Donna has come up with the idea to have a "Secret Santa" for our ratties!

Above is a poll...please vote once, yes or no, whether you would like to participate or not.  It is annonymous.

We will go over the details more once we know if we have enough participation to do this.

Right now the idea is....

I will provide 1-2 weeks for those that want to participate to send me your name, dogs name, and mailing address.

At the end of this time I will put all the names on pieces of paper and randomly select them.  Then email each person with the name and address of who I have 'pulled' for them.  The rest will be up to you!  Go find a surprise and mail it to the person/dog! 

We can come to an agreement for the amount of money to spend, but I am thinking of $5 for the present plus whatever it will cost for you to ship.  This way everyone can participate.  I know several of us are on budgets, especially around Christmas time.

Once you have voted, feel free to also post your ideas, questions, comments, ect. here! 

LOL... Morgan this looks perfect.

I have been soooooo busy today that I just saw the Secret Santa threads now.  What a great idea! 

I've been involved with a basket making forum, and we've been doing basket swaps, which work a whole lot like the Secret Santa thing, since 1997.  We've done 54 swaps!

Anyhow, there are several rules that the basket makers use, and might be helpful for the Secret Santa.  One is that when we mail our swaps, we post a message to the board.  In that message, we give a clue about who is going to receive the swap. The other rule is that when you receive your swap, you have to post a message (and maybe a picture) say who sent it to you, and brag about what you got!  The swap host will be able to keep track of everything, and can email stragglers, and can finally say when the swap has ended.  Also, anyone that signs up for a swap, but does not send one out can't participate again until they send something out to the original swap buddy.

Hope I don't sound like I'm preaching.........   I really love the idea of the Secret Santa!

Mia

Lucy and Bo want to play too.  They promise not to bite Santa.

Sydney and Sonic want to join.  So I voted.  They love to go shopping and love even more opening anything.

Posted By treble02 on 10/29/2007 5:58 AM
another question...does each DOG get on the list....or just each owner??? cause i dont think we have enough owners for each dog...but i would definitly want each dog to get picked!!

Well, right now I am thinking that each dogs name should be put in the 'hat' to be pulled.  Because 1) It's not fair to make some members pay for gifts for mutilple dogs and 2) I guess it wouldn't be fair for 1 toy to be shared between 2-3 dogs.  The only thing is...this means that some members may receive more than 1 package if they have more than 1 dog.

How do you guys think would be the best way to address members who have more than 1 RT?

The Big Dog forum I belong to has done this for 2 years and are planning on doing it again this year.  It always turned out great, and lots of fun.  On that forum, they sort of matched up people that had multiple dogs as senders and receivers between each other, and people with only one dog as senders and receivers with each other.

Posted By Morgan on 10/29/2007 6:59 AM

Posted By treble02 on 10/29/2007 5:58 AM
another question...does each DOG get on the list....or just each owner??? cause i dont think we have enough owners for each dog...but i would definitly want each dog to get picked!!

Well, right now I am thinking that each dogs name should be put in the 'hat' to be pulled.  Because 1) It's not fair to make some members pay for gifts for mutilple dogs and 2) I guess it wouldn't be fair for 1 toy to be shared between 2-3 dogs.  The only thing is...this means that some members may receive more than 1 package if they have more than 1 dog.

How do you guys think would be the best way to address members who have more than 1 RT?

Morgan, I just emailed you but wanted to say again that I like your idea of each dogs name in the hat. I think of this being for the ratties and not really for the members. So all the ratties names in the hat and the members get to play and have fun. I can't wait to do this and see how it goes.

And thank you Morgan for heading this up!!!

This sounds good too. But again I would be one to say that I don't mind sending out to more than one place. So whatever is decided is ok with me.

Like someone else mentioned though, wouldn't this leave too many dogs for the amount of people?  I think then there would be "leftovers"

actually no...
it would be rattie to rattie. So if you have 3 dogs you want in, then you buy three gifts. One from each dog, and you'll recieve 3 gifts.
If you had one dog you'd send 1 gift and you'll recieve one gift.

For Example:
If we put Lucy, Bo, Dar (I think we should allow all dogs not just ratties imo), Nibbler, Jeter, and Jack (first dogs who came to mine)
And
Lucy gets Nibbler
Bo gets Jeter
Dar gets Jack
Nibbler gets Dar
Jeter gets Lucy
Jack Gets Bo

Then...
I would buy one gift for Nibbler to Dar.
Paul would buy three gifts for Dar to give Jack, for Bo to give Jeter and for Lucy to give Nibbler (I hope I have everyone's names right)
and Sarah would get two gives: one for Jeter to give Lucy, one for Jack to give Bo

And
I would recieve one gift from Lucy
Paul Would recieve three: One from me two from Sara
And Sara would recieve two: Both from Paul

I think....