Secret Santa 2015!

SillyMangoX

Ladies, Gentlemen and all creatures in between, drum roll please! Here it is again - Secret Santa 2015!

Most of you know the story but for those who don’t – this is a Secret Santa for the pets of boards.

The rules are simple, you can enter as many pets as you like, and you will buy presents for an equal amount of pets.
Any type of pet can enter – cat, dog, rabbit, rats fish, chickens, horses, reptiles – you get the idea.

You can buy or create your presents however you like but the limit for spending is €10. You can be surprised how much you can do with that small amount!

You must have 100 posts or over on boards to enter to ensure all entries are genuine posters and once again I'm going to try to stick to a limit of 50 pets.

Closing date for entries: November the 23rd.

Posting dates: November 30th to December 7th. (Keep in mind especially if ordering presents online)

Opening date: December 22nd


For those of you wishing to enter, PM me with the following:
Your Details
-Your Name – Make sure that the package will reach you, you can use your full name or initials.
-Your Address – this will be treated with the strictest confidence. This can be your home address, or a c/o address/ work address!
-EirCode – if applicable!

Your pet’s details
-Species:
-Pet’s name (optional):
-Gender:
-Breed/size:
-Is food allowed: (note that some animals may suffer from allergies)
-Likes/Dislikes:


NB: When posting your package, please use the owners name as postal address to avoid confusion. You can include the pets name elsewhere on the package for example: Patch C/O John Smith.

This thread is going to be a happy fun place to discuss all things secret santa related and post pictures so if there are any problems don’t hesitate to PM me

Let the fun commence!

Links to the previous SS threads can be found here, here, here, here, and here.
Roll on number 6!

DBB

I would also like to add that invertebrates are also welcome..
*pleeeease let someone have to buy a present for a stick insect*

mymo

Look forward to reading about all the fun, took part a few years and really enjoyed it.
Can't join in this year, but highly recommend it, I hope to join again next year.

Jen Pigs Fly

I did this last year and defo doing it again! Is there a limit to how many pets you can enter?

Knine

Looking forward to this. Sorry to disappoint that I have no stick insects but I did join with a couple of non canines. :-)

SillyMangoX

There's no limit to the amount you can answer but you'll be receiving the same amount back to buy for!

DBB I actually looked into getting stick insects a few weeks back... Nothing to do with secret Santa... But they wouldn't have hatched by now :P

I'll put through all the new entries when I'm home from work this eve!

DANNY2014

Definitely in on this pm sent

Jen Pigs Fly

That's perfect! Don't mind buying for 4!

I've entered in the horse, 2 dogs and the bearded dragons (they count as one haha)

ShaShaBear

I have literally been holding out all year for this.

Ste-

ShaShaBear wrote: »

I have literally been holding out all year for this.

Ha me too!

Pm sent to SMX.

Awww I don't have enough posts! Can't wait to read all about it though. Sounds great! I'll definitely join in next year!

honerbright

Yaaaaay! I was only looking at stuff for this a few days ago! Gonna enter 2 of my furbabies in when I have access to the laptop

baby and crumble

Going to be a bit weird this year with no hammie to take part (:() but with a new cat ensconced it's gonna be good!

pampootie

In! I love this, it's brilliant fun!

SillyMangoX

Day 1 and we're already up to 18 pets! Nice mixture too, I think this shall be another fun year

Jen Pigs Fly

Ahhhh I'm so excited!

awanderer

Three years in a row that I want to take part but I still haven't reached 100 posts. I am so close ; any chance of a derogation or do I have to get chatty before I apply.

awanderer

Three years in a row that I want to take part but I still haven't reached 100 posts. I am so close ; any chance of a derogation or do I have to get chatty before I apply?

ene

i am SO excited to do this again this year! i am putting Lotso in it this year- lovely cocker spaniel! but have to get it sent to my mums house as i live in brighton.

Ste-

awanderer wrote: »

Three years in a row that I want to take part but I still haven't reached 100 posts. I am so close ; any chance of a derogation or do I have to get chatty before I apply?

Head over to after hours for a bit you'll have those posts in next to no time.

baby and crumble

Ste- wrote: »

Head over to after hours for a bit you'll have those posts in next to no time.

All you need is 7 more!

Cherry Blossom

awanderer wrote: »

Three years in a row that I want to take part but I still haven't reached 100 posts. I am so close ; any chance of a derogation or do I have to get chatty before I apply?

hmmm, double post. Which is the ethical decision, to delete one or not?

adrenalinjunkie

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

hmmm, double post. Which is the ethical decision, to delete one or not?

^^ made me chuckle!

awanderer

Ste- wrote: »

Head over to after hours for a bit you'll have those posts in next to no time.

It might be a good idea, specially as I am insomniac. I am not that great at small talks though:o

baby and crumble wrote: »

All you need is 7 more!

It took me more than 6 years to reach 90 posts, 7 posts seems an awful lot! Even more so since my laptop gave up and I have to choose between posting from my tablet (which always ends up posting the same post at least twice, doesn't have an undo function and is very uncomfortable to use for typing) or my PC which is the house coldest most unfriendly room.

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

hmmm, double post. Which is the ethical decision, to delete one or not?

:P First the 2 posts are not doubles technically: one ends up with a question mark, the other with a full stop:cool:.

Secondly, for my defense, I did try to delete the first post several times (which I always end up doing when I post from my tablet) but somehow, I couldn't delete it even after receiving the message that my post was being deleted.

Now I realise that if I hadn't used the multiquote, I could have added 3 posts to my count instead of 1:rolleyes:

ShaShaBear

awanderer wrote: »

It might be a good idea, specially as I am insomniac. I am not that great at small talks though:o



It took me more than 6 years to reach 90 posts, 7 posts seems an awful lot! Even more so since my laptop gave up and I have to choose between posting from my tablet (which always ends up posting the same post at least twice, doesn't have an undo function and is very uncomfortable to use for typing) or my PC which is the house coldest most unfriendly room.



:P First the 2 posts are not doubles technically: one ends up with a question mark, the other with a full stop:cool:.

Secondly, for my defense, I did try to delete the first post several times (which I always end up doing when I post from my tablet) but somehow, I couldn't delete it even after receiving the message that my post was being deleted.

Now I realise that if I hadn't used the multiquote, I could have added 3 posts to my count instead of 1:rolleyes:

Not at all casually quoting your post so that you will have a post quoting your post for you to quote in your post about my post thus increasing your posts :pac:

awanderer

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Not at all casually quoting your post so that you will have a post quoting your post for you to quote in your post about my post thus increasing your posts :pac:

Good idea! I'll do just that so

baby and crumble

awanderer wrote: »

Good idea! I'll do just that so

GO TEAM!

Cherry Blossom

awanderer wrote: »

:P First the 2 posts are not doubles technically: one ends up with a question mark, the other with a full stop:cool:.

Secondly, for my defense, I did try to delete the first post several times (which I always end up doing when I post from my tablet) but somehow, I couldn't delete it even after receiving the message that my post was being deleted.

Ah, it was only a joke, I couldn't resist. I meant would it be ethically correct for me to delete one as a mod, it wasn't a question I was putting to you although I can see how it looks a bit like that.

awanderer

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Ah, it was only a joke, I couldn't resist. I meant would it be ethically correct for me to delete one as a mod, it wasn't a question I was putting to you although I can see how it looks a bit like that.

I did take it as a joke .

... and one more post:D

awanderer

baby and crumble wrote: »

GO TEAM!

I couldn't let such an encouraging post unanswered surely

Cherry Blossom

When the SS started I saw it as a little community building exercise for our corner of Boards. The first year there was no post limit and there were a few very low post count people who just closed account or were never heard from again when it was over so the limit was brought in the 2nd year. It's also a little safeguard against people who might clear off before it's over. Yeah, so thats the reason for the post count limit.

awanderer

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

When the SS started I saw it as a little community building exercise for our corner of Boards. The first year there was no post limit and there were a few very low post count people who just closed account or were never heard from again when it was over so the limit was brought in the 2nd year. It's also a little safeguard against people who might clear off before it's over. Yeah, so thats the reason for the post count limit.

It does make sense and I certainly wasn't complaining about the rule. It is just that 100 posts is a very high target for someone like me who hasn't quite grasped the difference between a post and a novel :P .

Does that mean that the first year some people received gifts for their pet and didn't send anything :eek: ? That is at best very inconsiderate and at worst simply dishonnest :mad:

Dubl07

awanderer wrote: »

I couldn't let such an encouraging post unanswered surely

Keep it up!
What pets do you have? (I'd suggest one post per creature.)

Cherry Blossom

Oh no, everyone got their presents and everyone was brilliant but the disappearance of a few people shortly afterwards made me realise the potential that that could have happened quite easily.

awanderer

Dubl07 wrote: »

Keep it up!
What pets do you have? (I'd suggest one post per creature.)

I only have one pet:p : a (perfect) golden lab. I know it is a bit boring (no stick insect, golden eagle, or unicorn:p) but he does deserve a secret Santa .

awanderer

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Oh no, everyone got their presents and everyone was brilliant but the disappearance of a few people shortly afterwards made me realise the potential that that could have happened quite easily.

Ho! I was imagining the disappointment of a poster having spent time looking for the perfect gift and not receiving anything for their pet .

...Which is not going to be the case for my dog as I believe I now have my 100 posts ! :):)

ShaShaBear

awanderer wrote: »

Ho! I was imagining the disappointment of a poster having spent time looking for the perfect gift and not receiving anything for their pet .

...Which is not going to be the case for my dog as I believe I now have my 100 posts ! :):)

Well - fancy that!

SillyMangoX

awanderer wrote: »

Ho! I was imagining the disappointment of a poster having spent time looking for the perfect gift and not receiving anything for their pet .

...Which is not going to be the case for my dog as I believe I now have my 100 posts ! :):)

....aaaaaand your entry is in generally if people are close to the 100 and have been around for a while I may make an exception, as AJ said its just to weed out people registering just for the SS then forgetting all about it, not that any of the lovely people of boards would do that :P

awanderer

SillyMangoX wrote: »

....aaaaaand your entry is in generally if people are close to the 100 and have been around for a while I may make an exception, as AJ said its just to weed out people registering just for the SS then forgetting all about it, not that any of the lovely people of boards would do that :P

I didn't want to take the risk of my dog being a second class Secret Santa participant so I had to get to the 100th post :cool::p .

Most of my posts are on this forum anyway as I read it for years before I adopted His Highness my dog. I waited so long before taking the decision to adopt a dog I would have been very angry at myself if I had made his life miserable because I hadn't gathered enough info beforehand.

SillyMangoX

Day two and SS is already half full! (or half empty, depending on your viewpoint :P )

angeldaisy

I'll throw my name in for my 2 doggies please.
SillyMangoX I'll pm you details tomorrow.

Posy

Can my doggie and I join in?

I'm more of a reader than a poster here though.

SillyMangoX

Posy wrote: »

Can my doggie and I join in?

I'm more of a reader than a poster here though.

Any one is welcome to join once they meet the requirements in the opening post if you'd like to enter just pm me your details!

anothernight

Oh! Ooooh!!! I didn't know this was a thing!!!!

Can I take part even though I live in England? Or would that be unfair due to extra postage?

SillyMangoX

anothernight wrote: »

Oh! Ooooh!!! I didn't know this was a thing!!!!

Can I take part even though I live in England? Or would that be unfair due to extra postage?

We've had a few people enter from different countries in the last couple of years, usually what they do is give an address in Ireland (parents, friends etc) who will forward the package on to them just so it doesn't leave the sender too far out of pocket, so if this is something you can do too you're more than welcome to enter

anothernight

SillyMangoX wrote: »

We've had a few people enter from different countries in the last couple of years, usually what they do is give an address in Ireland (parents, friends etc) who will forward the package on to them just so it doesn't leave the sender too far out of pocket, so if this is something you can do too you're more than welcome to enter

I can do that!!! Yay! ^_^

Knine

Knine wrote: »

Looking forward to this. Sorry to disappoint that I have no stick insects but I did join with a couple of non canines. :-)

I just started looking back at the previous years of secret Santa and my stomach is hurting from laughing at poor Gizmo getting stuck in his tunnel last year. Laughing again just writing this! I'm sorry! But you had to perform a c section to remove him!? Lmao!

Alicat

I haven't done this before! So, post here to be included and then PM the details?

SillyMangoX

Alicat wrote: »

I haven't done this before! So, post here to be included and then PM the details?

Just the pm is all that's needed lovely to have a good few new entries this year!

Knine

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I just started looking back at the previous years of secret Santa and my stomach is hurting from laughing at poor Gizmo getting stuck in his tunnel last year. Laughing again just writing this! I'm sorry! But you had to perform a c section to remove him!? Lmao!

Would you believe we were actually laughing ourselves about this tonight. Gizmo can't wait for Secret Santa this year!!! He might need to go to the gym though before he goes into any more tunnels.

Choc Chip

I'm resolving to be more chatty over the next year so that I can join in with Secret Santa next time.