My young grandchildren are enamored of hoops&yoyo, two colorful animated animals whose cards are "hyper" by adult standards, but loved by the kids. So I check out the Hallmark Cards hoops&yoyo area any time I need a kid's card.

I use one of my other favorites, the crabby old Maxine for cards for older friends and relatives. Maxine is crabby and to the point, and always funny. She has her own section of e-cards in the Hallmark Cards Maxine area.

If you don't like these two, don't worry, there are plenty of other free e-cards to choose from. The Hallmark site lets you add your own message and signature. You can specify the exact time that you would like the card delivered. Hallmark will keep an address book for you, if you like. They will even alert you when your card is opened.

It's a great free service. There is only one thing to be aware of . Electronic cards have lost their popularity because there have been many e-card viruses, and even virus-laden cards that purport to be from Hallmark. So whenever I send a Hallmark e-card, I alert the recipient to the fact that I am sending it so they will watch out for a Hallmark card which is specifically addressed to them. I even give them the day it will arrive. After that, it's let the fun begin!

IMPORTANT: There is an old virus that disguises itself as a Hallmark Card. I alerted people to it back in March of 2008 in a message board post. You can read about it here.

That's why it is important that you notify the recipient that the card is coming and that you make sure the card you receive is personalized. Instead of saying "a card for you", a true Hallmark card will include the sender's name in the email. The Hallmark website has posted a detailed E-card Fraud Alert that gives more information on how you can tell a real Hallmark card from the bogus, virus-infected card.

Hallmark also has a nice variety of cards you can personalize, like photo greeting cards. They charge for these, but they are still fun!