Vanesa

Is there any interest in a pets swap? Like goods for your fuzzy/scaly/feathered friend, especially if they're locally made or super helpful/adorable/special treats?

I'm currently taking a break from swapping, but I'm sad to see this one pass by without a wholehearted YES! I think this is an awesome idea, and I'm definitely in if you decide to run it in the future.

It's called Media Mail - and from my experience it's not always cheaper. Especially with the rates in general always climbing higher.

 

Media Mail can include CDs, magazines, and DVDs too.

Just be careful mixing media. It's supposed to be on, but I've had boxes turned down because the person at the counter heard the plastic DVD case rattling around with books and assumed I'd snuck something else in.

 

 

Oh god. I just had a thought... How about a traveling library circular swap with nothing but BOOKs in the box?

 

Granted, it would be expensive. We'd have to use a large priority flat rate box, the first person would need to have enough books to start it out full, and everyone would need to commit to being able to pay to ship it on... But it would be like our own little free library!

There is a special cheap "book rate" when you mail books.

really? How do you get the rate?

 

You just ask for the library or media rate. Caveats are that it can only be books (stick in one imp with 30 books, and you no longer qualify for the rate) and that it's incredibly slow.

Alphabet swap sounds awesome

 

 

 

It could either be separate or part of the regular spring cleaning swap with the idea that one thing you send must be something you crafted for your recipient, with the idea that the rest would be business as usual.

 

Thoughts?

I love the idea of a spring cleaning craft swap in addition to the usual one. Last year, a lot of what I sent to my swappee was handmade goodies.

And they were amazing. I still wear them

Aiobahn - hello my lovely and generous Witch Your swap sounds amazing!

I would suggest including a question like "What's your favorite type of souvenir?" on the questionnaire. That way there's more flexibility for types of things based on taste. I know I would, for example,jump for joy at edibles (as you well know) but would be running to goodwill with something like a keychain.

what do people think of a fun pet-themed swap? treats & toys for your recipient's pet, and maybe something pet-themed for the recipient, as well. i always love getting things for my pets in a swap and i think it would be fun to do a swap all about them

YES!

Cute idea! I will say, though, that I'd personally prefer to see the stash-busting craft swap and the spring cleaning swap stay separate. As a spring cleaning swap fan with zero craft skills, I'd hate to see that one disappear.

On a semi-related note, last year someone made a great suggestion for adding a question to the for-organizer-eyes-only section of the spring cleaning questionnaire if it happens again this year - "what are you spring cleaning/what types of things do you have to pass on?".

Anne Bonny was one of my childhood role models, so, despite the fact that I really dislike incense and sandalwood, I couldn't resist trying this scent.

Oddly enough, it smells nothing like the listed notes to me. Instead, as my boyfriend so bluntly put it, it smells like Old House. Not just any Old House, but an historic Southern home. It's the smell of worn wood floors and grand wooden stairways covered with a tinge of humidity and age. It's an incredibly evocative smell for me, but not one I particularly want to smell like personally. On the bright side, it makes a great room scent for my not-so-historic apartment.

At first I was a little hesitant about this one. The scrubby bits and the oil had separated a bit in shipping and, after I mixed it up, it was oddly reminiscent of rice pudding texture wise. Fortunately, I convinced myself to give it a try anyways.

I used this as an (almost) all-over scrub in the shower rather than just for my footsies. Less than a teaspoon was enough to use on my entire body except my face and lady bits and I do NOT have a small body. The texture is perfect - silky without being too oily/greasy; definite scrubbiness to it, but not so much that it's harsh. The scent is divine and, in the shower, it just blooms. The entire shower was filled with delicious hot steam that smelled just like wassail (sweet, spicy, orangey, yum ).

It made showering in a cold house (brr ) bearable.