It’s that time of year again! Secret Santa time. I’ve been singing Christmas songs under my breath since the first cool morning.
I’m making the sign up deadline earlier this year because we have had some problems with very late packages, plus it will give people a chance to take advantage of Black Friday.
Here’s how it works:
PM me. Please put your username in the subject line. In the message, include your real name, your shipping address, and whether you are willing to ship internationally.
Post in this thread with some ideas for people - favorite things, colors, stuff you are allergic to, etc. You might want to mention whether you are ok with getting homemade food items.
Plan to spend $10 or so, not including postage. If you want to go over, feel free, but remember that it is not expected. Please pack carefully, include your name and username, and send promptly for delivery before Christmas if possible.
Post again to the thread when you have sent a package and when you have received one.
I will be keeping a running list of participants in this thread. If you have posted here and sent me a PM and your name somehow does not make it onto the list, let me know! Same with any other mistakes, like if I give you the same person as last year or send you your own address.
Please sign up by the end of Saturday, November 17 (the weekend before US Thanksgiving). I will get assignments out sometime the next day.
I like anything. If you have something marked with a dachshund I’d love it even more. Chocolate is always good, or a good sci-fi book you can tell me you liked. I also like to crochet, so stuff related to that is nice. Recipes for good drinks.
But basically I just love to get packages! You send it, I’ll love it.
I knew the holidays were upon us when the Hickory Farms popup store opened at the Mall. Bring on the Salad Shooter commercials!
I like hats, scarves, handkerchiefs, earrings (pierced), and cookbooks. Homemade food is fine as long as there’s no cilantro in it. Mostly I just like prezzies…
PM sent. No allergies. Love dark chocolate, animal protein of all kinds (jerky, cheese, etc.) and weird or offbeat stuff. I can play along with dark or twisted humor & am not easily offended. Local stuff is usually kind of neat, too.
Handmade is lovely if you’re a DIY or craft person! Fave colors are the blue/purple/green areas, and silver or white metal please, I can’t stand gold or brass.
Um, I love nature and animals if you get really stuck.
…
Hey, I’ve always wondered - how do you match people?
Do you write everyone on a slip of paper and pick them from a hat, old skool style? Deliberately connect people you think will get along? (Or deliberately connect people you think would hate each other in meatspace, in the Spirit Of The Season?)
I’m in. PM sent, but I goofed and didn’t put my name in the subject line. Sorry!
I love local things - ornaments, especially. Show off your burg.
Handmade is wonderful - mittens, scarves. I love autumnal colors.
I love Sherlock Holmes (all iterations), Harry Potter, Marvel, anything feline. I cross stitch like mad, so anything in that realm is wonderful.
Sadly, no chocolate, unless it’s milk free. Not a coffee/tea drinker, either.
YES, PLEASE! Greeting cards, thank-you cards, gift tags, postcards, books, magazines, stickers, pins, magnets. Anything local to you is fun for me. Any chocolate, almost all baked goods (see below), any nuts, any coffee. Small jewelry, any metal/stone. I like pretty much any color this year - can’t think of one I don’t right now!
NO, THANK YOU! Cooked fruit, big or especially decorative jewelry.
I like local, homemade items. I like books, cats, dark chocolate, cooking, tea, gardening and sportscar racing. Doesn’t everybody? Ears are pierced. Lime green, purple, pink are great, but so are pretty much all other colors, except maybe greige. I just moved into a new home for me, a condo (downsized) and am in remodeling hell if that helps. Old stuff, new stuff, silly stuff. You know, we’re a lot alike.
Silvorange is my hero for organizing this. I so look forward to the shopping, sending, and seeing if it’s a hit.
PM sent. I like just about anything and am happy with chocolate (milk or white, no dark), caramels, Christmas ornament. If you want to make me something, that’s cool. No allergies.
Hey, I’ve always wondered - how do you match people?
Do you write everyone on a slip of paper and pick them from a hat, old skool style? Deliberately connect people you think will get along? (Or deliberately connect people you think would hate each other in meatspace, in the Spirit Of The Season?)[/QUOTE
First I separate US residents from participants outside the US, then separate those who can ship internationally from those who can’t. As much as possible, I try to have people who are sending something to another country also receive something from another country. Within the US, I try to match people from different regions so “local stuff”’ is more likely to be different. I also try not to match people who have been matched before, or at least reverse the direction. Depending on how rushed I am, I may intentionally put people together based on interests or their request. I confuse myself a lot. I’m always afraid I’m going to accidentally assign two people to be each other’s Santas (which wouldn’t be terrible, really) or send someone their own name by accident.
Message sent. I love birds, orchids, stars, dinosaurs anything crafty or outdoorsy. Love chocolate and candy but I’m vegetarian (not vegan). Favourite colour is green.
Lessee; like any civilized person, I’m fond of chocolate (milk or dark; but if you want to send white, Mrs SMV will happily snarf it down). I’m a runner, and I’d be happy to rep your town or team* if you wanted to send a tank top or tee shirt in men’s medium. Same goes for cool socks. Favorite colors are royal blue, hunter green, burgundy, rich purple - basically, any deeply saturated color.
I’m a man, but I like girly soaps and lotions. I’m also a magpie, so anything small and clever, like bits of glass or magnets, I like. Know that joke about people with ADD liking shiny things? Not completely inaccurate - shinys always catch my eye.
Basically, anything you send me, I’ll enjoy. Like Baker and Thelma Lou, I just love getting presents.
*With a couple of exceptions: anything extolling the University of Florida, Georgia Tech, the Dallas Cowboys or the New York Yankees goes right to Goodwill. I’m a Georgia fan, a Browns fan, a Braves and Indians fan, and I dunt keer who knows it!
I would like to participate, and will send a message and post more details about myself in this thread. I don’t have the time right now, but will soon.
I always enjoy these gift exchanges.
Woo hoo! Love the Straight Dope Secret Santa! Just sent the PM.
I like local stuff, homemade/handmade stuff, and dark chocolate. I wear a lot of brooches, so that is always a fun option. I particularly like vintage (40’s/50’s) but ain’t too picky. Love earth tones and warm colors. Love art deco style. I collect Christmas ornaments. Really anything cool and unique is probably good. And if it’s local to your area even better. Don’t have any allergies.
I like fun socks, handmade/homemade anything, local stuff, small kitty figurines, funky jewelry (pierced ears), scarves, chocolate, dark-roast coffee, fun office geegaws, bold colors. I’m not allergic to anything.
The SDMB Secret Santa Exchange is one of the highlights of the holidays for me!
