Approximately 7.5 seconds after I pressed send on last week's issue, my 3-year-old started screaming and sneezing in her room (where she was supposed to be taking a nap.) When I went to investigate, she was holding her nose and crying that it hurt, but when I looked, I couldn't see anything.
Luckily, I remembered the ‘mother's kiss’. I tried it, and sure as sh*t, out shot a wadded-up hair rubber band halfway up her sinuses — the perfect nostril accessory, apparently. This is legitimately the first time something I've seen on social media came totally in clutch. Here's the link. Please, everybody, watch it if you don't know what this is.
ANYWAY. In less critical but still noteworthy news, this week's issue is about holiday cards. In our house, we haven't actually sent one in approximately seven years, but that doesn't mean the good intentions don't exist (every.single.year.) If you too dream of being the family with their sh*t together: now is the time. Fall is still in its glory in most places, which makes for great photo shoots even if it's just your backyard or the local park. And you're leaving yourself enough room to order cards without paying premiums for expedited processing and shipping. Not that we would know anything about that.
In this issue:
✅ A 10-minute photo plan — including where to take it and what to bribe them with
✅ A caption that takes 2 minutes (the robots will help)
✅ Cards that get addressed, stamped, and mailed without you touching an envelope
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🧘♀️ The 10-minute photo plan
👉 Every photographer who shoots little kids says the same thing: it's about timing and light, not the location. Makes sense. Natural light from a window or open door beats direct sun every time, and session should be kept very short and sweet.
A few simple setups we think are cute:
Everyone piles into bed in pajamas. Natural morning light from a bedroom window, everyone cozy, maybe with a belly full of waffles — that's an unexpectedly good photo. Low stakes, no getting dressed, seasonal vibe if you put out some holiday pajamas.
Your front door or porch. The fall wreath is already there (maybe) so put the kids in front of it, crouch down to their level, shoot.
The backyard, right after a nap and a snack. Rested and fed is key.
A few things that keep the session short:
Use video mode, then pull a still. As we all know, toddlers cooperate for a second at a time, not a held pose. Shoot a short video of the chaos, find the best frame, pause and screenshot. 4K video on most phones is enough resolution for a 4x6 or 5x7 card. If the resolution still feels soft, Remini (free app) can upscale a photo or video frame to print quality in about 30 seconds.
Bribe them. Yes. But learn from our mistakes and not with chocolate, because that will be on their face and possibly their outfit by the time you take the photo. Fruit snacks, stickers, a show they're allowed to watch after — pick your poison.
Voice command for hands-free. "Hey Siri, take a photo" works on recent iPhones. Or pair your Apple Watch and use it as a remote shutter so you can actually be in the shot.
🤖 Let AI write the part of the card nobody gets to
👉 If the photo is the hard part of the holiday card, the caption is the part that never happens at all. It sits in a drafts folder until the week of the 19th and turns into "Happy Holidays from the [last name] family."
This year, let it say a little more than that.
Our recommendation: let the robots help. Give AI five true things from your year or let it interview you, tell it your tone (dry, warm, cheerful), and have it write a few options to review. We wrote the prompt for you so you don't have to think about it: Grab the card caption prompt →
Obviously, expect to edit it until it sounds like you. But working off a draft is much faster than sitting there trying to remember what happened this year.
⚡ Skip the envelope part entirely
👉 For a lot of us, the idea of a holiday card dies at "find everyone's address and buy stamps." Did you know there are services where you can outsource the whole mailing end of it? Honestly, that might be worth the cost.
Postable prints, addresses, stamps, and mails each card. You upload your photo, share a personal link so people type their own addresses into your book. (clever) Around $5 per card with the stamp included.
Shutterfly addresses and mails cards in envelopes for you, but more input required. Check the total at checkout.
The honest version: doing it yourself is obvi cheaper. A Walmart or Walgreens photo card was around 50 cents on sale last year, plus an 82¢ stamp, plus the time. Budget or hands-off — your call.
Honorable mention: if you'd rather hand off the photo too, Shoott books 30-minute sessions with no upfront fee. You pay for the photos you keep ($25 each, or 10 for $199, minimums apply). This is 100% on our radar to try this year.
Do you actually send holiday cards?
🧳 This Week's Work WTF
Inspired by real life events.
Wednesday, 3:40pm. Calendar invite for tomorrow: "Quick sync (30 min)." Time: 8:30am.
What we wish we could say: "I'd love to, but at 8:30 I will be in a parking lot negotiating with a three-year-old about a shoe."
Steal this response: "Checked our calendars and looks like we're both free at [alternate time]. Sent a revised invite."
K that's all. You're the best and we love you.
-CK "Photo Briber" Fuller (Editor) & the JB Crew 🫡
P.S. Next week: open enrollment. It's the worst but here are some tips that might make it suck a little less. big promises, we know.
Quick note: Some links in here may be affiliate links. You know the drill- if you buy something, we might earn a small commission that helps offset the time we spend making JuiceBox. Thank you for supporting this project of ours.