MeFi Holiday Card Exchange Planning October 25, 2021 4:42 AM   Subscribe

I'm up for doing the holiday card exchange again this year! Let's talk timing..

I know the mail is not as speedy as it used to be!

I'm thinking - open up signups on 11/1, close around 9am EST on 11/14, and then have lists out by 11/16, likely in batches.

I know that currently the US isn't sending mail to certain places (Australia and New Zealand for sure) - if you are there, sign up anyway, and I will do my best to pair you with non-US folks.

I'll keep the Europe only option in place (with the secondary question of - if there aren't enough, do you want to send to everywhere, or not at all).

I will try to get it to do a confirmation email this year - it will need to collect emails for that. If anyone really doesn't want to do it that way, let me know, and you can send your info to me a different way.

You can always put specifics in the notes - if you want to send international, but not too many international, specific requests for non-religious cards, or non-glitter cards, etc.

Other answers to commonly asked questions-
- We don't have a specific timeline on when you need to have your cards sent out by, just whenever you can.
- Any type of card is fine - store-bought, handmade, postcards, etc.
- Number of card options are in sets of ten - 10, up to 20, up to 30. If you are open to more than 10, but not 20, you can add that to the notes. Sometimes the sorting works out that I have some odd numbers. Also, if you choose up to 20/30, it is possible that you will have a duplicate (because you may be in two lists of 10) - so it may not work out perfectly evenly.

If you don't have the bandwidth to do the card exchange, but you'd like to get a holiday card anyway, I am happy to send one - just memail me your info!

I will add a link to the signup in the comments here once it goes live, and will submit a new MetaTalk with the link as well.
posted by needlegrrl to MetaFilter-Related at 4:42 AM (40 comments total) 17 users marked this as a favorite

needlegrrl, I always love your holiday card exchange! I'm so looking forward to doing it again this year!
posted by mochapickle at 7:33 AM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


I would love to do this! But given that we had a baby shower in May I still haven't written thank you cards for, I will limit my participation to saying that you rock needlegrrl for putting all this labor in for the community. Thank you for doing it.
posted by solotoro at 8:42 AM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


I would love to participate!
posted by darchildre at 10:06 AM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


Count me in!
posted by SunPower at 1:35 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


Ooo, this is so much fun, can’t wait to participate again, thank you needlegrrl!
posted by lepus at 2:42 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


I would love to do this!
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:26 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm in, again!
posted by KingEdRa at 4:43 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


Would you consider a 5-card category? Ten sounds like a lot. If not, no worries! (And now I will go check to see if that gets asked every year.)
posted by Glinn at 4:49 PM on October 25, 2021 [3 favorites]


Yay! I was grouchy that the grocery store has winter holiday candy out before Halloween, but I am thrilled for early card exchange planning.

(Also down to send cards to folks who don't have the bandwidth to commit to sending but would still like some festive greetings from the internet.)
posted by the primroses were over at 4:51 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm in again this year. I need to find the pack of card I bought during the after Christmas sales. I'm also up for sending to people who would like a card but can't participate.
posted by kathrynm at 5:24 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]


I’m in!
posted by ellieBOA at 12:25 AM on October 26, 2021 [2 favorites]


Fun! I haven't done this exchange before, but I won a huge box of postcards a few years back that have mostly gone unused, and this would be a really fun way to send some of those out into the world. So I might sign up this year!
posted by cellar door at 4:57 AM on October 26, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm interested! It's fun to get the cards from all over, and this and secret gifts exchanges really add something to my low-key holidays.
posted by NorthernLite at 9:21 AM on October 26, 2021 [3 favorites]


Thanks so much for doing this! It has to be a lot of work to coordinate the sign-ups and make the lists and pay attention to the special notes. I sure appreciate your efforts, needlegrrl!
posted by erloteiel at 2:43 PM on October 26, 2021 [2 favorites]


Glinn - I can absolutely add 5 cards as a category!

WCityMike2 - I honestly couldn’t tell. Maybe I will call them and ask, to be sure. I saw packages on one announcement, and then I thought I saw everything on another. I will find out!

Cellar door - please do! I love postcards. :)

erloteiel - thank you! I actually take a day off work now to work on the lists - I am sure there is probably a fancy excel way to do it faster, but I really enjoy it. (And I have to use up my vacation time anyway..) it makes me really happy to send and receive mail!
posted by needlegrrl at 3:31 PM on October 26, 2021 [4 favorites]


I'm in like Glinn

So, 5 card option.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 4:36 PM on October 26, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm in! Sign me up!
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:44 PM on October 26, 2021 [2 favorites]


I really enjoyed it last year. Thanks for organizing it.
posted by theora55 at 6:08 PM on October 26, 2021 [2 favorites]


Count me in!! I love sending the cards and I love seeing all the different stamps and return addresses. I can also send to people who aren't up to sending as well.
posted by googlebombed at 9:35 PM on October 26, 2021 [1 favorite]


I'm in for the 5 card option!
posted by esoteric things at 9:46 PM on October 26, 2021 [2 favorites]


Looking forward to it!!
posted by TheCoug at 8:43 AM on October 27, 2021 [2 favorites]


Yay! I was just looking through my 2017 cards and they are so much fun! Thanks so much for doing this! I'm really looking forward to it!
posted by danabanana at 6:13 PM on October 27, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm in for up to 20 (or odd numbers)! Thank you for organizing this!
posted by HotToddy at 6:44 PM on October 27, 2021 [1 favorite]


Well, ding dong merrily on high! I was just thinking about this a few hours ago. Can’t wait for this year!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:50 PM on October 27, 2021 [1 favorite]


Yes, please.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:35 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]


Yay! Count me in! I love getting the cards from all over and sending them out.It's become one of my favorite traditions.
posted by bookrach at 2:34 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]


Would love to do it. Love holiday cards!
posted by Medieval Maven at 5:06 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]


I endorse the 5 card option.
posted by amtho at 6:53 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]


I'm happy to do this, with a 5-card limit, as I always send a shit-ton of cards, mostly abroad, and it gets pretty costly.
posted by essexjan at 4:33 AM on October 29, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm in for 10. Did lots of cards last year, might not be so ambitious this year. Have started to think about what cards to make.
posted by theora55 at 7:42 PM on October 29, 2021 [2 favorites]


I’m in too, for up to 20. Yay!
posted by homelystar at 12:38 PM on October 30, 2021 [2 favorites]


I so enjoyed this last year! I’ll do twenty this year! Thank you for all the organizational time and effort!
posted by 41swans at 1:14 PM on October 30, 2021 [2 favorites]


I’m in too!!! Thank you!
posted by childofTethys at 3:04 PM on October 30, 2021 [2 favorites]


Ok - the Google form is live, and you can sign up here.

I realized this is our fifth year!

I did check, and First Class Mail International is still fine for Australia and New Zealand.
posted by needlegrrl at 3:01 AM on November 1, 2021 [2 favorites]


All signed up, thanks!!
posted by googlebombed at 8:44 AM on November 1, 2021 [1 favorite]


Signing up now!
posted by kathrynm at 4:19 PM on November 1, 2021


YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA
posted by RhysPenbras at 4:19 PM on November 1, 2021


MAKING CHRISTMAS
MAKING CHRISTMAS
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:20 PM on November 1, 2021


I'm cautiously interested in this... it sounds really cool, I'm only cautious because I know myself to overcommit sometimes and then flake out of things and I don't want to flake on this.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 2:05 PM on November 4, 2021


Thank you for the 5-card option! WalkerWestridge, there is a 5-card option!
posted by Glinn at 2:33 PM on November 4, 2021 [1 favorite]


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