Is there a Secret Santa this year?

[SquarePeg]

Did I miss it? I've been swamped at work and haven't been online as much as usual. Was hoping to participate this year...

 

[snowbear]

I haven't seen a post, yet. I would likely participate this year, as well.

 

[tirediron]

I heard Sharoncat volunteering to coordinate it!

 

[snowbear]

I heard Sharon volunteering to coordinate it!

That's SharonCat.

 

[tirediron]

Fixed

 

[SquarePeg]

I have no idea how to do that and I didn't participate last year so not sure exactly what's involved. That being said - sure I'll do it just point me in the right direction.

 

[snowbear]

I think you just take the names of everyone that want's to play, randomly assign each a another participant, then PM each person the name of whom they are giving a photo. As far as assigning the pairs, there are a couple of ways (two lists with one cut up and placed in a hat/bag and draw them out; putting numbers by each name and rolling some dice; etc)

 

[SquarePeg]

Thanks @snowbear What are the guidelines for the gift?

 

[ronlane]

Thanks @snowbear What are the guidelines for the gift?

There is only one for that. They all have to be really expensive and sent to me. (I've been really good this year. lol)

 

[snowbear]

IIRC - take a new photo or a list of existing ones (from Flickr, etc). You send your partner a print-ready jpeg, or you print and send the hard copy. Participants can send you their email and snail-mail addresses which you dole out with the assigned name. By you sending the name & addresses for a recipient, it keeps it truly "secret", except for your own, obviously.

Once the photos arrive, they are posted by the recipient for show & tell.

 

[SquarePeg]

Thanks @snowbear What are the guidelines for the gift?

There is only one for that. They all have to be really expensive and sent to me. (I've been really good this year. lol)

One year we did a secret santa for the adults in our family and my brother Michael insisted that it be top secret, no telling anyone who you have. Well, at one point I slipped in front of my mom and said that I had gotten Michael's name. Guess what? So had she... We made some calls and as it turned out, he had decided to be cute and had put his name on every slip so we ALL got him as our giftee! We got together without him and agreed to not let on that we knew and to each get him a pair of brown socks. He thought he had pulled a great trick on everyone but the tables got turned. On Christmas when we did our swap, he was the one who was surprised!

 

[480sparky]

I think you just take the names of everyone that want's to play, randomly assign each a another participant, then PM each person the name of whom they are giving a photo. As far as assigning the pairs, there are a couple of ways (two lists with one cut up and placed in a hat/bag and draw them out; putting numbers by each name and rolling some dice; etc)

The method I employed last year was to simply compile a list, in order of my receiving the names of the participants. When you signed up and PMed me to let me know, you were assigned the name of the person above you on the list. Once the deadline had passed, the first person on the list was assigned to the last.

In other words, a list like:

1. Dave
2. Kirk
3. Mary
4. Cindy
5. Bob

So Kirk was given Dave's contact info and was Dave's Secret Santa, Mary sent her photo to Kirk, Cindy to Mary and on down until the list is completed so Dave sends his photo to Bob.

There's really no 'official' way to do it. You could always list out the usernames and alphabetize/sort them out by the 3rd character in their username if you wanted to.

 

[ronlane]

What @snowbear said. I think it has typically been limited to 8x10 size but I could be wrong.

 

[snowbear]

Here's Sparky's opening thread from last year.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I hereby unofficially nominate SharonCat as the Grand Poobah of the 2016 Annual TPF Secret Santa & Coffee House Hosers photo exchange celebration. All in favor say meow/post a picture of a cat. Or a ferret.

(Or ignore my post entirely, won't make me no nevermind! lol)