Secret Santa 2023!

[JBCool]

Ok, it has begun! Even if the board didn’t tell me I had messages, so I’m already late. BUT,

@EADoug and @MunchingonHay, you are in!

[HorsesinHaiti]

Thank you, JB! I’m in and will message this weekend.

[Paint_Party]

Same here. Will send it in tomorrow!

[JBCool]

@Lcsd114
@dressagetraks
@blue_heron

You guys are in!

[Paint_Party]

I just PM’d you. Twice. Because of course I forgot stuff.

[JBCool]

@Paint_Party and @SharonA1, you are official!

[J-Lu]

@JBCool

Ok, I have not heard back from J-Lu, so I will be happy to take on SS this year. Just didn’t want to steal her thunder if she wanted to do it. Bear with me, tho, as I haven’t done it before.

Secret Santa sign up will be open from tonight to midnight November 19th. I’ll track entrants as I go so should be able to get emails out to assigned elves shortly after that. I don’t know if I am coordinated enough to do a late group or not, but we can wing that if we have to. Limit is $35 before shipping.

Please PM me with your email address, your name and address (this is important! Haha!) and a description of yourself and what you might want for $35. That includes a description of your tastes in things, colors you like, styles you like, your shirt size, hand size for gloves if that’s on your lists, etc. Also list what you DON’T need. Mention if you have allergies to something. Please also note if you are willing to ship overseas/internationally.

Your PM with your info will be your official entry, not just a comment on the thread. In order to verify entries, would it work for me to post a list daily of who I have gotten PMs from? I’ll send actual assignments via email.

Please mention if you’d volunteer to de-Grinch. That means you will step to the plate of a SS recipient who never received a gift or never received communication from their elf.

THAT said, we all know that “Life” happens, and if you find yourself in the position of not being able to follow through with your elf assignment, just let me know. NOT a big deal.

I would like to insert myself into the chain if someone will volunteer to be my SS. I promise to act surprised

Quite often, people make “elf accounts” through gmail, yahoo, etc. and post to tease their giftees and ask questions. There are so many platforms out there to make an email account through and then register with COTH with it. It is not only allowed, it is encouraged! If you have difficulty doing this, just ask on the thread! Seasoned elves can help you!!

Most lastly, @Moderator_1, can you please pin this thread?

Thank you @Moderator_1, and thanks to everyone in advance who participates and keeps this tradition going!!

I might have forgotten something. Please chime in if I did!

ETA: edited to change the end date as I realized I will be out of town that original date, so stretched it until I get back.

Oh hey! I It didn’t register that I had a PM until today for some reason. Huh!

I posted a thread in August saying I would do it again this year but NOT BEFORE Halloween (I’m a purist)! I was going to post the thread November 1st. But hey, if you’d like to take it over this year, that’s great!

If you need help, I’d be happy to help you out! Happily, we haven’t needed degrinchers for the last two years!

I’ll be in as soon as I write up my “blurb”!

Holidays

Off Course

Aug 27

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Aug 28

Oct 7

J-LuSchoolmaster

Aug 27

Hi all,

I’m somewhat offended by seeing Halloween items in stores while it is still August. Come on! It’s technically still summer and beach weather! Halloween is totally fall!

Be it reminds me that Christmas is not that far away (Ahem, COTH Secret Santa). I cannot possibly announce this before Halloween. It’s just wrong.

An August heads-up.

-J-Lu

[JBCool]

Gah!! Totally missed that, J-Lu! I’m sorry! I had Oct 1st in my head as the traditional start for some reason. Because I usually try to spread out my shopping, I’ve already started, so it didn’t seem early to me. If you’d like to just play this year, I can go through with it and give it back. Or I can send you what I have from folks already.

And, no, you weren’t imagining things, PMs were acting weird for a few days!

[J-Lu]

Hey! The more, the merrier! It keeps the tradition going strong!

I’ll just play this year but am very open to talking with you if it can help you if you face issues. I certainly did but figured them out!

I’m such a traditionalist. No Christmas before Halloween!!!

[Paint_Party]

Then you probably want to stay out of Lowes and Home Depot. Seriously. They both have competing holiday themed aisles: the over-sized witches, zombies and “It” clown plus all manner of cauldrons and faux jack-o-lanterns are lined up across from the first row of Christmas decor and lighted trees. It almost makes me queasy in a time warp sort of way.

[J-Lu]

I am actively against stores, increasing in number, that advertise Christmas for 2-3+ months.

Who else advertises their birthday 3 months in advance? What holiday advertises so much in advance to sell $$$$$? Technically it seems to be the opposite of spending money but that’s what the capitalists tell people they should do. Jesus would disagree with modern efforts.

[blue_heron]

I live in a semi-rural area but last year, one of my neighbors with a visible yard created a scene on his front lawn reminiscent of a Christmas slasher film for Halloween… reindeer lying on their sides, decapitated Santa, skeletons with knives, yellow caution tape. It was truly gruesome. He had Christmas lights and even brought out a smoke machine on Halloween night. He kept the skeletons out until the weekend before Christmas, I think, and did tidy up Santa and the reindeer who stayed up until New Years.

I would never put that on my lawn but it was AWESOME. I asked him about it and he said he was inspired by the mix of lawn inflatables at Home Depot. He has a big family and he said the kids loved it.

[Callista17]

I agree about no Christmas decorating until after Thanksgiving, but I was surprised my friend already set up her cookie exchange this year.

I feel like I needed to hear your blessing J-Lu. Now I can sign up. (I will soon!)

[JBCool]

Apologies for the delay, I was gone the last two days. But @tikihorse and @ParadoxFarm, I’ve got you on the list.

[ParadoxFarm]

Woohoo! Thank you.

[tikihorse]

Yay!!! Thanks!!!

[J-Lu]

I know! I’ve been having to come up with a departmental Christmas Halloween costume - not easy. Urrgghh!

I’ll plan to send my blurb in around Halloween. I’m old school, happily @JBCool is not and people seem to like that!

[JBCool]

Got you, @FjordBCRF!

I will try to check messages again later today, but will be away for the rest of the weekend and will catch back up on Monday. So don’t panic if you send me a message in the next day or two and it takes me a bit to respond. Thanks!

[MapleBreeze]

Count me in.