A Shutterfly Christmas Card Review (and giveaway!)

We've been having a lot of fun doing Thanksgiving activities recently! I'm planning a recap of those for tomorrow, but I have a Christmas giveaway to get started first today. :) I am so excited to once again be able to talk about Shutterfly Photo Christmas Cards! My family has enjoyed using Shutterfly for Christmas cards for a number of years (last year we used Treat, a Shutterfly company). The selection of cards is much bigger and in my opinion, better, this year.

 I'm a big fan of cards that are a little more traditional in color and styling, but also have plenty of options to personalize. Many of Shutterfly's photo card options allow you to pick the same design in different sizes, colors, and even choose between a folded or flat card. Shutterfly introduced a new size card this year - its HUGE at 6x8 inches! It does not require any additional postage to mail, but it is more expensive than the smaller cards.

The inside (of the folded cards) and the back (of the flat cards) has TONS of options to personalize with additional photos, a large amount of text, or some of each. I am very thankful for the opportunity to have some space to write a bit about our year to keep family and friends that live far away from us updated.

Shutterfly is also one of the easiest to use photo gift sites from which I have ordered. As I scrolled through different cards I used the little heart icon to mark several cards as 'favorites' and they were automatically saved to My Shutterfly. It made it so much faster to be able to look back at the ones I had marked to narrow down the card for our family.

I get personalized offers from Shutterfly via email (free photo books, prints, other photo gifts) frequently, and these make great gifts, since all I have to do is pay shipping. If you haven't signed up for Shutterfly's email list yet, I highly recommend it! You can also check out their current Special Offers for more gift ideas.

I'm keeping our Christmas card a secret for now, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites to give you an idea of some of the new styles that Shutterfly has this year.

Simple, with one photo on the front (and I love this shade of blue):

(Light and Joy)

A bit more whimsical and fun, especially if you have small kids:

(Clothesline Frames)

I like the pattern over top the photo in this one:

(Snowy Window)

as well as this one:

(Ornaments of Peace)

Share your family's top ten memories from the year:

(Our Top 10)

I love the beautiful script on the side of this one, along with the multiple photo spots:

(Flourishes of Joy)

Win It!

Shutterfly has generously provided me with a fantastic giveaway prize: $50 off a $50 purchase (excludes applicable tax and shipping. Offer expires 12/14/12)! For a chance to win, leave a comment on this post telling me how you would use the prize...Christmas cards? A photo calendar? Another photo gift? Make sure that your email is visible in your blogger profile or in your comment so that I can contact you if you are the winner. Comments without an email are not valid entries. This giveaway will run until 9pm Eastern November 26, at which point a winner will be chosen via random.org.

Disclosure: Shutterfly sponsored this post and compensated me, but all opinions are 100% my own. 

Shutterfly Yearbooks + A Giveaway!

It's a month into the school year, can you believe it? School photos are just around the corner too. Are any of your schools using Shutterfly yearbooks this year?

When Shutterfly first announced their new Yearbook option they asked me to take a look and do a review. You can read that post here. I really enjoyed checking out all different options for the Shutterfly Yearbooks, though I'm still not in a position to use the Yearbook feature for my kids; they are not yet to school-age and are still young for special sports teams or group activities.

If you are helping with a yearbook at your child's school or have a child on a travel sports team, you may want to take another look at these beautiful yearbooks. They run a little expensive if you are only ordering a few, but there are discounts as you order more!

I love Shutterfly photo books as well, and I've made several of them through the years. They make special, personalized gifts and are great for family members. I keep our family blog pretty well up to date, but I am hoping to document our year using photo books more so that we have something easier for our kids to look through.

I really want to do better at having a photo book always in the works so that it's easy to take advantage of those free photo book offers that come through my email on the Shutterfly mailing list. Shutterfly sends out lots of great offers via email. I don't take advantage of all of them, but I did order some free note cards recently :-) Connect with Shutterfly socially on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or check out their blog.

Win it!

I'm excited to be able to give away a Shutterfly photo book! This is not one of the Yearbooks, but a regular photo book (8x8 hardcover 20-page photo book including shipping, a $38 value). To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me how you plan to use your free photo book. Please remember to enable your your blogger profile to include your email, or leave your email in your comment. I need to be able to get in touch if you win!

The contest will be open until Wednesday, Sept 26 at midnight, and which point a random winner will be chosen.

This post was sponsored by Shutterfly. I was compensated for my review, but as always, all opinions are my own. 

Free Father's Day Card from Shutterfly

With Father's Day right around the corner, here's a great way to make a personalized card for Dad for free! Shutterfly has put together a super cute Father's Day video with information at the end for how to get your free card. Check out the video and visit Shuttefly's Facebook page for more information!



I'm a big fan of Shutterfly's photo cards...they are simple and quick to make, are easy to personalize unique for the recipient, and are always great quality. I'm in the process of getting some cute pictures of my kids together to add to their Father's Day card!

Disclosure: I was contacted by Shutterfly and given information about this promotion, along with a Shutterfly promo code compensation. All opinions are my own. 

Tiny Prints Christmas Card Review

I love making our Christmas card each year! Sure, its a bit of pressure to get a good family photo, especially to make sure the kids are looking normal (ha!). There are TONS of options for Christmas cards out there, and I usually go with the most inexpensive (free) option. So, when Tiny Prints offered to give me free photo cards in exchange for a review, I said sure!

(Distinct Wishes)

I often use Shutterfly for our photo cards throughout the year. They run nice promotions and I have always been pleased with the final result. I've done a bunch of looking at the selection of Christmas cards offered by Tiny Prints and I am impressed! There are tons of options to personalize the front, inside, and back of your card.

(Sweet Watercolor)

Tiny Prints beautiful cards in a number of different styles. I really like their color pallet; many of the cards have rich, dark reds and greens instead of neon shades. I also appreciate the variety of pre-written wishes on the cards. I'm not going to pick "Holly Jolly" or "Jingle Bells" for our Christmas card (though there isn't anything wrong with that if you like it!). I much prefer a classic and simple "Merry Christmas".

(Gift for Noel)

I really like the flat stationary picture cards. They have the same design options as many of the folded cards, but instead of being white on the back they have a pattern that matches the front of the card. Little things like this are a great touch! And I checked out the Shutterfly folded cards...nothing on the backs of their flat cards!

(Picture It)

Square cards look so interesting, and I especially love the rounded corners. They are tempting for sure, but remember that they usually require additional postage! 

(Wreathed Charm)

If you are looking for a really different type of Christmas card, check out their selection of circle card and flip cards. They are sure to wow!

Thanks for the chance to do a review, Tiny Prints! I'm excited to see this year's Christmas cards. I know they will be beautiful!

Would you like a chance to review Tiny Prints and get free cards also? Apply here.

Disclosure: In exchange for my honest review, Tiny Prints is giving me free photo cards. All opinions are 100% my own.

Some Photo Freebies

There are a few photo freebies that I am loving right now!

My Publisher will send you a code for 5 free photo cards with FREE shipping when you enter your email address on their website. Free shipping is awesome!

Do you live near a Rite Aid? You can get 15 free 4x8 photo cards and 25 free 4x6 prints shipped to your local Rite Aid for free. Get all the details from Money Saving Mom. Once the 25 free prints are in your cart, get a free 8x10 also when you use the code FREE8x10!

 

I recently got an email from Shutterfly for 75 free prints for you and 5 friends. If you are on Shutterfly's email list you probably got one too. The deadline to share with your friends is today, but the free prints are good through November 18. Shipping costs will apply, however.

Have you gotten any other great photo deals lately? I know there have been a bunch!

Free Father's Day Cards from Shutterfly

Yay! I love cards from Shutterfly, especially when they are free! You can get 5 photo cards for free through June 9th. You still have to pay for shipping, which is just a few dollars. One of the best things is that you do not have to make all Father's Day cards for your 5 free cards!

Get started on Shutterfly right now! Be sure to enter the code DADCARD at checkout to get your cards for free!

Free 8x10 Photo Collage from Walgreens 2/24 only!

Yay! Get a free 8x10 photo collage from Walgreens today as part of their 7 days of photo deals this week! Choose to pick up your collage in a local store and you will not have to pay any shipping. Your collage will be waiting for you in as little as one hour! I have done these many times and have always been happy with the results.

Visit Walgreens photo to get started now!

Walgreens Photo Deals: This Week!

I wanted to post about this earlier in the week, but the holiday Monday and the snow yesterday really threw me off! Check out Walgreens Photo online everyday this week for a photo deal!

Today's deal is for a collage mouse pad. These are regularly priced at $12.99 but are $2.99 today only. Shipping is not included, so be sure you take that into consideration.

In the past when they run these sales there is usually a discounted or even free 8x10 photo collage, which you can get free shipping on by having it printed at a Walgreens store. I will post the details if I see that sale!

Photo card deal from SeeHere!

Here is a great deal on photo cards for Christmas! SeeHere is offering 60 free flat photo cards, size 4x8. Shipping is just $4.90! I did my photo cards through SeeHere last year, and we were so happy with the way they turned out. The cards arrived very quickly last year, so you should have plenty of time to get them in the mail before Christmas!

To get your free cards, enter the code 50cards at checkout. You must buy exactly 60 cards for the code to work. Get started at SeeHere!

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Shutterfly Christmas Photo Cards

Just a few more days until Thanksgiving! I am excited to get to spend the time with lots of family. The end of November also means that Christmas is right around the corner.

Shutterfly is running a promotion where bloggers can get 50 free photo cards in exchange for a review. This past weekend we took some family pictures to put on our Christmas cards, and I am so excited to start picking out some special cards. Shutterfly has tons of great options, and I was able to pick a favorite quickly...I actually may end up with 2 or 3 favorite cards! You really should check out the options for square cards as well. They are a nice modern twist on the traditional Christmas card. I'm a big fan of this Merry Christmas square card.

I have used Shutterfly many times in the past to make photo cards, and I've always been impressed with how simple and easy the process is on their site. The quality of the photo cards is great too. Not only is the turnaround time quick before they come in the mail, but I think they always come out better than they looked online. Our families have enjoyed being the recipients of these special cards too.

If you are a blogger and interested in getting 50 free cards as well, just fill out this form!

Disclosure: Shutterfly provided me with 50 free photo cards in exchange for a review of their 2010 photo card products. All opinions are my own.

Free Photo Cards from Shutterfly

Shutterfly is offering a free 5x7 folded card or stationary card when you use the code CARD4U.

Are you on the Shutterfly email list? I received a promotional email from Shutterfly this week with a code for 5 free 5x7 cards. The code is unique to me, so you will need to check your email for your code!

Shipping is not free, but should be minimal. I've made these cards before and they are really simple and turn out wonderful!

Free Photobook from Walgreens - Today only!

Facebook fans of Walgreens can get a free 4.5 x 6 inch photo book today only (8/25)! This is advertised as a "purse book" so it sounds like it would be a great way to have family pictures on hand to show people while you are out, without having to carry a bunch of photos around!

To get this freebie, go to Walgreens Facebook page and 'like' them. You will then see a tab that says 'Photobook' and will give you instructions on how to get your free photobook!

While you are on Facebook, check out the new Thrifty Living Facebook page! And remember to enter my giveaway this week!

Photo Deals

I'm so glad to see so many great ways to get my vacation pictures for less! There are several photo deals going on right now, so I have them in the order they expire!

Snapfish is offering free shipping on everything right now! Best of all, you can get a FREE (with free shipping, of course) 8x10 collage print with the code GRANDSHIP (expires today 8/17). This will be a great way to put a bunch of our beach pictures together!


Walgreens Photo is having a new special deal everyday this week! Today's special is for 60% off collage prints. Normally, this would be really great, but Snapfish's free collage tops it today! Remember, you can get free shipping on almost all your Walgreens Photo orders (usually poster prints are not free) by having them shipped to your local Walgreens store!


Through August 31, you can get a free large custom photo book from Picaboo with the code FREEBK! This is a $39.99 value, good for 20 pages, and you can even get a leather cover! Shipping will cost you $8.99, but that is still a great deal for what you will be getting. Even though there are still a few weeks left on this one, I would encourage you to get started early, because it is really hard to rush through making a photo book (speaking from experience here)! I've never ordered from Picaboo, but I have heard that they have good quality products.

Finally, Shutterfly is offering 3 free photo greeting cards through September 1st with the code SUMMERCARDS. If you go into your Shutterfly account under My Shutterfly and click on 'Enter special code offer' you can apply the free cards to your account. You will then have until 9/1 to redeem the offer. Shutterfly photo greeting cards always come out great! Remember, shipping should come to 99 cents.

Thanks to Deal Seeking Mom and BabyCheapskate for the reminders about these deals!

50 Free Mommy Cards from Kodak Gallery

This is a great offer from Kodak Gallery! These photo cards are 2.5 inches by 3 inches (business card sized) and have a photo of your choice on one side, and have space for any contact information that you want included on the reverse side. These are great Mommy or Family cards to easily give your contact information to new acquaintances, school teachers, coaches, etc.

Your first 50 are free (a $20 value), and all you have to pay is $3.99 shipping! No code is required, simply click here to get started!

Last Minute Father's Day gift (and its free!)

Walgreens is offering an 8x10 photo collage for free through Saturday, June 19th. If you opt for in-store pick-up, shipping is free too! I have done these before and they are simple and come out looking great.

Go to Walgreens Photo to get started. The coupon code to enter at checkout is GOBIG8X10.


(Thanks, Moms Need to Know!)

Father's Day Photo Deals

Shutterfly is offering 3 free photo greeting cards in honor of Father's Day! They come out beautiful, as many of you may know from the Mother's Day cards they recently offered. Each card can be different, and they do not even have to be specifically Father's Day cards. You will have to pay shipping, but it is usually just $.99! (offer expires June 10, 2010)

Kodak Gallery offered a free Mother's Day card also, but I don't see one yet for Father's Day. They are offering 30% off of Photo Gifts, Mugs, Frames, and Collages. This does not include Prints, Photo Books, Calendars, Cards, PhotoStamps, or Same-Day Pickup orders. (offer expires June 9, 2010)

Snapfish has a few items that are 50% off, including a photo t-shirt ($6.50) and a desk calendar ($7.50). Read more on the Snapfish site. (offer expires June 14, 2010)

Do you know of any other photo deals for Father's Day?

Free Cards for Mother's Day

Both Kodak and Shutterfly are offering free photo cards in honor of Mother's Day again. (You will have to pay shipping for both offers, but that is cheap!)

Kodak is offering a free 5x7 photo card through May 4, 2010. Order by May 2 if you want it in time for Mother's Day. You can also make the card for another occasion. Use the code 4MOM when you check out. Shipping is 99 cents.

Shutterfly is offering 3 5x7 photo cards through April 29, 2010 (hurry on this one!). Again, you are able to make these for another occasion if you do not need that many Mother's Day cards! Use the code CARDS4MOM when you check out.


I have made photo cards with both Kodak and Shutterfly before and they are really easy to do and look awesome!

More photo freebies!

I forgot to post about this when I was putting together my free photo resource post yesterday!

Get 25 free photo cards from SeeHere - use the code newbaby

These cards do not have to be Valentines cards, and they do not all have to be the same style and design. Shipping for 25-50 cards is around $5 but it looks like you can get 24 for only $2.49 shipping.

I ordered my Christmas cards through See here and they turned out amazing. I highly recommend! Note: if you used this code to get the free cards around Christmas time you will need to make a new account (use a different email) for this to work.

Thanks to Nicole's Nickels for the heads up.

Free Photo prints

I love getting pictures printed, but the expense can really add up. There are so many opportunities to get cheap or even free pictures printed. These vary from time to time, especially around holidays.

Many sites will often give you free prints if you are a new member.

Join Shutterfly, Snapfish, SeeHere, or Kodak Gallery and get 50 free prints through each site when you first sign up. Be aware that you will have to pay for shipping, which usually comes to just a few dollars!

Right now there are a lot of Valentine's Day related photo sales. One of these sales is for 3 free Valentines photo cards from Shutterfly. Enter code 3FREECARDS at checkout, and just pay for shipping. It also looks like you may be able to make any theme greeting card, not just the Valentines ones.

Through 1/27/10 you can get 100 free prints from Snapfish with any purchase (even a single print!). Code is PRINTSNEW. This is valid for new AND current customers. You will have to pay for shipping (around $5) but that works out to 5 cents a print!

A new website I just recently heard about is York Photo. Sign up with them and get 40 free prints!

One of the great things about being members of these photo sites is that they will often run promotions that give you freebies or other special offers. I always take a quick look through the emails they send me to see what the current offers are.

I hope you are able to use these offers to get some of those Christmas pictures printed!

Thanks to Moms Need to Know, BabyCheapskate, and MoneySavingMethods for some of these deals!

Free Photo Cards

This is just in time for Christmas! Last week I ordered 50 5x7 photo cards and paid nothing - not even shipping! This offer is good through November 30, so there is still plenty of time to get your pictures together and order.

Go to SeeHere by Fujifilm. If you are a member, just login and go to the photo card section. If you are not a member, join, and you will receive a code (prints) for 100 free prints! You will have to pay shipping, and the 100 free prints must be in a separate order from the photo cards.

You can pick from any of the single-sided photo cards in either 4x6 size or 5x7. The cards also come with envelopes! I found the software a little hard to get used to at first, but there are so many options to personalize your card. You can choose from a ton of different backgrounds, add as many pictures as you want, add borders and effects to your pictures and edit your pictures through their site. I chose to add text - a recap of the past year. If you do end up writing a paragraph or so, I found that I needed to use the 'enter' key to keep the shape of a paragraph. Otherwise my text ended up being one long line that obviously did not fit on a 5x7 card!

Once you have your card designed just the way you want, add 50 to your shopping cart. The promotional code is freebies4mom-1109 (thanks Freebies4Mom!). My total went from $39.50 to zero!

Keep in mind that since this is such a great opportunity, that SeeHere has been a little slow at times. I found that earlier in the day was fine, but the one night I worked on it things were taking a while. There is still plenty of time, so its ok to save your project and come back!