# SDMB Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2018 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869 "2018-11-02T00:42:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/281 "2018-12-18T15:04:18Z")
**txobbin** , I’m so glad it arrived OK and I’m glad the extra $20 I slipped the USPS for timing it worked out… 😃 OK, for a clue… _Bring me from the darkness of the night and into the sun on a morning bright. If you do this with great care, my secret power you’ll become aware…_ As I mentioned I forgot one of your prezzies so that’ll be in the post this weekend, so you’ll likely get that for a Ukrainian Christmas present… 😃 Happy Holidays All! Oh, and the Mexican marmalade from **HM** was on my toast this morning and OMG is it good! ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/282 "2018-12-18T16:36:14Z")
Well, I suppose there’s nothing I can do about it at this point, but I’m getting concerned about my package. Granted, it had to go quite a distance, but I did send it two weeks ago tomorrow. My recipient hasn’t posted here since his/her initial message signing up for the Exchange, so maybe he/she is busy/traveling/kidnapped? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/283 "2018-12-18T17:04:33Z")
I am loving this thread, too! 🙂 Idea: what do y’all think about next year encouraging pictures of the loot? Would that be too burdensome? You can instantly upload pics from your phone to imgur. I’m dying to see a picture of _“Hand crocheted button tops with pretty linen below, one with a purple rabbit and the other purple gingham.”_ And some other things, too. We have a year to ponder this… ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/284 "2018-12-18T17:22:07Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I am loving this thread, too! 🙂 > > Idea: what do y’all think about next year encouraging pictures of the loot? Would that be too burdensome? You can instantly upload pics from your phone to imgur. > > I’m dying to see a picture of _“Hand crocheted button tops with pretty linen below, one with a purple rabbit and the other purple gingham.”_ And some other things, too. We have a year to ponder this… On the surface it does sound like a good idea, but then I think it would be overly burdensome. However, some items would be great to see in a pic, so perhaps on a case-by-case basis we can request that? In my case, the chocolates are already gone! :eek: And boy were they good! 🙂 And I’m on a diet too. 😃 I’m back on my diet now, but the chocolates from Upstate NY were an exquisite diversion! I hadn’t had chocolates in 2+ months. So I really enjoyed them. So anyway that’s my vote, to request on a case-by-case basis. Want to try it that way now? ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/285 "2018-12-18T17:22:30Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I am loving this thread, too! 🙂 > > Idea: what do y’all think about next year encouraging pictures of the loot? Would that be too burdensome? You can instantly upload pics from your phone to imgur. > > I’m dying to see a picture of _“Hand crocheted button tops with pretty linen below, one with a purple rabbit and the other purple gingham.”_ And some other things, too. We have a year to ponder this… I’ll be posting pictures of my stuff for sure! When I get it, that is! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/286 "2018-12-18T17:32:02Z")
I was just thinking of encouraging pictures… because yes, it might be burdensome. But some of the (especially) handmade items sound so cool. Oh yeah, my candy was gone immediately! (Thanks again, **carnut**!) I’m here to say that a candy company that has been making chocolates for 100 years really knows what it’s doing 😉 I also read through ALL the recipes in the Minnesota cookbook. There was even a recipe for lutefiske! Maybe my next year’s giftee will get some. (Just kidding.) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/287 "2018-12-18T17:33:47Z")
Encouraging pictures is cool. Requiring them, though, might be a bit too much. Yes, pics of the hand-made items would be nice to see! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/288 "2018-12-18T17:54:56Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Encouraging pictures is cool. Requiring them, though, might be a bit too much. > > Yes, pics of the hand-made items would be nice to see! Hell, you can’t require Dopers to do anything. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/289 "2018-12-18T18:03:40Z")
In a perfect world, we could taste a sample as well as see the pics! (As soon as I parsed “papaya habanero marmalade” I really wanted to try a bit … and Og knows we’ve gotten candy/chocolate/sweets galore between us all.) My recipient hasn’t posted either, and although I didn’t throw out the UPS tracking receipt deliberately, I also cannot find the stupid thing either, so, uh … here’s hopin’ I guess. Might go stalk the username & see if there’s even any recent posting activity. Perhaps several Dopers have all been kidnapped. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/290 "2018-12-18T18:20:15Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > **Harmonicamoon!!!** Thank you thank you thank you! Your parcel arrived intact and my wife is eyeing up a few of the items (mostly the Dove chocolate truffles which I may begrudgingly share with her) for herself already!!! > First, a hand made Santa hat that fits perfectly on my largish cranium. > Then a beautifully painted clay treasure box with lid painted in red and bright flowers painted on the lid. > A licence plate fridge magnet saying Valladolid (I’m assuming your city?) which I promptly Googled. To say beautiful doesn’t do it justice and as I look out on all the snow I have to say it makes me a little jealous! > Then, oh then, I come upon a jar of papaya, orange and habanero marmalade! That is so going on my toast tomorrow morning! > A homemade change purse, with crocheted flowers to go with the treasure box! And within that chicle, which I am really looking forward to trying! > A wrist sweat band with the colours of the Mexican flag that I will definitely be using bike season. > Finally, a beautifully painted clay gecko in white covered in flowers, which will be hung up on our wall as we love geckos! > > I’ve been to a few places in Mexico (Chihuahua, Jalisco, Nayarit, Baja California…) and have always enjoyed my time there. I have never been to the Yucatan, but I can see why so many do. Thank you again for the note and for sharing a bit of your home with us! Thank you **swamspruce** It tickled me that you are happy with your gifts. I tried to pick out homemade items to support my neighbors. Yes, Valladolid is my pueblito. The chicle comes from the chico zapote tree. It is harvested like maple. It was a big economic boom for the peninsula. Later, they started making gum out of latex. It is plain, kind of bland without flavorings. I am happy that the gecko has a new home. I am delighted you are enjoying the marmalade. I was concerned about gifting it because it is rather spicy. Happy Holidays. and vive Secret Santa. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/291 "2018-12-18T19:58:14Z")
Got mine mailed out today! A large “it fits, it ships” USPS box is now making its way from Texas up North! Should be delivered Friday. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/292 "2018-12-18T23:31:27Z")
Wowsers! I come home to a wonderful package by **Miss Take** The first thing to mention is that everything was wrapped so beautifully! Are you a professional wrapper? I almost felt bad having to open them! And there were so many wonderful things inside of it! The first thing I open is a lovely trio of jerky! Boar, buffalo and…venison? Cool! The only problem with this is that, little do you know, Mrs. Cups LOVES jerky and now I won’t get to have any! There was also a package filled with some nutty goodness and a pack of Minnesota playing cards. I found a box of Ole & Lena fortune cookies where instead of fortunes I get some really funny puns! God I love puns… But that’s not all! I get a small jar of blackberry spread, a ducky (ducky!!!) ornament and a book by Minnesota legend/author John Sandford. The book is especially funny because this is the second exchange I’ve had with someone from Minnesota (Hiya **Carnut** ) and I got a Sandford last year. But don’t worry, it’s not the same one. Thank you so much for everything! Merry Christmas to me! ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/293 "2018-12-19T00:36:59Z")
On the eve of st Nicholas day, a package arrived! That means I don’t have to wait for Christmas to use the nifty stuff. Thank you,sir t-cups! when I opened the box and saw the sticker, I thought, “oh, yeah, the sdmb comes through again”. The print is lovely and will be on my wall very soon. The go cup is fantastic. It will go with me to work tomorrow. I have really cool straws that will go perfectly with it. The magnet is on the fridge. And I will be trying out the marshmallows with hot chocolate. I may even share with some of my family. You did very well! Thank you very,very, much! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/294 "2018-12-19T00:46:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Hell, you can’t require Dopers to do anything. :dubious: Oh well. (sigh) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/295 "2018-12-19T01:16:24Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Hell, you can’t require Dopers to do anything. :dubious: > [@Bullitt](#): > > Oh well. (sigh) Presumably it’s part of our charm. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/296 "2018-12-19T01:48:28Z")
Oh my, **Filbert** , what a wonderful collection of presents! I was excited from the moment I saw the package; all the stickers indicating this came all the way from the UK! The package looked a little like it had been wadded up and stomped on, but mercifully nothing was broken. The cup is wonderful; I don’t know what magic plastic it’s made of but it was totally unhurt. Very eco-friendly indeed. I have always wanted to try Marmite and I appreciate that you sent tiny containers, so… I taste tested the rhubarb candies and I actually like rhubarb so that was very fun. I am really looking forward to tasting the pear drops and especially the parma violet, a candy I have only read about (I was an English major in college). The chocolate is going to be wonderful, I know, as all the chocolate I ever had was wonderful and I am eager to see what baobob powder tastes like. AND best of all is the yarn. I am interested in different breeds of sheep and this yarn is from the Romney breed, which I have not used. And it’s dyed with woad which is very special. Do you really drive past the sheep often? How neat is that? I think the Eden Project sounds very interesting and I’ll have to read up on it now that I have a “connection”. And I have to say, you have the most amazingly neat and tiny printing. I understand you work with tiny plants. I guess that will be useful for printing tiny labels. 😃 And I almost forgot to mention that robin; have to say I was holding it upside down until my DH pointed out the hanging ribbon and suddenly it looked a lot more like a robin. 🙂 Thanks so much for all the local gifts and your thoughtfulness. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/297 "2018-12-19T02:36:38Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > package is winging its way west. it should arrive on st. Nicholas day (for Julian calendar types). I believe it found its way to me! You did sign the card with an itty bitty rocking chair. 🙂 I received: - a very cute Viking ornament and he appears to be holding a spear, but I like to think it’s a pencil. - an adorable little wallet \*a wonderfully sparkly red travel hot/cold drink bottle with a kitty shape on it \*cute Christmas earrings - a fascinating metal top (?) rather like the one in _Inception_, and I want to time it and see how long I can keep it spinning before it stops. Thank you! –viva ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/298 "2018-12-19T03:10:36Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > … > \*a wonderfully sparkly red travel hot/cold drink bottle with a kitty shape on it… See, now this is the kind of thing a person might like to see a picture of. Just sayin’. Especially since it involves a picture of a kitty. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/299 "2018-12-19T03:45:13Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > So my package is on its way! And it was for [COLOR=“DarkGreen”]_ **me** _ all along!!![/COLOR] 🙂🆒😃 Gosh **Bullitt** you rascally rogue, you never let slip a word about being my **mutual** Secret Santa even when you were posting about the prezzies you got from me! I didn’t think Secret Santas **could** be mutual although I suppose if all recipients are picked at random there’s a nonzero probability of getting some. (And I was thinking last week when you posted about your fair purchases that the items sounded really nice but I guessed there was no chance of my getting any of them since I was your SS rather than the other way around! Little did I know!! :)) Okay so what have I got?? First a **beautifully** embellished holiday card with a shiny beady wreath on the front, thoughtfully left blank with a letter enclosure (and an elegant hummingbird sticker in gold) so I can regift the card to someone else, which NGL I am totally gonna do because I have another correspondent who will adore it too. Then there is that beautiful handwoven inkle trim with a split ring attached that I think will be a scissors fob for keeping embroidery scissors from escaping. It really is as lovely as you said! And since I like rocks there’s a flat oval rock which will make a VERY useful pattern weight as well as an object of art (and not just because anything handy becomes a pattern weight when I’m cutting out), charmingly painted with a very California scene of a sailboat on the ocean against a sunset sky! (Over on this coast we would call it a sunrise sky but that’s California for you.) And because of some astute observation of a previous mention on my part of the mathematician Euler, there is a supercool spinning toy called an “Euler disk” with a shiny metal disk that spins (and spins and spins and spins and spins and spins and SPINS) on a round mirror base. I love tops and gyroscopes and own about a dozen of them, but I’ve never had or even heard of something like this: my fellow mathy colleagues and friends are going to be quite impressed when they see it! (They will have to be good about taking turns because it really is fascinating to play with.) And some fancy gold embossed wrapping paper that’s going to be great for making, yup you guessed it, flat origami bows. What a completely fun package and delightful surprise! Thanks so much **Bullitt** , and thanks also to **Silvorange** for the SS organizing, and a very happy mystery parcel to all!! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869/300 "2018-12-19T04:42:35Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > And it was for [COLOR=“DarkGreen”]_ **me** _ all along!!![/COLOR] 🙂🆒😃 Gosh **Bullitt** you rascally rogue, you never let slip a word about being my **mutual** Secret Santa… Yes I knew it was you and I fought hard to not let it slip! I am so glad you like the gifts, especially the Euler Disk — that was a bit of a risk, but I sensed you were perhaps a fellow math-minded person too. Yes, **Silvorange** — thank you for coordinating this! It has been fun! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-secret-santa-gift-exchange-2018/823869.md?page=16)