eco-friendly holiday cards

I have to be honest with you, I am not ready for Christmas yet.  This year has gone by so fast that I can't get over the fact that it's almost Thanksgiving.  I usually have my Christmas cards ready to be mailed by Halloween with most of my presents already crossed off the list.  I am nowhere near that this year.

Last year I gave people the choice of receiving their card via email or by snail mail and was surprised to see how many people chose the former.  I know not everyone is as sentimental as I am and throw away their cards as soon as the Christmas tree is taken down, so I figured why create more waste for them (and the planet).

Here are some eco-friendly options for holiday cards this year:
Recycled cards:
Hallmark, Snapfish, Target and Kidbean all offer different options for holiday cards made from recycled paper.

Make your own:
Use recycled paper and consider only sending them to those who will appreciate the time and effort it takes to make it.

Donate the $ instead:
Why not use the money you were planning on using for the holiday cards instead on a worthy cause like the local food bank or a school in need of supplies.  Send an e-card letting everyone know what charity you're supporting and invite them to contribute as well.

E-cards:
There are plenty of options out there to send cards via email that offer animated, funny, traditional, or photo cards to your friends and family.  American Greetings, Smilebox, Hallmark, and Blue Mountain are just a few.  Sites like flickr and Shutterfly offer holiday albums you can share if you don't want to do a simple card.  And if anyone on your list really wants a printed photo of you, they have the option to print it at home.

Cards that grow:
And finally, there are the cards you can grow when you're done displaying them.  Green Field Paper is a company that makes recycled seed-embedded cards that use soy ink and grow flowers.  Perfect for those who don't like to keep the cards and there's no guilt about the waste!


Reuse and recycle:
You can reuse old holiday cards to make gift bags, gift tags, ornaments, or as a placemat.  You can also send your used cards to St. Jude's Ranch where they can make new cards out of them.  And when you're done with the cards that you get in the mail this year, don't forget to RECYCLE!

So many options and so little time!  Have fun deciding on which way to spread the holiday cheer.  :)