After yesterday’s post, I thought it would be a good time to lighten things up a bit. If you’ve been around here for a while, you might know that I organized a little gift exchange every holiday season for the last few years. Maybe you’ve secretly waited for this post to pop up.
Well, I am happy to announce that I’ll be hosting again this year.
I started this gift exchange as a “mug swap”, but have taken suggestions over time to loosen up the rules. While I self-identify as a mug addict and will always be excited to receive a new mug, I am giving people the option to simply put together a little surprise package for their swap partner. The main objective is to put a smile on someone else’s face this holiday season.
The swap is set up in ‘Secret Santa’-style, which means you won’t know upfront who the sender of your package will be. Of course, you can reveal yourself to your assigned partner, if you’d like, when you send out your package. In the sign-up form, I will ask you to give your Secret Santa some help by answering a few basic questions and sharing your blog/social media account so they can get to know you a little (in case they don’t already).
As in previous years, the swap will be open to people in the United States, Canada, and Germany to have at least two people per country that I can match with each other to avoid international shipping charges and delays. I apologize to any other international readers who I cannot accommodate at this time. Hopefully, there will be enough people this year to make this work again. So, go and invite your friends.
How to participate
- Sign up to participate (see link below). Sign-up closes on November 21st.
- I’ll send out an email on November, 22nd to each participant. You’ll receive a name + address, plus some information about your swap partner.
- You then have roughly two weeks to put together a little surprise holiday package for your Secret SANta Swap participant. My suggestion is to spend around $10-15 (plus postage) or whatever you’re comfortable with.
- Please send out your package by Saturday, December 7th (to allow plenty of time for delivery). Hopefully, that will give you enough time to shop and get the package on its way. I am hoping that everybody receives their package before Christmas.
- The swap is open to US residents and participants in Germany and Canada (if I can get at least two people per country to sign up).
- Last but not least, I’d love it if you shared your Secret Santa gift(s) with us on your blog or Instagram with the hashtag: #SecretSANtaSwap2024. As always, I am hoping to put together a swap recap post after everybody has received their gifts!
So, if you’re interested in participating this year, please sign up through this link:
SECRET SanTA SWAP 2024 SIGN-UP FORM
Please remember: if you sign up, you’re expected to purchase (a) gift(s) and send a package to your Secret Santa partner by December, 7th. If you can’t commit to this deadline, please be fair to the other participants and maybe consider signing up another time.
I hope you join in a little bit of holiday fun!
And please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions!
I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2024
Links to the Participants List and NaBloPoMo2024 Blog Post Ideas! Happy writing!
Elisabeth
November 15, 2024 at 2:20 amI’m actually going to sit it out this year (life is quite busy right now and, in the spirit of a year of rest, I have to say No to some things!)…but I will be posting about this on my blog to spread the word!! It’s such a wonderful event and I just love you continue to do the work of organizing it. Gold stars, San <3
Tanja
November 15, 2024 at 2:43 amI´m in ;)
iHanna
November 15, 2024 at 3:55 amWhat a fun event San! Arranging a swap is a lot of work everyone, I know from experience. I hope you get many takers. Since I am excluded as the only NaBloPoMo participant in the history of Sweden (?) I won’t mind sitting this one out. 💕
Birchie
November 15, 2024 at 4:23 amAw yiss! I am in for the Christmas cheer! I can’t wait!
Jenny
November 15, 2024 at 4:54 amHa, I’m one of those who has been secretly waiting for this post! You know I’m IN! I love a secret SANta gift exchange!
Nicole MacPherson
November 15, 2024 at 5:16 amI’d love to participate, hopefully the Canada Post strike will be resolved by then. If there are no other Canadians (I see Elisabeth is bowing out, usually it’s just the two of us) then I will bow out too, if that makes sense? But I’ll sign up hopefully.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
November 15, 2024 at 7:36 amI have not been secretly waiting I have very OBVIOUSLY waiting for this post. Of course I am in. It will be interesting if I get matched with a new person. I may run out of mug ideas otherwise… I am very much looking forward to going and will go and sign up now.
NGS
November 15, 2024 at 8:35 amI signed up so fast!
Meike
November 15, 2024 at 9:12 amThat just made my day San! Thanks for organizing it!
Michelle G.
November 15, 2024 at 9:15 amYay! I’m in, and I’m willing to exchange internationally if you don’t have enough to match up!
Ernie
November 15, 2024 at 10:04 amI’m so excited your doing this again. I had so much fun doing it last year. Already signed up. Thanks, San.
15: Five Things Friday Vol. 105 - theinbetweenismine
November 17, 2024 at 3:46 am[…] may I direct your attention to the 9th annual Secret SANta Swap 2024, a holiday swap that I’ve been hosting for a few years now and that I simply created because […]
Stephany
November 19, 2024 at 5:12 amYay! All signed up!
Sabine
November 20, 2024 at 3:19 amFirst time commenter, but a longer time reader enjoying reading your blog.
Thank you for doing the Secret Santa swap.
Unfortunately I will not be able to join – as I am living in the Netherlands (originally German, but no visit to Germany planned before Christmas).
ccr in MA
November 20, 2024 at 6:20 amI had fun doing this last year, but I’m going to pass this year—my life is a bit much right now. But I hope to be able to do it next year. And I’ll enjoy seeing what people send!
Allison McCaskill
November 20, 2024 at 10:29 amI was going to skip, but if Nicole and I are The Canadians then we will both know if the Canada Post strike is prohibitive, so I will!
Sarah
November 21, 2024 at 4:34 amYay!!
Anne
November 23, 2024 at 2:42 pmWell, crap. I missed the deadline. My own damn fault. I know it will be amazing, though, thanks to your efforts. <3
22: Five Things Friday Vol. 106 - theinbetweenismine
November 26, 2024 at 4:38 pm[…] you’ve been waiting for the email with your swap partner for the Secret SANta Swap, I apologize for the delay. Today got busy (with my mother-in-law arriving for the weekend ) and I […]