Upcoming Birthdays

Calendar of All Birthdays

Geographical Directory

Who's 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 you 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. It also lists the new members that have yet to post a survey.

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.

Who's Participating?
A complete list of bday_packages members are listed here. At the end of each month, if you have sent out a card or gift, you will receive a star for the corresponding month. Members may want to use this as a guide when sending out cards/gifts to see who is actively participating within the community.

---

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 during the year.

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. :)

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.

Big thanks to Cindy (snowsung) for the surprise B-Day package yesterday! :) It contained a thoughtful letter on stationery with hearts of my 3 fave colors -- purple, green and blue, plus 3 gifts! They were a box of chocolate & almond Pocky (I've already eaten some! YUM), a package of Hachimitsu Boro (I ate some of that too, heavenly!) and a cool and colorful puzzle pen, whose colours I haven't twisted yet! *chuckle* BTW, I've been wondering ever since I got my pet rats, whether they'd like Hachimitsu balls. Well, I just found out -- THEY LOVE THEM! ;D Then again, they like most things that are crunchy and sweet! So, thank you from me AND from Blueberry and Jellybean!

Yay!! I finally dropped a package in the mail today for sonacry. Of course, there won't be mail pickup until Tuesday because of the holiday, and I'm late sending this to begin with, so my gifts will be VERY belated! *blush* Sorry about that, Kat! I hope you had a grrrrreat B-Day, and that you enjoy your surprises! :) :D

Now you should all be able to see the new tags that I've added.

Remember, let me know if there are any interests that I've missed, or tags that you think should be added.

:)

hey guys and dolls i updated my post some.. i read it over and it made me sound like a snob so i fixed it.. eyes on her mailbox heh..
becca

I think I got a quick thank you to everyone on their posts, but I just had to come back and post pictures :)

( pepernoot )

( scaryshari )

( memoryanddream )

( songtoisis )

I just sent cards to autumns_lioness, luv_minerva and dont_deny_me.

I've received a lovely card and some fun stickers from shirleycr and a card and some much needed stationary from mz_glorybox. Thank you both so SO much!

It's almost midnight, but I feel so embarrassed and lame that it's taken me so long to write down who sent me what for my B-Day, and to take pictures, that I told myself I'd FINALLY do it tonight, even if I have to stay up all night! *blush* *chuckle* And so, here are the individual thank-yous first (in alphabetical order), followed by the pix!

BTW, I can't even recall who the person is who uses this flailing Kermit icon, but I hope you don't mind if I use here, just this once? :) I have 112 icons but this is THE most appropriate right now!!!! LOL

capurecitaroja sent me 3 pair of socks (green stripes, blue squares and cute cherries), a Colbie Caillat "Coco" CD she burned and a magnetic sculpture set that happens to be something I've wanted for a long time!
catfever7 sent me a festive B-Day card with a CONFETTI surprise!
doriana186 sent me the cool stuff I mentioned in this post (sorry, I'm soooo tired right now that I don't want to type more than I have to)!
excessexcess sent me a very snazzy B-Day card!
lush_autumn sent me The Meaning of Trees, an awesome book from my Amazon.com wish list!
memoryanddream, my B-Day twin, sent me a card and a beautiful handcrafted Celtic Tree of Life pendant of green aventurine. Her jewelry biz, which I just have to give a plug to, is Phoenix Fire Designs.
mz_glorybox sent me a handmade envelope that contained a nice note, some spookey kawaii-style stationery and some cute stickers!
pinkybeat sent me a nice letter, a DVD of videos from the 1980s (wow!), some tiny, adorable clay rat/mouse figures (major wow!), a pair of amethyst chip earrings and a flower note pad.
shirleycr sent me a card, some cute stickers and a lovely purple orchid photo (did you take that yourself?)
songtoisis sent me a Tree-Free Greetings card and an adorable set of acorn salt & pepper shakers!
willowwand sent me a yummy kawaii-style cupcake B-Day card, a TON of super-cute kawaii stationery and stickers, and a pair of pretty drop earrings.

YOU ALL ROCK! THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU MADE THIS A FANTASTIC B-DAY! *HUGS*

( And now, click for the awesomeness of the photos! )

I just got my stuff out of my post office box for the first time all month on Monday and I wanted to thank scaryshari for the fun package. She included some marshmallow candy, a "pen" that writes candy onto "paper" that's edible, a mix cd, a little sticky pad of the letter "M" and even some cat toys for my kitty girls.

Thank you so much birthday twin! :)

just a random comment: my grandfather turned 74 today! <3

I'll be mailing some stuff for June babies soon... hope you guys are Art fans! =)

By the way i forgot to mention... did alittle bit of tweaking in my survey..

and since its a bday site.. my mom turned 50 today! =)