The Country Christmas Connection

I am so excited to announce The Country Christmas Connection!

In partnership with Jenny of The Magic Farmhouse we are excited to take over the reins of a Christmas agriculture blogger gift exchange.  In the likes of Christmas in the Country, which was an astounding success. As Jamie and Laurie , the amazing creators of Christmas in the Country step back from the exchange, Jenny and I couldn’t stand the thought of not continuing the tradition. So in the spirit of continuing to forge connections across the nation of Ag bloggers and spreading a little holiday cheer we bring you: The Country Christmas Connection.

Are you an Aggie/Country/Farm Blogger? Then keep reading to see how you can join us!

A little background information as to why Jenny and I couldn’t let this exchange disappear. Our friendship started through the Christmas in the Country exchange! We’ve had the pleasure of meeting in real life and continuing a connection we both really value. That is what this exchange is all about for us and we hope for you as well. It’s not the gift (although that is definitely part of the fun!) but the connections with other bloggers we might not have had the opportunity to meet. As you can see that value of connections that carry on into real lasting friendship is the real roots of The Country Christmas Connection. So what is it……

•   The Country Christmas Connection is a secret gift exchange for Agriculture bloggers. Think Secret Santa, but Secret Blogger. Being a secret exchange you won’t know who has your name until you receive your gift. The suggested gift amount is $15-25. For our first year we are limiting the exchange to Ag bloggers within the U.S.
• Signup will begin November 21 and close November 30. You must fill out the form giving us some basic information about yourself. This information will be shared with your secret blogger and you will receive your blogger’s information that your gift is to be sent to. Share with other bloggers that you have signed up and also share on your favorite social, the more the merrier! Use the hashtag #TCCC16. We will take care of the behind the scenes work and making the matches. Watch for on upcoming post with the link for sign ups.
• December 2 you will be e-mailed the name of your recipient along with the information we received at sign ups. We really encourage participants to get to know the person your gift is headed to, check out their blog and social channels (secretly). We also encourage you to share a part of your Ag industry with your recipient in your gift. Highlight what makes your farm, state, commodity, or family Christmas tradition special. The more personal the better, and handmade, down home is exactly the style of this exchange.  Have fun shopping and putting together the perfect gift for your blogger! P.S. homemade Christmas goodies make the perfect addition to any package.
• Your gift must be shipped by December 14 to arrive before the holidays. We can’t stress this enough, if you are going to sign up make sure you can ship your gift by the shipping deadline! The only way an exchange of this nature works is if we can all follow the rules to make it a success! No one wants to miss out!
• When you receive your gift be sure to reach out to your sender and tell them Thank You! Make a connection with the person who took the time to get to know you. Follow their blog and social channels. Tag a quick post on your preferred social with the hashtag #TCCC16 and tag your sender too!
• January 5 we will all come back together with a blog post to reveal who we sent our gifts to and who we received from. Share what was in your gift you received and the new connections you made. You must add your blog post to the link up that will be provided, by the end of the week. Take the time to visit and comment on the other blogs that also participated.
• Have Fun! This is all about sharing the Christmas cheer with a fun surprise in the mail box and a new connection!

We hope this exchange can become a treasured holiday tradition that you look forward to. That you can value the new connections and friendships this fun event creates.

*Host Disclaimer: We are looking forward to hosting and organizing The Country Christmas Connection and hope you will be patient with us as we work out the kinks in the first year. We also need your help to make this a successful and fun exchange. If you plan to participate, you must be willing to agree to all the points above. The only way this works and is fair for everyone is for you to fully participate. If you can’t agree to any point above then this exchange is not for you. Failure to fully participate will result in our asking you not to participate again. We can’t stress enough that this is about the connections you will make and hope you will find the same value that we cherish!*

Signups are now OPEN, Click Here. Remember to sign up before November 30.  If you have any questions at all don’t hesitate to contact us at the e-mail addresses below!

We are so excited to be your hosts for the first Country Christmas Connection!

~Darleen & Jenny

 

Darleen – Guernsey Dairy Mama – guernseydairymama@gmail.com

Jenny – The Magic Farmhouse – theschweigerts@gmail.com