This post – and giveaway! – is sponsored by Shutterfly. Send holiday joy with a custom card from Shutterfly.

Ever since I was a little kid I have loved looking at the holiday cards that get sent to our home each holiday season. My favorites have always been the ones that stood out from among the rest, so when Mike and I expanded our family to include Rigby, we started a tradition of creating a Holiday Card To Be Remembered.

Here was our first sent out just before New Year’s Eve:

holiday 2005

Fun, right? The good news is that making a holiday card your friends and family will talk about for all of the next year is easier than you think.

1. Take a new photo. No matter how much you may like a photo that you took earlier in the year, do not use it for your holiday card. While the older photo may be great, it leaves you no room for creativity.

2. Think outside the box! Everyone takes a photo of their loved ones wearing holiday sweaters while standing in the snow. Those shots can turn out great (and are seasonally appropriate), but they aren’t going to stand out among the dozens of cards people get each holiday season. So, instead getting lost in the shuffle, think of a unique concept for your photo and have fun with it!

3. Don’t be afraid to use props! Props can not only make your shot more unique, but they can also help you get a better photo of your subjects than you would normally. Seriously. Give a prop to my family members and they ham it up in the best possible way!

Here are a few of the cards we have sent out over the years:

our funny card

coming soon

santa and the tree

They left their gifts at my house.

As you can tell, having a humorous concept can make for a memorable photo. But a dramatic or striking photo can be just as memorable if that fits your family’s personality better. Good luck in capturing that perfect Holiday photo!

I am hosting an awesome giveaway to help you with your holiday cards this year. By leaving a comment, you will be entered to win:
~A Canon PowerShot S100 Camera
~A Shutterfly prize package including, fifty (50) 5×7 folded greeting cards OR 5×7 flat stationery cards OR 5×5 flat stationery cards Or 4×8 flat stationery cards, one (1) 12×12 Hardcover Photo Book with twenty (20) pages, one (1) 8×8 Hardcover Photo Book with 20 Pages, Mug, three (3) 12-Month Wall Calendars, one (1) Reusable Shopping Tote and one (1) Ceramic Ornament.

That’s over $700 worth of prizes, y’all.

The important stuff!
~Giveaway runs from 11/15-12/6
~To enter the giveaway, go to Shutterfly.com, find your favorite photo card template, then come back and comment about it here.
~Open to U.S. residents
~All rules can be found here

Good luck!!