Christmas Cards from The Perfect Family!

For the past 3 years I've partnered up with Tiny Prints to help force me in to one of my 2 blog posts of the year. The one where I show off our Christmas mantel and amazing Tiny Prints Christmas cards...

Oh how I love decorating a Christmas mantel... Don't we all?

The one thing I think we can all agree on is that Christmas cards on the other hand, are a total pain in the ass. The process of getting family photos taken is awful, it's OK to just openly admit it already. I am convinced no one hates it as much as my 7 year old son Cormac however. He has some sort of PTSD from years past I assume. At the very mention of Christmas card photos, he turns from a sweet, cooperative child in to some sort of rebel alien force I can not talk any common sense or good bribe in to.

About a month ago when I started mentioning that Tiny Prints wanted to work with me on a Christmas post again, he started turning. In my head I was like, "You got this Kenna. YOU. ARE. THE. PARENT." But no matter how many all caps and periods between words you tell yourself... If a kid doesn't want to take photos, no matter how good you sell it... They will not take photos (without a dumb face anyway).

So I had to get tricky. Sneaky. Creative. I had to dig in to my deep deep soul of manipulation and WOW the family with a new idea. A new way of doing Christmas photos. One that I not only knew would make them agree to smiles galore, but one that would leave Shawn and I laughing. Because everything is better if you can laugh your way through it, I said!

Enter: Ironic Christmas Card Photos from The Perfect Family.

You know the photos. You know the card. We've all gotten THE CARD. The one that makes you vomit and ask aloud, "How are we EVEN friends with these people?!". You may have even sent it. Possibly as recent as last year. You may be oblivious to it's obnoxiousness, or you may bathe in it like I do, knowing how awesome your family looks on that beautiful matte finish, round-edged card.

This year, I pitched the idea to Shawn: the 4 of us, on a beach, in crisp white shirts & denim, being, WAIT FOR IT: super in-love and all-around perfect. I thought it was enough. The idea made me laugh just thinking about it, I figured it was a clear winner. I texted my BFF. I said, "How funny is this idea?!..." She said, "It needs something more." I told Shawn... "It needs something more..." He said, "McDonald's. It needs us eating McDonald's." Juxtaposition. What a beautiful idea.

We told the kids. I waited for Cormac's response. He was confused. I felt like a winner already.
Cormac: "So wait, we can eat a McRib during the photo shoot? What if I get messy?"
Awesome Parents: "We welcome the mess. The messier, the better."
Cormac: "This is weird."
Awesome Parents [high fiving]: "We ARE weird!"

Next thing I had to do was get a friend to take the pics. It's not like I needed a professional. It's not the clarity of the photos I'm sending out, it's the idea. I ran it by my friend at work, "What if I take your kids Christmas card pics, and you take ours?" She was in.

As the day approached Shawn kept reminding me of all of the things we could do to make our cards even funnier. "Frolic in the ocean!" he said. I hate the ocean but I had to admit, it had me laughing. He took it farther, "If I carry you in to the ocean, you can't get mad, it's for the good of the Christmas cards." I felt like suddenly I was being manipulated. What a weird feeling.

We made it to the beach the day before Thanksgiving and waited for Golden Hour. We laughed, we ate cold McDonald's. We got wet. We confused our children. It was the most stress-free family "photo session" we've ever had. I don't know how we'll ever top this next year.

But I'm willing to try.

Merry Christmas,

The Perfect Family

PS- If you normally get a card from us, I'm getting them out this week! Shawn offered to address them but- hello- I am way to perfect for his handwriting.

These are probably my favorite just because they capture the juxtaposition so well... Matching white shirts, denim and... McDonald's. They're the most simple and to the point. #BLESSED.

A note telling the people how amazing and blessed you are is super important when sending The Perfect Family Christmas cards. Ours brags about our awesomely athletic children and the fact that Shawn & I didn't even need marriage counseling this year!

"What a Wonderful Life" braces the front of our tri-fold card which is complete with 15 pictures."Merry Everything!" along with our names & ages for every family member- this whole back panel really had me cracking up. I think it's about time we start implementing ages for all.

Photo stamps where you're making out with your husband on a beach are par for the course with a card like this!

This card is part of the Baby2Baby collection I've talked about at the bottom of this post. Of all the cards, it's definitely the nicest and most normal with it's beautiful shimmer card-stock and beveled edge design which Christmas card dreams are made of! Besides the McRib on Cormac's face and Shawn's shirt, and wet hair/sand on my cheek we look awesome... Way to be perfect Birdie.

Custom stamps and an address labeling reading "Joy, Peace and Love" are really the only way to seal off cards like these. AMIRIGHT!

PHOTO SHOOT

Taken by Bianca Serle

Photo Novice

 

If you're considering ordering last minute Christmas Cards I can assure you Tiny Prints cards are quick, easy and have a ton of options to choose from. They are some of the least expensive and highest quality cards you'll find. I made 4 different versions of cards this year, well- because I could. As you can see, they range from funny to downright annoying (think tri-fold). Each card is a different price and quality, and in total seriousness, the one thing I love about the "Peace & Love" card is that it's part of the Baby2Baby campaign. Why not help a family in need while getting yourself some Christmas cards! In total Perfect Family style, it feels like a win-win.

Be sure to check shipping dates before you place your order, so you can choose the right method of delivery for Christmas.

And definitely don't forget to use a coupon code, which can be found here!