'Tis the Season--Holiday Cards!

I can't believe it--it's the holiday season again! Seriously, where has the fall gone--how it possible that Thanksgiving is tomorrow?? And we all know that Thanksgiving signals the downhill slide into Christmas, whether we're ready or not.

Something I've been stressing about a lot this year is our annual holiday card. Each year that John and I have lived together, we've sent out progressively more humiliating cards of the dogs in some sort of holiday apparel. It's actually a lot of pressure--people always tell us how much they're looking forward to our card and that they can't wait to see what we're doing each year. Here's a sampling of some of the photos from past cards:

So there's pressure there regardless. But this year we added a new member to our family and I'm sure our friends and family are wondering (honestly, I'm sure they're not really sitting around thinking about our holiday card at all--I'm not that self-important. I have had a few people ask though, so it has crossed some people's minds) if the dogs will get ousted from the holiday card in order for Allison to shine, front and center. We of course wouldn't let that happen, so I started thinking months ago (I wish I was kidding) about how to incorporate all our "kids" onto the annual card.

Through some Googling, I found a few ideas that I thought would work but we recently got family pictures taken and they turned out awesome, so I wanted to include them as well...such a dilemma!! What to do, what to do....

Through some searching, I realized that thankfully photo card companies have wised up and realized that some of us need more options then just the simple, one photo card that we've utilized in year's past. I am in love with this option from Shutterfly:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/starlight-ribbon-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&fa=8&storeNode=93496&fe=1&fc=1
It's perfect--could put the dog/Allie pic as the big one and our family shots on top. Plus the colors are beautiful. However, it could look a bit strange since our family pictures are more, well, fancy I guess then our silly picture of the baby and dogs (yep, we've already got it taken, we're just waiting on the CD of images from our photographers). So maybe it would look weird?

No worries, there are other options then! Shutterfly also makes 5X7 folded cards, so we could put the big picture of the dogs and Allie front and center and put the family pictures, as well as a bit of a holiday update letter (we've yet to do one of those, but there's a first time for everything, especially with the big year we've had!!). Love the simplicity of this one...would really let the picture do the talking:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/starlight-ribbon-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&fa=8&storeNode=93496&fe=1&fc=1

Still not sure which way we'll go...stay tuned for an update on that! Speaking of our family pictures, we're totally going to do the easy way out this year with photo gifts for all the family--I know it's a bit of a cop out, but we're totally playing the new parents card. For John's side, it will be photo books and calendars, all of Allie. For my side, a photo book of Allie, but the calendar will also feature my nephew, so my parents can enjoy both of their grandkids. I've never done a personalized calendar before, and am just loving all the features of them--check it out, you can put in everyone's birthdays and anniversaries (with pictures if you want!!)!! Too cool:

http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

I know they'll be a big hit!

PS: Any other bloggers out there that are looking to send out holiday cards this year, check out Shutterfly's awesome promotion--50 free cards for bloggers!! You just can't beat that! Here's the link: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

PPS: In case, you haven't guessed, this post is a part of said promotion, but my opinions about Shutterfly's products are true, swear!

Allie's First Halloween

Allie was a beautiful ballerina for her first Halloween--someone gave us this adorable onsie with a tutu attached so I thought it would make a perfect costume (plus where else would she wear such a thing? it's so cute but notso practical). She wore it on Friday to my office to show her off and to her daycare's Halloween party, then we put it on her on Sunday night so she could see all the trick-or-treaters coming by. I'm sure she had no clue what was going on, but it was fun for us!
While we're on the subject of trick or treating, I'm going to get a bit judgey--I just don't get people taking their babies trick or treating when the kids aren't even old enough to eat any of the candy. I understand wanting to show off your kid and I think the experience would be somewhat fun for a child as well, but you could do it and not take candy. Seriously, parents, buy your own damn candy. It's not that expensive--hell, you could even wait until today to buy some at deeply discounted prices. I think next year maybe we'll take Allie out around the neighborhood in her stroller or a wagon, but I'll be damned if I use her to troll for candy. That's actually one of my main reasons for writing this post--so if by next year I've changed my tune, I can go back and read this to get a reality check.
And now for some pictures of all that cuteness: