bday_packages

For those watching this community:

I have made a decision to chance the format of this community. I’m still going to place stars when you send something out, but I won’t remove anyone for not sending cards or gifts. They’ll still be placed on the Upcoming Birthdays List, but along with their names will be the chart showing participation, so that the members can decide who they do or do not want to send something to (Based off of their participation). Some people may not care that someone has not sent something for 6 months…some people do. It will be up to you. Of course, I will keep updating the member list so that anyone that leaves the community will be removed from the survey database.

Also, I’m going to have holiday swaps for Halloween & Christmas and maybe a few other themed swaps along the way.

I feel that changing the format will bring back the whole random surprises spirit that this community was built on.

So, if you would like to joing the community once again, please feel free! I look forward to seeing you!

Upcoming Birthdays

Surprise Me!

Calendar of All Birthdays

Geographical Directory

Who Is Participating?

U.S. Post Office

Possible Mailing Restrictions.

bday_packages is currently moderated by spiced_chai, who took over for peffkitten. spiced_chai intends to continue in peffkitten's footsteps, making this community fun, organized and productive.

The mod is not able to alter your surveys so if you need to change any information you must edit it yourself. While this is rare, the mod will delete posts if they feel it is necessary. This includes posts that advertise unrelated communities, posts that advertise unrelated websites or services, and posts that are designed to insult abuse or otherwise annoy our members.

If you would like to advertise your community in bday_packages, please ask permission from spiced_chai first.

Be nice to people in your posts and comments. Don't insult, flame, or argue with any members of the community. The people here are generally very helpful and polite, and bday_packages is a laid-back and friendly community. We don't like drama here. If you don't receive anything on your birthday, don't have a tantrum. Send out some more cards/packages and hopefully when next year rolls around you'll have a load of people willing to reciprocate.

Don't just wait to receive presents; you have to send some as well. Don't be a deadbeat- ie people who join two weeks before their birthdays, get some packages, and then leave without sending anything to other people, or even giving a thank you. This isn't to say you can't join right before your birthday, if that's when you find the community. However, stick around and give something back.

If you have a problem, leave a comment for the mod. Remember, we won't be notified of any changes you make to your survey, but if you have an important or urgent message you can either post in the community or email the mod directly. Be friendly and polite rather than flying off the handle. If you abandon your journal, you will be removed from the community and your survey will be deleted. If you are moving journals please make a post so the mod knows. You will have to re-post your survey under your new LJ name. Think of it as a good opportunity to update your wish-list.

Whenever you post in the community, please tag the entry according to relevance so that we keep things organized. Each entry will fall under the following tags:

- community questions (use this tag if you have any community related questions).

- general post (use this tag if you are posting a general entry, like wishing someone happy birthday).

- gift/card received (this tag should be used when you receive something/thank you posts).

- gift/card sent (this tag should be used when you send something out).

- have you received my gift(s) yet? (this tag is used when you haven't heard anything from the person that you've sent out a package/card to)

- new member survey (use this tag for all new member surveys)

A complete list of tags can be found on the sidebar of bday_packages layout or here.

Whenever you receive something, it is mandatory to post a thank you within the community. Besides, it's just good manners to let the sender know that its arrived. Your post should include the following:

1. The name of the person that sent you the card/gift.
2. A description of what you've received (pictures are always appreciated, under an lj-cut of course).
3. Use the "gift/card received" tag.

Saying thank you is a key part of participation and is just as important as sending.

By joining bday_packages, you are in no way guaranteed to receive anything (but we do our best!) People are more likely to send packages to members who are active and have a presence in the community, rather than someone who makes no effort to send anything to anyone.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the weeks leading up to your birthday, you will get a comment from the mod in your survey asking you if everything is up to date and to confirm that your LJ is still active. It's important that you reply to this as quickly as you can. If you do not reply to the reply, then the mod reserves the right to remove you from the community.

There are three directories that your survey will be listed in (just click on the members name to view their survey).

Upcoming Birthdays:
These are the people that should be receiving birthday goodies now. This is the list that you will always use when choosing members to send birthday goodies to. The only people added on this list are those who are active and participating this round, so please use this list only as your guide. It is updated at the beginning of each month.

Calendar of All Birthdays:
This is a list of all of the birthday surveys in the community. It is for general reference only. Please do not use this list as a guide for the current birthday members as I'm always updating and removing members. Always use the Upcoming Birthdays list.

Geographical Directory:
All birthday surveys are listed here according to geographic location. We have members all over the world, so you can also browse by continent and country. This is also used for general reference.

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When sending something out, it is mandatory that you make a post in the community. This post should contain the following information:

1. Whe members name(s) that you are mailing the birthday goodies to.
2. Whether it is a card or a package (or both).
3. Please use the "gift/card sent" tag.

This is so the person receiving the card/gift is aware that something is on the way to them. This is also important because at the end of each month a list is posted showing who sent out packages. The members of bday_packages pay close attention to who's participating!

spiced_chai will remove those who have not been active for three consecutive months.

No, you don't have to send something to everyone. We are all aware that everyone is not rich and leisured. However, if you choose not to send stuff out, people won't want to send stuff to you. Even a handmade birthday card can make someone's day!

Remember, some countries have restrictions on what you can send there. A list of these restrictions can be found here. (Thanks to jessika_marie for the link!)

If/when you leave the community please, let spiced_chai know (you can make a post or leave a comment). It helps out immensely.

After you've been accepted, you must post your survey information in the community, so spiced_chai can add you to the birthday directories, but also so the other members have access to your likes and dislikes when it comes to your birthday month.

Posting a survey is not an option. spiced_chai will remove those members that have not posted their survey at the end of each month, in her efforts to keep the community updated and running smooth.

Important! Please make the post friends only, so other people can't see your address. (If you aren't comfortable including your address, then please at least list the country you live in, and give us an e-mail address to contact you with.)

Also, please place all surveys under an lj-cut to keep the place tidy! It's a good idea to add the survey to your memories, so you can find it quickly if there's a problem. You're allowed to change the information here whenever you like. You don't need to tell the mod unless you're changing something important - like what country you live in!

The survey! (Again, please put this behind an lj-cut. Delete the notes in [square brackets], they're just for guidance!)

Username:

Name:

Age:

Birthday: [eg Jan 1st 1985 - please write the month out in full]

List some of your favourite snack foods and candies:

List any snack foods and candies or flavors you absolutely hate:

List some of your favorite scents: [for lotions, candles, incense etc]

List any things you cannot accept: [include allergies, food intolerances, whether you have a vegan/vegetarian or other specific diet, and anything you can't accept for moral/ethical/religious reasons]

List anything you collect or any colors/patterns you love:

List any type of arts and crafts you do:

List some of your favorite activities and/or hobbies:

List your favorite music genres/bands etc: [for mix CD purposes]

List the kinds of jewelry you wear: [type, color, material, include sizes if applicable]

List the kinds of make-up you wear:

Your shirt size: [S/M/L is Ok, if you want to be more specific eg "size 14" that's good too, but remember we have members from all over the world so make it as clear as possible!]

Breed, names, and ages of any pets:

Any wishlists?: [Most of our members use Amazon, another good site is thethingsiwant. If you have one, make sure you keep it up to date!]

Additional Information (including opinions on 2nd hand items): [tell us if you have a strong opinion about accepting second-hand, used, or hand-made items, clothes, food and so on... Also if you're looking for penpals then here's a good place to mention it]

Address: [INCLUDE YOUR COUNTRY! Even if you think it's obvious, remember we have members from all over the world]

IMPORTANT: When you post your survey, please use our list of tags and add the tag that says "new member survey," the tag that corresponds with your country, the month that you were born and any tags that represent things that you really enjoy. If your country is not listed in the tag list, just let me know and I will add it immediately. :)

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The following members of bday_packages have yet to post a survey and will be removed from the community at the end of the month as spiced_chai updates the community:

December:
30th - snapexprincess

First of all - you have to join the community. Again, anyone can join, regardless of your age or when your birthday is; or wherever in the world you live. We would prefer it if you added bday_packages to your friends list (you can use a filter if you’d like) so you keep up to date with new developments (and there definitely will be updates and important mod posts during various times of the month).

After you join a request will be sent to spiced_chai. This is just to keep track of who is joining. You will usually be accepted to the community within a week. You don't need to send more than one request, and please do not send email if you haven't been added instantly.