Every year I say I’m going to plan ahead and NOT wait til the last minute to order my winter holiday cards, but things come up…I get busy and forget. I’m sure you can relate!

This year, our newest blog sponsor, Basic Invite, is here to help us all do better, with a Christmas in July reminder: Summer is a great time to plan out and capture your family and pet photos for your Christmas cards and holiday cards.

They are also offering a 30% OFF discount to our readers so read on to learn more!

You might be thinking. “How can I do holiday photos when all my Christmas decorations are packed away?!?”

It’s easier than you think. All you need is a few simple props, like some Santa hats and mini trees from Michaels or the Dollar Store. Walgreens still has Red Noses for sale at many locations (check by the registers).

Any string of fairy lights will help set the scene, or take the photos you love and add some sparkly touches with filters in your favorite photo app or software.

Look around for items you already have that might work. This is a GREAT excuse to get some matching pajamas for your family and pets!

Your Christmas cards don’t even have to have a holiday theme. Summertime is beach, pool and vacation time, so remember to take a few nice shots with the family (and pets, of course) so that you can share your memories with friends and family when you send out your cards this winter. Any great family photos YOU love will make the perfect images for your cards.

There are tons of themes and templates to choose from, so it’s almost a no-brainer once you have your favorite digital photos picked out!

Basic Invite is one of the few card websites with almost unlimited color options and instant previews online. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options so you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it down to the littlest detail. This is what really sets them apart from almost any other online stationery company.

And if you have a business, or are in charge of ordering business Christmas cards this year, now is the time to get it done. You can get really creative with cards that fit the personality and tone of your business!

Whether you are ordering cards and invites for business or family, you want to make sure your cards look their very best, right?

Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows you the ability to order a printed custom sample of your actual card or invitation so you can see exactly how it will print as well as the paper quality before you ever have to place your final order.

You can also choose from over 40 different envelope colors. That will really help your cards stand out!

And to make life really easy, use their address capturing service letting you share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other form of social media to request friends and family’s addresses which can be stored and used for recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders.

Hopefully all this has motivated you to get started on Christmas and holiday cards, invites and more, now rather than waiting til the last minute.

To take a closer look at all the design options, templates and pricing, visit the Basic Invite website, and use promo code below for 30% OFF any order!