Hallmark Cards: When You Care Enough to Send More Than a Text

I was provided with a complimentary set of Hallmark cards and postage to facilitate this review.  The opinions in this post are 100% mine.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

As much as I love technology and the convenience of being able to shoot my sister a quick text to see what’s new and message my friend a picture of the peach pie I just  made, there really is nothing quite like getting an actual card in the mail.  My daughter Lily took up a letter writing campaign this summer and she’s made pen pals out of a couple of friends and family members.  It’s sweet to watch her race to the mailbox every day to see who wrote back.  I, on the other hand, am not so thrilled to get the mail. Bills, catalogs, and junk mail.  No thanks.  When I get a card it’s special and it can turn my whole day around.

We participated in Hallmark’s Get Carded Challenge where we agreed to send 7 cards to 7 people in 7 days.  I’m a little bit of a cheater (keep reading, you’ll understand why it was necessary) but this was so fun to do!  I loved the idea of surprising someone I love with a card in the mail that had actual handwriting on it. No emoticons!  Can you imagine?!

This is the batch of cards and postage we got from Hallmark.  Read on to see what we did with them…

Day 1: Lily’s friend turns 8!

My girl Lily has a good friend that she made in kindergarten that turns 8 years-old this month.  This card is so cute and even comes with a little hair clip which I know her friend is going to LOVE!  So many Hallmark cards have these little special touches.

Day 2 and 3: My nephews started a new school year!

Here’s where cheater Lindsay comes in.  I was supposed to send 7 cards in 7 days but you don’t send card to one nephew without sending one to his brother.  So we doubled up on days 2 and 3 and mailed cards to both of my guys.  My oldest nephew started 2nd grade this year.  If he’s anything like Lily my sister has to drag him out of bed each morning.

My youngest nephew is in pre-kindergarten, smarter than a whip.  Both of my nephews are smarter than the teacher without a doubt.  It runs in the family.   😉

Day 4: My brother-in-law turns 40!

I don’t know if my brother-in-law watches Duck Dynasty  but surely everyone knows these bearded guys, right?  Hallmark has some great cards to bring a smile to your face. I mean, who can look at that card and not smile?  My lucky brother-in-law gets to celebrate his birthday in Jamaica. Which is why I both love and hate him simultaneously.  (Take me with you, pleeeaaaassssseeeee!!)

Day 5: My sister ROCKS!

My sister Ashley is a fitness guru, teaching boot camp, spin class, personal training… And oh, in her spare time she’s an engineer.  #overachiever  Sometimes she needs a good reminder from her little sis to take a break and binge on chocolate. I am here to help.  You’re welcome.     

Day 6: Lily misses her friends

This summer our best friends moved from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. These girls are two of the letter writers that Lily has kept in touch with. She got a kick out of this card, though she didn’t want to write anything in it.  “Mom, it says the card has no purpose. You’re supposed to leave it blank!”  Huh. Good point, but send a note just to be nice.

Day 7: I miss my friend, too. 

The mom of Lily’s friends that moved away is my BFF and I miss that girl, too.  Hence the 60 minute phone calls a couple of times a week and countless texts. I know she wants me to keep sending pics of my dog and kids playing soccer, and she does love that pie I made.  In return I get pics of her dogs and little boy and kids with ice cream all over their faces.  I love it. But I’m bummed I won’t see her for her birthday this year and a text isn’t going to cut it. This fun card actually plays music when you open it. Hallmark has so many like this for all occasions. Careful shopping for them with your kids. You’ll have songs coming from every direction. Just sayin’.

So you can see we had fun with our Hallmark challenge and all the recipients of our cards were thrilled! The best part is how surprised they are to get a REAL card in the mail.  It’s so rare these days it really is special.  And Hallmark has all kinds of cards starting at only $.99.  What a small price to pay for brightening someone’s day.

Check out the selection of cards from Hallmark.  And guess what? Through the end of the year you can use code BLOG30 to save 30% on your online order!  Awesome!  Be sure to follow Hallmark on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to hear about their latest products and promotions!

So who wants to join me in the Hallmark Get Carded Challenge? I’ve got a set of 10 cards and postage just like the one I received for one of you!  This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on October 4, 2013. You can enter to win [HERE].