I have to say I was on the brink of giving up on RedditGifts until I read the news about the exchange tier system, and decided to give it one last shot. I am so glad I did. Right away, I knew this was going to be a fabulous exchange because DarkxMoon messaged me almost right away telling me how excited they were and letting me know they already had a few things to send and that they were "stalking me" :) And oh boy, stalked I was.

I got a couple more messages, and the last one ended in telling me their husband said she wasn't allowed to buy any more. I have to say, I don't know if I could have stood much more generosity. This was the most fun I've had opening a gift in a long time. I had a smile on my face from start to finish.

First of all, can we just all appreciate the artwork on the back of this envelope? I actually draw and create for a living, and I STILL can't draw the reddit guy! Consider me impressed.

My next moment of happiness was when I looked inside the envelope and found nearly a dozen presents wrapped in christmas paper. Not just christmas paper, but WINNIE THE POOH christmas paper! (My bedroom was decorated with winnie the pooh characters when I was a baby, so he always holds a special place in my heart).

This was no longer a simple matter of opening presents, this was a full on gift opening operation. I laid them all out on my foot stool, and slowly made my way through each one, savoring them as I went.

First, I had to read the notes left for me on some of the packages, and I decided I needed to start with the one about my mom. I loved the book. I texted her right away and she can't wait to dig in when she visits later this summer!

Next, I moved onto the "healthy" and "vintage" gifts. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but my curiosity was peeked. I can't wait to start using all of my new kitchen gear. The colors are so bright and cheerful, and perfect for summer. I don't really have extra spending money, so this is something I never would have gotten myself, but I love that someone else got them for me. I got 3 spatulas, a hand mixer (that thing is so much fun!) A whisk like none other (I felt like I should be able to play some sort of game with it), and two bright orange spoons. I am going to smile everytime I walk past them in my kitchen.

Onto the fifth package, I opened it to find two egg rings to create perfect circle eggs. I don't remember if I mentioned it, but I have been eating A LOT of fried egg sandwiches lately for breakfast, so this is PERFECT for me!

Now for a stupid moment: The next gift I opened was a package of clothespins with birds on top. I stupidly read the package though as "Candy Clips." I was very confused as to what candy you made using clothespins. I took several re-readings for my brain to finally read "Canary Clips." They are ADORABLE, and I have to admit, I'm curious to see how the kitties react to them :)

I had wanted to try one of the fruit chews before I posted, but it's been a bit of a busy night (I'll explain later). I'm very excited to try them though. I'm sure they'll make an appearance around snack time tomorrow!

I was SO excited when I opened the armband for my iPhone. I have been seriously hinting for months to my parents that I wanted one, conveniently around holidays, but no such luck! Thank you so much for getting me this. I already tested it, and my phone fits great! I am also REALLY excited about the pocket for my key. I really wanted one with that feature. Can't wait to use it tomorrow morning. I have a few errands around the neighborhood, so it's going to be broken in right away.

Now I have to admit, i had a general idea as to what was in the last three packages from their general shape, feel and sound when shaken. I got three DVDs from my Pinterest wishlist. But not any three DVDs. Nope. I got a double feature of Finding Neverland and Ella Enchanted. I had Ella Enchanted (rather I finally got it back from my cousin who "borrowed" it YEARS ago), BUT my mom works for a middle school as an instructional assistant, and on occasion that means she brings in a movie. She is so thrilled she'll be getting my old copy, and I'm thrilled to be getting a new one in addition (I actually recorded Finding Neverland a couple of weekends ago to my DVR so I could watch it again). Next I got Burlesque. I love the music in this movie, and it's one of those great chick flick night choices. Finally, the big one, DarkxMoon sent me DOWNTON ABBEY SEASON 3!!! I already have seasons 1 and 2, and I am SOOOOO excited to have season three. I love this show, and can't wait to have a marathon weekend.

DarkxMoon, I don't know if I can say thank you enough. You really made this a wonderful exchange. Everything you sent was so thoughtful, and I can tell you took time to make it special and personal. You are such a wonderful, generous person, and I hope your secret santa sends you something fantastic. You deserve it!