Find the perfect holiday card this season

Kate Byerley

Twinkling lights, a light dusting of snow, aromatic Christmas trees and the love of families and friends are things that remind us of this perfect time of year. But there are also those not-so-ideal things that can increase stress during the holidays, such as picking out holiday cards.

Picking out holiday cards is not something you can do half-heartedly. You need to find the perfect card.

So why do you need the perfect holiday card?

You need it to keep in contact with those people who are important to you like old co-workers, college buddies and maybe even your second-grade teacher. You want to show them you care by choosing the perfect holiday card to send them.

Brian Ewart, a student, says that he needs the perfect holiday card “because I don’t want my loved ones to forget I exist.” Another reason to send those perfect cards out.

But how do you find the perfect holiday card? Here are some tips to de-stress your mission.

1. Don’t go to Hallmark. Just ask the women out there who went to a party or prom and some girl had the nerve to wear the same sparkly red dress they had on how they felt. They probably got very upset. So don’t make a similar mistake by going to a large chain card store and risking having the same holiday card as someone else. This is a time to distinguish yourself.

2. Go to a high-end stationery store, suggests Jack, a card expert at Papyrus in the King of Prussia Mall. They have good cards and a wide selection. Some websites you can visit are: finestationery.com, katespaperie.com and crane.com.

3. Ask for help. This is a hard task. You need to find a card that is appropriate for all your family and friends. Asking for help can diminish the stress.

4. Customize. This allows you to totally rid yourself of the possibility of having the same card as someone else. Also, if you get a picture card, it gives you a chance to get dolled up in order to make your ex jealous or to remind your second-grade teacher what you look like.

5. Get a boxed set. If you want a less pricey option than customizing, boxed sets are the way to go, says Jack. Boxed sets give you so many options, from vintage, religious, traditional, colorful, unique, corporate and hand-made. The “psychedelic Santa” is one of Jack’s favorites.

6. Look at the verse in the card. This is crucial. You don’t want to be too cheesy or serious. You need an in-between-something that can pertain to different religions and different people, such as your grandpa and your snobby boss. A perfect example is, “We wish you a warm and cozy holiday and a cool and breezy New Year.” This is light-hearted and gets the point across.

Also, don’t write a long and specific personal message about each person in your family. “I hate the newsletter,” Ewart says. “I don’t care about Uncle Joe’s new shoes.”

If you’ve followed all these steps, hopefully you have found the perfect holiday card. If not, you probably wasted a lot of time. Hopefully, it is the former.

A tip to all those bargain shoppers out there: Buy your holiday cards right after New Year’s. They are 50 percent off and you will be prepared for next year.

A holiday card can make someone laugh, cry, be jealous or feel offended. Make sure you know your audience.

When you find that perfect holiday card you will know it. No one will need to tell you. It is like falling in love. Then, finally, you can check cards off your long holiday to-do list.