Our 2012 Christmas Card- Merry Christmas Eve!

Hope you are having a great Christmas Eve!!

Excited to share our Christmas card for this year!

I wanted to wait to post till everyone got them in the mail. :)

I created all of these designs in Photoshop...

Printed the year in review card and video blurb card at home..

and then printed the 3 photo prints at target! (150 cards for $22.. not bad at all!)

I was determined to get cards out...

But the only way I was able to get a shot of all 3 with Micah

so little, was to lay them on the floor and stand above on a chair haha.

My mom was there making faces and arranging for me...

I should post the outtake photos......ridiculous. ;)

The newborn photos of Micah were taken the week before.

I blogged about getting those shots at home here

I knew that a whole family photo just wasn't going to happen. 

So I made up a little card with a photo of ben and I...

and a message for our friends and family to visit my blog Christmas Night

for a video message! I added in a QR Code for people with that app to

be able to scan with their iPhones and go directly to the post! :)

I couldn't resist....we had a newborn! ;)

Sophie loved being Mary... I first had her in a blue sheet and

she told me no no mom...white. Sienna thought her halo

('dollar' bin area from joanns) was so silly...but quickly turned non angelic.

I didn't have wings..so...we photoshopped some in!

I hung up a sheet, wrapped Micah in my scarf and used an old

IKEA rug in the girls' baby doll crib...

boom. nativity scene.

Sweet micah didn't make a peep.

He was getting into the Jesus role very well.

I made up a little year in review card!

I had seen the idea on Pinterest and ran with it!

My favorite part is the girls' favorite foods. That was the order they told me..

It's funny they said cheese roll ups.. because plenty of people probably

had no clue what that was since it's kid language. haha.

(tortilla..with cheese.. rolled up.. :)

We included a Birth Announcement in the envelopes going out!

I can't get enough of this sweetie. :)

Christmas Card- attempt #475

I did our Christmas card in stages...
(the only way it was ever going to happen.)

photographing one night in our family room..having ben make funny faces behind me.

designing one night in photoshop..while putting sophia back to bed 5 gazillion times.

printing and cutting during nap times....and any other moment I could print something without a 3 yr old unloading the paper and a 1 yr old crumpling it.

but for the life of me I could not get a free
moment to ADDRESS them.

Every time I would sit down..my little cuties thought it was time to sit ON ME.

I think it must be a baby rule. :) if  mom sits we must sit on her.

We also folded up a
little letter from our family...

BEHIND THE SCENES..in our family room..
Had the genius idea of doing cute little reindeer..
they were all about it.. for about 5 seconds...
they just wanted the lipstick on their noses. haha. fail. :)

we tried...

noses were smudged...

Finally gave up on the reindeer...

it was going to be a success if we could just get them to smile

 and not wrestle/fall off chair/eat the nativity scene.

Off to enjoy time with family and friends.

Have a very Merry Christmas! Safe travels..and blessings to all of you!

I can't wait to share what Santa brings my girls...

A little elf told me a DIY Dollhouse might be center stage..

(You are gonna love it!!!! eek. I was hot gluing curtains and bedding last night

haha.. ben was laughing at me. He thinks I'm going to play with it more than they are....;)

Oh and thought I would pass a long this fun site

that our Fridge Repairman told us about yesterday!

(that's what I got for Christmas...fridge replacement parts..and new brakes for the van.....

Very excited about that!! yayyyyy!

Portable North Pole

Our 2010 Christmas Card & Tiny Prints Review

I planned on designing my own Christmas Cards again this year..

but things got busy and babies got sick..so the project got put on the back burner. 

So i was excited when Tiny Prints wrote me asking if i would be interested in

 doing a Product Review on their Christmas Cards. 

I was so excited with the variety I had to choose from.  

I found the layout to plug-in and edit your photos with, very simple..... 

simple means fast. and with two sick babies i didn't have time to waste! 

I didn't have a chance to take photos specifically for our christmas card..so I pulled together some of my favorites. With recently adding to our family, I thought it was fitting to focus it around that! 

I loved that this card layout could include 9 photos!!..because i couldn't decide on just 1. :)

I was so excited when they arrived!

 

I was most impressed with the print quality! These photos don't do the cards justice.

I ordered my cards with semi-gloss paper and they feel wonderful and have a great shine!

 

Family and Friends can stretch them out to stick on the fridge for Christmas time.....

 

and then just flip it over on the fridge for a new years greeting!

I made the card Interactive by writing:

"Visit thebusybudgetingmama.com on Christmas Day for a Video Greeting!"

I thought it was a fun idea. and a great way to bring the family

 together even though we are all over the place!

They super-rushed my order and I could not be happier with the whole ordering/printing process.

 They did a great job and I'm for sure going to be visiting their site again! 

thanks to tiny prints for these christmas cards.. i love them!

click here to visit TinyPrints.com

best part of this card..my girls smiley faces. :) and my cutie husband too.