What to do with greeting cards

APRIL 2017

“I squirrel away sealed greeting cards that people give me so I can open them later when I’m having a bad day.”

– Emily Procter, Actress

“Don’t send funny greeting cards on birthdays or at Christmas. Save them for funerals, when their cheery effect is needed. “

– P.J. O’Rourke

Why do you save greeting cards?

Greeting Card Collections

The picture above is an actual Greeting Card Collection of a new client of mine. I take no credit… her former organizer came up with this idea and it’s brilliant!

Most people save old cards in boxes or drawers or shoved in various places. This happy new client of mine hole-punches the corners and inserts them into big metal rings and then hangs them on nails. She sorts them either by the person who gives her the cards OR by season. She can rotate the cover card whenever she wants, but it’s a happy reminder of the people she cares about. This allows her to see and enjoy the cards verses cramming them in dark, hidden places.

As for those of you who DON’T like this idea or maybe don’t have the wall space to make this display, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Are a lot of your cards from the same people who write the same message repeatedly? (would you consider just picking 1 to keep?)
Are you saving the envelopes that came with the cards which technically doubles the amount of room they’re taking up? (one of my clients loved the pet names her dad would write on the cards to her mom….but many of the pet names were repeated….so maybe just one of each would work?)
Do you have cards that aren’t in the category of “special?” (maybe they aren’t worth the space they’re taking up?)
How often do you look at the cards? (at least consider moving them to a more remote area if you don’t look at them)
How much space are the cards taking up? (are they using up valuable easy-to-access space for more important things?)
How do you feel when you see the volume of cards? (groans or smiles?)
Are you saving the envelopes for the addresses that you don’t want to lose? (try entering 5 addresses a week on to your computer or Contacts list or even an old fashioned address book)

Think about your answers and reactions to these questions and you’ll know if it’s time to reduce or get rid of your cards. If you’re looking for a resource to donate your used cards, here’s a couple of ideas:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Day Care Centers
Elementary Schools
Assisted Living Activities Director

And if you’re feeling very brave, look at the cards one last time and release the ones you can into the recycle world so they can have an afterlife and you can gain some space, both mentally and physically. Most importantly, if you do keep your cards, treasure them!

It’s Shred Season

There are multiple shredding events around town… but hurry or you’ll miss them! Remember that you can always take your papers to Staples for $1 a pound and there are mobile shredding trucks everywhere these days. Most of these events are either free or request a modest fee (limitations on volume sometimes apply).

Hot off the Press Shredding Events in Baltimore(ish) Area: