2008 SECRET SANTA THREAD--Last call for suspected grinched folks

[ChocoMare]

As in '07, it is my humble honor to coordinate Secret Santa as Chief Elf In Charge. It is fun for me...sitting here behind the 'puter, sniggering as I match up one COTHer to another; imagining the delight on faces as mystery boxes are torn into and reading allll the wonderful THANK YOU! posts here afterwards.

So, here is how it goes… Please, please read each instruction carefully. 99.9% of your questions about how SS works are answered below


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Send an e-mail to ss_chief_elf@yahoo.com (note the Underscores between the words....NOT spaces) with all of the following information

1. Your COTH Board Name

2. Your real name and full address, including country

3. Your e-mail address(es) – NOTE: After last year’s learning curve, I would recommend that each person, if at all possible, get a separate Free e-mail, like Yahoo or Gmail, solely for Secret Santa purposes. Alas, we know that the WWW has issues sometimes, people change ISPs, etc. Sooo, if you can do a freebie one that’s always there and just for SS, it’s a wee bit of “contact” insurance, if you will. ATTENTION HOTMAIL USERS--BE AWARE! Usually sent e-mails go through fine to HM from yahoo BUT..... "replies" get blocked. Just file that away for future reference .

4. Your phone number (Your SS will be instructed to only use this number in the event they choose to ship via UPS. It may help get a package to you that was incorrectly addressed.

5. The amount of money you're willing to spend on your SS, rounded to the nearest $10. NOTE: The cost of shipping is in addition to your gift expense amount. While there is no dollar limit/ceiling, we find that usually only two or three people can do above $150, so keep that in mind. EDITED TO ADD....: Please give me one single dollar amount. I cannot sort-n-match with a range (like $70-90).

6. A YES or NO as to whether you'd be willing to ship overseas or to Canada. We have quite the international contingent and certainly don't want them to feel left out.




7. A description of yourself! This is your chance to tell your Secret Santa about who you are, what you like/need/want/dislike/etc.

Tell us about your discipline and your horse(s) if you have one, as well as children and pets

List your tastes in décor/food/clothing/music, etc. and things you'd like to have, or things you really don't need.

Be creative, be specific if you'd like, or just describe yourself in general terms and leave your gift(s) up to the creativity of your Santa.

If you have special food issues (allergies, religious guidelines, etc.), please specify them within your bio. Many folks love to send yummy goodies and we'd like to avoid someone becoming ill or getting something they can only smell and not eat.

8. If you have been grinched in the past but didn’t let me know in 2007, please let me know immediately who the grinch was so I can ensure they don’t participate. I do have my archived database of 2007 participants, both the great and the grinch, as well as the grinchers goin back to 2004.

9. VERY IMPORTANT…..Add ss_chief_elf@yahoo.com to your list of contacts in your e-mail account or be sure to check your junk mail folder regularly. (The underscores between the words are very important.) Your giftee’s information will be sent from this account to you by me, along with any other updates, etc

I must have all participant’s e-mails by OCTOBER 30th so I have time to match them up, send out the match notification e-mails and give everyone time to shop and ship

Gifts should be mailed/shipped out by the FIRST WEEK of DECEMBER so that any post office issues, delays, etc. can, hopefully, be avoided or corrected.

If you’d like to sign up to be an Official De-Grincher (although I pray it won’t be needed), please e-mail me at the above address too with “DEGRINCHER WANNABE” in the subject line. I’ll create a separate database just for you gems.

THE FINE PRINT -- For those who are new to Secret Santa via COTH, it's important to know that this is not an official COTH-sponsored or endorsed event. It is solely organized by COTH BBers for BBers. We do all we can to ensure that everybody does receive a gift, but we do have to put our faith in relative strangers for this one. The good news is that very, very few people have been "grinched" in the past, and those people who grinched will NOT be participating. This Chief Elf kept very good records. Also, we understand that poop happens. So, if you sign up and find that you will be unable to send a gift, please let me know IMMEDIATELY so I can make alternate arrangements with my DeGrinchers

Lastly, feel free to be as crazy and wild as you'd like! Almost every SS participant creates an alter purely for Secret Santa Secret Messages. You just register as a new poster (and it's a good way to use your separate, free SS e-mail account) and post your teasing messages here or via PM to your giftee. Most folks use the following format: "Chocomore's Elf" ...or something to that effect. Just be sure you carefully log in and log out when using your alter! Some folks have accidentally revealed their true COTH identity because they forgot to login under their SS Alternate Name.

Ready.........



.......Set.......



.....................GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

L E T
T H E
S H O P P I N G
B E G I N ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[Hazelnut]

I am in, IN! IN! Secret Santa indulges my penchant for clicking in smiley faces. It's FUN! And we get to be covert!

A sincere thank you to Chocomare in advance for all her hard work and for coordinating Secret Santa so the rest of us can have fun. It is the BEST part of the COTH year. See you at the North Pole!

[Polydor]

ooo been looking forward to this for ever!! But now i will have to think about it being as that i am currently in australia for a year and right this second not sure where i will be working /living as of november-january.

blah will think on it but most likely will do it.

P.

[TBlitz]

This just made my day happier! I'm glad I woke up early to work out this morning so I could check COTH before work! I had so much fun last year!

Chocomare, you rock for doing this again!

[FindersKeepers]

It's so sad that as soon as the wind changes and it starts to get chilly, I start thinking about secret santa!!

Sooo excited!!

[tarheelmd07]

I'm in! I love secret santa! Running off to send my email now!

[Sanely Eccentric]

I'm in! And here I thought it was going to be an ordinary Wednesday.

Thanks ChocoMare!

Now to go think of a secret agent alter name.

I do hope this day goes into horse stick art!

[VAHorseGurl]

I'm IN! Just sent my email registration.

~Kerri & Pete

[ChocoMare]

Already have 6 Elves in the bucket (check your inboxes for a Chief Elf O'Gram )

Shop, shop, shop!!!!!!! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee, this is fun

[appychik]

Will the CoTH SS Horse Rescues and the Horse Treats ones be up and running too too? G2 are ANXIOUS!

[LessonLearned]

Huzzah!!!! This just made my morning! I'm definitely in

Fisher is eagerly awaiting news of the Horse Treat SS as well!

[3Spots]

I would love to participate this year, count me in! I am horrible at alternames, this will take a couple days...

jan

[Ready2Ride]

Do you use www.elfster.com or do you just match it up yourself and give the people's addresses out? I've never done an online SS without elfster. And what is the most common amount that most people here choose to spend? Thanks

[ChocoMare]

Originally Posted by Ready2Ride

Do you use www.elfster.com or do you just match it up yourself and give the people's addresses out? I've never done an online SS without elfster. And what is the most common amount that most people here choose to spend? Thanks

No, I do the matching myself. I do my very best to match people up as far apart geographically as I can (or by discipline...like a WP person to a Dressage rider).

Most common spending limit is $50.

[dressagetraks]

Yippee!!! I'm in. This was SO much fun last year.

Thanks for everything you do, Chocomare!

[Lady Counselor]

In, in, in!

[Lori T]

Yep, I am in for my 3rd year now!!

[ChocoMare]

A Note to the I'M IN posters...: If you haven't e-mailed me yet at ss_chief_elf@yahoo.com, technicallllly, you're not. You know you're really IN when you get the Chief Elf O'Gram in reply to your sign-up email to me

[cswoodlandfairy]

I'm new to this but I am in!! Just sent my e-mail!! This sounds like so much fun I love participating in SS!!!

[talkofthetown]

Thanks, Chocomare! This made my day a little better. Email is on the way.