Start NOW...NOW... no THEN.

Every year I put out a christmas letter

Every year everyone says: "How did you do that?"

Every year I say: I started in September

Every year they say: I wish I would remember...

SO

HERE IS YOUR REMINDER. If you are going to do a christmas newsletter Start NOW. Things just get way too crazy to wait.

I will give you the first 5 steps

STEP 1: Pick out your template.

Word and MS Publisher (what I use) have plenty of newletter templates. You can change color themes and add clip art if you need to.

STEP 2: Put the nonchanging family stuff in there.... Address, phone number, blog address, emails, family name, 2008,

STEP 3: Name the file, put it on your desktop so it reminds you every time you sit down at your computer.

STEP 4: Create a new folder on your desktop, mine is named CLPHOTOS. COPY pictures into the folder that you will want to include in your newsletter. You want too many rather than not enough. Remember you can add more later.

STEP 5: Start writing stories from the last 8- 9 months that you want to share. You can even have each of the kids write their own individual stories if they want.

These 5 steps don't have to be done in one sitting or in order but can be done relatively quickly.

Also, if you start now you have 3 1/2 months to get that perfect family shot for the front!

Lastly... I spend about 150-175 for my whole project. I get the newsletters printed from http://www.docucopies.com/, I buy envelopes over the internet and get the forever stamps NOW cuz they will go up again before christmas (Trust me).

I post the next 5 steps at the first part of October.