Video - 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas - Week 5

#frazzlefree This is Week 5 of our 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas.  You can find complete day by day details of the plan as well as printables and additional resources at http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/.

Video - 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas - Week 4

#frazzlefree This is Week 4 of our 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas.  You can find complete day by day details of the plan as well as printables and additional resources at http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/.

Make Sending Christmas Cards Easier

Every year I consider whether or not to send out Christmas cards.  And if it weren’t for my mother’s 80 year old friend, Lois, who loves getting our cards and family Christmas letter, I would probably just stop doing them.  The entire process takes a lot of time and there are some years even with 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas that it takes all of my energy to get them sent.  So this year when I started to hear rumblings about the Send Out Cards service, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked Traci Bisson of Send Out Cards to help me and hopefully you better understand what this service is all about and how it could help simplify the whole Christmas card process.  I emailed Traci a list of questions regarding the service and here are her responses along with a generous card and gift offer.

What is Send Out Cards?

Send Out Cards is a busy parent’s best friend. It is an online gift and greeting card site that allows you to easily stay in touch with friends, family, clients, etc. No more running to the card store with kids in tow to find the perfect card.

What are the benefits of using Send Out Cards?

The biggest benefit is time management. Send Out Cards allows you to send cards and gifts 24/7. You can peruse hundreds of different designs in many different categories, add a personal message, choose a gift from several categories and mail with the click of the button. The process is very easy and convenient.

I love that it would save me time, but I am concerned it is a little impersonal to have someone else sign and send my cards.  What kinds of things does Send Out Cards do to help make the cards more personal?

No one else signs your cards. You can use a number of font choices for signing your name, or you have the option of submitting your own handwritten signature to the company, which you can include on every card you send to make it very personal.

How much does it cost?

The greeting cards range in price from $.49 to $1.96 each depending on the type of card and if you include a custom image. The cost is well below regular retail at any card store.

How does the cost compare to mailing your own cards?

The cost for mailing is the same - the cost of a regular postage stamp. The cost of the card is cheaper and the biggest savings is your time!

Can I include photos or a message?

You have the option to include the logo for your company, a picture of your kids, dog, family, etc. The options are limitless. You also have the ability to write any custom message you would like - short or long.

We like to include a family newsletter with our Christmas cards, is this possible?

There are several options for creating a customized card, but I don’t believe there is an option to include a separate newsletter at this time.

Are the cards actually hand signed by someone at Send Out Cards or is the signature and message digitally printed?

No one else signs your cards, a custom signature and message is digitally printed.

How long does it take to have a card sent out?

If you click send right now and leave the fulfill date defaulted to ‘immediate’, your card will be printed, stuffed, stamped and mailed in the next production run. All cards/postcards are sent out first class from Salt Lake City, UT. First class mail averages between 2 - 7 postal days to deliver within the United States.

Can I schedule when they go out?

Yes, you can schedule cards to be sent in advance. Great feature if you are planning a trip or just want to take care of all your cad mailings for the week, month or longer.

Will Send Out Cards use my friends and family’s addresses for marketing purposes?  How do they protect my privacy?

All contact information you upload into your profile is safe and protected. Only you can access this information.

If I wanted to start using Send Out Cards, how do I get started?

A great way to learn more about Send Out Cards and the online greeting card and gift system, visit www.sendoutcards.com/themomentrepreneur. Send a free card on me to test the system. Watch the video to learn about Send Out Cards. I welcome the opportunity to talk with anyone about the system and how to use it as a residual income source. Our company offers our distributors training, branding and marketing support.

Traci has graciously offered everyone the opportunity to send one free card.  To see what Send Out Cards is all about and send your one free card, visit Traci at Send Out Cards.  In addition to your one free card, Traci is offering a box of delicious brownies to the first five people who buy an account valued at $25 or more.

Traci Bisson is President and Senior Publicist of Bisson Barcelona as well as founder of The Mom Entrepreneur and more recently a distributor for Send Out Cards.

Video: 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas - Week 3

This is Week 3 of our 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas.  You can find complete day by day details of the plan as well as printables and additional resources at http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/. #frazzlefree

When the “Shift” Hits the Fan

By: Sandra Huber

It was 9:00 a.m. I had been up all night with a sick child who had spent half of the night turning into Linda Blair from the Exorcist: “green pea soup” everywhere. The poor thing was exhausted and so was I.  I decided to call in sick and schedule the work meeting over the phone, anticipating updates on my new position at work.  I followed up with the agreed time even though I was in no mood to do a conference call.  But I did.  It was in that call that I found what happens when “the shift ” hits the fan.  I was fired.  Over the phone!

The details of what happened and why are less important than what happened to me after hearing the news.  Any parent who has faced a difficult situation such as the loss of a loved one, unemployment, chronic illness or the loss of their home knows what an emotional blow any of those are.  A parent who has found themselves scared and confused as I was, knows that no matter what is going on for us personally one of our first reaction is to try to protect our children from our feelings.  But what do you do when you can’t stop sobbing, your nose is brighter than Rudolph’s and your child asks you “mommy, why are you crying?”

After I got off the phone that morning, I realized that my daughter was watching closely to see if I was OK.  I could see by the expression on her face that she was reassured as I shared with her how hurt and disappointed I was by what had happened.  I was honest and told her that she was probably going to see more tears from me.  I shared that I was sad at the loss of connection with many people from my old job who I loved very much.  She looked at me and said with the wisdom that only a 7 year-old has: “But mommy can find them on Facebook?”

Emotions are a funny thing.  Scientists tell us that one of the main things that distinguish humans from the rest of the animal Kingdom is our need and desire to express our feelings.  We are emotional beings.

We all want our children to grow up to be healthy, well adjusted, loving and caring adults, capable of empathy and compassion.  We want them to learn to express and manage their feelings well.  One way to do that is by being authentic, responsible and caring people ourselves.  We model for them the good, the bad and the ugly!  The responsibility of modeling behavior to and for our children may seem daunting at times.  What do you do when you find yourself stressed out, upset and crying?   I’d like to invite you to model the appropriate expression of ALL feelings to your kids: the positive and negative feelings!  Jump up and down when you are happy.  Cry when you are sad. Ask for a “time out” when you are angry.  Remember, kids learn by example.

Life has a way of providing learning lessons every step of the way.  If we choose to look at it this way, we are open to using situations deemed as good or bad as “teachable” moments.  The longer I am on this parenting journey, the clearer it becomes that my child learns to handle life in great part by how she sees the people in her life do just that.  By openly sharing with her in an age-appropriate way, she is learning that her feelings are valid, valued and important.  We teach our children how to deal with their feelings by how they see us handle ours.  It calls for an awareness of our own parenting style, and acknowledging and honoring our own emotions.

It has been a few days now and we are all adjusting well.  My husband and I took some time to check with our daughter and make sure that we tended to any feelings or worries she may have had about the changing situation.  We shared with our daughter that since mommy is “God-employed” now, we need to make some adjustments to our family spending.  Having shared with her losing my job and what it means to all of us as family, it gave her the opportunity to come up with ways to feel part of the process of saving money. She decided to have her birthday party at home, with a movie, cake and ice cream, as opposed to the traditional skate deck, museum or bouncy house. She has ownership of this process at the level that is comfortable and appropriate for her. What a great learning opportunity for her and for us as a family, to come together as a team!

Sandra Huber is the “Soul”  and “Coach” behind The Soulful Parent. Sandra became a PCI Certified Parent Coach because she’s deeply passionate about changing the world, one family at a time. She believes that with appropriate tools, encouragement and support, parents can get the help they need to be confident in creating a positive, healthy home environment for themselves and their children. You can find out more about her at www.thesoulfulparent.com