Shutterfly Holiday Cards 2010

Is it weird that even though the holidays are still eight weeks away that I can't wait to start receiving Christmas cards? There's just something about opening the envelopes and finding the warm, thoughtful messages and, my personal favorite, the happy smiling faces inside.

Because, as I've said before, nothing compares to holiday photo cards. Don't get me wrong, regular holiday cards are nice to receive as well, but nothing beats seeing how much kids have grown and whether the family dog was able to stand still long enough to be included in the shot.

And, a great site to visit for beautiful, custom cards this year is Shutterfly and their wide array of choices of holiday cards for 2010.

The number of choices of holiday cards at Shutterfly almost made my head start to spin, so deciding on a favorite was nearly impossible. I do find that this year I am drawn to the cards that feature one large photograph spanning the entire card with the text written right on top.

For instance, how cute is the Starlight Flurries Christmas Card?

Simple, straight to the point, very classic. I like the cute addition of the words and that there is a place for each family member's name, while the focus is still very much on the photograph in the background.

Similar in cuteness but with the addition of a message on the inside is the Under The Mistletoe Christmas 5 x 7 folded card.

I love how it sends "holiday wishes with hugs and kisses" on the outside and has plenty of room to completely personalize it in the inside. However, I do have to admit that having all of that space in there almost seems a little daunting - choosing this card would mean that I would have to come up with more than just the typical "Happy Holidays" message that we usually send.

So, for right now, my current front-runner in combining the features that I like is the Mod Ornaments Holiday Card.

Cute, fun, clean, colorful... everything about this card appeals to me.

Except maybe for the fact that I would then have to have one really great picture of my girls together, which isn't all that easy to find. Fortunately for me, Shutterfly has so many great designs that feature two, three or even more pictures that I would be able to find one that could showcase individual pictures of Big Sister E and Little Sister B without any problem.

All that's left is to send them out and sit back and wait for the cards from family and friends to start arriving. What a great time of year!

Have you ordered your holiday cards yet? Do you love receiving them as much as I do?