Christmas in the Country is Back!

Jamie and I are happy to announce that Christmas in the Country is BACK for 2015! We received wonderful feedback from past participants and just could not see not hosting Christmas in the Country (CITC) again. So here we go! Year three of this fun gift exchange between agriculture/farming/county bloggers.

Last year we enlisted the help of Erin and Robyn. They were fantastic and brought so much to the exchange. Thank you Erin and Robyn! So not to over whelm them and to spread the exposure around a bit, this year we have asked Lara and Kirby to give us a hand. They are both past participants and are very excited to see behind the scenes of CITC.

Lara comes to us from the blog My Other More Exciting Self. She is a shoe enthusiasts, farm raised, boy mom from Minnesota. Her whit and charm are just two of her many wonderful qualities.

Kirby comes to us from the blog 15009 Farmhouse. She is country gal who lives in the heart of Missouri. Kirby and her farmer recently completed the building of their new home. Her gift for design and the gathering together of friends and family is second to none.

Between the four of us, we will organize and coordinate Christmas in the Country. If at any time you have questions, please let one of us know! You will be able to contact us at the bottom of this post. Now, if you are new to CITC, here is a quick run down of how this all works:

• Christmas in the Country is an annual gift exchange for Agriculture Bloggers.  It is a great way to get to know bloggers across the country and engage with others who have the same interests as you. We all need a little boost during the holidays and connecting with others who know about our lifestyle can help in so many ways. This is a secret exchange. You will not know who has your name until you receive your gift. Suggested gift value is between $15 and $25.

• Sign up begins November 20th and ends November 30th. To sign up YOU HAVE to fill out a form giving us some basic information about yourself. This basic information, your email address and your mailing address with be shared with your secret blogger. You in turn will receive the same information on another blogger.

• All gifts need to be sent by December 15th to ensure delivery before the holidays. There is no exception to this!! Once you have received your gift, reach out to your person through email, their blog or social media to tell them you received it and to thank them. The co-hosts will also want to know that your package was sent and that you then received one as well.

• You will receive the name and information of who you will be sending a gift to on December 1st. Once you have your blogger’s name, then you can begin to learn about them through their blog! While we highly encourage local and homemade gifts, the most important part is to think of a gift that is a great match for your person. The more creative and personal the better!!

• On January 5th-12th we then ask that you share a blog post about what you received and what you learned while participating in CITC. Once you receive your gift, please contact your gift giver and thank them for your gift, but hold off on posting until after the holidays. There will be a link-up available for everyone to go to so that all of the participants can see the gift reveals.

My favorite part of CITC is the connections made and the ideas shared through this exchange. From the little things of getting a great gift idea, to learning something new about a fellow blogger, to seeing the friendships that are started and that continue through the years.

You may of noticed that there are a few changes to this years exchange. We are keeping this year to only bloggers. We love the past participation of our Agvocates! Thank you Ladies! This idea has caught on in other circles and we know that there are now several gift exchanges/swaps to participate in. Also this year we are keeping it in the states. I know, we love our Canadian participants too! The rate for sending packages across the border just keeps increasing. We do hope they are able to form their own exchange and when they do, we want to hear all about it!

*One last thing before I go. We as hosts enjoy organizing and participating in Christmas in the Country. We enjoy getting to know all of the participants and getting to see the joy shared across the country. We do not, however enjoy hearing that a package was late or that a thank you was not sent or acknowledged. If you truly want to participate, then we expect you to participate fully. If you can not do that, then this exchange may not be for you.

Alright, mark your calendars for November 20th!! Sign-ups will open that morning and close the night of the 30th! Again if you have any questions, please let Jamie, Lara, Kirby or myself know.

Blessings to you,

Laurie – Country Link

Jamie – This Uncharted Rhoade – thisunchartedrhoade@gmail.com

Laurie – COUNTRY LINKed – laurie.link@gmail.com

Lara – My Other More Exciting Self – ldurben@charter.net

Kirby – 15009 Farmhouse – kirbylinebach@gmail.com