Passing Notes, from Kisseo eCards

Woo-hoo, it's Mardi Gras!

It's time to celebrate Mardi Gras, the last day of feasting before Lent begins. And even if you don't celebrate Lent, it's a great excuse to get your party on.

To get you in the mood, we've got some fun Mardi Gras Trivia for you:

• The 3 official colors of the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations are purple, yellow, and green.
• "Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday", which is due the fact that this is the last day of feasting before Lent starts. And for Lent, devout Catholics are supposed to give up something for the entire 40 days, as well as not eat meat on Fridays.
• The Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans has 350 floats, each of which throws beads to revelers. Tactics for getting beads thrown to you include: dressing as priests to appeal to their religious side, hoisting their children up so they're taller and can therefore more easily catch beads, or going all out and taking clothes off to get their attention!
• The traditional food for Mardi Gras is the pancake.
• The 3 biggest Mardi Gras celebrations are in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, and Blinche, Belgium, respectively.

Whatever your plans for the big day, we hope you have a fun and safe day. And whether you're celebrating or not, be sure to send a Mardi Gras ecard to your friends!

Mardi Gras

Happy Carnival

Carnival of Venice

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all our fans, whether you're single or in a relationship. This is a day of love so be sure to spread the love to all your friends and family with one of our special Valentine's Day eCards.

And to be sure you're caught up on all things Valentine's Day (and Anti-Valentine's Day!), check out our blog posts on this lovely day:

• The Origins of St. Valentine's Day
• Valentine's Day Gift Guide
• A Romantic Valentine's Dinner
• Anti-Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

You are like chocolate

Spicy Valentine's Day!

A Romantic Valentine's Dinner

Either you're sick of all our Valentine's Day articles or you're excited for tomorrow! For those of you who aren't overloaded on candy hearts, we have one more post for you in our series and we feel like we've saved the best for last: What to Eat on Valentine's Day.

Because what's more exciting than indulgent food, right? OK, we can think of one thing but this isn't that type of blog!

With a little help from our friends at FunnySpoon.com, we've compiled the ultimate Eat vs. Don't Eat Guide for Valentine's Day. Get your appetites ready!

Avoid like the plague:

• Ingredients that give you bad breath, leaving you unkissable at the end of the night. Examples: excessive amounts of onion or garlic.
• Anything that could potentially get stuck in your teeth. Examples: Pesto and oregano.
• Any foods that leave your stomach feeling unsettled so you have to cut the date short or make an embarrassing dash for the bathroom. Examples: Beans or Indian food.
• Ingredients one of you could be allergic to. The last thing you want is to swell up like a chipmunk, break out in a rash or start coughing hysterically. Examples: strawberries, nuts, shellfish.
• Food that is hard to eat. You'll be focusing on eating instead of conversing! Examples: lobster in the shell, escargot.
• Anything with chopsticks unless you're both experienced. No need to complicated things!
• Anything messy. 'Nuff said.
• Anything that requires you to eat with your hands, other than sides like bread. Examples: oysters
• Any dish too spicy runs the risk of breaking out in a sweat when you're trying to appear cool and collected. Examples: jalapenos, certain ethnic foods

Wondering what in the world is left? Try this easy and delicious V-day menu! It's ready in a snap so you can focus more on your date:

Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo & Chicken

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Chocolate Truffles

And before you fire up the stove, be sure to fire off a Valentine's Day ecard to your sweetheart!

I'm thinking of you

Koala love

Passionate and exciting

Anti-Valentine's Day

So far we've shared the origins of Valentine's Day and given you a (hopefully) helpful Valentine's Day gift guide. But for those of you who are against Valentine's Day, we've probably made you sick with all this sweetness!

We apologize.

So today's topic is all about you. You know who you are. You cringe at heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. You avoid the pink and red aisle at the store like the plague. You think Valentine's Day is a commercial holiday invented to make us spend money. And you're not necessarily unromantic - plenty of you simply think we should celebrate love every day instead of making an overblown show of affection one day a year.

If that describes you, then our Anti-Valentine's Day card is for you!

But you didn't think we'd let you off that easy, did you? Of course not! We're a greeting card company! Sharing emotions is at the very heart (even if it's frilly and pink and makes you gag) of our existence. So here are two quick thoughts that might make you change your mind:

• Valentine's Day actually an old celebration. Before there were candy hearts saying to "Be Mine 4Ever" there were people celebrating this holiday. So while we agree it may have become a bit overcommercialized in modern times, rest assured the holiday was not invented to tug on your wallet. Valentine's Day is a relic of ancient pagan rituals that had absolutely nothing to do with trade, and in fact has been celebrated in Europe since the 15th century! If you want to oppose the commercialism of the holiday - go for it! Perhaps a hand-written love poem to your sweetheart is just the thing...
• We agree it's an attractive idea to celebrate love every day and not just on February 14th. But in practice, are you really going to buy a bouquet of flowers every day? It starts to lose its meaning (and your pocketbook starts to feel much lighter) after a while. We like the idea of doing sweet things every day for the one you love but see nothing wrong with doing even more on Valentine's Day. Is it so bad to want to make someone feel special and appreciated?

So we'll share our Anti-Valentine's Day card with you, but just in case you changed your mind, we have a few more Valentine's Day cards to offer...

I Hate Valentine's Day

Carve Your Initials

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Now that we've learned about the origins of Valentine's Day it's time to get ready for the actual day! As you know, the biggest tradition is to give gifts to your loved one, but we know that can sometimes be a drag. I mean, let's face it. You do want to shower that special someone with gifts but sometimes it can can feel forced, especially with all the commercial pressure to "get the perfect gift". So here's our guide to that perfect gift, without stress, for your sweetie:

• Go traditional. If your special someone likes flowers and chocolates, then by all means, go that route. Drugstores should be teeming with aisles of pink and red-themed gifts so in fact it's quite simple to do. Just be sure that this is what they really want. Otherwise it could look like you're taking the easy way out. Try to remember how your partner acts the rest of the year and use that as a guide.
• Go quirky. We love these funny Valentine's Day gifts that Real Simple picked out. Order soon to ensure on-time delivery!
• Go thrify. If you as a couple believe more in the "little things" or if you've pledged not to get any gifts this year, you can still give something special with one of these budget-friendly Valentine's Day picks from one of our favorite sites, LearnVest. Those Cookie Dough Truffles have already made it on my grocery list, but I'm not sure if they'll make it to Valentine's Day!
• Go big. As they say (at least the more reckless of those among us!), "Go big or go home." So if you were planning on proposing to your girlfriend, why not up the romance factor and do it on Valentine's Day? Or pick up a special piece of jewelry she's had her eye on or that new Wii game he's been hinting at (complete with the special controllers and apparatus). Hey, it's a long time until Christmas so now's a good excuse to splurge (if your budget can handle it). For big purchases, though, we always recommend doing a quick search online to see if any coupons are available.
• Go personalized. Breakfast in bed, a back massage, watching the game with him instead of making him switch it to something you both like - there are a ton of little things that can really mean a lot. Over the next few days, really take a look at your partner and try to see what simple thing you could do that would really have a big impact. Maybe it's packing their lunch in the morning so they have more time to relax over coffee. Maybe it's relaxing over coffee together instead of rushing out the door. Maybe it's stopping for a meaningful kiss before rushing out the door. You get the idea. Be creative but be personal. These are the gestures with the biggest impact!

And of course for all budgets and styles, an ecard is always appropriate, whether it's your only gift (then you can save your money for something big together!) or if it's to add on to the gift you already got. Browse our new Valentine's Day ecard collection and send a card to your sweetie!

Happy Valentine's Day

Love Potion

Spicy Valentine's Day!

Tu Bishvat, the New Year for Trees

Tu Bishvat is a Jewish holiday, which in the Hebrew lunisolar calendar takes place on 15th of Shevat. In Hebrew, "Tu" is the number 15 and the name of the festival thus corresponds to the date on which it is celebrated. The equivalent of this date in the Western calendar, the Gregorian calendar, varies from year to year. In 2012, Tu Bishvat falls on February 8.

Tu Bishvat is called the New Year for Trees because it is a festival celebrating the rebirth of nature because in Israel. Though it may not feel like it with this cold weather, this holiday marks the end of winter in the Jewish faith!

In Israel, the custom for Tu Bishvat is to plant thousands of saplings, illustrating the close relationship between man and nature. For people of the Jewish faith who can't make it to the tree planting in Israel, they can make a donation for a tree to be planted on their behalf.

This holiday is typically celebrated with fruit, most commonly grapes, pomegranates, figs, dates, olives, fruit of the carob, and almonds. The feast is to include at least fifteen different kinds of fruit on the table, with rare and exotic fruits being enthusiastically encouraged.

And, because we can't resist trivia, here are two interesting facts about trees in the Jewish faith:

• Jewish custom is to plant a cedar tree at the birth of a boy and a cypress tree upon the birth of a daughter. So Tu Bishvat is not the only day of the year to plant a sacred tree!
• In Judiasm, the tree is a metaphor of the human being and therefore it is not to be used in wartime to make weapons.

Happy Tu Bishvat to all our Jewish friends!

Tu Bishvat

Nature is Beautiful

Make Trees Grow

The Origins of St. Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is in fact a very old holiday. While most traditions of the original fête have been lost, there are still some rituals that remain, such as sending cards or offering gifts of flowers and chocolates. Current symbols of the holiday are the heart (usually in red or pink form) and Cupid, ready to shoot his arrow of love.

In most countries, the holiday celebrates couples as well as singles seeking a soul mate. In the US, the holiday also celebrates close friendships.

Christian Origins: Saint Valentine

St. Valentine, the saint for which this holiday is celebrated, was a patron of love and marriage. During the rule of Emperor Claudius II, the Christian priest married many couples in secret so that the men would not have to go off and fight (and therefore risking dying and widowing their new wives) in war. When the emperor found out about this, in 270 A.D., he sentenced St. Valentine to death.

On the orders of Pope Alexander VI in 1496, St. Valentine officially became the Patron Saint of Lovers. At that time, saint's protection applied primarily to singles seeking a mate. The purpose of Valentine's Day was to give single people the chance to find love. Different traditions emerged, such as the game of hide and seek where the unmarried girls of a village hid while the single men tried to find them. The match-ups might have lasted just for the evening, but some made it all the way down the aisle!

Lupercalia to St. Valentine's Day

The dates for many Christian holidays were not-so-coincidentally chosen to fall on days of that were closely related pagan holidays. In the case of Valetine's Day, this Christian holiday was intended to replace Lupercalia, a festival of purification and fertility.

And according to popular belief, wild birds tend to mate around February 14. So why not find your own little lovebird and snuggle up! And don't forget to send a Valentine's Day ecard to those you love!

Valentine's Day Bouquet

You Are Like Chocolate

Love Note

Will the groundhog see his shadow?

On February 2nd, our forecast for the future (or at least for how long winter will last) is told by one little groundhog. Groundhog Day is celebrated in the US and Canada and lets us know if spring is on its way or if we have 6 weeks left of winter. Want to know more about this unique holiday? Check out our Groundhog Day trivia:

• There is only one official Groundhog Day groundhog, and his name is Punxsutawney Phil. If you think that's a mouthful, that's actually the shortened version! His full name (as declared by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club) is "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary."
• When Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his hole on February 2, if he sees his shadow there will see 6 more weeks of winter; if he doesn't, there will be an early spring.
• The holiday originates with German settlers, who adapted it from their native celebrations of Candlemas
• Iin 2012, Punxsutawney Phil's prediction will be the 126th prediction made!
• Many revelers gather in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania each year to hear the famous Groundhog's prediction. Since the 1993 release of the film "Groundhog Day", starring Bill Murray, the audience has grown even larger.

So what are you rooting for? An early spring or 6 more weeks of winter? Share in the comments!

And spread a little groundhog fun with our Groundhog Day ecard!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Got the sniffles? Get well soon with these tips!

I don't know about you, but I always seem to forget that winter lasts long after the holiday decorations are put away and my new year's resolutions start to fade. But in fact, we've got 50 days left of this dreary weather! What's worse than the weather, though, is the fact that a large percentage of us get sick this time of year. So check out our tips to ward off the cooties and make your winter a little more cheery:

• Wash those hands! Wash them as often as you can, particularly after touching common surfaces (public transportation, shopping cart handles, telephones) and handling money. It's best if you lather up for at least 30 seconds but we know it gets tedious when you're doing it for the 15th time in a day. At a minimum, be sure to use warm water and soap each time, and be sure the towel you use to dry them is clean!
• Get extra shuteye. If your body's already run down, it will be harder to fight off an oncoming cold. During the dark winter months, try to go to bed even just 15 minutes earlier. Your body will thank you for the extra sleep and we promise you're not missing much on TV!
• Load up on vitamin C. We like to drop a packet of Emergen-C in a glass of water once a day, but you can take vitamins or eat an orange - just make sure to get that extra C in your diet! Not only can it help ward off a cold before it even starts, it can lessen the effects of a cold if you do get one and can also help clear up skin in people who use it regularly.
• Send good vibes. Studies have shown that simply having a positive outlook can boost endorphins in your body, resulting in better overall health. And by spreading good vibes to other people, you'll also feel good about yourself! So give someone a smile or a sweet hello!

Know someone who's sick despite all our advice? It happens. Cheer them up with a get well soon ecard so they'll be on their way to a speedy recovery!

Get Well Soon

Get Well Soon

Get Well Soon

Hitting the Slopes

For some of us, winter means nothing more than cold, crummy weather. But for others of us, this is the time to revel in the sports only available during the snowy months! If that's you, then get ready for a season of skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and more! But before heading to the slopes, check out our quick tips for a great (and safe) vacation:

Get in shape

Most people only casually engage in snow sports, which means you might be a bit out of shape by the time you get to the mountain! To avoid injury, don't wait until your trip to get in shape - start toning up a few weeks beforehand with simple aerobic and stretching exercise. Planning to quit smoking once you're in high altitude? Give your lungs a break BEFORE you're in the fresh mountain air - your lung capacity will be much better if your smoking cessation is well underway.

Grab the right gear

The right equipment is essential in order to face the elements. You don't need to splurge at the sports store but you should ensure you have the right stuff. The two most important things are proper cold weather gear that keeps out wetness and high quality glasses/goggles; the snow reflects 85% of ultraviolet rays, which can cause very painful snow blindness.

And now... relax

One area you can justifiably splurge on (it is a vacation, after all!) is a 20-30 minute post-snow sport massage. If it's not in the budget to pay a professional, pack some heat-activate massage oils and ask your partner to lend a hand. Who knows, you could even have fun :)

Know someone heading off to the slopes? Send them a winter sports ecard to wish them a fun and safe vacation!

Happy Ski Season

Happy Ski Season

Happy Snowboarding