Spreading Positive Feelings With Hallmark's "Tell Them" Campaign

When I was at Blissdom a month ago, one of my favorite suites to visit was the Hallmark suite. In that suite, conference attendees could browse the cards, find ones they wanted to send to friends or family, and write a little message. Envelopes were then addresses and mailed by Hallmark, or if the recipient was there at the conference, a tweet was sent to them to come pick up their card in the mail area of the suite.

It was a great idea, and very popular with the bloggers at Blissdom. Who knew one little room could be filled to the brim with happiness? There were cards on every topic, from "Miss you" for family back home, to "Thanks for being a great friend" and "Sorry things are so sucky" topics.

Having just found out I was being laid off prior to the conference, it made me laugh to get a card from a friend that started out with a gloomy grey rain cloud and the word "Crap" on the front of the card. I needed that laugh, and it made me feel so loved that someone (two people, actually!) took the time to write a message and send me a card.

Let's face it, we often keep in touch with email, texting and Facebook, and those are often quick and easy ways to connect. But can anything really replace getting a handwritten card in the mail? I know my entire day is made better when I open my mailbox and find a card for me mixed in with the usual flood of junk mail and bills.

Hallmark's recent "Tell Them" campaign is trying to encourage everyone to reach out and tell a friend or loved one something they need to hear. Our own inner voice is nearly always negative, so wouldn't it be nice to give someone a positive message for once? Do you have a friend who really needs to know how thankful you are that she's there for you? Have you told your teen lately that you're so proud of him for making the honor roll? Maybe your little sister just needs nudge out of a bad mood by reminding her that she's important and you know good things will be coming along for her soon?

You can visit Hallmark's Tell Them Facebook page and make a vow to tell that loved one the sentiment you need them to know. In person, through a handwritten note, in a card...no matter how you do it, spread a little love and make sure nothing important is ever left unsaid. We all want to feel loved and important, and it can start with each of us doing the same for those around us.

Giveaway!
Hallmark wants to help you get started in sending out your messages. They're giving a gift pack of Hallmark cards and envelopes to one lucky reader!

To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me who is the one person you'd most like to send a card to? Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you're the winner. One entry per person, US mailing addresses only.

Entries will be accepted until March 28 at 11:59pm EDT. After that date, one winner will be selected at random to receive the gift pack of Hallmark cards. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notice or another winner will be selected.

Good luck!!

Full disclosure: I received free Hallmark cards as well as sent free cards at the Hallmark suite at Blissdom. No further compensation was received. All opinions are my own, including the opinion that I have some awesome bloggy friends who really helped me feel better on a bad day with the cards they sent me.

Find Your Perfect Holiday Card With Shutterfly

Halloween may be my favorite holiday of the year, but the entire month of December is not far behind it. It's hard for me to believe that it's already time to start unpacking the decorations and gearing up for the winter holidays, but as soon as Halloween is past, the remaining weeks until Christmas will be a whirlwind of activity.

Which means now is the perfect time to start thinking about holiday cards. Ever since the rise of the photo card, I've become a fan of sending out Christmas cards each year. We love sending out new photos of the family to distant friends and family members, getting photo cards in return to display on the mantle.

In our house, there are a few rules when selecting our annual card. First, it needs to not be a folded card. (This rule comes from me.) The holidays are already so busy, and a folded card - with all of that beautiful blank space inside just begging for someone to fill it with words- is too much stress for me to handle. I want my greeting to be printed on the card along with our names and have it ready to go. Sounds impersonal, I know, but I think friends would rather receive a card from us without my messy handwriting rather than no card at all.

Second, the card has to keep to a semi-generic "Happy Holidays" theme. (This rule comes from my husband.) My family celebrates Christmas, while my husband's family celebrates Hanukkah, and some of our friends simply enjoy the holiday season. The thought of getting two or more different sets of cards and trying to figure out which ones best suit which recipients makes my head spin. Instead, we choose one design that we hope will offend no one.

Thankfully, Shutterfly has hundreds of gorgeous designs to choose from, and no matter the rules your family may have for picking just the right card - whether they be Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards or just holiday cards - they will have a card for you. Here are three of my favorites:

Mod Snowflakes

Isn't this design gorgeous? The black background with the brightly colored snowflakes is so modern, and the colors just make me happy. Looking at this card, I'm wishing for the snow to get here soon!

Seasonal Chic 2010

I love the color combination on this card as well as the ability to add three different photos. Sometimes I have a horrible time choosing the right photo for a card, but with a card like this, I've got a lot more flexibility. Also, the text is customizable, so I can easily omit the "Merry Christmas" in favor of "Happy Holidays" or simply "With love."

French Vintage

I know, this one really doesn't look like a holiday card, does it? But I love it because it's so different. The interesting color, the flourishes - it's perfect for someone who doesn't want a traditional holiday card.

Which one will I choose? I have no idea. Honestly, these are three of about ten favorites I have saved, and it may come down to simply closing my eyes and picking one. No matter which one I choose, I know it will look amazing on the premium cardstock.

Bloggers - Get Your Own Cards Free!

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

Full disclosure: This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

The Beauty of California Flowers

I'll admit that I'm girly when it comes to flowers. I may not seem like the type, but I do appreciate getting flowers as a gift. They just brighten a room, and in doing so, brighten my mood.

So imagine how I felt when, shortly before my birthday, these appeared at my door:


This beautiful bouquet isn't just a bunch of flowers - it's also making a statement. These flowers were all grown and cultivated in the state of California. So what, right? Well, actually, it's quite an important fact.

75% of all US grown flowers come from California, however they account for only approximately 25% of all cut flowers actually sold in the United States. So where do all the other flowers come from? The remainder are imported from South American countries.

California’s cut flower industry generates $10.3 billion in economic impact for the State of California. The cut flower industry overall generates 121,950 California jobs and $3.3 billion in wages for other industries. Considering the recession gripping the entire country, and the economic crisis that California is facing, I see buying domestic flowers as a small-yet-important thing we can do to help us all.

Beyond economics, there's also the freshness factor. Those flowers on my table meet the strictest growing standards in the world. They were raised in a world-class, year-round environment perfect for growing hundreds of varieties. (A climate I am sometimes jealous of in February.) And California flowers are most likely still in the field just 24 hours before you purchase them and therefore are much fresher and will last longer.

The flowers on my table lasted well over a week before I saw any sign of droop. Their fragrance filled the entire house. It made me happy to look at that bouquet every time I walked past the dining room.

The California Cut Flower Commission, who provided my lovely flowers, recently came up with "hint cards" to help us get the message out about our love of flowers. My husband often forgets that something as simple as a single rose or small bouquet "just because" or for a special occasion is often just as good as, or better than, a larger gift. These hint cards provide a humorous way to remind the special person in your life that you like getting flowers, too.

Until now, I had no idea where my flowers came from. I feel more in-the-know about the flower industry now, and I think in the future I'll take the extra step to make sure my flowers are domestic grown - after all, we encourage everyone to "Buy American" for other products, so why should flowers be any different?

Thanks to the CCFC for sending me the floral bouquet and teaching me a little more about the flower industry!

Tiny*Prints Gets a Big Reception

Last weekend we celebrated Mira's first birthday. I know the first birthday is really more for the parents than it is for the baby, so I wanted it to be a casual but fun gathering of friends and family. I also wanted to have pretty invitations to send out and also keep as a memento.

Usually we order the standard photo cards for birthday parties. They're usually glossy, and some of the designs are cheesy or limited in how much you can personalize them. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done.

So when Parent Bloggers asked if I would like to try out some invitations from tiny*prints, I took a look at their site. After looking through their birthday options, I agreed to order Mira's party invites through them.

I was really impressed with the modern, stylish designs they offer for birthday invitations. Even baby-themed birthday invites were both elegant and fun at the same time. It was actually very difficult to choose which invite I liked the best. Some had cute drawings on them, others were photo cards, and they came in a variety of different sizes.

Finally, I decided on a photo card, and went to the next step: personalization. The on-screen editing of each section of the invitation is simple, easy to use, and allows you to preview your changes immediately. Can't think of what to say? They have suggested verses to borrow.

The photo editing was better than any other I've seen. Photos can be changed in several ways: zoom in or out, move to better fit the size of the window, rotate, and change to black and white or sepia tone. If you decide you don't like the changes, you can always revert to the original.

Before I placed my order, the system also let me know that an actual human being (a professional designer) would be reviewing my order to make sure everything looked the best it could. How many places offer that?

So how did my invitations turn out? Well, take a look at this:

(Bad blurring of personal info was my doing.)

I was stunned at how pretty these invites were! I love the thick cardstock they are printed on, and the colors are vibrant and rich. (No glossy finish, either!) The envelopes were also much better than the standard see-thru lightweight envelopes you find at other places.

Overall, I love the tiny*prints invitations. The only downside is that they are a little more expensive than other photo invites I've seen. But the quality makes that additional cost worth it, I think. Several of the guests told me they thought the invites were beautiful, and they planned to save them.

I recommend tiny*prints, and would use them again for birthday invites. They also offer moving announcements, birth announcements, thank you cards, and invites for lots of other events.