Author: ecards

How to Easily E-mail Birthday eCards

Birthday
Birthday

Birthdays are a great time for celebration, but they can also be quite the hassle, if you don’t happen to be the birthday boy or girl.  There are cakes to bake, parties to plan, and gifts to buy.  Not only that, but if you live too far away from that friend or family member who’s celebrating a birthday, you have to worry about paying postage the cards you mail; and once the card’s actually in the mail, there’s that several day period of nervously hoping that the card actually arrives—and on time.

No one can help you over the stress of baking the perfect birthday cake, but there is an easy solution to those birthday card jitters: free ecards.  Ecards come in all the same great styles you’re used to with store-bought cards, but with a few extra advantages.  The first advantage, of course, is right there in the name: they’re absolutely free—free to pick out, free to personalize, and free to send.  And secondly, ecards eliminate the need to call your friends and relatives to make sure they received your gift, because ecards arrive instantly, through e-mail.

In fact, with just a few easy steps, you won’t only be on your way to sending great birthday ecards, you’ll actually be finished with the whole process!

    • First thing’s first: point your browser to the got-free-ecards birthday cards page, or just click here.
    • This part’s the most fun: now you get to scroll through all the different designs, click on your favorite one to choose it.  You can scroll through your choices one of two ways: by clicking on the arrow to the right of the page, or by using the theme-oriented tabs at the top of the page.  Either way you do it, click on your favorite ecard design.
    • Click on “play” on the next screen, to get a full preview of the card you’ve selected.
    • Once the card has finished its animation, you’ll see an option at the bottom of the screen to personalize it with your own photos, or even your own recorded voice.  If this is the option for you, click the button and follow the easy on-screen directions.
    • We’re almost done!  Now that your card is personalized, scroll down to the bottom of the screen, and fill in the recipient information: along with the birthday boy or girl’s name and e-mail address, you can add your personalized message to accompany the card.
    • The last step is to decide when—and how—you want your card sent.  You can choose to send the card immediately or, using the drop-down box at the bottom of page, pick a day up to a month in advance.  Then, using the buttons to the right, choose whether you want to e-mail your card, or send it by Twitter.

I could go on, but we’re finished!  It’s really that easy to send free birthday ecards to everyone on your list!

How to set goals and accomplish them?

Make a fresh start this new year

A very happy new year to you, dear reader.

I know. I’m a week early. But as you will agree, if you’re serious about kicking off a great new year, you shouldn’t wait until January 1st. Now is the time to start thinking about your goals, analyzing your priorities, assessing your progress and plan for the next year. If you haven’t done so already.

A better, more fulfilling life in the year to come –

What does that mean? Different things to different people.

Be it financial success, better career prospects, a more fulfilling relationship, continuing your formal education or embarking on new projects, the beginning of a year is a wonderful time to start afresh. It’s a time to put the past behind, bury negativity, adopt a great, positive attitude and stride into the new year with hope, conviction and a will to work towards your goals.

If you find yourself uncertain about your resolutions or if the whole process of planning for the next year overwhelms you – I suggest you take it one small step at a time.

  1. Spend time with yourself. Sometime during this last week of 2009, go away to your favorite, private hang out. Be it your attic, a lake side bench, the park or your patio, take a notebook, a pen and some coffee along and plan to spend a couple of quiet hours away from all the noise and crowds. Get a babysitter for your kids. Leave worries behind. I prefer to leave my cell phone behind too. Or, at least, turn it off.
  2. Enjoy your moment. Let’s face it. Given today’s lifestyle, who really gets some quite time like this to themselves? I don’t. And I’m pretty sure, you don’t either. So, first of all, enjoy the quiet. Make up your mind that you won’t think about anyone else’s problems for the next couple of hours. Relax. Breathe.
  3. Relaxation leads to contemplation. When you’re relaxed and your mind is free from stress and worries, you experience a strange thing. You feel free to think about YOU. Indulge your thoughts. Write them down in your notebook.
  4. Acknowledge your dreams and thoughts. Do you dream of starting a business, writing a book or finding a new career? Maybe you want to go back to college? Or start a family or travel to an exotic country. Or just find a better job to pay your bills. It doesn’t matter what your dreams are and how many of them you have. Give them some space in your notebook. Writing down your dreams helps you see them in a new light. Maybe you will realize which ones matter to you the most. And which ones you can accomplish more easily and which ones need more effort to be realized.
  5. Categorize your dreams and goals based on timeline. Instead of using ‘long term’ and ‘short term’ to define them, determine a more specific time frame. Which goals can you accomplish in a month? (Losing a few pounds, catching up with old buddies, painting a room in your house or reading 5 books, applying to 20 new jobs?) Some goals will obviously take longer – like writing a book, traveling the world, making a million dollars.
  6. Break it down. Divide these goals into attainable sub-goals. For example, if you want to write a book, maybe you could allocate 1 hour a day, 3 days a week starting January 1st. Or commit to finishing one chapter every month. If your goal is to land a lucrative job in 2010, break down your goals so that you get your resume reviewed by professionals, network with head hunters, locate a few suitable open positions, or find companies you want to work for and complete their application process. This way, even large, seemingly unattainable goals become easier to visualize, manage and accomplish. Bit by bit.
  7. Consider road blocks. By now, you have decided on a few key goals to accomplish in 2010 and have broken them down into less overwhelming bits. Think about what might still stop you from reaching them. Do you need to learn a new language or get a certification? Do you need to find time to write a chapter every day? This is critical. In order to overcome the odds, you need to foresee at least some of them and prepare yourself accordingly. So, now you know, you need to hire a babysitter or request a friend or relative to watch your kids for a few hours once a week, when you write your novel. Or, you need to take a night course to meet certain criteria to find that new job. Maybe, you have to wake up earlier, spend more hours, cut back on spending, move to a different city or make other types of sacrifices in order to reach your goals. You can’t always anticipate all the hurdles, but make up your mind not to let them stop you.
  8. Set up a date with your dreams. Goals are no good if not revisited. Unless you revisit your goals, you won’t know how far you’ve come and how much more you need to do. Before you end your session, set a date and time to come back to your notebook and reassess your strategy. Maybe every 6 weeks. Or 2 months. Maybe each month on your birth date. Whatever you’re comfortable with. Just make sure it’s something you will remember. Put it down in your calendar. Or send yourself an auto-reminder. And on that set day, come back with your notebook and read what you aimed for, what you’ve managed to accomplish and what remains to be done. If you’ve met your goal for that time frame, applaud yourself. If you haven’t, find out what went wrong and work to fix it. There’s nobody watching or judging you. So, be honest with yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you lag behind. Stay positive. Stay focused and do what you need to do. If you can honestly say to yourself that you’re doing your best, nothing else matters.
  9. Pick a partner, if you like. For some people, a little positive push from outside works wonders. If you are one of them, choose a close friend or someone you trust to do this whole exercise with you. So, when you’ve written down your goals, you share it with each other and set a date to meet again in a few weeks. When you meet, you listen to each other, provide encouragement, offer suggestions and support. This way, you help keep each other stay motivated and on track, without being judgmental. Just make sure you pick a person with a positive frame of mind who is as committed to his goals as you are to yours and who is truly supportive of you.

From the gotfreecards team – here’s wishing you good luck with your goals and may you make your dreams come true this year.

As a starter, why not make an open commitment? I invite you to share one of your 2010 goals below in the comments.

I’ll start – One of my goals is to get two of my sites redesigned this year to attract more business. Now it’s your turn.

Sent out your Christmas cards yet?

Sent out your Christmas cards yet?
I don’t know about you. But I never really get tired of printed greeting cards.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I think free ecards are fabulous. Especially when they’re so easy to send.
But, even after I’ve sent free ecards, I still like to print out a bunch of photo cards to give to my friends and family when I see them on holidays. There’s just something about a physical greeting card – the smell of paper, the feeling of holding a special wish in my hands, the magic of the hand written note and the uniqueness of adding my family picture to them – that I haven’t yet outgrown.
Thankfully, you don’t have to choose between ecards and printed photo cards this Christmas. You can give your loved ones both – at no cost.
You know that gotfreecards has a large selection of wonderful, animated, free Christmas ecards. But, you probably didn’t know you could also create your own personalized printable Christmas Photo Cards and Photo Ecards.
For what’s Christmas without a picture greeting card or holiday newsletter from your family, eh?
So, go ahead and print out a personalized Christmas photo card today. Simply upload a great picture to one of our existing 5 X 5 greeting card templates and print it out. You can then add a personal note or invite your friends to your Christmas party in your own handwriting. It doesn’t get any warmer or more personal than that.
Or, if you prefer sending an ecard, but with a personal touch, opt for a free photo ecard. You choose a picture to upload, type in your message, select a frame, title, music and effects for your photo ecard.  And we deliver it to your recipient on the date you specify. And that doesn’t get any easier!
Free ecards, photo ecards, personalized printable Christmas cards – whatever you prefer, there are plenty of options. And the best part? You don’t have to settle for one.
Have a wonderful Christmas!

I don’t know about you. But I never really get tired of printed greeting cards.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I think free ecards are fabulous. Especially when they’re so easy to send.

But, even after I’ve sent free ecards, I still like to print out a bunch of photo cards to give to my friends and family when I see them on holidays. There’s just something about a physical greeting card – the smell of paper, the feeling of holding a special wish in my hands, the magic of the hand written note and the uniqueness of adding my family picture to them – that I haven’t yet outgrown.

Thankfully, you don’t have to choose between ecards and printed photo cards this Christmas. You can give your loved ones both – at no cost.

You know that gotfreecards has a large selection of wonderful, animated, free Christmas ecards. But, you probably didn’t know you could also create your own personalized printable Christmas Photo Cards and Photo Ecards.

For what’s Christmas without a picture greeting card or holiday newsletter from your family, eh?

So, go ahead and print out a personalized Christmas photo card today. Simply upload a great picture to one of our existing 5 X 5 greeting card templates and print it out. You can then add a personal note or invite your friends to your Christmas party in your own handwriting. It doesn’t get any warmer or more personal than that.

Or, if you prefer sending an ecard, but with a personal touch, opt for a free photo ecard. You choose a picture to upload, type in your message, select a frame, title, music and effects for your photo ecard.  And we deliver it to your recipient on the date you specify. And that doesn’t get any easier!

Free ecards, photo ecards, personalized printable Christmas cards – whatever you prefer, there are plenty of options. And the best part? You don’t have to settle for one.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Last minute Christmas ideas

“Yikes! Christmas is four days away and I haven’t done a thing!” shrieked my friend Lisa, the eternal procrastinator who always, always does things at the last minute.


Does that sound like you?

If you aren’t adequately prepared for Christmas, don’t panic! Before you rush into a crowded mall and return with yet another bag of useless, cheap or ridiculously expensive gifts, consider some of these tips I offered Lisa.

Create lasting memories with these last minute Christmas ideas

  1. Pick ONE store. Don’t just head out to the mall aimlessly. I guarantee you will waste a lot of time and energy and not have anything to show for it at the end of the day. Make your list and shop for everybody at the same store. This way, you won’t spend hours driving, looking for a parking spot, waiting in line or hauling stuff from one store to another or to your car. Do NOT forget your list. It’s ok to spend a couple of hours making your list if you have to. You’ll still save hours of clueless shopping.
  2. Shop Online. Think online gift cards. Let your friends and family get the things they really want. Sure, it is not personal or unique. But at least it’s better than an unwanted tie or a boring old scarf. Sometimes, it’s the gift that counts. Especially when there’s no thought behind your last minute gifts.
  3. Use your talent. Can you pen beautiful verses in a flash or sketch and paint amazing sceneries at the snap of a finger? What better gift could there possibly be than a framed poem written by you that adorns your sister’s desk or an amazing painting that will hang in your grandmother’s bedroom? Whether it is art, writing, singing, photography or stand-up comedy that you’re good at, think of a way to turn that into a Christmas gift.
  4. Win hearts with a hearty meal. If you can whip up a gourmet meal, or even a reasonably good one, it constitutes a wonderful gift. After all, holidays are a time to enjoy good food and great company. Provide both and you won’t have to worry so much about not getting Uncle Harry those cuff links. Alternatively, get gift certificates to a great restaurant or a new coffee shop so everyone can enjoy time together.
  5. Donate towards a cause. If you or a loved one supports a worthy cause, donating to it in that loved one’s name is the best gift imaginable. It makes the recipient happy, benefits the cause and makes you feel good, not guilty, about your last minute choice.
  6. Send Christmas e cards. This one’s a breeze. Spend a few minutes to select free Christmas ecards for friends and family. Upload pictures from your computer to personalize your photo ecards and you can also try out our free printable Christmas Cards. And . spread smiles and love just like that.After all, isn’t that what Christmas is all about? As for me, I just hope Lisa doesn’t give me another scarf this year.

‘Tis the season of forgiveness – Make up with holiday e cards


If you really want to get into the spirit of the holiday season, forget about the people you love.

Just for a minute.

You know – the people who know you care about them. Who’re probably the ones who love you back. Unconditionally. The ones who matter the most to you. The ones whom you will spend your holidays with. For whom you buy the most expensive gifts. And who, you won’t really ever forget about. No matter what.

But, let’s not think about them. For a minute.

Instead, here’s what I ask of you. For just one minute, think of the one person you dislike the most. The one who you think ruined your chances at work. Or whom you haven’t spoken to in years. The ex-best friend who betrayed your trust. The boss who didn’t give you the raise you deserved. The cousin who embarrassed you at a family gathering. Maybe even the ex-spouse who cheated on you.

We can’t deny it. Ask anyone, and there’s sure to be at least one person they detest, dislike or at the very least, will have nothing to do with for the rest of their lives. Whether it’s a relative, colleague or someone who used to be a friend – you never forget about them.

But, maybe the time has come to forgive?

Think about it. Life is short. Let’s say you live a hundred years. You’ve already lived 20, 30 or 40 of them. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life holding on to a grudge or carrying the burden of hatred in your heart? Is it really worth it? What have you gained by not forgiving? Does it really make you any happier?

I’m guessing not. Hatred never makes anyone feel better. On the contrary, studies show that holding on to negative thoughts affects your mental and physical health adversely.  It is likely to cause you stress related diseases and shorten your life span. Your negativity may even spill over to your loved ones. Is that what you really want?

What if you were to decide to forgive that person this holiday season? Yes, the one who hurt you, betrayed your trust or damaged your reputation. It won’t be easy. And it won’t happen overnight. And it may not feel right, at first.

But, give it some time. Allow the thought to sink in.

You don’t have to take a huge step. Start simple. Send that person a holiday e-card. Just wish them well. Wish them happy holidays. And see what happens.

You may just experience something magical. Something beautiful. Something that will change your life and the way you look at life.

One free ecard won’t drastically change your relationship, of course. It may still take you years to actually accept that person with his flaws. But it will break the ice. It will set the ball of forgiveness and communication rolling. You have nothing to lose. Except a minute of your time. And maybe some burden off your chest.

I’d say that’s worth a shot. Don’t you?

Try it. And let us know.

How to choose the perfect holiday e-cards

You may have read about the 5 best reasons to send holiday e cards. Or maybe you have a few good reasons of your own. But, now that you’ve decided to send free Christmas ecards to friends and family, how will you go about it?
Believe it or not, sending no ecard is better than picking the wrong one. But, how could anyone go wrong with sending an ecard – you ask? With so many websites offering so many different types of flash ecards, animated ecards and other varieties of holiday e cards, choosing the right ecard for everyone could get overwhelming. A wrongly chosen ecard could result in embarrassment on your part and annoyance or disappointment for the recipient.
No need to panic though. Just keep in mind the following simple pointers before you select ecards.
Sending free holiday e cards – what to look for
1. Tasteful animations. You’ll know it when you see it. It won’t hurt your eyes. It won’t make you wonder what the visual is supposed to mean. A well-designed and animated ecard appeals to you at first glance, flows smoothly and just makes you want to view it again and again.
2. Thoughtful words. Humorous, heart-felt, sincere, sarcastic, mock-serious – whatever your style, you will see it reflected in the free ecard you want to send. Don’t choose an ecard that doesn’t sound or look like something you’d say or do.
3. Recipient’s point of view. Pause and consider – what would aunt Maggie or cousin Paul like? Is the ecard appropriate for a 15 year old sibling? Or a colleague you barely know? The uncle with a famous sense of humor, the neighbor with a tendency to misinterpret words, the vegetarian who doesn’t appreciate turkey jokes. Take into account the recipient’s personality, age, religious beliefs and your relationship to him or her before hitting Send. Gotfreecards has a large enough selection for you to find the right ecard for just about anybody.
4. Personalization. How does the recipient know the ecard is from you? Besides your email id, is there anything in the ecard that says YOU sent it and not an automated ecard sending program or personal assistant? Whenever you have the option, choose to personalize your ecards. Add a picture, voice or video message. Sign off in your own words. Address the person by an affectionate nickname. Make the ecard a U card.
Use these tips and breeze through the process of sending free Christmas ecards to all your loved ones. And remember, you don’t have to wait until Christmas. Snatch a few minutes each day to browse and select the perfect ecard for everyone and schedule it to arrive on Christmas.
At least this is one place where you won’t have to beat the crowds to get the best deal!
Christmas
Christmas

You may have read about the 5 best reasons to send holiday e-cards. Or maybe you have a few good reasons of your own. But, now that you’ve decided to send free Christmas ecards to friends and family, how will you go about it?

Believe it or not, sending no ecard is better than picking the wrong one. But, how could anyone go wrong with sending an ecard – you ask? With so many websites offering so many different types of flash ecards, animated ecards and other varieties of holiday e cards, choosing the right ecard for everyone could get overwhelming. A wrongly chosen ecard could result in embarrassment on your part and annoyance or disappointment for the recipient.

No need to panic though. Just keep in mind the following simple pointers before you select ecards.

Sending free holiday e cards – what to look for

1. Tasteful animations. You’ll know it when you see it. It won’t hurt your eyes. It won’t make you wonder what the visual is supposed to mean. A well-designed and animated ecard appeals to you at first glance, flows smoothly and just makes you want to view it again and again.

2. Thoughtful words. Humorous, heart-felt, sincere, sarcastic, mock-serious – whatever your style, you will see it reflected in the free ecard you want to send. Don’t choose an ecard that doesn’t sound or look like something you’d say or do.

3. Recipient’s point of view. Pause and consider – what would aunt Maggie or cousin Paul like? Is the ecard appropriate for a 15 year old sibling? Or a colleague you barely know? The uncle with a famous sense of humor, the neighbor with a tendency to misinterpret words, the vegetarian who doesn’t appreciate turkey jokes. Take into account the recipient’s personality, age, religious beliefs and your relationship to him or her before hitting Send. Gotfreecards has a large enough selection for you to find the right ecard for just about anybody.

4. Personalization. How does the recipient know the ecard is from you? Besides your email id, is there anything in the ecard that says YOU sent it and not an automated ecard sending program or personal assistant? Whenever you have the option, choose to personalize your ecards. Add a picture, voice or video message. Sign off in your own words. Address the person by an affectionate nickname. Make the ecard a U card.

Use these tips and breeze through the process of sending free Christmas ecards to all your loved ones. And remember, you don’t have to wait until Christmas. Snatch a few minutes each day to browse and select the perfect ecard for everyone and schedule it to arrive on Christmas.

At least this is one place where you won’t have to beat the crowds to get the best deal!

5 Reasons to Send Holiday e-cards


People ask me, “Why send holiday e-cards?” Their argument is that they buy gifts for everybody anyway. And maybe even greeting cards. They spend the holidays with immediate and at times, extended families. So, why bother sending free ecards?

Point taken.

When you go through the trouble of buying gifts, wrapping them, traveling long distances to spend time with family or making elaborate preparations to entertain at home, why would you also send holiday e-cards? It may not make sense.

But here’s why I think sending holiday e-cards is important, even when you have bought the coolest gifts in the market.

  1. It gives you a chance to be yourself. Whether you want to share a private joke with your spouse, tease a cousin, flirt with a colleague or just express your appreciation for your parents or a relative, ecards let you do it in your own way. Unlike the act of opening presents, people check email in privacy. Nobody’s watching what they got or how they react. You don’t have to worry about what others got them or if they like your ecard. You just say what you want to and leave the rest to them. Invariably, a holiday e card is bound to make the recipient smile. The simple fact that you thought about him or her, and took the time to send an ecard makes a difference.
  2. You send a part of you. Ecards are personal. Or at least, should be. When you send an ecard, you have the option of writing your own personal message, adding a photo of your choice and including a voice message. With a photo ecard, you send the equivalent of a family picture postcard. Take advantage of these features and personalize your holiday e cards as best as you can. That makes all the difference.
  3. People revisit ecards long after the holidays are over. Once a present is opened, you don’t rewrap it and open it again in a few days. But I know people who come back to their email and view their favorite ecards over and over again. They like to read the message, listen to the music or the audio message, look at the animations or simply experience the ecard all over again. When you spend a few minutes to select and send the perfect ecard, the recipient appreciates it for a long time.
  4. You can’t go wrong with the delivery. Let’s face it. The greeting card you take hours to choose at the store, spend hard-earned cash on, painstakingly write in, seal and send – doesn’t always reach the recipient. On time. Postal mail delivery delays and lost holiday cards are a fact of life. But when you schedule a holiday
    e-card     to be delivered to your loved ones on a certain date, they’re delivered to their inbox on that date. No later. They don’t accidentally end up in the neighbor’s mail or get opened by mail thieves. If you address an ecard to someone, that someone receives it.  On time.
  5. Ecards reinforce your bond. Whether it’s a friend, a relative, sibling, spouse, coworker or even someone you don’t like very much, an ecard helps strengthen your bond and brings you closer for many reasons. As stated earlier, because it is personal and reflects your style, and because it can be viewed several times, an ecard does more than just greet someone during the holidays. It tells them that you care about them and that you thought about them. Ecards are perfect for sending to people you are already close to and also for people you want to break the ice with. They’re great for making up, apologizing, forgiving or simply expressing your love and affection for someone. And that definitely makes a difference.

Why do you send holiday e cards? Share your thoughts.

My Favorite Christmas Ecards

by Rupa

It’s December. Which means, everywhere you look, you will probably find tips and tricks to land great bargains and save on Christmas shopping. So I’m going to skip the routine and jump straight into something that you can’t put a price on – and yet which is completely free – the smile on someone’s face.  And one of the easiest ways to spread joy and smiles is to send a free ecard. Here are 5 of my favorite Christmas ecards. Hope you find one you like and do let me know which your favorites are.

  1. Get in shape for Christmas – Holidays usually cause people to gain pounds and part with $$. And let’s face it – we all wish it was the other way round. This free Christmas ecard featuring Santa and his elves at the gym lightens up your mood and is sure to make you smile. The image of Santa burning calories at the tread mill ought to be motivation enough for anyone wanting to lose weight before Christmas. If nothing else, this is a great, fun ecard to send to your friends a few weeks before the holidays.
  2. Snow Couple – Whether it’s white Christmas you wish for or just a great holiday with friends and family, this simple ecard says it all – May Your Christmas Wishes Comes True. And it doesn’t get any more beautiful than that.
  3. Peace and Love An ecard featuring two graceful doves perched atop a branch, gently swaying to the tune of Silent Night, on what appears to be a gorgeous, peaceful night – this is one ecard that you can send to pretty much anyone who appreciates the true spirit of the holidays.
  4. Christmas Lights Can being in love cut down your Christmas bills? Apparently. Some may call this corny, but I think this is a sweet ecard to send to the love of your life.
  5. What I love the Most About Christmas… This is another nice ecard to send to your husband or boyfriend, just appreciating the fact that you have each other and recognizing that that’s the most important part of any holiday or celebration.

So there you have it. My top 5 Christmas Ecard picks. Now, over to you. What are some of your favorites?