Unofficial Meh Exchange 2025 - Reveal Thread

@djslack the good part (or sad part depending on your perspective) is it was all lying around my house.

@kykazaa
I feel your pain! Other than a special gift for my exchange partner’s pet it’s all stuff that was already in my posession… (I shudder to think what that says about my “collection” of things.)

@eddiegordo Glad you enjoyed opening it!

@chienfou

Hope to get it posted …

i.e. mailed… Not talking about posting to this thread.

@rcwbbb I have no clue what’s on the starbucks card. my landlord gives them every yule, and i don’t go there, so another surprise.

And look at the brand on the clips, i had to laugh.

I use the small bottles for single serving condiments. If you don’t pack a lunch maybe less usable.

@Cerridwyn Did not notice before. IKEA. I was at a Home Show one year and IKEA was handing out cards for free goodies at their store. I ended up with a set of 4 mugs I can’t use so I’ll have to find a place to regift.

Thanks for how to use the small jars. I don’t pack a lunch on a regular basis since I’m retired but I do pack a lunch occasionally so good suggestion. And I do steal those little packets of ketchup or mayonnaise when I’m out as well.

Also, I have the Starbucks app on my tablet so I’ll add the card. P.S. Just so you know, in the right hand corner on the back, it says Initial Value $10 and I called Starbucks to confirm. $10 will be good for 1-1/2 Frappuccinos, my go to drink.

@Cerridwyn @rcwbbb You opened your box at the library?

@Cerridwyn @Kyeh Very observant. I have a small place and no room to lay all this stuff out. Fortunately the library is only six blocks away.

@Cerridwyn @rcwbbb Libraries are great for many purposes!

@Cerridwyn @Kyeh @rcwbbb Not going to lie… I’m old and at first glance I thought it was a Blockbuster

@capnjb @Cerridwyn @Kyeh That is hilarious. . It certainly was not a RadioShack. The other alternative was Starbucks. They’re three blocks away.

@rcwbbb
Wow what a great box. Some many cool goodies.

@Star2236 You can thank @Cerridwyn for this fantastic collection.

@metaphore Glad you liked it! I know some of the items were pretty random

@firetiger725 @metaphore A Lego set, score! My neighbor has a chihuly piece, it’s really nice. I would be afraid to go in my living room if I had one.

@firetiger725 @metaphore @sammydog01 Not a TrackR, acrylic paint, cell phone accessory, mask, broken bidet, or universal car charger in sight! Score on pictures of Mt. Rainier and Chihuly. Grew up in that area.

@rcwbbb
Lol I was going to include a car/phone accessory I had lying around, but the box didn’t have enough space

Yeah Washington is a beautiful state; I’m glad I had the opportunity to visit last Labor Day weekend!

@pakopako
Who sent your box?

@Star2236 …

How would I find that out? (Without posting their actual name and return address)

@pakopako @Star2236 I was the sender…did see your wish list but had that mop from a previous IRK and it was never used, so glad you can use it.

/giphy I love mop

There’s also a very NSFW comic from OGLAF that also contains a mopping joke (titled “Housework”)

Geez, I was expecting to get this picture out Tuesday… I didn’t think I meant next Tuesday.
(Not pictured: the Six Million Dollars… And possibly something I may have already ate this past week… seriously, now I’m missing whole weeks?)

Again, thanks @cbilyak and @star2236 for a great event.

If only Elfster were a little easier to navigate.

@pakopako @Star2236 the 2 non Christmas socks are compression socks. I used to run before my hips went bad so I still have a stash of compression socks (unused), love them but I don’t go thru them as fast these days.

@cbilyak I figured. I’ve got duck/Hobbit feet so I’ve had compression leggings; when I have the courage (and once I’ve finished sewing the rump rip on my old jeans), I’m going to try to see if I can turn these compression socks into compression leggings too (likely cut above the able 5 then cross-stitch the cuff)

@cbilyak @pakopako
Ain’t that the truth.

Oops missed the c off…

THANK YOU @gt0163c !!!

@gt0163c @OnionSoup I love that clock! Glad your daughter is back home.
The cat toys are super cute!

@gt0163c @Kyeh @OnionSoup
Very cool.

Oh… and I should add… it appears there is a 4th part of my gift coming… noticed on Elfster that it says it is arriving either later this month or early March… I guess maybe backordered… so I’ll be updating this space in a few weeks!

Lol…
The day after writing it would be a few weeks it shows up ok my doorstep. I will find out tonight when I get home.

@gt0163c YAY!

Perfect timing… Arrived on same day we played our across the park rivals. Liverpool socks.

@OnionSoup Woo-hoo! I’m glad they arrived. I hope they make your feed comfy and happy and that your favorite team wins!

@UpbeatDuck Twas me! Sorry I didn’t add a note to the box, I was preoccupied with getting it out the door, plus about a dozen other things going on at the time.

Gruff Coffee is a hyper-local nano batch coffee roaster. They focus on a data-driven approach to tasting and quality. Each batch is hand roasted with the utmost care and vigilance…
Ok, ok, it’s just me roasting in my basement with a Huky roaster and a laptop, but I hope it’s enjoyed by whoever gets to share it!

I had never heard of Superfight, although it looks hilarious. I saw it and immediately thought it would be fun for anyone, but I’m so glad you’re already familiar!

I hope you enjoy all the goodies!

@kykazaa
Omg what a fun box. As a foodie, I love to go into different grocery stores in different states to see what I can find. This is the perfect example. I hope you enjoy.

@kykazaa One of the rare cases you can be happy to get something from the Butt.

@kykazaa another fantastic box!

@rcwbbb
Buc-ees has 2 stops in AL now… Whoohoo!
One in Auburn is my new ‘headed back from the Atlanta airport’ stop-for-gas location. Good gas price, a gazillion pumps (plus lots of EV chargers) and their signature super-clean restrooms. Beaver nuggets anyone?

@chienfou Finally looked at their website. Live in Austin area but ran into them on my trip to Dallas. Go to SeaWorld in San Antonio occasionally since I have a season pass. Saw Buc-ees has stores down there so I’ll make a special effort to find them.

Interestingly, 2024 American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Buc-ees #3 behind QuikTrip #2 and Wawa #1. This despite Buc-ees having the cleanest bathrooms in America.

WORKER BEES! HERCULES! TURKEY GREASE! AWESOME!

@josegarciajr
Wow that’s a lot of stuff stuffed into that box. You got some great stuff. That mask cracks me up.

@josegarciajr Haha! I didn’t know that Eagles were a sportsball team, much less that they were in the megawhateverbowl. Pure coincidence. The black pouch is a belt pouch for a pistol, but can be used for whatever.

@Pony You know, when I sent you stuff a few years ago and I included a Magpul sticker, you commented that you liked it because you tricked out your AR with Magpul stuff. I honestly wasn’t sure if you were serious or not. I’m starting to think you were

@capnjb Oh, I absolutely was.

@Pony Heh, I’m actually wearing a Magpul shirt right now. QUALITY GO-BANG PARTS. MADE IN THE USA

@capnjb Nice!

@josegarciajr that’s an epic box! Wtg @pony!

@sillyheathen I was SO hoping I’d get your name! Would have changed the contents of the box some, but I guarantee it would have been hella good.

@Pony ha! Same. There were a handful of people I was hoping to get but sadly not this time. Maybe we can do another one in the summer.

@Pony spectacular box

@Pony @sillyheathen Well you could always do a private exchange.

@Kidsandliz @sillyheathen Ha! Already in the works.

@Pony @sillyheathen there’s something I sent my recipient that I know some specific people on here would absolutely love… I’m hoping my recipient will too… But they may think “what’s this trash” instead… Lol.

@bigcurmudgeon Dang- nice (and useful!) selection of random goods!

@bigcurmudgeon
Those Gouda pretzel sticks looks yummy.

@Star2236 I keep forgetting to stuff them in my lunch box to take to work. If I open them at home, I’ll never get to try any!

@bigcurmudgeon I am so glad it got there safe and that you liked everything! It was so much fun shopping for random. Also you’ll have to let me know how the pretzels are!

@blazespirit I opened the pretzels while the kids were at school today, and they were great! They were definitely very cheesy, and the smoky flavor came through very well. 10/10, would binge again.

@chienfou
please forgive the mis-numbered list. I did that as an afterthought then ran out of edit time!
/giphy doh

@chienfou
Love the rubber band shooter, haven’t seen those since I’ve been a kid.

@chienfou @Star2236 Yes we used to have rubber band shooters as kids too. Probably now outlawed due to begin dangerous.

@Kidsandliz @Star2236
This actually seems like it is a rubberband powered gun. I think you pull back the red part on the back and when you let it go it launches a round object that loads into the front of the gun (there’s a hole there).

@Kidsandliz @Star2236
Still no luck trying to Google the name or picture.

@chienfou @Star2236

I just googled kid’s toy to shoot rubber bands. I got numerous hits although didn’t search long enough to find this exact one nor look through images. I did see you can buy 300 rubber bands for the rubber band guns for $13 and loose change. I am sure more than one kid has been hit in the eye with one of these.

Here is a way to shoot them using just your fingers as the gun:

On a side note I had round sewing elastic hanging from a nail over a door. It was almost to the floor with a cat toy attached. My cats would take the toy in their mouth, walk backwards with it and let go chasing it while it danced back and forth. Until… once it somehow came off the nail when the cat had fully pulled it back and she still had the toy in her mouth. She was hit in the face. Never did it again and neither did the other cats. They loved that toy until that incident. Only I and the one cat that got hit was present when it happened. Clearly cats communicated the danger to each other. Cats are smart. They gave it wide birth going through that door until I finally took it down.

@chienfou @Star2236 Yes pulling back and letting go send everything flying but would launch the red thing. That looks so safe Of course these are the kinds of things kids played with all the time before the 80’s or so when no one tried to make toys safe from all the stupid things kids did and after they did them said, “Opps. A good thing nothing bad happened this time and mom didn’t see that”. And then, of course, most kids would do it again.

@Kidsandliz @Star2236
I’m virtually certain that’s not how that works. The plunger is way too long for that to be the anticipated method of launching.


Maybe @readnj can clue us in??

@chienfou @Kidsandliz @Star2236
I won’t be of official help because that’s how I got it with nothing. So far my only theory is it’s great for spitballs and if you pull it back it makes the shot noise like shooting a gun. It probably should work with any tiny pellet but I bear no responsibility for shooting your eye out …

@chienfou @readnj @Star2236 That is what I was going to guess. You put something in the barrel, pulled back on the plunger now that I see there is a plunger, let go and it shoots out of the barrel anything you put in there. If that is the case I’d suspect teachers in the 50’s and 60’s had quite a supply of these taken off of kids in the classroom. I know we’d just shoot spitballs with rubberband “slingshots” .

@chienfou

@chienfou
Check for your package before the porch pirates hit! UPS says it’s delivered.

@Cerridwyn

And a cool note from the giver. Thanks again

@Cerridwyn Nice, I buy from Sweet Maria’s all the time. They are a solid coffee house.

@Cerridwyn i need to not type on y phone

@eddiegordo

@Cerridwyn
Very nice, I love when people send stuff from their hometown, I think those are the best kind of gifts. Also the home roasted coffee is very nice.

@Cerridwyn no prob on the username - honestly, “gorfo” has a nice ring. Happy sipping!

POPSOCKETS! COURT DOCKETS! FOLK ROCK HITS! AWESOME!

@melanie413 I’m so glad you like everything and happy to share my addictions… Lush, Penzey’s and BlueQ. I tried to include stuff from stores you didn’t have in your area. The purple stuff and tea is from Daiso, a Japanese dollar store. Also I’m a purple fan too. those shears are the best kitchen shears ever. They cut everything! Including metal. I’m happy that Irk has found a good home.

@melanie413 oh and the purple kitchen scrubbie is virtually indestructible. You can even put in the dishwasher to clean it.

@ironcheftoni i love it all!!! My friend who is also obsessed with Wicked is super jealous. I also put together the BOC and it is sitting on my nightstand. Thanks again!!!

@melanie413 holy bananaboats @ironcheftoni you knocked that sucker out of the park!!!

@melanie413
What an unbelievably cool box. I love Penzys and blue q.

@steeltoesenator so sorry to hear about your mom. Safe travels.

@ironcheftoni @steeltoesenator No worries about anything. Go take care of what you need to. I’ve felt that sting recently… taking care of you and yours is the most important thing. Go spend as much time with your mom that you can. I’m sorry.

@capnjb @ironcheftoni @steeltoesenator
Hospice is an incredible service. I used them with Mom twice. First time they were able to improve her situation enough that they had to discharge her…Whoohoo!
Second time was the last week at the end of her life. They were a remarkable resource and made a huge difference in how that whole process unfolded. Hope your journey with them is as good a one as mine was. BTW @kyeh can vouch for them as well.

@steeltoesenator
I hope your mom gets all the help see needs. I know from personal and recent experiences what a tuff time this can be, make sure to take care of yourself too. You can always use this site to vent to no one just to get it out as it was helpful to me just to get things out recently when I didn’t want to talk to family. Sometimes talking to strangers is easier than talking to people you know. Safe travels.

@DLPanther maybe related to you meh name?

@DLPanther the white bowls are food / water bowls

@DLPanther @joebuddah
That’s cool…Were you the ‘gifter’?

@chienfou @DLPanther Yes. I’m going to send you more for you shelter you volunteer at

@chienfou @DLPanther @joebuddah
That’s cool to have have disposable bowls at the shelter.

@joebuddah ah ok, bowls! The feral program will like those. Thanks for the box!

@djslack yay - glad it all made it safely! And cool story about the Dymo! I almost didn’t include it because i thought it was just a little random, but then i figured that’s Meh!

@djslack @ybmuG
Love the wine glasses.

@djslack @Star2236 Right? I saw those and said “I don’t know who, but SOMEBODY’s getting these in the next exchange!”

@djslack @ybmuG I needed to label a water bottle recently and was ecstatic to discover that they still make the old style Dymo embossers. You can even get a set of fluorescent colored tape at Amazon. It was one of my favorite things as a child too. (Yes I bought one and all the colors.)

@misfitsintoylnd great box and that is one of my favorite tea flavors!!! Can we see what the tea set looks like?

@misfitsintoylnd Glad it got there! That North Face jacket… that was from a BOC at that other site, hope it fits someone.

@misfitsintoylnd @tinamarie1974 They are Sanrio Hello Kitty from the Flower Festival.
There is a plate, tea cup and bowl with the same pattern.

@misfitsintoylnd
An aero garden! I’ve wanted one of those for years. What’s in the box under the ornaments and ceramic set?

@Vrysen I’ve got a friend that can wear it! And I love the Sanrio set so much!

@Star2236 it’s a drone!

@misfitsintoylnd @Vrysen oh I love it!!! So very cute

@misfitsintoylnd @tinamarie1974 @Vrysen so cute!

DIPLOMAT! RAT-A-TAT! FAT CAT! AWESOME!

@missmessye I love that @onionsoup sent onion soup!

Oh and @onionsoup I particularly liked your “calling card” of the actual onion soup packet! You scamp!

@missmessye yay! Glad you enjoyed it and glad Irk made it in one piece, I was worried about him. I broke the first one dropping him off the table so had to reprint him in a slightly tougher plastic.

@OnionSoup I am so impressed that you made him, wow! Thank you again for a really wonderful box, I am just thrilled. I can’t stop admiring my gorgeous bracelets and stuffing my face with the treats. The lollipops are really interesting I love them!

@missmessye @OnionSoup So that’s the special creation that’s been hinted at - a cool green Irk figurine! Incredible!

@missmessye @OnionSoup Was he done in resin? Or a 3D printed thing in PLA? Do you have a .stl file or something similar you could share?

@missmessye thank you… Was a lot of fun building and putting together.

@capnjb @missmessye the original was PLA, but I broke that accidentally knocking it off the table. I reprinted in PETG to be a little tougher to survive shipping. I’m still very new to 3D printing and Irk is by the most ambitious thing I’ve done in CAD. Ive since learnt a few ways to make him stronger and more realistic. Only three of him in existence at the moment. Plan on making him posable next.

@capnjb @OnionSoup holy cow I am honored to be the custodian of this magical totem! I will cherish it and it will be the perfect as the newest member of my “Three Wise Men” indoor jungle!

@capnjb @missmessye @OnionSoup I like his big feet and his cute lil tush.

@capnjb @missmessye @OnionSoup @kyeh so cute!!

@OnionSoup well done!! They look great!

@OnionSoup @tinamarie1974
They sure do look great! I’m thinking you might be on to something here, a little side business or something…

@missmessye @OnionSoup I have a spool of TPU that I haven’t opened yet. My daughter is in an engineering program, and she is designing a chain guard for a mechanically driven wheelchair that allows folks to go a bit off road. It is chain driven so clothing and/or fingers can get caught in the gears (it’s mostly used for children). I have some carbon fiber stuff but kiddo says it needs to be flexible and not rigid, so I got the TPU. She is about 6 prototypes in and when it’s done, she’ll try printing with the TPU. But right now, I’m just stealing all the printer time for a Vader build

edit - I have a long way to go but it’s coming together

@capnjb @missmessye that is pretty awesome, did you 3D model that yourself?

PANS! GLANDS! CRAYONS! AWESOME!

@capnjb I hate working with TPU, probably because Im new and doing something wrong, but the extruder always loses hold of the filament requiring me to reload it every 15 mins, and the model is always weaker where I reloaded… and I get stringing issues with TPU, although I suspect that might be a temperature issue… Of course, I’ve got the smallest, cheapest printer on the market… Lol. I do plan on upgrading to multicolour printing in the future though.

@Lynnerizer @OnionSoup @tinamarie1974
What a great box! Your questions were fine, that’s what I’m here for.

@OnionSoup I’ve got a Bambu X1 Carbon with the AMS system. It just works automagically. It’s also cloud based so my kid can actually start a print from her phone at school if she is working on a project. I do have multiple sizes of extruders and I from what I’ve read, I’ll probably install the largest (I think it’s .8mm) when I try to print with TPU. I’ve got to say, I love this printer. And EVERYTHING is replaceable… and pretty cheap. I was recently having issues with the LIDAR sensor and I was looking into the cost and process to fix it. It was about $60 for the part and repair probably would have taken less than an hour. A little more looking around and I realized I had just lubricated the Z-axis screws and a piece of filament came off the print bed and got stuck against the screws and was preventing the bed from aligning with the extruder and the LIDAR. Five minutes of cleanup and everything was back in action.

edit - And no… I didn’t design it. I found it here: https://galacticarmory.net/

@capnjb mine is a Bambu too… The A1 mini. Have had it less than a month, but love how easy it makes getting into the hobby. Must admit, I haven’t tried the larger extruders with TPU. I’ve got .2, .4, and .6 and use the .4 for almost everything.

I designed some “humanoid-cat” (minifigs with cat head/tail and more catlike body) legos and used .2 for them because found with .4 the joints weren’t accurate enough and were either too loose or too tight. Haven’t used the .6 yet.

@OnionSoup So far, I’ve used the .4 almost exclusively. I’ve had it over a year and early on I did something terribly wrong and wrecked the extruder. I’m still not sure what happened but I had a spare nozzle and I was able to replace the part quickly. I’m a technical guy, but I was sure I had ruined it. It was such an easy fix to replace the hot end. Every time I order filament from them, I also go to the spare parts page and add a thermistor, ceramic heater, or other random part just in case

@Star2236 Maybe @narfcake or @Ignorant can help since they’re mods?

@Ignorant @Kyeh @narfcake @Star2236 Mine is inbound. It was supposed to arrive yesterday, but the DC area got a little bit of snow and no one in this area knows what to do with that so it looks like it will be arriving tomorrow.

It’s cold waiting here by the mailbox

@capnjb @Ignorant @Kyeh @narfcake
Yeah we had a snowstorm Thursday and have another one moving in this weekend.

@Star2236 many apologies to my mehelf. Apparently when you change your password on elfster, it wipes out your contact information and I didn’t know that.

@ironcheftoni
I sent them your shipping info, I’m on top of things.

@capnjb @Ignorant @Kyeh @narfcake @Star2236 same over here. We had 3-4” and Portland metro panicked and shut down. Our roads were pretty clear and stores were closing due to snow and ice. It’s bananas.

@Star2236 If you do end up with someone who was ghosted (I’ve been there before) let me know. I don’t have much left over but I could probably scrape together a small box so they don’t get a nothing pie.

@capnjb @Star2236 I can send another box as well.

@capnjb @ironcheftoni @Star2236 I hear some fool a fellow forumite wants more crap?

@OldCatLady It’s ramen time!!!

@OldCatLady I have irk envy.

@OldCatLady
Your gifter was @tohar1 what cool box.

@OldCatLady
Those “You absolutely suck at parking” cards to leave on windshields are hilarious!

@OldCatLady @Star2236 Here I am & I am @tohar1! Hope the box at least made you smile. I found those Bob Ross chopsticks at Menards of all places. When I saw them, I knew I had to have some for the next gift exchange & you were the lucky recipient! Again, hope some of the stuff made you smile!

@mbersiam Nice! I am all about supporting food banks. That’s really kind of cool. If you’ve ever known what it is to be truly hungry, that’s something that never leaves you. It is humbling.

@Pony How perfect for you!

@Pony
I love the socks and the upside down traffic light keychain. I like little things like that.

@Pony haha those socks are great!

@joebuddah nice box!!! Well done @chienfou

@chienfou @tinamarie1974
So as I was updating I hit the wrong button and it cleared my list.

Pressure cooker - Add Queen quip here
MFi flash drive
I-clean monitor cleaning liquid
String bluetooth smart lights
screw in smart light builb speaker combo
wine keeper
wire keeper

A DIY Pasta drop… Amazing

Silcon pot holders
cat treats

Shallow hal dvd
hitch dvd

Custom note pads

A quick wallet
AAA batteries - You can never have enough batteries
A nifty tape dispenser

Phils magical smoked oil

A trakR I actually ran out and just lost my last one

A gracho DVD

PH printer paper
printable postcards

An IDE hard drive,

@joebuddah
Glad you like the crap stuff I sent. Most was laying around the house/shop. Some (pasta & cat treats) were purchased for your box. Most was new/unused stuff. Some was just for fun (HDD with (mehbe) crypto-wallet). Hope you didn’t find the obvious personal touches I gleaned from a bit of cyber-sleuthing too creepy. I figured after over 10 yrs here you would be good with it. Hope the (included) extra batteries are still good for your ‘new’ Tracker!
Memo pads and smoked olive oil are obviously made-to-order by moi.

Enjoy!

PS Smokey (MY box loving cat approves of that last pic .)

@chienfou @joebuddah
Wow, you got hooked up. I love the diy pasta kit. I wish I would have thought of that lol

@chienfou Very cool that you can make those! Actually I’m super impressed with your sleuthing skills.

Thanks again for an awesome box

DIPLOMAT! RAT-A-TAT! FAT CAT! AWESOME!

@mediocrebot
YW
BTW if you hadn’t already noticed only the first page of the to do list pad is pre-printed with that list.

@mehhhhname turn your phone sideways

I want to know how from my very ridiculous wishlist, you curated something that was so on point and sparked so much joy! Magic! I’m grateful!
![All the items together][1]
[1]:

![These peacock storage boxes are so beautiful in person, and they stack inside each other like matroshka dolls. Look at the glamorous clasps!][2]
[2]:

![Gotta have a tech item - this pocket charger looks super useful! Also - gotta have random for an irk - this Inflatable pillow for camping/hiking fits that bill, but also useful. And forget me not seeds! I know exactly where in the garden these can go!][4]
[4]:

![This herb puller and dicer will massively come in handy! They’re so annoying to chop manually!
And This vintage perfume from the legendary robert piguet! This was a showstopper for me! I was so in awe and it’s still sealed so I was really torn on whether it would be blasphemy to open. But, after googling and being unable to find the scent profile for this blend, I caved! I LOVE it! It’s an herbal grassy base with floral and some powder on top. Fresh, feminine, and unique! After the floral powdery fades, it’s a really unique leather scent.][5]
[5]:

I also found this fun, very random history about the original blend, Bandit. Peep the line about

According to the Perfume Shrine, “it was this occasion that prompted
Germaine Cellier to grab the models’ knickers after they had walked
the catwalk, reputedly studying their scent in an effort to ‘capture
the best of their femininity’ for the couturier’s first foray into
fragrance. Whether she did and how one defines femininity in the first
place is food for thought.”

https://akafkaesquelife.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/perfume-review-robert-piguet-bandit-beautiful-but-brutal/

![Jane Austen Tarot cards that are so beautiful, and the quality is great. I have never seen these before - I love the size and feel of them!][7]
[7]:

6

I’m not sure if every item got a shout out, but the meditation candles have a lovely lavender scent, and the purple bear is adorable, with its little movable limbs and weighted bit it so it sits nicely.

The permanent markers will absolutely get used, I love that they’ll work on dark paper too, not just white! And the ring light will be great for the webinars I have to record for work. Oh and the adorably random jar of office supplies! Totally dig the hot pink post-its, can never have enough paper clips, and the jar seems water/air tight which is great!

This was an awesome, perfect box for me! Thank you so so much @OldCatLady! It was such a delightful valentine’s gift - complete with flowers and glamorous impossible to find perfume, to boot!

OWLS! TOWELS! JOWLS! AWESOME!

@mehhhhname @OldCatLady .
Amazing box. Congrats to gifter & giftee.
(I’ll need to visit the dentist soon as I about spit my teeth out laughing over the perfume story.)
Reminded me of a line in one of my favorite John Prine (& Iris Dement) songs… listen to her first lines )

@mehhhhname @OldCatLady that’s a pretty fantastic box. The peacock boxes made me giggle because I’m currently painting a peacock inspired mural in the new shop bathroom. The tarot deck is also super rad!

@mehhhhname @OldCatLady @sillyheathen
That’s an awesome box, the peacock boxes are so pretty.

VAN GOGH! MANGO! TANGO! AWESOME!

@mehhhhname I’m so glad you liked it. Most of it was just lying around the house.

@mehhhhname Wow. I had no idea the Perfume Shrine existed, and had no idea what I’d sent. I looked up the Piguet’s “baghari” that I got at the same yard sale, in 1999. Then I opened it, and it’s lovely. IIRC, they both came from a duty-free shop.

@OldCatLady ooh that one sounds amazing too! People are describing it as in the same vintage category as vintage Chanel No. 5.

I loved reading this description:

Baghari is a rich aldehyde perfume and whilst I have many aldehyde
fragrances I adore (Chanel No 22, Divine’s L’Ame Soeur, Lubin’s Nuit
de Lonchamp), Baghari is the one that really truly embodies and
encapsulates retro glamour to me. It is a perfume that speaks of
pearls, ruby red lips, darted stockings, silk peignoirs and nipped in
waists. Glamour, elegance, dry martinis and cat’s eyes sunglasses.

https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2013/06/25/baghari-piguet-perfume-review/

Thank you so much for sharing such a treasure! I love this extra detail that it was from a duty free store, perhaps while flying home from a glamorous trip or from someone trying to woo them with fancy gifts . Then sat sealed up in someone’s vanity until you rescued it at the yard sale!

@OldCatLady that’s how I compiled my box too. Like shopping my house and closet Thank you again!!

I can’t edit it but it was @misfitsintoylnd who was the gifter of all gifters for me

@readnj
What a fun assortment of stuff. I love getting weird food to try.

@readnj I’m so intrigued by that cute astronaut projector light with this cryptic message:

Dynamic multi mode switching is not the same to enjoy"

@Kyeh Yup! I asked my gifter if she noticed that and she hadn’t. It’s actually pretty cool although I haven’t fully set it up. It projects a moon and stars in colors and patterns but it’s also Bluetooth enabled so it kind of rocks with the music if you want to do it that way and it has a remote too.
I think what they’re trying to say is… every mode is different or…Well I’m not really sure what they’re trying to say …a perfect IRK like Meh LOL

@readnj It IS the perfect Mehssage!
I was curious enough to look them up and am now considering getting one for my cousin’s adorable grandson who loves sparkly twinkly things.

@sillyheathen
Nice box, what do you do with the canvases?

@Star2236 paint them.

@Star2236

I did this in LA last weekend when I was visiting my best friend. Her mom owns a paint and sip place so we always paint when I go down there.

@sillyheathen @Star2236
What a great painting, I love it! And it’s a terrific IRK in all, filled with such fun goodies!

@jmrobinett
See my reply a few above this question…

@chienfou I see it, but I don’t u understand it. Sorry.

@jmrobinett
No problem. I’ll try to help.
Step 1 with your phone in landscape position hit the reply arrow at the bottom of a comment.
Step 2 in the bottom of the pop-up box is the icon (looks like a set of mountains) you will need to click in order to be able to post a picture, like this:
Step 3 when you click the icon a pop-up window will show up asking you to upload your picture. Click the upload button.

Step 4 navigate to the file you want to upload as your photo and click on it.
Step 5 once the photo uploads (Bar turns green) click the green OK button at bottom right.
Step 6 click the SAY IT button in the reply sceen.
Your pic should appear in your post. (In this case a pic of Bandit asleep in my lap.)

Note: you do not have to type anything in the brackets where it will say “enter image description here”. Also, on a tablet you generally don’t have to be in landscape. Computers typically are already in landscape. The process remains the same as far as the way the button clicks look on the screen.

Hope that helps… Good luck.

PS You can always practice a few times and just delete the message before the 5 minutes edit window ends until you figure it out.

@chienfou Wow, that kitty has gotten really big!

@Kyeh
Yep. And still a huge “cuddle-buddy”. That’s his preferred location every morning while I catch up here and reading the paper. Have to move him at least two or three times to get up and go get coffee.

@ybmuG correction - we have 14 coffee-making things (15 if you include the keurig we loaned araT’s aunt). If there’s one thing we can do, it’s make coffee!

@ybmuG execellent box, and tigger is adorable

@tinamarie1974 yekoP thought so too. It was the first thing out of the box and he figured it was for him. He keeps staring at it. He knows better than to grab it, but the wheels are turning…

@ybmuG
Wow, love the box. So buying the book “my best friend is an elf” for my nephew. It looks super cute.

@Star2236 and there are YouTube videos of people reading it so you know exactly what it is before giving it to them.

@jmrobinett no beer belly on either of us, but I literally laughed out loud when I saw what it was. Then I thought about asking araT to model it and laughed out loud again. I made sure I was at a safe distance when I did so.

Thanks again, it was lots of fun!

@jmrobinett @ybmuG
That is a box filled with AWESOMENESS! And what a beautiful pup!

@jmrobinett OK - will take care of that. araT’s pretty handy with the stabby thready thing.

FOOLS! TOOLS! JEWELS! AWESOME!

@Vrysen
@DLPanther was your sender. I love the shirt.

@Vrysen I realized after I taped the box up I didn’t put a note inside Sorry the shirt didn’t fit, I was hoping you or someone you know would like it! I also subscribed you to a magazine that, based on some moderate stalking, I think you will really like. I don’t know when it will arrive, and I don’t want to give away what it is!

@DLPanther @Vrysen That’s next level stalking right there! I want to hear what it is once it arrives!

@DLPanther wow thank you! It’s ok about the shirt. We are saving tshirts for one of those project repat quilts, so I’m adding that to it.

@Vrysen I really should do that to my pile of souvenir shirts, but i think i could probably cover my house with the quilt and it’s so hard to choose…

@cbilyak the only thing I bought for your box was the crossword books, because of your wishlist. I couldn’t resist the Spanish one because I’d never seen one before, and thought unless you are a Spanish speaker it would be a challenge possibly leading to regret. I unfortunately sold the Italian History book I had in a recent garage sale, which made me sad when I saw one in your wishlist.

Seeing your reveal was partially a surprise to me as I put stuff in your box over the course of a few weeks. By the time I taped it up and sent it out I didn’t necessarily remember everything that went in it. I kept adding things until nothing else would fit

I’m glad that there’s no regret for you, but I now need to work out whether that means I should try harder or try less next time!

Edit: OH! Those aren’t tea bags. They’re activated carbon filters for an air fryer that Meh sent out in an IRK some time ago. Trying to make tea with them would be regretful.

I meant deep fryer, I think. Some kind of fryer that I don’t have. And I think activated charcoal is the word I was looking for.

I think it was this one: https://meh.com/forum/topics/cuisinart-11-quart-compact-deep-fryer

@cbilyak
You really did get everything but the kitchen sink. Love the box and the bubble set, a big kid at heart.

@djslack LOL, you should’ve let me make tea would have been funnier and certainly more regretful. Thank you again.

@cbilyak @djslack If the non-teabags are activated carbon, they’ll work as deodorizer thingies, too.

@capnjb maybe it had magnets in it… One time I ordered a magnetic camera mount from Amazon and it was out for delivery but never showed up… Weeks passed, Amazon gave up and refunded it, and like 2 months later a beat up bubble envelope showed up at my doorstep, having stuck itself to some part of probably several pieces of delivery infrastructure and inadvertently toured the world.

Bezos should probably have packaged it better.

@djslack Well after a week roaming the DC area AWOL, it showed up at my local post office early this morning! It (hopefully) should arrive this afternoon. And it’s going to have some explaining to do.

@capnjb @djslack

/showme lucy and desi

@mediocrebot fail

@djslack @ironcheftoni Heh… my mom grew up in a town that neighbored Jamestown, NY where Lucille Ball was from. Lucille was about 20 years older than my mom, but they met when my mom was in her late teens. I said, ‘That must have been cool’. My mom’s response… ‘I wasn’t impressed’.

@capnjb to be fair, is anyone in their late teens ever impressed with anything, especially anything a generation older than them?

@djslack Well, my mom was a badass. Grew up with a horse, a dog and a goat. She’s 92 and still moving around like a hummingbird

@capnjb @djslack love that so hard. It reminds me of the Englishman’s Nanna. She’s about to turn 102 and is super annoyed that they put her in a home. She was still making Christmas cakes for the whole family etc until about 3/4 years ago. When the dementia started to show they couldn’t keep a close enough eye on her and the coppers found her at 4am wandering around a not so safe council estate a few miles away.

@djslack @sillyheathen I bet she has some stories to tell My mom’s mom made it pretty close to 100. She used to pull me aside and say ‘I like your wife… she always brings me whiskey’

@capnjb @djslack she sounds like my kind of lady! I’m bringing a flask of whisky from one of my favorites on Islay to Atlanta next week when I go to see my old chef buddies. I’m super stoked to check out Kevin’s new place. It’s called Nadair and it’s a Scottish fusion restaurant. It looks amazing.

@djslack @sillyheathen Islay makes some really great peaty whiskey. Lagavulin and Caol Ila are a staple in this household

@capnjb @djslack I’m a massive fan of Islay and the highlands. Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are two of my favorites but I also love Caol Ila. I like Lagavulin as well but it’s not as high on my list. Their 8 was a steal until people caught on and the price went up. If you ever see it Kilchoman it is also really solid. Their younger whiskys taste far more mature than you’d expect.

@djslack @sillyheathen Apparently, I’m clearly not into Scottish whiskey as much as you are but I will certainly look into those multi-syllabic brands you mentioned Also, I appreciate people who don’t think that whiskey and scotch are different things (btw I’m 1/8 Scot… it’s not much, but it’s enough ) I’ll make sure to bring my old man readers to the liquor store next time and look way, way up to the top shelf I think I’ll be saving my pennies for that.

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen yekoP’s real name is Macallan, so yes, I’m a fan!

@capnjb @djslack @ybmuG

So funny! I’m a McMichael originally. They came over in the 1800s I think and brought over Angus. They had a massive working farm in Amite sort of between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It was fully operational until sometime in the 70s I think. But they kept the cattle so I grew up around angus most of my life. I miss the cows.

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen Angus is Macallan’s…I mean yekoP’s brother!

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen @ybmuG yekoP has a brother?!?!?!?!

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen @ybmuG yekoP has a brother?!?!?!?!

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen @tinamarie1974 technically a littermate. I believe he went to CT.

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen @ybmuG got it. I thought maybe there was a lesser known fur baby lurking around in the background.

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen @tinamarie1974 Nope - he’s plenty! His litter mates except for the one female (Scarlet) all left the state, though we did meet a niece (Scarlet’s puppy)

@capnjb @djslack @sillyheathen @ybmuG it seems Charlie has several relatives based upon his DNA results (litter mates, cousins, aunts/uncles, etc). I knew he came from TN, and that seems to be correct based upon the info his relatives owners listed as well. That said, his relatives are spread out all over the US. Interestingly enough none of the ones with pictures have long hair. He seems to have been the only one.

@sillyheathen Thanks! I figured it out finally

@blazespirit
I like the nail polish

@jmrobinett are you posting from your phone or a computer?

@jmrobinett @pakopako
Sorry the instructions weren’t any help. Hopefully someone else can post instructions that will be clearer/useful for you .
If not, maybe you can elicit the assistance of a tech-savvy child/niece/grandchild/neighbor or random teen from the street.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@chienfou @jmrobinett @pakopako
I was about to post a photo because who knows who that secret elf who sent it might have been, but there’s no option on my post to add a photo either!

@chienfou @jmrobinett @pakopako
@aethermancer “No option?” Are you using your phone or a computer?

@pakopako from my phone.

@capnjb on my phone I don’t have all of those choices in the comment box. Just an empty white box and a button that says “say it”

@jmrobinett turn your phone sideways (enable rotation) or use “desktop mode” on your browser (if applicable).
(yeah mine doesn’t show the additional options when rotated horizontally either

@harvid1 awesome Marvel clock!! @sillyheathen is so talented!

POPSOCKETS! ROAD ROCKETS! SONNY CROCKETT! AWESOME!

@harvid1 you’re very welcome. I can’t even remember what I put in it. I know most of it was from previous irks. The little kit is a balloon jousting game which is super fun. I have lots of clock mechanisms so when you said you loved marvel, that was a no brainer. I figured you can paint it or just glue it up. The Conan coasters were fun. Hopefully you can use or regift the rest of the madness.

@firetiger725
1928, that’s pretty cool to have something that old.

@firetiger725 Hooray! It was great to chat with you and find out what your interests are–I’m so glad I had some appropriate things! I hope you have the perfect book for the leather cover. @Star2236 the art for that lovely mag was done by a dude called Frank McIntosh who did a whole bunch of gorgeous Art Deco covers for Asia Magazine, give it a lookup if you are so inclined!

POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!

@capnjb Great box! Especially for a coffee lover. Trader Joe’s bags from your home city is a great idea. I’m stealing that for the next exchange.

@capnjb @ironcheftoni
Yup me too. And I totally should have put a Detroit coffee cup in my box too.
I miss that Trader Joe’s doesn’t offer the mystery bags at Xmas anymore from different city’s around the county. I have some cool ones but it would be awesome to get more.

POPSOCKETS! COURT DOCKETS! FOLK ROCK HITS! AWESOME!

@italianscallion Oh, and that spoon was as close as I could get to a nod to the Sox

@Star2236 I bought the mystery bags in December, I think. I wanted to put them in my exchange box, but they didn’t have them at my local TJ’s so I got a Boston one instead. Probably a better idea anyway.

@ironcheftoni, if I wanted to make my exchange box be more like an IRK, I would have to put a TJ’s bag from a different city in it to keep with randomness of IRKs.

@ironcheftoni @ItalianScallion @Star2236 coffee drools

@capnjb That spoon is great! I’m glad you’re a fellow coffee geek and got right to using the moka pot and the Split Oak coffee. I used to roast coffee too. The first (and last) time I did it inside, it smelled like an awful oven spill, so I used to take the roaster out to my screen porch even in the dead of winter. BTW, I got my green (fair trade) beans from Dean’s Beans in western Mass. Dean, an earthy-crunchy hippie type of guy, just retired and sold the company to the employees. Good on him!

@capnjb this is such a great irk. I thought I’d commented on the coffee envy already but alas the lack of sleep is getting to my face piece! Also I MISS the roasting of fresh beans. One of my good friends in Yosemite used to roast them every Sunday outside of the Maintenance office at the falls. It was ace. We’d drink whiskey and roast beans and then have coffee with whiskey in it. Add that to your Oregon packing list!

@ItalianScallion Heh, when I roast coffee and give it to people, they almost always ask, ‘how do I do it?’. I bite my tongue and just say ‘It’s coffee. Not a unicorn. Make it like you always make coffee. And don’t try to ration it, it doesn’t age like wine.’ When I get coffee, I enjoy the coffee in the moment. We’re almost done with that bag. And it’s been fantastic. Thanks again

@capnjb Oh, I like that bit about not rationing. Just use it and use it now! And, I’d add, don’t blend it with other coffee “to make it last longer.” Yeah, I like the Split Oak coffee too. It’s a nice change from the Peet’s I have every day. If you’re into different coffee varieties, you might want to try a subscription to Peets Small Batch Series: limited edition “rare” coffees. You can adjust when you get the next shipment so that you don’t end up with too much or not enough.

@ItalianScallion Heh, I think I’m good on coffee at the moment. I’m more of a single estate guy… mostly African coffees. South American coffees I find to be a bit earthy for my palate, but I have found some that I like. Huehuetenango for example. It’s also really fun to say Although if I’m going to do a blend, I do THE original coffee blend. Mocca Java. Taman Dadar Java Kayumas from Indonesia, and Kholani Yemen Mocca (@sillyheathen keep using your fancy Scottish whiskey names… I can do it too, lol ). I bought five pounds of each and I roast the Java a bit longer and darker than the Mocca but they make a pretty solid cup at a 50/50 ratio.

@capnjb My current coffees are Peet’s Peru del Norte (could be single estate, not sure) and decaf Peet’s Mocca Java for afternoon and evening. It’s nice to meet someone here like me who thinks about good coffees like fine wines!

And here’s the list of the contents

…and page 2.

@Star2236, I can’t thank you enough for your generosity! This was such a fun experience for me!

@ItalianScallion
Your so very welcome.

@ItalianScallion @Star2236
What a wonderful box Star!I think ANYONE would love to be the recipient of your take on an IRK, it’s got a little bit of EVERYTHING! GOOD JOB!
AND, you took the work out of itemizing it to post!

@ItalianScallion @Lynnerizer
Thank you, I really like doing the exchange

@bdorsch44 are you near Natchitoches???

@sillyheathen Nope, near Syracuse, NY!

@bdorsch44 I got excited about a meat pie for a minute. I guess it’s taking the REALLY long route.

@bdorsch44
Glad it’s on the way.

@bdorsch44 Did you see that the box I sent to @capnjb also took a USPS where-did-it-go drunken trip from Massachusetts to the DelMarVa area?

@bdorsch44 @ItalianScallion They were both probably partying like it was 1999.

@bdorsch44 @capnjb Seems like that’s how long they had/have been in the USPS system!

@sillyheathen you know Natchitoches? Are you near there?

@jmrobinett urge to… Ghostbusters joke… rising…

@jmrobinett
Your sender was @ Aethermancer Cool board game.

@jmrobinett @Star2236
Silly me thought it was a puzzle! Duh…

@star2236 would be able to help you

@Star2236
My box arrived Monday but mono has been kicking my ass. I got an awesome box from @cutterbug. My two favorite items are my funny wine socks and electric lighter (from my list). My grandma had the same lighter and when my brothers and I were there we would dare each other to stick our fingers in it. After she passed away it was something I wanted for the memories but someone else took it. But now I have my own that I can zap them with. Also in the box, sleeping mask- use them all the time, scrunchies- just started using them again, ear plugs for sleeping, face mask, chapstick, koolaid gum, sprite tic tacs, rubber ducky keychain, breast cancer pin and bow clip (I actually buy and save random pieces of cool jewelry for crafts so these are awesome), ear plugs- can always use another pair, TJ’s moisturizer which is actually a dupe for Clinique moisture surge, TJ’s room spray-smells really good, and bronzer

FOOLS! TOOLS! JEWELS! AWESOME!

@cutterbug @Star2236
Great box! The first 2 things I noticed were the socks and the lighter, your favorites. Very cool socks, I thought I should get a pair for my niece! I have, use, and LOVE those lighters, but for different reasons than you! I don’t have brothers…

KRULL! A SKULL! BRETT HULL! AWESOME!

@Star2236 That soap sounds divine!

@Kyeh @Star2236 that didn’t look like soap given the contents of everything else!

@Star2236 all that looks fantastic! Now i need to make a trip fo Trader Joe’s!

@Kyeh @pakopako
I put the soap in the wrong pile, it does look like food.

@Kyeh @pakopako @Star2236 And since it’s not an IRK, it doesn’t look like expired food.

@Kyeh @pakopako @Star2236

I put the soap in the wrong pile, it does look like food.

Always fun to hear a sentence you never thought would exist

@capnjb @pakopako @Star2236 Unless you’re planning to wash someone’s mouth out with soap, maybe …

@Kyeh @pakopako @Star2236 I never got soap in the mouth, but if I used a bad word as a kid, mom would go with hot sauce.

Now that I’m old, I fucking love hot sauce!!!

@capnjb @pakopako @Star2236 Hah! I don’t think I ever dared to say a swear word as a kid, although I got my cheek pinched for talking back more than a few times. “Namaiki no ko” - she scolded us in Japanese.

@capnjb @Kyeh @pakopako @Star2236
Ha!! I never got soap in the mouth but I also KNEW BETTER than to swear! I do remember the time (I was around 11) my mom was driving and I told her that her “best friend” was a bitch. I was shocked when she just smirked instead of reaching over to backhand my face. Fast forward 10 years and my mom now has her best friends last name along with her EX-HUSBAND! Apparently I wasn’t alone in thinking she was a bitch! Lol

@Kyeh @pakopako @Star2236 Cheeky child! Are you Japanese Kyeh? I’ve always been fascinated with Japanese culture. Not the anime or the manga, but rather the respect and honor in the culture.

@Kyeh @Lynnerizer @pakopako @Star2236 I bet there is a whole lot more to that story Lynnerizer. I have trouble summing things up in one paragraph (and there is evidence of that)

@pakopako @Star2236
@Lynnerizer–OMG, that’s wild!
@capnjb–my mother’s Japanese. Yes, I guess maybe cultures that develop in very small countries need to develop strong rules for etiquette as well? Because it’s kind of similar to England that way.