The Great BookMooch Christmas Card Exchange 2009

The holiday season is just around the corner and we know what that means: it's time for this year's Great BookMooch Christmas Card Exchange!

HOW TO JOIN
Just send an email to mournfieldsyahoo.com (please DON'T post your information to this thread---we don't want your mailing address to be made public!) with these 3 important things:

1. Your full name and complete mailing address
2. Your BookMooch ID or link to bio
3. How many Christmas cards you are willing to send out.

You may choose to send 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 (or more) cards. (Like last year and the year before, it's a 1:1 structure, so if you are willing to send out ten cards, your name will be added to ten different members' Christmas card lists.)

Once you have sent your entry to me, I will send an acknowledgment reply within a day or two. I do check my spam folder often, but just to make sure I added you to the list/if in a few days you haven't received an acknowledgment email from me, please do not hesitate to re-send your entry.

DEADLINE
I will accept entries until November 20, Friday (so that's about 3 weeks registration period). By November 21 or 22, I will have arranged and compiled the lists. I will then send everyone who joined the Christmas Card Exchange an email with their Christmas card list.

WORLDWIDE
The Christmas Card Exchange is a worldwide activity! Everyone is welcome to join!

Everyone will get a random (and, most likely, international) list of Christmas card recipients. But you may opt to send only to your country, if this works better for you. Just let me know! :)

And a reminder: Make sure that when you send out your holiday cards, you include your BookMooch user ID so your recipients can thank you!

JUST LIKE LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE
"Want in on the fun but you don't celebrate Christmas? No problem, this is an inclusive group here! You are still welcome to sign up and all those who do celebrate Christmas will send their warm greetings to you, and you are most welcome to send Eid/Winter Solstice/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/other holiday greetings their way in return. Heck, you can even just pick out some nice, blank cards with a generic floral pattern on them and put in a nice message." (verano)

The 2007 and 2008 Christmas card exchanges were a success with about 400 members (combined) joining in! Many sent handmade cards or store-bought cards, with holiday recipes, bookmarks, bookplates, and stickers included. Some even sent Christmas ornaments and hand-made bracelets! But all cards were special and a joy to receive even with just a simple, heartfelt holiday message. Spreading holiday cheer was so much fun!

Erin (verano) did an excellent job organizing the 2007 Christmas Card Exchange, but this year, just like the last, I will be helping out with the activity. I am very happy and excited to again be organizing this year's exchange, so send me your email messages as soon as you can!

Best wishes to all,
Patti Platon
http://www.bookmooch.com/m/bio/mournfields

Hi Patti,
That sounds like fun. Thank you for taking this on again :)
Michelle

Thanks to Patti for doing this again! I love it!
Jennie

It's only been a few hours but we already have more than 20 participants from 5 different countries.

And you're welcome, Michelle and Jennie. It is a joy to be hosting again this year. :)

Woah, it sounds fun !

Glad to see you step up Patti, be sure and CC the main BM forum too

WOOT!!! I can't remember if I joined in last year (my memory sucks), but I'll definately be doing it this year! I love card exchanges!

I enjoyed this last year, thanks for organising it again this year!

Yay! I love this! thanks for organizing!

Hey Patti, how many particpants have we got thus far? Can you keep us updated? I liked your post about 20 particpants in 5 countries and would like to see how it G-R-O-W-S before the deadline!

Thanks,
Michelle

Hi everyone,

Now we have 40+ participants from 9 countries! And it's only day 2!

Mark: will do! :)

I'm in, too! :D

I can't wait to receive my list :) Thanks for organizing this! How many participants have we got now?

We now have over 60 participants from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Philippines, Lithuania, Singapore, French Polynesia, Germany, Uruguay, Peru, and Ireland!

We still have about 10 days until the registration period ends. By November 22, those who joined will be receiving their mailing list!

Thanks for joining everyone!

Thanks Patti - for organizing us, and for the update :)

Awesome- this will be lots of fun!

I just got back from buying my Christmas cards. Between this exchange, two other online exchanges and my usual horde of family/friends, I will be mailing out close to 150 cards this year. The girl gave me a really odd look as she was ringing in all my boxes! lol

17: lol! I need to figure out where I'm going to buy mine... on the one hand, the Dollar Store is in walking distance and is cheap... on the other hand, Walmart has a better selection and I get a discount anyways (stepdad works there).... Hmmm.

I loooove buying Christmas cards! So many to choose from!

Just sent you my message. I'm really looking forward to this.

I love Christmas card shopping too. I usually get mine half price after Christmas, so I've got about 5 boxes that I got last year just waiting for me to crack into them.

I'm with lahochstetler... I shop from Christmas cards after the Christmas season so I can get them at half price or lower, and just store them to use the following year. Actually this is how I've bought all my Christmas stuff over the years...lol.

I bought two boxes of exceptionally beautiful cards last January. I just hope I find them in time to use this year!

is it too late to get in on the christmas card exchange?

23: Today is the deadline, so if you send your info and stuff now, you should be good.

Hi neily2007,

Send in your entry this weekend! I'll squeeze you in!

- Patti

Just 1 day left to register!

I have replied to all who joined. If you did not get an acknowledgment email from me, please resend your email so I can be sure to include you in the Christmas Card Exchange List.

We have about 80+ participants so far this year. Thanks for joining everyone!

- Patti

This is to inform everyone who joined that I will be emailing your Christmas card mailing list in a few hours. :)

Patti, it sounds like an enormous job to get all of this organized. Thank you so much...it is going to be a lot of fun. This sort of thing is what sets Bookmooch apart from other swap sites.

Thanks for organizing this! I can't wait to get my list...

Ooooohhhh, I'm excited now - something to look forward to! Thanks for the tremendous amount of work that you have undertaken for us!

Michelle

YAY I got my list today! It was great reading through the names and seeing all the ones that I recognized either because of a mooch or through here.
I'm so excited to start mailing my cards!

I got my list, too. Lots of already-friends, and some new ones, I hope, too :)
Thanks so much Patti.

I received it! Now, all i have to do is to start getting those cards!

Okay, I have a naive embarrassing question. A lot of the people on my list are overseas, which is great.... but I'm used to sending *packages* overseas, not cards. Do I still need to fill out customs forms if I'm just sending cards? I'd rather ask here then get to the PO and see I've done it wrong...

in Canada, we don't need to fill out customs cards unless there is something non-paper-like in the envelope. And it costs us about $1.70 for all international destinations, except for the US, which is cheaper (like, about $1.00). Hope someone from the US can provide you with the answer that you need, Heather.

34> Here are the rules listed on the USPS website:
First-Class Mail International
Mailpieces weighing 16 ounces or more, and all potentially dutiable items regardless of their weight, require the applicable customs forms as follows:
* If the value of the contents is less than $400, affix Form 2976 Customs Declaration, to the exterior of the package.
* If the value of the contents is $400 or more, affix the upper white barcoded portion of Form 2976 to the exterior of the package and place a completed Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note, inside the package with the contents.

So, unless you're slipping a really nice present into your cards, you needn't do custom forms. And if you are, I hope I'm on your list. ;)

Right, like solid gold jewelery :D

Most of the international cards I have sent have been 98 cents with Canada being 75 cents.

I got my first card today! Yippee! (and thanks drizzlegirl!)

I just got my first card today, too. From you, #38! Thank you!

I bought my cards today; does that count? I promise they will be in the mail in a few days!

*wibbles* I can't mail mine out until Saturday!! I hope they'll get to their destinations in time!

Bummer! I missed it this year. Have fun everyone!

I have had two of mine so far, very lovely cards and very exciting, thank you!

I've sent all mine and received one, from mareofthesea, plus another from turtlegirl - who I don't think had my name but was just being nice :) Such a nice project, Patti.

I'm glad my card found you Michelle. I knew I was sending them early, but I'm going south this weekend for a few weeks and wanted everything out before I forgot about them. :D

It was a good mail day... 4 books and 4 cards. Thanks Macsbrains, Veramarie, kmhyle, and Linda from GB (if your from this exchange, that is!)

Have a wonderful trip, Mare. We'll miss you. Or will you be able to log on while you are away?

Michelle

47: Thanks! I most likely will be unable to log in. I could take my laptop but the hotel does not have free internet service and I'm too cheap to pay. Not to mention that my boss (who has already managed to delay my trip by a month) would be able to track me down and harrass me if I checked my email!

Definitely skip the laptop, in that case, Mare. I hate paying for internet in hotels, too. In fact, I usually enjoy the break from the computer. But let us know as soon as you are back!

I have send two cards and received 2.

To Jennie/jlbouwman,and Laura/Pennywhisle (?)

Thanks for your card!! :)

Sent mine off on Saturday - and thanks to those who have sent to me so far! (Patti - I added a note to your card saying that I hoped you have calmer weather in 2009. I MEANT to say 2010, of course!)

If you are on my list, you get yours for the Russian Christmas most likely...

Before going off on my latest business travel I got all the postcards, wrote the addresses and the wishes and left them on the desk so I can get them with me on my last working day here before the travel and post them. And obviously forgot them because just found them yesterday exactly where I left them. Posted today... Oh well :( Sorry.

I've been getting one or two every day, and they really make me smile. We don't get many cards otherwise, so I'm hanging them all up on the wall to make the place a little more festive.

Life has been crazy over the last couple of days since I got back from vacation, but I would like to say "thank you" to all those who sent me a card while I was away! There was a huge pile of pretty cards waiting for me when I returned! Thank you!!!

The Christmas card exchange has been tremendous fun. This will be a must to do again next year!

Indeed! I am looking forward to next year's exchange :D .

I was kind of late sending the cards so maybe they haven't arrived yet but I think my last card arrived yesterday... the card exchange was fun, thanks to everyone who sent me a card :)

Ditto! I had a lot of fun.. I think I am still on the look out for a couple more though (it's like Christmas keeps going- yay!)

I had one card arrive the day after Christmas - it was a nice surprise!

We got so many beautiful cards, I'm already on the lookout for ones to send next year :-)

I'm still getting them, got two more today...postal strikes etc
And it is really nice as it is extending the fun quite a lot!

I've got 3 so far so suspect that I have more on the way :)

Thanks to everyone who sent me a card, too :) It was wonderful seeing the handwriting and card choices of so many online friends!

Does anyone know the username of the member who sent a recipe for tomato basil soup with her cards? We tried it tonight, and I'd like to thank her. Her name began with an "a", but it wasn't someone that I had met before (I don't think) so it didn't stick with me.

Thanks,
Michelle

62> That was Aramada.

#62 - Thanks VeraMarie - you're absolutely right - it WAS her. Thanks for your help :)

I just had a Card come in yesterday! (Thank you AnnieMod! It was a beautiful card!) I was just shocked that it took so long for a simple card to get to the USA- its almost 2 months!

I sent them a bit late... but it was definitely before Christmas :)

And yeah - seems like any mail to USA from here was slowish around Christmas - things sent in January had arrived, the pre-January ones are still en route and just start turning up...

I just got yours yesterday, too, AnnieMod :) Thank you!

I haven't!

*sulks off*

macsbrains, you are welcome :)

Lman, you were not in my list of 10 I think :( But I have a card with your name on it... just need to remember to put it in the next package I send you :)

I think I only received 6 of the 10 I should've gotten...maybe I will get some more soon!

I really enjoyed the exchange!

Merry Christmas, Lman. I hope you feel better :)

*wants to sulk*

How come everyone is so nice that I can't truly *sigh*

This was actually a slight poke at Annie cos she keeps sending me lots of wonderful books but forgets the card - I mean: REALLY!!!

I've mentioned more than once that I am an absent-minded person :)

There are a few more books here with your name on them and I will try not to forget about it this time. Really - I promise to try.

Edited to say, "I'm unlikely to ever really mind my own business, and I think this forum and the people on here are THE BEST. I'm so glad to have found so many friends that share my passion for books and reading. You guys are awesome :)

Michelle,

Please don't ever stop...your comments are the best!
I was feeling left out (unnecessarily of course) - got to sulk (unnecessarily too)! yay!

AnnieMod
Your card arrived yesterday! Thank you so much. Regards, Jan

:)
I start to wonder if they did not just stay somewhere for a few weeks and that's why they are so late... - books sent weeks after them had arrived and I use the same service for anything...

Lyn,

*hugs* :)