It struck me yesterday as I was going trough the mail that I had only gotten one Christmas card so far this year. In years past I’ve even made my Christmas cards from scratch. I always had a picture of Hannah and Joe on the inside, sometimes the dog would cooperate. I stopped sending cards after Hannah graduated from high school.
Maybe because of e-cards and the cost of stamps, Christmas cards are just dwindling. Do you still send out cards? How many have you gotten so far?
I left my camera on my desk when I walked out yesterday, so my phone and google images will have to save the day. My un-photographed breakfast was a slice of Tony’s pumpkin corn bread, a scrambled egg white and chopped deli ham.
My back was kind of hurting yesterday. I picked up a laundry basket in the basement yesterday morning and I felt a twinge. I only managed to walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill. I’ve since taken ibuprofen and it seems to be okay now.
Last year when I first made my Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza, the very day Mara read that post she made it that night! So when she left me this comment on Monday, I couldn’t wait to try this!
So, I have a homework assignment for you. This week, go to Hunan Beijing. Get an order of hot and spicy chicken dumplings.
You’re welcome.
Mara and I actually met through our blogs – a few years ago we discovered that I worked with a woman – and Mara worked with her sister! She lives near my office, works near my house, and we need to get together more often!
I ordered the hot and spicy chicken dumplings. They came in a broth like spicy sauce. Sadly, I forgot to mention to onions, but they were green onions and they floated on the top. I then had a side order of szechwan green beans and 1/2 a cup of white rice on the bottom. Google images helped me here – this is kind of what the wontons looked like, except they were about the size of a quarter.
From my phone:
Holy cow, was this amazeballs. FLAVORFUL spicy was the theme of this lunch. The wontons were tender, packed with chicken and veggies and the spicy green beans were still crisp tender. Love! Thanks Mara!! Michelle, you should check this place out – its on Barrington Road in Hoffman Estates.
And while I waited for the food, I enjoyed all the snowmen the restaurant displayed!
For dinner I had chicken thighs to cook, or pork chops. I asked Tony which one he felt like and he said he didn’t care. So fried chicken thighs it was! Except mine was buffalo chicken. I had a scoop of rice and leftover green beans from lunch. At least I got two veggies in today!
Sadly though, I undercooked them slightly and they had to go back in the fryer. Normally not a big deal, but I had already taken my insulin and it was already doing its magic, but I wasn’t meeting it with food intake. After dinner I had to sweep and mop the kitchen floor. All of a sudden I started sweating, and it being December, washing the kitchen floor I shouldn’t be breaking a sweat!
Yep, I checked my blood sugar and it was 48. Rats. So I had a mini butterfingers leftover from Halloween and had some of my Chicago Mix popcorn to bring it back up. I have tweaked my Chicago Mix popcorn and after several attempts, we have the best combination. I plan on sending that out as my signature homemade gift to our families. I’ll post the recipe over the weekend – that’s going to be my big baking weekend and I plan on getting the packages out on Monday. 
Oh, and in case you need a last minute gift idea, how about this?
Tony saw it online yesterday. I just can’t wrap my brain around it – it looks so alien, and I just imagine the kid being claustrophobic as his Mom is trying to put this thing over his head! So crazy!
Off to jump in the shower and get ready for work – make it a great day!
That sweater thing is so scary 🙂 We have got 4 cards and I have not sent any out because I am a huge slacker. Maybe I should do that today.
I’m a letter writer so I definitely send Christmas cards (if you want one (and I’d say this years is pretty awesome) send me your address again). But I totally waited until 12/12/12 so mail them for the date stamp… We have gotten a lot less this year than in years past (I think we are at like 10 – most from my husbands parents, aunt, sisters and brother)
I’m not going with that gift idea either – total alien!! I still send cards. I like doing it. I dont’ like the email letters for the holidays nearly as much as getting an actual card in the mail – and if they have pictures of the fam, all the better!.
Ooohh I love the snowmen on your blog. Very cute! That photo, however, is very creepy. It’s like she’s giving birth out of her chest. Weird. I do still send Christmas cards. I make them on Snapfish using photos of Carlos, of course! I used to love getting real mail when I lived in Mozambique. As much as I love email and all the other technology out there, there is nothing like getting something other than a bill or junk mail in the mail box.
That baby/mom outfit is too funny! I can’t imagine one baby that would be happy in that/putting it on. Mine at least wouldn’t have been…
The chicken dumplings sound/look good!
I still send out holiday cards, but now that you mention it, I think I’ve been getting fewer than usual so far. Not so sure what will happen to my holiday cards once the kid is all grown up…
Happy Thursday!
I’d say they’re on the way out.
In all my life I only got a Christmas cards from my grandparents. Sadly I never returned the gesture. I’ve only given them to someone I was giving money or a gift card to so there was something to put it in.
Wow, that baby carrier is sick, did you get it from the Kerf site?!
I send cards out, but not as many as I use to….. so not many coming in!
Ha – I am sure she would have that on her site – that comment made me spit out my coffee! 😀
I quit sending Christmas cards out a few years ago. For one thing it gets to be pricey on top of gift buying and sending packages. So, I quit. We’ve received about 10 so far compared to 40+ that we used to get. I think it certainly is becoming a thing of the past, especially in hard economic times. Those dumplings look amazing! That baby carrier is creepy looking…lol!
I still love getting Christmas cards and letters. Since we have friends all over the US it’s a great way to get caught up once a year. Over the past few years so many people have stopped sending cards. That makes me sad. So far I have only received three cards but I haven’t sent mine out yet either.
That sweater/jacket thing is scary stuff!
Oh yes….I make my cards and send them out too. I think it is becoming a lost art to make your own cards and send them to family and friends. So far I have received 11 cards and of the 11, 5 were homemade. They do seem a little late this year and many have stopped sending……oh well.
I think I am liking hot sauce, just a few drops at a time though, maybe I will graduate to a bit more. Never knew there were so many brands……what’s your favorite????
You make gorgeous cards Louise – when I get some money I am going to buy your all occassion cards.
It’s hard to say which hot sauce is my favorite, because it depends on what I am eating. My daily go to now is the Buffalo Tabasco (duh), second choice is Frank’s hot sauce and then if I am eating Asian, Thai, etc. its sriracha.
I still do Christmas cards – but I didn’t make mine until Monday (waiting for race pictures). And I still receive quite a few, but I do understand the whole cost thing – if money were really tight, I probably wouldn’t do them.
Your blog always makes my hungry!
I’m cuckoo for Christmas cards, but that’s just me. I have only received one online card so far and probably ten snail mail ones. But you know me…any chance to overexpose the kiddo and I will do it 😉 LOL.
The hoodie is hysterical. There are days when I would sport that 😉
I’ve only gotten 3 so far this year, but I still like to send out Christmas cards. I would be happy to send you one! 🙂
That sweater is creepy looking, but my daughter would have loved it when she was younger. She loved being up close to me and all toasty! My husband joked that if she could crawl back inside the womb, she would!
thanks Jenn!
We’ve gotten a few christmas cards this year and my mom claims every year she’s going to send one. I think it’s been ten years since she sent one. haha.
We don’t really do Christmas cards any more. So far we have received 3 this year. I don’t even see as many Christmas decorations up outside either
I hardly ever send cards anymore. They are expensive and we forget to do them. I kind of feel bad when I get a card from someone and I didn’t send one out. I just try to thank them for the card and give my lame excuses of not sending any LOL!
I still send cards every year. This year, we did a photo card from Shutterfly. I had a coupon code and an additional $20 off thanks to MyCokeRewards, so I ended up paying around $4 for 25 photo cards. We have only received two cards this year so far! Oh well, I still love to send them out!
OMG that snuggie is so disturbing!
We’ve gotten about 4 Christmas cards. We order photo cards every year, about 75. Last year we only mailed a few before my mom died, so that was that. We haven’t gotten ours yet. We had the babysitter snap a few pics in front of the tree on Saturday before my holiday party. Ordered them that evening, should be here this week.
Call me old fashioned… a still send out cards. I dropped 26 off in the mail yesterday. I prefer to make my own, however, this year I have mingled in a few store bought ones. Sadly, I have only received one so far 🙁
You’re right–Christmas cards definitely seem to be dwindling. I think that’s sad! It’s such a great tradition, and doing digital cards just isn’t the same! There’s something about taking the time to sign, and send a card that has more meaning.
Love Christmas cards! So far we have about a dozen. We sent ours out last weekend. If I had your address I’d send you one! 🙂
Those hot & spicy chicken dumplings look soooo good! Perfect sinus clearer! 😀
Yep, sending you my mailing address too!
hahahhahah- some baby carriers are SO weird! The bjorn is the only carrier I ever put Kay in. I tried a sling and it freaked me out- I thought she was going to suffocate. YES! I still send cards (but I”m sure I’ll stop once Kay is too big for pictures). We’ve received about 10 so far. Glad lunch was a hit
I LOVE getting Christmas cards in the mail. And I’m surprised I get any, though, b/c I never send them myself!
And, OMG, that sweater is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol.
yes I still do send out Christmas Cards and I make them from home-made. I feel that email is great but just opening the mail and your friends and loved one seeing your own card is much more enjoyable and you put yourself into making them.
Oh my god, that wrap thing you stick your child in! I can’t imagine!
I still sent out xmas cards, with a collage photo of the kids and a letter….maybe I’m part of the lost art? I’d be happy to send one to you Biz!
I am going to email my mailing address – stat! Your kids are so fricken cute!
The Christmas cards are coming later this year, but I think around here it’s because of the weather. People just hadn’t been in the holiday mindset yet until it snowed!
Personally, I love getting photo cards. I love seeing how people’s children have grown or getting a photo of something they did that year. We have a closet with a mirrored sliding door in our entryway and we hang all of them up there. So, when people come in and take their coats off, they are there to view… 😉
Happy Holidays!
Thanks Carrie – you too! 😀