The gifts my Secret Santa sent me this year are beyond my wildest dreams. I have been bowled over by the thoughtful thoroughness with which my Secret Santa selected gifts for me. I feel like magic is real today!

The gifts themselves are amazing and beautiful and perfect, but the care my Secret Santa used in picking them is what made me cry as I opened gifts last night. I am tearing up as I write this post. I have participated in Reddit Secret Santa for four years, and I have tried to put a lot of time and effort into the gifts I have given. I have received some really great gifts in the past, but this year absolutely takes the cake.

The first thing I opened was the letter, and it knocked me out. I'm not posting a picture of the the letter because it was personal and may make it possible to identify one or both of us. It is so sweet and heartfelt, I absolutely treasure it. I am so grateful. I especially liked that I inspired a charitable donation.

Next, I opened the gift card holder and, holy cow, my Secret Santa was generous! Shopping on EBay is always fun, but now I have to convince someone to go Shen Yun with me (seriously if you don't know, look it up).

After the gift cards I opened my eco-friendly gifts. I must say that the ORANGE reusable Baggu bag for plogging makes me SO SO SO SO happy.

I actually squeed for like a full minute or two (I took a breath in the middle of the squee, that's how long it was) when I opened the metal, reusable, RAINBOW straws. I already have a collapsible metal/silicon straw to carry in my purse, but, now, I've got straws for at home--joy of joys!

I am always happy to add to my reusable ziploc collection, and these are particularly beautiful and well made. I especially like the design with the whale on it.

My Secret Santa couldn't have known that my favorite gift to receive (and to give, if I'm being honest) is books, in fact, any year in which I don't receive at least one book is a sad year for me. This year is a happy year, because I received TWO books. My gifter may have dug SUPER deep into my online presence, or maybe they just got really lucky, because the science fiction book they gave me is written by one of my favorite authors (who I got to meet earlier this year for the first time) and it is one I don't already own! The hard science book about physics is so exciting too, I can't wait to read it! Thank you for helping to expand my mind!

After the books, I opened the chocolate-covered kettle-cooked potato chips - YUM! and then, the record. At first when I opened the record I was a little confused, I love music, but I don't own a record player. Then I saw some of the music on the record and I thought - a 70's throwback compilation...pretty awesome. But, when I looked into the inner sleeve I saw that the record was broken...no, sculpted into the skyline of a city. It is a beautiful representation of a city skyline and I will treasure it always. I'm hanging it up tomorrow!

After all of this excitement, I opened up the two largest, heaviest gifts to find two higly-rated space-themed board games--SpaceCorp and Terraforming Mars. I can't wait for my board-gaming group to play them (hopefully this weekend). I am so excited about these games, and they will both bring long hours of pleasure into my life (and the lives of those I play them with).

Making connections with good people can be difficult in this world, especially in situations like Reddit Secret Santa - where time and interaction is so brief. Thank you Secret Santa - absolutely, sincerely, and earnestly. The world is a better place with you in it.