Christmas Photo Cards

It’s become a tradition, in many families, to mail out Christmas cards with family photos attached to everyone on the gift list.  I have a niece, for example, who I’ve watched grow up, one year at a time, just through the yearly Christmas cards her parents send out.  Now, the tradition of sending photos to your family members along with your Christmas cards has gotten a whole lot easier, and a whole lot cheaper, too.

The first thing you need to do is point your Internet browser to the Got-Free-Ecards Christmas photo cards page.  On this page, you’re going to be faced with the first of several decisions: what size card do you want to create?  Currently, there are designs available in 5” x 5” and 8” x 4” sizes.  And within those sizes, there are several designs to choose from.  Just pick the one you like the best, and click on it.

On the next page, you’ll see a larger version of the card you’ve picked at the top of the screen.  Below that are options for customizing the font—including alignment, color, size and style—and on the left size of the screen there’s a list of step-by-step instructions for making your card (so even if you forget everything I tell you here, you’ll still be set!).

The first thing you’ll want to do is hover your mouse over the center of the stock photo on the card.  A button will appear, which reads, “Upload Photo.”  Click it, and you’ll be taken to an explorer window, of the contents of your computer.  Go through the contents of your computer, find the photo you want to upload, and click, “Open.”  The stock photo on the card should be replaced by your own personal photo.

Hover your mouse over the picture again.  Along the top edge of it, you’ll see three more icons: to zoom in or out on the image, or to flip it around in 90 degree increments.  And at the bottom of the picture, just below the “Upload Photo” icon, there’s a “Best Fit” icon.  Now, if you use either of the “Zoom” icons, you’ll be able to click and drag your photo across the screen.  Use this feature if you want to crop it in a specific manner.  Also, after using “Zoom,” an icon appears at the bottom of the picture, to the left of the “Best Fit” icon, that will allow you to automatically resize the photo to cover 100% of the screen.  And, if after all your own fooling around you’re still not happy with your own results, just click that “Best Fit” icon, and the picture will automatically resize to an optimal fit and position.

Now, if you want, you can leave the stock message—“Merry Christmas”—as it is.  Or, just click once, anywhere over the text, and you’ll be able to retype your own message.  Now, see the gray box above the text?  Click and drag there, to move your message anywhere on the screen.  And you can even change angle at which your message appears, by clicking and dragging the green colored curved arrow at the top and right of the text box.

Now it’s time to mess with all those text options at the bottom.  You can change the font color, the size, the formatting style (like bolding and underlining), and even the type of font itself.

If you’re satisfied with everything you see, then there’s only one thing left to do: click “Print.”

Not only is this whole process a lot more personalized than sending regular Christmas cards, it’s also less time consuming.  And, best of all, (if you ask me, anyway) it’s absolutely free!  So this Christmas, why not change up the tradition, and try Christmas photo cards

Thank you

How many people will you say, “Thank you” to, today?

Your doorman. The cab driver. The guy at the coffee shop. The person who holds the door open for you. Or asks you to have a seat in the lobby. When you think about it, you probably say “Thank you” more times than you realize everyday.

The question is, how many times do you really mean it?

We learn to say the words early on. Even 2-year olds know to thank you when you give them treats. Sure, the words sound sweet and it seems like they’re the right thing to say. But, when you give it some thought, you’ll probably see that most of the time, they’re empty.

We say thanks when someone wishes us a nice day, and yet, do we really spend a moment to appreciate the beautiful day outside? We say, “Thank you” to the person who hands out our order at the drive in. And yet, do we really feel the gratitude deep in our hearts, for the food we are so blessed to have everyday? “Thanks.” “Thank you.” “Appreciate it” are words we use over and over, without giving as much as a thought to what they really stand for.

Gratitude – is it just a seasonal, marketing tool?

It’s one of those over-stressed, yet under-valued concepts that has spotlight shined on it every once in a while. Like around Thanksgiving, for example. The entire month of November, you’ll probably see articles and blog posts everywhere you look about being thankful. Come December, and the focus will turn to the best holiday deals and New Year’s parties. Why is it that something that ought to be an intrinsic part of our lives and our vocabularies acquires importance only during certain times and fades away into oblivion for the rest of the year? How did we end up reducing gratitude to something like a seasonal allergy that we talk about only when everybody else is talking about it?

How do we go back to being grateful for and appreciative of the gifts in our lives, not just around Thanksgiving, but all through the year, year after year?

1. Before you say “Thank you”, stop. The next time you’re about to say the magic words, catch yourself. Think about what you’re going to say. Whether you’re about to thank the cashier at a store or the teller at the bank, remind yourself what you’re grateful for, before you utter the words. They will sound far more sincere, leaving you (and the other person) in a better, more appreciative frame of mind.
2. When you say it, mean it. Or don’t say it. When you say “Thank you”, make sure you’re expressing your feelings, not just exercising your lips.
3. Be thankful, even if you don’t say it out loud. There are countless gifts we’re blessed with – small and big, for which we can’t be thankful enough. Be it our family, friends, our health, our jobs, our lifestyles, the opportunities we’re given, the talents we have or just the fact that we’re alive. Regardless of your religious beliefs and faith, appreciate all that you have at least once everyday. You don’t have to be expressive – just spend 30 seconds thinking about and being thankful for the wonderful gifts in your life.
4. Thank the people closest to you. They’re the people who care the most for us and who love us unconditionally. They’re also the people we appreciate the least. Parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, children, husband/wife…we can never thank the people we love enough simply for being a part of our lives. Just thinking about what life would have been like without even one of them…makes me shudder. But, sadly, they’re the people, I’ve probably said the least “Thank you”s to! If you’re like me, today’s the day to change that and become more appreciative of all their loving gestures. If you’re not too good with words, or don’t live close to them, our Thank you Ecards are a great place to start. Of course, adding your personal note or even better, making your own Printable Thank You Cards would be great.

What are you really thankful for today? And how will you say it?

New Customizable Photo Cards!

We here at Got-Free-Ecards are constantly trying to improve the service we provide.  So many people have fallen in love with our free ecards and  free animated ecards, that we’re adding a brand new feature: totally interactive, completely customizable photo ecards, that you can print out at home, using your own printer!

Like most new things, though, even though this feature is incredibly easy to use, it may seem a little daunting to the first-time user.  But if you check out these handy, step-by-step instructions, you’ll be well on your way to creating your own homemade printable ecards.

And remember: like everything else here at Got-Free-Ecards, this feature is absolutely free, and there’s no registration necessary!

First, of course, you need to point your browser to the photo cards website.

• • Once there, you’ll see all the different categories of cards you can make, from simple Christmas and Birthday cards, to Thank you cards and everything in between.  Pick your occasion, and on the next screen, you’ll see a list of templates.  Pick your favorite design, and click on it to go to the template.
  • On the next screen, you’ll see your chosen design, along with a “dummy” photo, that you’ll be changing in just a minute to your very own photo.
  • If you rest your cursor anywhere on the image, you’ll see a list of options pop up.  You can choose to zoom in and out of your photo; you can rotate the image; and you can even click to choose the best fit for the space available.  For now, though, click the “Upload Photo” option.
  • A box exploring your computer will pop up on the screen.  Simply go through your files, choose the photo you want to work with, and click “Open.”
  • After the system is done loading, you should see your photo on the screen, in place of the dummy photo.  Now it’s time to zoom, rotate, and fit the photo, until it suits you just right.
  • Now, below your photo, you see the text box?  We have some pre-loaded messages, each of them holiday specific, but you can customize these, as well.  If you hover your mouse over the text box and hold down your mouse button, you can drag the text box anywhere you want it on the screen.
  • And if you click inside the text box, you can change the message itself.  Just delete and type!
  • Now it’s time to edit your font.  Using the options near the bottom of the screen, if you highlight your text, you can choose the font color, the style (as in bold or italics), and if you want the font itself to have left, right, center, or justified alignment.
  • Now, there’s one more important step: click print!  Yep, that’s right!  You’re done!

I don’t know about you, but I sure miss picture post cards.

When I was growing up, thanks to my dad’s job, we traveled and moved a lot.

Somehow, I developed a fascination for picture post cards. I would collect postcards wherever we went and mail at least a few out to my close friends. The idea that by sending them a picture of the places I visited or lived in would somehow bring them closer – stuck with me.

I enjoy receiving postcards too. I love reading the little caption below the picture that describes the spot and love learning about the experiences my friends have had in that place.  Sadly, nobody sends picture post cards anymore. At least, nobody I know.

It’s so easy to call someone, text them or catch up over IM, Facebook or Twitter that picture postcards seem like too much work. Besides, who’s got the time, right?

But, there is something special about seeing a message accompanied by a photo from a loved one and for a moment – being transported to where they are, even if only in thought.

Since picture postcards started fading away, I think the closest thing to replace them are photo ecards. Like this one. Here, you can simply choose an ecard template, attach a picture you’ve just taken and send it instantly to your friends and family. In some ways, this is even better than picture postcards, because you get to send an actual picture of you from the place you are visiting and do it within seconds. So one minute you could be standing next to the Statue of Liberty and the next minute, your friends across the globe would have received your photo ecard! An ecard and a photo wrapped in one – what a cool way to send your summer vacation pictures to friends and family!

And don’t forget, Friendship Day is Aug 2^nd. So, go ahead and send a photo card to your best friends no matter where they are.

If it’s a picture of you standing atop the Statue of Liberty, even better.

Send a Free Photo Card now

Photo Cards

It seems like every day Got Free Ecards introduces a new, exciting feature to its website. The newest upgrade is the re-designed photo cards. Now, Got Free Ecards has given users the ability to upload their own photographs for a long time, but now there is an entirely new feature! You’re basically building your photo cards from the ground up.

Step 1 Choose Frame and Effects: There are two tabs here to select from: “Frames” and “Effects.” Click on the “Frames” button, and choose your favorite border design for your photo. Then, do the same for “Effects,” to add a little animated flair to your card.

Step 2 Upload Photo: In the “upload photos” box, click “browse” That button takes you into your computer’s hard drive, where you can scan around for the photo you want to use. When you find the right one, click it once, and then click the “open” button. Do you see your picture displayed on the webpage now? Good!

Step 3 Select Music: Select the music track you require to match the frame. You can also not choose any music.

The final step is to fill in the information boxes at the bottom of the page, so we know where to send the card. And for sure add your own personal message just for the recipient!

July 4^th means different things to different people.

To some, it’s a celebration of the birth of a great nation. (With the emphasis being perhaps on the celebration, than on the significance of the nation’s birth!)

To others, it’s a reminder of the gifts that our forefathers fought to bring us – independence, freedom, liberty – whatever you call it, it’s something many of us take for granted.  It shouldn’t take long to realize how fortunate we are. There are millions of people who don’t enjoy what we now believe is a right. Whether it is freedom of speech or the right to vote and elect our leaders, the citizens of the free world have much to be grateful for, despite all the shortcomings in the ‘flawed system’ we are so quick to point out. So, in a way, July 4th is a solemn reminder of how much further we need to go.

And then there are those of us, for whom, it’s merely a long weekend. “What are your plans for the long weekend in July?” “So, where did you spend the Fourth weekend?” “Where’s your family headed for July 4^th?”

Sure, July 4^th may be almost synonymous with BBQs, fireworks, road trips, parties and parades. And that’s perfectly fine. But, before you head out to party, why not take a moment to reflect on what this Independence Day means to you and your family. Thanksgiving may be months away. But July 4^th is yet another opportunity to appreciate this gift of freedom that we enjoy, and to express our gratitude to the people who make it possible for us to live our lives the way we want. Be it our troops, our political leaders or forefathers, spend a few minutes thinking about them. If you have a long road trip or flight ahead of you, it might be a great time to discuss what this holiday means with your kids. (And don’t be surprised if they seem to know more than you!)

So, if you’ve decided to celebrate a more meaningful Fourth, start with Free Fourth of July Ecards. Send a July 4 th free ecard, printable card or photo cards to your friends and family, reminding them how fortunate we all are to be celebrating a holiday that represents freedom.

So, tell us, what does July 4^th mean to you?