You’ve spent the better part of the year nurturing that budding friendship only to have it fizzle during the holidays. How do you protect your friendships from holiday burnout? I’m glad you asked.
Let’s face it friendships, like marriage are beautiful. But they require work.
Friendships need to be nurtured.
During the busy holiday season it’s so easy to get caught up in our own whirlwind. As much as we love to connect with friends sometimes it’s hard to make the time. Add the holidays to the mix and our friendships tend to get left by the wayside.
Here are a few simple ideas for connecting with friends so that your friendships can make it to the other side of the holidays.
Tweet ThisThis post was sponsored by Basic Invite, but the opinions are all mine. Plus I only share content that fits my mission and which I feel will be useful and helpful to you.
Local friends
You would think that it’s easier to get together with local friends just because they’re around the corner. But truthfully, in this hyper-busy world that we live in, connecting with friends next door is sometimes more challenging.
With the advent of mobile devices it’s easy to send a quick text or Facebook message. Still, there’s nothing like face time – in real life, not the app!
I love to organise events, retreats and get-together’s to connect friends, so when Basic Invite reached out to me with their online custom invitations and cards, the possibilities were endless.
For busy moms, a no-fuss gathering can be an easy way to bring friends together and reconnect. Too often we dismiss the idea of having friends over because it’s too much trouble. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate – unless of course, you’re Martha Stewart. And in that case, go all out and send me some tips while you’re at it. But for the rest of us, keeping it simple is key.
For example, I recently planned a tea party and I used the time-card invitation printable to invite my friends. Because the invitations are pre-made all I had to do was print them on cardstock, fill in the details and deliver them.
Super simple time-saving tip: after filling in the details of your printable invitation simply snap a picture of it and email or send it via messenger to your friends.
I kept my menu simple with just a few choice treats and of course, tea. There’s nothing like having a few girlfriends over for ‘tea’ time (even when you’re a coffee drinker like me).
It’s nice to follow up with a thank you card. I’ve been known to prepare my thank you cards in advance and give to each guest as they leave. So having blank thank you cards on hand is always a good idea.
Kudos to you if you can squeeze in a simple get-together with friends before the holiday season starts.
Faraway friends
Carving out time to stay in touch with long distance friends can make a world of difference. Phone calls are always a nice touch since you get to hear your friend’s voice (compared to an electronic/text message). Of course, video is even better.
But can I just tell you? Of all the options, I absolutely love snail mail. Maybe it’s because it feels like letter writing is a dying art-form in our electronic age. You’ve got to admit that it’s nice to receive a card from friends overseas — it’s like finding a treasure in the mountain of junk mail and bills.
Basic Invite has a fantastic selection of holiday cards and quite frankly, it was difficult to narrow down my choices.
Photo cards are a great way to show friends what you’ve been up to during the past year. Add some personalized text and you have a keepsake worth sharing.
Super simple time-saving tip: even though you’ll have 180 colours to choose from that doesn’t mean you should spend a lot of time picking the ‘right’ one. Look for a layout that already has the colours and fonts that you like and keep the customization to a minimum. That makes it super fast to get your cards done.
I had the chance to review Basic Invite cards and order a few samples of my own thanks to this sponsored post opportunity. Here are a few things that I loved about them:
- Easy personalisation – being able to choose the colours of my card design, the paper quality and the envelope colour was lots of fun. The idea that my friends would receive a fully-customised card made just for them made it feel even more special.
- Custom samples – I love being able to feel and see what my design will look like before ordering a set of 100!
- Timely shipping – for a Caribbean girl like me, this is a big deal since our mail really lives up to the term ‘snail’ mail. Instead, Basic Invite’s package was delivered well within the time they promised and that was a pleasant surprise.
If you’re ready to give Basic Invite a try, you can check them out here and visit them on Facebook and Instagram.
Friendships can survive the holiday madness but they need a little TLC. My best tip is to invest the time early before the holiday rush begins. Be intentional about investing in your friendships. And even if all your good intentions fall short, good friends will still be there in January, thanks to grace.
What about you?
I’d love to hear how you protect your friendships during the busy holiday season. Do you have any tips you’d like to recommend?
Wishing you blessings,
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Photos (except for the teacup) appear courtesy of Basic Invite.
Marva- I love all your great advice! I’m going to check out the invites! I enjoy having friends over and I think the tea party idea would be a lot of fun.
Julie
So glad you like the ideas, Julie. And I hope to see pictures from your tea party — I can just imagine how welcoming and warm it will be to sit at your table and have tea together. 🙂
Love the tea party idea! Who doesn’t love to gather with friends and even better with tea and treats! Thanks for inspiring me to go to the added blessing of planning something extra special and even using invitations:)
I have to admit that I’ve been terrible at keeping up with friendships. Between time commitments and the kids, it just keeps getting harder and harder. I’m off to see if I can schedule a brunch date with an old friend this weekend!
I know the feeling well, Leslie. It seems like it gets harder to have time with friends in the wake of a growing list of kids’ activities. But I’ve found that when I ‘make’ the time, it’s always worth the effort. I’m sure that brunch date is just what you need too! 🙂
Basic Invites sounds like a great company! I sure wish I lived on that island with you and could hang out with you at one of your gatherings! How fun that would be! Hmmm… I keep telling my husband the beach MUST be our retirement! Who knows, maybe when we have gray hair and the kiddos are all on their own, we may just have those tea or coffee dates 🙂
Hugs,
Lori
I completely agree about the importance of actual face time, Marva. Your tea party idea is wonderful. I may have to copy that one :). The cards are beautiful! Holiday cards are one of my favorite things about Christmas. They are always a nice surprise in my mailbox. I didn’t even send them out last year but I’m hoping to get back in the habit this year.
Love your wisdom and advice in this article. Those cards are beautiful! Thanks for sharing Basic Invite with us, they look like a great option for creating personalized holiday cards.
Snail mail is one of my favorite forms of communication and it is a lost and dying art. Thanks so much for this beautiful post! You really inspired me!
Thanks for sharing the info about basic invites! You and I can drink coffee while everyone else is drinking tea . . . and it looks like Ruthie will join us. 🙂 Great tips here!!
Well, two things we have in common from this post – 1. I’m not Martha Stewart either (or her evil twin, heh, heh) and 2. I love coffee! Down with tea!!! (I say this to my two tea drinking daughters all the time. 😉
The cards look amazing! Great job on your first sponsored post, I’d love to know how you found it! (I’m still working on this. lol.)
I knew we were a good match all along, Ruthie! 🙂
I just stopped by your site today and read about the end of your TuesdayTalk hosting. Yes, it’s been a while but I’m happy to see that you’re embracing change as it comes. Can’t wait to see what your next exciting phase will bring.
Just love these beautiful invites and your encouragement of hospitality! It’s something I long to do more of in our busy lives..I just love pretty things..and even better love your suggestions for these online resources that offer such gorgeous items! thanks for your lovely inviting blog!
Thank you, Kathy, I’m glad you enjoyed the tips and would love to see how you put them to use. Hospitality is something that we can all do better at but I’m convinced that we have some of the best examples in the Bible, so there’s hope.
I always love when you stop by…you’re always such an encouragement to me!
These are such great tips on nourishing our friendships! Thank you for sharing them. I know I tend to really struggle to keep up with ALL my friends- regularly, and especially during the Holiday Season. LOVE the Basic Invite idea for holiday cards. I will have to check them out!
The struggle is real, Christine and I’d be the first to admit how tough it is to keep up with relationships at all levels. But oh, the blessings! Can’t forget them.
Yes, Basic Invite offers such great options. They’ve definitely found a new fan in me, especially because I can order in any quantity I’d like. Whether it’s a 5-person occasion or 500 they’re very flexible.
friendships are so hard to keep fresh as a parent, especially during the holidays! thanks for the great post!
I know what you mean, Brandi. It’s so easy for me to get comfortable in the rhythms and routines of my family life and forget about friends. Yet, when I make the time to connect, I remember what a blessing they are and how much I need them.
Thanks for your kind words too!
Thanks for these tips on loving our friends well during what can often be a crazy busy season. Too busy for my friends… that’s awful! But that’s been the case for me too much of the time. I especially love the idea of a tea party. There’s just something special about setting aside teatime with the girls! May your holidays be full of loving times with your friends, Marva!
Oh I know that ‘too-busy’ feeling very well, Wendy. But the funny thing is, when I slow down and enjoy that time with my friends I wonder what took me so long. We really need to foster those special connections and I’m finding that it’s not always as hard to do as we think.
Thanks for stopping by today and sharing your sparkle. I’ll look forward to seeing photos of your tea party. 🙂
You’re so right. In a season where the focus tends to be on family, friendships can get unintentionally ignored; thanks for the tips to invest in these precious relationships. Also, thanks for sharing about Basic Invite, it looks like a really personal and neat way to connect with my friends overseas.
Thanks, Carlie. I really loved the personalisation features that they offer as opposed to that of a store bought card. It adds such a special touch which I know my friends will appreciate. And if my friends feel special, then I’m happy! Hugs to you!