We’re 3 days into December which means the Christmas / Holiday cards and party invitations have started rolling in. For you as well, I’m sure. This is the best month of the year to open your mailbox! This season I’m staying organized with a pretty and simple  holiday & thank you card tray that contains everything I need to write Christmas cards or mail thank you notes…

Admittedly, my efforts in mailing Christmas cards in 2013 were not my best. There were so many home projects going on this time last year (ahem – the massive concrete driveway!), I co-hosted my niece’s bridal shower, we hosted all of the family holiday gatherings, and then my niece got married 2 days after Christmas. Needless to say, the card writing fell to the bottom of the to-do list. For good reason. But I was sad to not have put more effort in.

This year is different! I’m on my game, baby! And it started by organizing a pretty tray with everything I need in a pinch to mail a Christmas card or thank you note. I found this tray a few months ago at Target…

It can be found in the office supply section. I love the rustic feel, and it’s light enough to move around to wherever I’ll be writing cards. I can write one card on the spot or if I have multiple cards to write, I can bring the whole tray right along with me to a cozy spot.

So, what’s in my tray? First of all, Christmas cards with their matching envelopes…

I also have simple, clear return address labels (Avery brand) that I printed here on the home computer. If you have the option to order your envelopes with the return address pre-printed, that’s a good option. Mine are blank so I printed a few sheets using a festive Avery template. You can see them propped up in the back of the tray…

There’s a small tin containing various Christmas stamps as well as some of my favorite pens for addressing or writing a note…

There’s a few stamps with ink pads – green & silver…

 

And some washi tape for a fun envelope accent….or if my mouth gets tired of licking envelopes ;-)…

 

In the far corner is a stack of thank you cards…

With gifts arriving and party hosts that need to be thanked, having these readily available is nice…

 

That’s it!…my simply organized card tray for the holidays!…

Hope this little idea will be helpful to you during the busiest, merriest time of the year!

Have a great day!