Surprising Places to Send Your Child's Birth Announcement (& Get Something Special Back)

When my daughter Willow was born, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. I’d made it through 40 weeks of anticipation, weight gain, and nesting and now I had a beautiful baby in my arms. She was born around Thanksgiving, so we used that as our excuse to do a joint birth announcement and holiday card that year. They were so beautiful I ordered way more than necessary and joked to my husband that we should pass them out like business cards at the holiday parties that year: “Check out this awesome kid! How lucky are we?”

But apparently, my first-time-mom status and lack of mom friends made me unaware of one of the coolest things out there that you can do with those extra birth announcements. Little did I know that there are places all over the world where you can send yours and maybe get something special back. As a big-time scrapbooker and lover of “happy mail,” I would have so shipped my daughter’s announcement to at least one or two of these spots (if only I had known about them!). We’re still a little ways off from baby #2, but I’m keeping this list in my mind for the future. And while there’s no guarantee you’ll definitely hear back, these are the top spots to try.

More for Moms with Babies:

Unexpected Places to Send Your Child's Birth Announcement (& Get Something Special Back)

Disney World or Disneyland

Mickey and Minnie Mouse are known for sending magical well-wishes in return for wedding invitations and baby announcements, so it's up to you to choose Disney World or Disneyland. That said, you can always address the note to another character and try your chances at getting a response from your favorite. If you do this, send one to Mickey and Minnie at one address and save your other pick for the other address. You might just end up with a mailbox full of adorable Disney congrats weeks later. Send your birth announcement(s) to Mickey and Minnie Mouse (or character of your choice) at:

Walt Disney World
1675 N Buena Vista Dr.
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
or:

The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, California 91521

Photo: Mother's Niche
The White House

My husband and I sent President and Mrs. Obama an invitation to our wedding in 2013 and were delighted at the letter of congratulations they sent in return about a month later. The same goes for birth announcements -- you're likely to get a kind note on the birth of your baby! No matter who's in office when your baby arrives on the scene, mail your announcement to the president and spouse at the address below:

Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20500

Photo: Getty
The Vatican

How cool is it that you can send a birth announcement to the Pope himself? Since it has to go all the way to Europe and the response needs to travel back, don't expect a reply as fast as you get one from the Mouse or the Prez, but you should receive a sweet message in return eventually. If you're simply hoping for a letter of congratulations and well-wishes, send it to:

His Holiness, Pope Francis
Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City

If you would also like to request a papal blessing, you can send your announcement to the address below, but check this website and your local parish for details on payment information and what you'll need to send with it to:

Apostolic Blessings Office of Papal Charities
00120 Vatican City

And don't bother writing "ITALY" on the envelope, as Vatican City is its own country!

Photo: Getty
Buckingham Palace

Each little prince or princess's arrival should be shared with the Queen of England, right? If you're a Royals buff like I am, this is one address you'll want to mark down. Moms who've done this report that they received a response from the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting. It might not be the Queen herself, but still pretty elegant and cool nonetheless. Address your royal birth announcement to:

Her Majesty The Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA

Photo: Getty
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (or Another Favorite)

Ellen DeGeneres is famously fan-friendly, and we all know she loves kids. While there's no guarantee you'll hear back, sending an announcement of your new bundle of joy to the show's fan mail address is certainly worth a shot.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show
PO Box 7788
Burbank, CA 91522
ATTN: Fan Mail

And if Ellen's not your top pick but you'd like to give another favorite celeb a try, here's a database of fan mail addresses for a ton of famous people. Hey, you never know!

Photo: Getty