It may still only be September, but it’s a good time to start thinking about your Christmas cards. Come November or December, you’ll be far too busy to think about Christmas cards.

The first part of your Christmas Card preparations is writing your Christmas Card List.

Dig out last year’s Christmas Card List (if you have one!) as a starter for this year’s list. Alternatively, if you have saved the cards you received last year, can use these as a prompt to start your list. You can print out a Cards to Send list from ListPlanIt.com or create your own, and begin to list everyone to whom you think you might like to send a card. You can always pare down the list later, if it is too overwhelming. This way you have a general idea how many cards you need to buy/make.

Ensure that you have up-to-date contact details for everyone on your Christmas Card List. Ask around friends and family to help you fill in any blanks.

Decide which type of cards you would like to send (e.g. various shop-bought packs, charity cards, bumper multipacks, individual shop-bought cards, handmade cards, eCards, personalised greetings cards. Be sure to jot down your ideas and findings in your Christmas planner. Check out List Mama, Jennifer Tankersly’s List of Possible Christmas Card Options.
For the past couple of years I have sent my friends, family and neighbours, personalised greetings cards, using an online greetings card company. I use photos of my daughters with Santa Claus. The cards are created online, using my own photos, my own handwriting and my signature. They are then printed and sent direct to my recipients at the touch of a button, for less than I would pay in the shops. You can find out more here.

Visit the 100 Days to Christmas blog for more inspiration and motivation on preparing for Christmas 2009. You can also participate in prize draws to win some fabulous goodies.