Greenwoodtree

I have a new swap idea.

I'm wondering of the people watching this thread, who would be into a natural foodie/gluten free round-robin swap box, similar to the tea boxes Gwydion and I have done, same as what Em has done with the bath and beauty products. It would start filled with a variety of natural and gluten free products, foods, seasonings, recipes, homemade goodies, and maybe even extra kitchen gadgets you wanted to trade out. 10 people, and each person keep the box for 7 days, takes out what they want, replace with equal amount of something else. All foods have to have an ingredient label. Everything is free of artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and gluten.

Usagi - thanks for the tips! I actually had the same thought about the time frame and the traveling box. The other problem that I saw with that idea was that the people at the beginning of the swap would only have a few choices and the people at the end would have tons to choose from. I was thinking about going back to my original idea of an "exchange". Once I refine my idea a bit, I may take you up on the questionnaire help, even if just to read what I write and add what I forget.

 

Someone (sorry, can't remember who now. ) was concerned about cost of shipping if each person had to send multiple packages. But I ~think~ that to ship a standard sized envelope with delivery confirmation would be about $1.40. Of course, that would mean we would have to keep the exchange to seeds only.

 

Any Of you ATC'ers know the cost to ship a standard letter with DC (now called USPS Tracking)? The USPS website wasn't very clear.

 

If I do an exchange, more people could be included in the swap, too!

 

For those interested in the garden swap, how much would you prefer to spend on shipping? You could get 5 packages with, say, 5 different kinds of seeds each, so 25 varieties of seeds for $7. You could get 2 packages or about 10 varieties for $2.80. Or you could get 50 varieties of seeds for $14.

 

I really suck with numbers, so if someone can tell me how it works for swaps when some people only wants to send to 5 people and other people want to send to 10 people, I will set it up with options.

 

Personally, I don't think I could use 50 different kinds of seeds, so I would choose the 25 varieties for $7 option.

Just a comment and FYI - please dont send seeds in a standard envelope. I have had people do that (several occasions) and the seeds are often crushed, the envelope is damaged, and it's very sad. Toilet paper and paper towels are not sufficient, because if you are trying to fit it into the cheapo regular mail slot, it will go through a very mean machine that will crush it/rip it. And padding a standard envelope will make the PO charge for a bubblope...so just get the mini bubblope.

I would be into the seed swap. I wouldn't be able to send to more than 3 people. Each person could get btwn 2-4 varieties.

Hey everyone, I figured it was necessary to post here. If you weren't aware, the post office is on the verge of collapsing due to debt and the govt will not help like they did with all the major banks and credit card companies. NO BAILOUT for the post office. Just Google "save post office" to see the plethora.

If those of us who use the post office so much do not speak up in some way (and letter-writing to the local newspaper has been suggested as a very effective way), dozens and dozens of major mail processing plants will be SHUT DOWN at the end of February this coming year!

People talk about privatizing the postal service - how ridiculous - the postal service is what our country was built-up on - lets just destroy our public libraries too! Privatizing could mean any company can charge anything...such as UPS stores charging DOUBLE what the post office charges. Not only that, but no more reliable, trusted mail source. No more regular mail AT ALL!!

For those of us who rely on mail swaps and mailing things out as a major part of our lifestyle (me included since I am a housebound person), this could mean we can no longer afford to send anything.

PLEASE - sign this petition - and send a letter to the editor for your local paper (most can be done online these days):

Save the Post Office

I was so excited to try this.

So far, in the scent locket, it smells like a very old, vintage type perfume. The florals are hiding the leather...I have to press my nose up to the locket to get ANY leather note of any kind, its very faint, kind of chemical-leather. The patchouli, I never would've known it was in here...its hiding WAY in the back behind the frankincense and other notes. Damn those flowers. It reminds me as if I time-traveled back to maybe the 1910's or 20's, and went into a dressing room used by both men and women. really vintage, not something I choose to wear.

Tomorrow I try a skin test...I really want this to work.

Okay, people, my favorite way of testing atmo sprays is by spraying the house lightly, running errands and than seeing what the house smells like when I return...

Well, I have to tell you, when I walked in my house I thought someone had been smoking reefer..and I havent been for a long time! After that is was a meady, fruity scent, maybe some kind of baked thing, like bread...but the outstanding scent was fresh reeefer. It was awesome!

Well hello everybody!

 

I've been chatting with some participants of the Winter Solstice swap and we started talking about doing a live plant swap when we get a little bit closer to Spring weather.

 

I know that there were several people who were interested over there, but anyone else up for this sort of thing?

 

I was originally thinking of live plants (like cuttings and stuff, not like a full sized tree ), but it could include seeds and some other potential plants, too. Mostly, I thought it would be cool to get some plants to fill my garden and send some to fill yours (should you choose to participate). I wasn't thinking about including gardening ~stuff~ in the swap like gloves and journals, just plants. But I could be persuaded otherwise.

 

I have never run a Circular Swap before and am not sure how this would work, but my thoughts are running toward something like a card swap. Each person would send a small package to a certain number of people. For instance, I might put 5 packages together with a few different kinds of seeds that I've saved or bought, a couple of different rooted cuttings, and maybe some daffodil bulbs or canna tubers and send it out to 5 people. Then, those 5 people would put their packages together and send to 5 participants with the end result of everyone getting 5 small packages and (hopefully) several different varieties of plants. Does that sound like it would work?

 

I know that there are restrictions for shipping live plants to certain areas (like California, right?) and that trying to ship live plants internationally is probably not possible. Is this too big an obstacle?

 

Also, knowing that we are all over the country, does anyone have a suggestion as to when to start/end the swap? I was kind of thinking about organizing/starting the swap in Feb. with ship dates in March, but that's just because it's near my last frost date in USDA zone 7. Anyone else care to weigh in?

 

Any volunteers for helping me with the swap? I'm not the most super-organized person in the world and I don't want to get in over my head!

 

Any help/comments most appreciated!

well, a couple things....

I used to work for the USDA, Plant Protection & Quarantine....it is very true that there are major invasive and exotic species issues when shipping any plants from your garden, because the invasive species seeds or insect eggs, etc, could be in the soil - I think there is a website with updates on states with major issues. If you are shipping a live plant, some states, like California for one, have a facility that may test the contents, depending on its origin. obviously this is an extreme example.

2nd, I would love to share bulbs and rhizomes in this swap, but I totally dont need to have other stuff added...like gloves, journals, etc...I would so love to participate in some swaps that weren't super pricey.

3rd, I think the shipping to more than one person should be an option, not required...some of us are on restricted incomes.. did that help or cause more consternation

How would you all feel about a plain old winter warm up swap? Something without holidays attached? The receiver would get a "snow day" kind of package, like tea, something soft and warm etc.?

I'd be interested especially if its in the dark days of Jan or Feb when it feels like winter will never end.

I wonder if there would be any interest in a makeup/B&B/cosmetics samples swap? I have SO MANY samples of various product (eyeshadows, mineral makeups, lip balm/gloss, soaps etc etc) and also there's all the GWP items I've accumulated - piles of stuff I've never even touched.

 

I'm thinking there would need to be some rules around cleanliness and hygiene - ie unused samples would be preferable - but it would be kinda neat to receive a swappee's 'beauty' profile (colour of hair, eyes, skin tone etc) and find stuff they may like - or even just send random packages of sparkly goodness to play with.

 

Sooooooooo... what say you, oh forum? Does this sound like something people might be interested in?

hey there, emzebel actually has been doing one of these. The box was incredibly packed. Check with her because she said she'll do another round after the holidaze.

So now that I'm running one swap, I was thinking of another one for January.

 

A Test Kitchen Swap. I love to cook but I'm always looking for new recipes. A swap where people say how much they cook, what they want to cook more of, what appliances they have, how many people they cook for, their budget for food and they get sent three recipes. Then everyone has to cook at least one recipe and report back on what they thought.

 

I don't know if there has to be a buying aspect of the swap.

 

Just an idea.

nice idea! what about having an ingredient or 2 be sent along too? I like low cost swapping for sure...

This is a WINNER!!!

I can now add Raven Moon to my exceedingly short list of oils that work with my skin chemistry.
The incense and patchouli are what hold it down for me, because I can see that the vanilla would like to fly off with the entire scent! Vanilla notes generally turn to sweet powder, and thats a yuck for me.
However, I smell something leathery, and it reminds me of the Marquis de Carabas in a gentler, sweeter way.

This is a bottle-worthy scent -I hope I can get one!

I'm working on clearing out my pm box, so I can put up the 12 days swap! YAY! Hopefully, I'll be all set to go early next week. Its going to have to be a somewhat fastish swap, in order to get the goodies to everyone on time.

 

And I'm afraid that I'm going to have to make it a US only. Its my first swap, and with the time and lack of ability to track the international stuff scare me a bit. I'm sorry to the internationals who would want to play, its just a little too much for me to add that into the mix. If everything goes well, I'll do it again, and be a little more inclusive. (I really, really hate to leave people out, but I just don't think I can handle it this time.)

I want to play!!! I hope it's yule-christmas type swap. I rarely ever get presents from family or friends that I can open, so this would be so much fun - know I sounds like a kid - seriously, I am a kid..in a 44 yr old body.

I'm not saying anything....but just be on alert....nothing official...yet. but be alert...the world needs more lerts

hehheh

BTW, the 1:1 swaps look like more work than i want to deal with, hence my tendency to run circular swaps instead. i am really excited about us having a chocolate box again. Yay!

I got your PM - I'll have to wait until after 9/21 to send you some stuff, okay?

I have it on good authority that there be a Switch Witch Halloween round... stay tuned.....

Awesome! lemme know if help is needed.

It could always be a 1:1 swap, rather than a box.

Agreed! Once the dust is settling from the move, & my kitchen is back in order (my 'new' kitchen, that is), depending on the higher altitude (we are at 7400' now), I can make my infamous fudge, truffles, buckeyes, or any number of other goodies too.

I have a co-op and a Trader Joe's, but not the sort of money right now to start a box. Let me see how things are in October. i need to focus on car insurance right now.

 

I'd be happy to start the box if you can do the organizing, I don't have the time to dedicate to a circle but chocolate shopping I can handle.

I would think 3-4 of us contributing to a starter box should be plenty! If we each added 3-4 things - wow, I'd be afraid of receiving that much chocolate in my house!!! Talk about gaining pounds

I miss the chocolate swap. I wish i had money to restart it.

WHat! Did you say 'CHOCOLATE swap'??

 

It was a couple of years ago and was US to the world, so it had delightful overseas sweats. Omnomnom.

Gwydion, I THINK we need to re-do this. Really really do Especially with the hot season leaving us...heehee...World Market and natural food stores are great places for high quality and unique chocolate to get it started. I certainly couldn't afford to stock the entire box, but I could contribute.

As to SW - I think we have at least a dozen+ peeps now frothing over the prospect of a new round (me included), however, I get the feeling it needs people to be willing to do the work of organizing and mentoring...and since I've hosted a bunch of swaps on this forum, count me in to help, if need be! (This being addressed to the mystical 'Switch Witch'

I miss the chocolate swap. I wish i had money to restart it.

WHat! Did you say 'CHOCOLATE swap'??

Would anyone be up for another Dollar Store swap with a Halloween theme?

okay, I've changed my mind - Im all in for a Halloween dollar store swap I bet you would get LOTs to join... (I snuck a peek at a dollar general...too much fun stuff !)

Would anyone be up for another Dollar Store swap with a Halloween theme?

I would but hesitantly in case a SW round is in the works...

I just want to give everyone a heads up that I am going to be AFK starting next weekend for 2 weeks, so if you *do* want to get a swap of any sort going - especially something on the complicated or unusual side, I strongly suggest starting it asap.

 

And when I get back, I'm going to start up a bath and body products traveling swap box.

YAY! Awesome idea -B&B products seem to pile up, and they are something that can be sampled hygienically I'd be in for that!

Sadly...I would need help with a theme. But the dollar limit would be between $10 and $20. You can do alot of damage with that kind of cash from the Dollar store.

 

 

So true. Sounds great! I'm in, if you do it. For theme, you could do... zombie apocalypse Or, more realistically, a vacation themed one,or picnic, fair, summer blockbuster?

Mojomomma had suggested a flipflop swap a ways back, so a 'day at the beach' theme could incorporate that?

I don't know... But woo, Dollar Swap!

Okay, zombie apocalypse sounds awesome - we could get sterno, and camping supplies, etc.. heehee

Hmmm...this is going to sound weird and....well....none of these scents work on my skin, meaning none of the ones I can wear are here...wonder if someone will make a new one

 

I was actually just wondering the same... if we could do this again, but with some different GCs/ recent LEs. How would you structure the poll for this? I've never used the forum's poll thingy, so am utterly clueless here.

 

After the data is gathered though, it's simply a matter of some spreadsheet magic.

 

Which oils would we even want on a new poll?

I might suggest to add some with notes that a lot of people don't like (like vetiver, lol, one of the good ones for me)...along with popular favorites. It seems to me, I'm just enough of an alien to not be able to wear *many* of the ones raved about....my best notes are orris, vetiver, white musk, incense (a'la The High Priest), violet, sage, chamomile, clove, currant, honey, and light leather, and what's saddest is I can't seem to wear hardly any BPAL floral notes, or basic wood notes. In other oils I can wear jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom, sandlewood, fir, and pine.

So, blahblahblah...sorry about the ramble.

Hmmm...this is going to sound weird and....well....none of these scents work on my skin, meaning none of the ones I can wear are here...wonder if someone will make a new one

oohh that sounds really great! I want to see it too.

I'd be up for that swap....however, I REALLY want to do a JUST CRAFT SUPPLY de-stashing swap. I'm talking totally random stuff - for those of us who have a HUGE stash and need to get rid of stuff they haven't used in years or stuff that was purchased on sale and never used - I have probably a moving box full of this stuff.

BPAL, why oh why tease me with these scents...

It smells fabulous and bottle-worthy when first applied, but quickly morphs into a super-duper hotel soap mess! not cheapo hotel soap, but still, where did all that luxury disappear to??

..then it just fades away to nothing...

Yet another disappointment...I wanted to try this because the notes reminded me of Blood Kiss, which works well for me....

However, the chocolate and orange blossom are fighting each other, and the cherry is leaving a decidedly artificial note on my skin...

after a short while it turns to a plastiky orange blossom cherry smell that reminds me shockingly of the plastic artificial flowers my grandma had in her bathroom when I was a little kid!

Oh BPAL, how fickle your scents are.