Are Combination Birth announcements/Christmas Cards Acceptable?

Updated on August 02, 2010
G.D. asks from Glen Ellyn, IL
32 answers

Hi Moms! I am due with our third child in early November. I usually get around to sending the birth announcements out when the baby is a month old. Would it be acceptable to combine our Christmas card with the baby's birth announcement this year since they will be going out in early December right when my Christmas cards would be sent out? I wanted to use a picture of my two daughters with the new baby and maybe something about "Santa coming early this year". I thought that it would be cute as well as save us a little time/money as we have a very large family and send out about 115 Chirstmas cards each year (the same people that would be getting a birth announcement). Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks again, Moms!

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A.N.

answers from Phoenix on

I think the combination idea is not only acceptable, but a great idea. I love the "Santa coming early this year" idea. SUPER CUTE! KUDOS to you for sending out 115 Christmas cards every year...especially this year with a new baby. :-)

1 mom found this helpful
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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

YES - you'll be busy enough without having to send out 2 totally separate cards to that many people! Everyone will understand and if they don't, then either they don't have kids, or they are just plain ridiculous! I think the 'Santa Came Early' idea is darling.

Congrats - lots to celebrate ahead of you!!

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N.O.

answers from Decatur on

Perfectly acceptable. I rec'd a combo birth announcement/Christmas card several years ago and it was my fave that year. Congratulations!

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G.T.

answers from San Francisco on

When I read the title of your question, my thinking was to say NO but now that I've read how you plan to do it, it's adorable and I would go for it.
Such a card is clearly birth + Christmas, so anything else would be redondant anyway.
Congratulations!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.B.

answers from Chicago on

Of course! I combined them and my son was born in September! The theme was "Santa found a new little helper." It is a great way to save on postage!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

And "green" of you: )

1 mom found this helpful
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C.T.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter was born on December 10 and on her announcements I wrote "Christmas arrived early this year!" at the top... It was very fun. I was super crazy and did Christmas cards with a letter in a separate mailing, but it was a little bit crazy. I think it was because I had already bought these cute announcements and they were not holiday-ish at all. But a picture with your two older kids holding the baby on the couch or in front of the tree or something (depending on how early you put your tree up) would be really cute! : )

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W.A.

answers from Champaign on

No.

But an alternative would be to
"Announcing an early Christmas gift to the (??) family."
Sedrice Alan Something, joined our family on November 22, 2010

Skip the regular Christmas greeting.

After seeing the other answers, I think Jessica M. had the Best and most economical idea.

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W.T.

answers from San Diego on

I sent out my son's birth announcement in the same envelope as our Christmas photo and letter last year. The announcement went out a bit late and the card was a bit early, but I didn't want to spend the $100 on stamps to do them separately.

I don't see why it is unacceptable at all. Christmas cards are a way to reconnect and bring cheer to family and friends, so what better than a birth announcement also!

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J.R.

answers from Chicago on

I think combining them is a fantastic idea! It's different and very cute!

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S.H.

answers from Chicago on

G D:

I think that it is a great idea. Many people are happy to just hear and catch with your family. Knowing that all 3 of us girls were born in December, I hope that my Mother did the same.

Just a suggestion, if you feel the pressure to do both, you may want to go through SendOutCards, your cost will be half the cost for each occasion and take the pressure off of you. Do it simultaneously and it's done.

Best of luck to you.

S. H

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M.O.

answers from Chicago on

I think that is a great idea. Good for the environment too! Congrats!

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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

What a great idea. My daughter was born on Christmas day, but was due on Dec 14 so I had wondered about doing that. Sometimes when I get a birth anouncement I don't put it up, but I, and almost all of my friends do put up our Christmas cards (in a holder), so this will give all of your family's friends the opportunity to see your darling children. Good luck with the new addition.

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K.V.

answers from Phoenix on

My dauhter was born omn Dec 17 and we did the combo thing, it made it nice and easy and no one minded, people actually liked it. I see no problem with it at all.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

My friend did it and I thought it was adorable!

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M.K.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

I did this too! I had a late October baby but she was due in December. So after her NICU stay and things settled at home I did the combo birth announcement/christmas card. It worked out great. Less work for me who was exhausted anyways.

R.T.

answers from Champaign on

I've had all fall babies so I usually just enclosed my birth announcements in with our holiday cards (for the price of 1 stamp!). I made my own (and others) using whatever theme is the nursery (serves as a helpful hint if someone decides they wanna send you something) and the last child I did insert the hospital website photo.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I think it's fine! And smart. Will save $$$ for sure.
Lots of people complete family newsletters/updates at Christmastime. You're sending an announcement, not a request for gifts, so yes--definitely include the announcement with the cards.

K.J.

answers from Nashville on

Go for it! I know if I were a family member, I would love to receive something like that. Besides, who wants to try to order, address, stuff, and stamp two different sets of card while caring for a newborn and two children while sleep deprived? That idea is super cute!

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J.E.

answers from Chicago on

Love it, you can totally say look what Santa brought , or we got our xmas present a bit early this year etc.! perfect timing go for it!

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A.P.

answers from Chicago on

We did this and I have seen several others do it as well.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

I am sorry but I was kind of laughing at this. Of course you can send out both together. I have seen people send all sorts of things with Christmas cards. They have twenty pages of how one of their sons learned how to go potty and twenty other pages on how dad just finished mechanic school and there is pictures of dogs and cats and even holy cards from funerals. So why not go ahead and send some good news! Congrats, too!

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C.J.

answers from Chicago on

Defintely just send one mailing. You'll be emailing photos and details immediately, so most people will know your news long before any card gets put in the mail. We did joint cards for both kids even though their birthdays were well before Christmas. SnapFish.com has a variety of options that work. We used a card that allowed for multiple small photos and we could add text on both the inside right (birth anouncement) and left (customized holiday greeting) as well as text on the back with a tiny photo.

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R.W.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter was born during the first week of December and I had the same problem, I did do separate birth announcements and Christmas cards, because I already had them. I think it would be adorable to use the idea that you had and would for sure save you money! I don't think anyone could get a cuter Christmas card!

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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I think your approach sounds cute and no one wants to send double! Go for it!

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J.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son was born in November, and I did this. I got a lot of compliments. I made my own. I had a picture of him that said "A tiny tot with his eyes all aglow" on top and then all the standard birth announcement details below. I've also seen announcements that include a picture of the baby crying with the message, "No more silent nights."

Another cute idea would be to place the baby in a gift-wrapped box or a Christmas stocking that your daughters "open." Then you could use "Santa came early this year" as the message inside.

Congratulations!

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T.K.

answers from Chicago on

Dear G.D:

Congratulations on your little Scorpio to be! My son was also born in November, and we sent a combination New Year/Birth Announcement card. We also included in the cards a thank you for our shower gifts. (Yes, I'm pretty sure we waited "tool long" to send the thank you cards...) We used Bella Baby Photography and a lovely photo from a completely impromptu photo shoot at the hospital on his second day in this world. We got a great deal of joy in the deep cold of winter preparing and sending those cards.

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N.S.

answers from Chicago on

That is a very cute idea about Santa coming early this year. Great idea, I see nothing wrong with it.

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A.L.

answers from Chicago on

It's totally acceptable. There is no reason to send out the cards twice...especially with the cost of postage.

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K.F.

answers from Chicago on

I LOVE the "santa came early this year" idea! Definitely do it! There is no rule about these things, and birth announcements are way too expensive!

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J.M.

answers from Chicago on

Last year we moved at the end of September and my son was born at the end of October. So we combined all three on a picture card with a picture of the new house, a newborn picture of my son and a picture of our entire family with Santa. I made them on the Walgreens site. Some may have thought the combo tacky, but I was being realistic that there was no way I was going to send three announcements to everyone. I thought it turned out surprisingly well. As another money saver, if you make your cards online, check http://www.retailmenot.com/ before you buy. I honestly saved $50 on the cards I sent, for 3 minutes on searching on the site.

Good luck with the new baby!

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M.G.

answers from Chicago on

I did this - when my third was born seven years after the second (and I was 42). the front of the card was a picture of the first two kids and then you opened it and there was a picture of the baby with the words "surprise" and then the birth info. So the photo was on the inside left flap and the holiday greetings were on the inside right flap. Congrats!

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