about this christmas card?

[doneit]

This morning I opened...

"To a dear Sister in Law at Christmas"

Enough said?

Last year a friend of mine caused ructions with her fiance's family because she sent his 2 cousins a Christmas card that - go forbid - didn't say 'to my cousin' on! This year her fiance got sent one by his nan saying 'to my grandson' but she got a separate plain one- the family obviously couldn't find one that said 'to my grandson and fiance'! I think that is taking it a bit too far. When I went to her house yesterday though and she told me about this I noticed that the personalised ones were on the mantlepiece whereas the generic ones were in a jumbled card holder. It never even occurred to me before that there was a culture around these cards. After that happened I've noticed my Dh's family send the same sorts of personalised cards to us, they are not something I was brought up to do or do myself, but I appreciate they take thought and would not be snobby about them, but just hope they don't expect them back!

TBH if it means something to the sender..let them have that pleasure. It's making an effort. As a step mum to be, i was secretly really chuffed that MIL to be sent a card to 'my Son and his Family'. It means she sees me , her son and his son as a family unit. That meant a lot to me.
My sister in law is stroppy little madam v complicated / difficult so if she gave me a SIL card i would perceive it as she was actually recognising me as a family member, and making an effort. But i guess that's not your case so i'll shut up now!

My late MIL was a big fan of these cards, she always managed to find the exactly appropriate one - must have spent ages searching.

I was always sure that one year she'd find one which said 'To my dear son and that awful woman he married'

Do they do ones for step-parents, second cousins, husband's aunty... where will it end!

MIL always used to send 'To a dear son and his wife........' Sums up our relationship beautifully

This is why I make my own cards!

We're not big on sentimentality in my family, we all do a sick face if the card has a cringey verse inside.

I sent BIL and SIL 'to both of you at Christmas time'.

If the car was hideous YANBU.

It's a cultural thing. Thanks to my familyl I can't stand 'special message', poem, glitter/teddy/crap joke/sex and chocolate type cards unbearably cringey.

In my OH's family, on the other hand, the bigger, glitterier, cheesier and more buttock-clenchingly sentimental the card the better.

I've come to the conclusion that it's just not worth wasting energy on. They're lovely people; they've made me very welcome; I always feel included; so what if the birthday and Christmas cards are a bit cringey?