Many of this year's Christmas presents were hand-made. If not by one of us, then by some very talented people on places like Etsy. I just loved it! I wish more of the hand-made gifts were from ME. Maybe next year...

Lori made two wonderful hats for the kids.



Here's Lily modeling hers right after she opened it. This gift was DOUBLE hand-made - Lori bought the home-made pattern on Etsy.

Lori also crocheted a pair of wool soakers for Wyatt:



She sure was busy! (And so talented!)

Amanda bought Lori and I homemade necklaces fashioned out of old Scrabble tiles and hung on thick silver chains. Lori's tile has a blue bird painted on the front, and mine has three little flowers on a black background. They are both so sweet.

Amanda also bought the girls the cutest little tu-tus, made out of pink and purple crinoline.



Most of the time, Lily prefers to wear it as a hat more than a tutu - whatever works.



I sewed Heidi a patchwork-type pillow for her new car. I put in a zipper and her initials real small on one corner.

We had two big surprises. The first was the beautiful watercolor painting Ryan's mom made us. It was set in Williamsburg, and the heads of both our little stinkers are popping up in the bottom of the picture - including the crazy hair on Jacob's head!



It was awesome, and a wonderful addition to the Charleston, SC row house-type painting she made us last year.

And the other big surprise was the two baby-sized Adirondack chairs my dad made for the kids.



These were brought in from his car after all the other gifts were handed out, as the big surprise finish Ryan and I had not expected.



Thanks so much to everyone for the special, thoughtful hand-made gifts!

Christmas Present Models

Hesterman Christmas, 2008

Hiding the presents from curious little fingers.



The [ridiculously!] big reveal.



The most people we've ever had for dinner in our dining room.



The girls in their new "shashes" (glasses).



Four outta five.



Aunt Heidi with one of her little nephews.



The big surprise.