How to Write a Christmas Letter that's NOT BORING

Add some humor to your annual Christmas letter by using a self-deprecating "gratitude" list.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Christmas stationery (or just plain paper, with a holiday graphic added)
• printer or copier

1. Look over your family's list of activities for the past year. Note vacations, job changes, moves, special achievements, etc.

2. Narrow your list to between 5 and 10 items. A good title for your letter is "Ten(or however many) Reasons our Family is Thankful in 2008."

3. Here's the fun part. For each family activity or milestone, create a tongue-in-cheek description. For example, my 19-year-old daughter just started a job at a financial institution, so I made fun of the fact that she's giving financial advice, even though she's broke most of the time.
   Nobody likes to read a letter full of bragging. This approach allows you to fill family and friends in on your lives without coming off as arrogant. It's also a great way to re-cap your year.
   
   See the attachment for examples of this approach.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a color printer, you may want to use red and green ink for your letter. Otherwise, you can use black ink and print your letter on holiday stationery.