Stocking Swap

One of my new favorite reads is The Well Rounded Woman. She comes by and comments here and I have her in my reader list. Well, the other day she announced that she is having a Stocking Swap. Since I'm all about getting stuff, I signed up.

Oh, you all know me too well. My goal always is to give more than I get. Since I have already exchanged gifts with my family last Sunday (I will be blogging about that in an upcoming post) and my husband and I mostly exchange goofy looks with each other, I am looking for things to do.

I have already sent off my gifts for the Secret Santa and for the Secret Ornament Swap. The timing on this was just perfect.

Here's the deal.

If you'd like to join in, you have until Sunday, Dec 7th to sign up. I know, I know! I forgot to post this earlier.

Details: (This is quoted directly from The Well Rounded Woman blog)

1. Sign up to participate by sending me an e-mail at thewellroundedwoman(at)gmail(dot)com. Please include your ship-to address and your blog address. The deadline to sign up is Sunday, Dec. 7th.

2. I will e-mail you the info for the person to whom you will be sending stocking stuffers. You should receive your assignment by Dec. 10th. Get to know them and find gift inspiration by reading their blog.

3. Choose gifts - crafty, original, fun, useful, pretty, important, keepsakes - whatever you would like. We are encouraging you to use your imagination rather than your wallet. I don't want to have a dollar limit, but I also don't want anyone to feel they got shorted, so I am recommending a range of $10 to $20 total. And they should all fit into a standard size stocking, which you will NOT need to provide. Let's assume everyone already has their own stocking. If you need one, check out Etsy, where I found the beauties above.

4. Ship your stuffers by Wednesday, Dec. 19th so everyone will have them by Christmas.

5. When you receive the little package at your house, please keep the fun going by passing it unopened to someone else, who will open it and fill your stocking on Christmas Eve. Then you can enjoy the magic of discovering everything Christmas morning.

Doesn't that just sound fun?!! My husband is actually pretty good about stocking stuffers - He complains on Christmas Eve that he doesn't have a thing for my stocking and I tell him Target is still open. He usually comes back with a bag and a smile.

I haven't even gotten my person yet and I've already purchased a few things. LOL I'm in the mood I tell ya.

When I was in Lansing, MI my sister asked me to go to Kroger with her. She is having a party next weekend and wanted to pick up a few things. I love to shop - so sure, I was in the car. I picked up a chicken salad at the deli counter for myself and when I went to pay for it, I realized that my grocery bill was just $2.00. I'm not used to getting out of the grocery store for less than $50, so I grabbed a $10 donation button to the local food bank. When I shop at my local Publix, here in Florida, I usually grab a prepackaged bag of food once a week or so in the months of November and December. It's easy and convenient. I'm going to get a few toys for the Toys for Tots program, too.

I am a giver in general and this time of year is just ripe with opportunities to give. The neatest thing about these blogging swaps is that I may also receive a little something, too! I've never been involved with something like a Secret Santa, so this is just a ton of fun. Some of these folks are So Creative!

Are you involved in a Secret Santa swap at work or in the blogging world? Do you drop money into the bell ringers pot for the Salvation Army? Toys for Tots or similar organizations? Do you have a favorite giving event that you like or that you do each year?

If you'd like to be a part of the Stocking Swap, be sure to send The Well Rounded Woman an email.

Have a fabulous weekend!
Kristin