5 Ways the Internet Can Relieve Holiday Stress

I'm a total, 100% mess this year with the impending holiday errands, entertaining and events hanging over my head like a guillotine. And yes, when I'm stressed I tend to get extra dramatic. Needless to say, I still haven't tackled my holiday cards. Luckily, I stumbled upon some great information at WhitePages.com to help ease the stress of the postal process. Whew!

1. Manage Your Holiday Card List Online:
Before you start planning your card-writing strategy, you will need to create a list of family and friends to whom you will send your greetings. Just in time for the holiday season, use WhitePages Holiday List Manager to easily locate contacts, add them to an aggregated holiday list, and once you are ready, print labels.

2. Pick Out Your Holiday Cards Online:
Now that you know how many people you will need to send cards to, you can start exploring the many online options for purchasing your cards. If you want to create customized greeting cards, you should consider looking at a number of websites like tinyprints.com, cardstore.com and snapfish.com. If you want to go the more traditional route and wish to handwrite your greeting, you can still find what you need online. For unique cards, try the Museum of Modern Art's online store or Crane & Co.'s online site.

3. Order Festive Stamps Online:
While you can always order holiday stamps – and avoid the holiday rush in person – via USPS.com, you can also consider customizing your holiday card stamps this season. Try stamps.com to turn a festive photo into real US postage, or check out zazzle.com if you are looking for a unique user-created holiday stamp designs like "Redneck Holiday Postage" or "Holiday Boot Stamp".

4. Double Check Postage Fees:
Chances are that you are probably sending a few cards overseas. Make sure that you consult the postage price calculator on USPS.com before sending a card to your daughter who is studying abroad in Italy. You can consult this same site if you are sending an irregular-shaped card or one with items such as clasps, string, or buttons.

5. Update Your Address Book:
Now is as good a time as ever to ensure that you avoid returned mail not just during the holiday season but throughout the entire year. Be sure to cross-reference your current address book with the addresses you have loaded into your WhitePages Holiday List Manager and update accordingly.

Want another holiday stress-saver? How about 14? Check out ShelterPop's 14 Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress.