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It’s almost November and you might call me Filipino when I say that it’s almost Christmas time, but that I very well am. My family sends their wishlists as early as October and put up the tree in time for our Thanksgiving meal. It’s also the appropriate time to start thinking about mailing your holiday post.

Now Mike and I have never been one for sending holiday Christmas cards. But I remembered jostling my sister aside as a kid when we collected mail from the box. I begged to be the one to open the brightly colored cards that showed up on our door. In the entryway, my mom hung a card holder that collected photographs of friends and family I barely knew. I skimmed past mementos written in old-school cursive. I preferred running my fingers through the thick cardstock embossed with foil. Faces stared back at me as I tried to decipher their connection to my parents. I also enjoyed seeing the outfits and the poses.

Mike and I have never sent Christmas cards of the ordered variety. Mostly because of the cost to mail and my perfectionist need for a professional photograph, which we don’t have. But my recent feeling of loss for tradition has me re-thinking cards this year. Our friends are of the digital age. For our first Christmas together I sent emails with wedding photos talking about our first year of marriage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the same effect as a basket of cardstock.

On our sixth year of marriage, I am thrilled at the chance to send couples christmas cards with Basic Invite. Because not everyone you love lives nearby. My sister in Madrid will undoubtedly appreciate the cheeky smiles. And my brother in Arizona may hang it up on the fridge with a magnet. Or at least his girlfriend will. An aunt who never fails to include us will also likely collect it on a basket that sits on her mantle.

Card creation with Basic Invite was easy. I’ve since let go of my perfectionist ideals when it comes to photographs. I chose a few of our adventures in Spain and Iceland, as well as a wedding pic from Temecula earlier this year. Attired in shorts, rain jackets, and sunnies, I’ve grown to like that our smiles match our frazzled hair. Far from prim and proper, we are genuine in our happiness and that’s all that matters these days.

On Basic Invite, cute options abound with their customizable templates. I like photo cards the best so that was the section I perused. Once you’ve chosen one to your liking, it’s as easy as modifying the text and uploading a photograph. Card and envelope colors are customizable. With over 180 card colors and 40 envelope colors, Basic Invite stands apart from other companies in that they truly do give variability.

Whether your looking for holiday cards to ring in your first married year, or a place to make dachshund christmas cards (please send your pet sitter one!), you’ll find it here. And if you’re reading this with your eyes rolling to the back of your head because it’s just too darn early, no worries. Basic Invite allows you to send your cards directly from their site to the recipient. Typing in a personal message is optional but doable, and it’ll save the lag time of them shipping it to you for a personal autograph. Procrastinators rejoice, you can wait until early December to revisit this post.

For early birds such as myself, there is enough time to order custom samples. Meaning, you can create a card and order a sample so you can feel the paper quality in your hands and make sure you are satisfied with the print, prior to ordering final product. An option would be to send a custom sample to your home, and then send the real deal from the site directly to your loved ones after approval. Recipient address printing is included for all cards, at no cost. And in order to make your holiday a wee bit simpler, an address capturing service allows you to link to your social media account and gather addresses from your friends and family that way. The site will store it for you, making your next holiday to-do a click away.

Right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51. With Basic Invite, it’s not too early and won’t be too late.