Et·som·ni·a (/etˈsämnēə/), noun, 1. a sleep disorder caused by obsessive Etsy browsing. 2. the surprising arrival of weird handmade merchandise ordered when one is only half conscious. (True story.)

I love sending tiny thank you gifts to people who have done me a kindness. For example,  if I have asked you for a favor and followed it up with “Please? I’ll buy you a pony,” there’s a good likelihood that I will literally buy you a pony, the derpier, the better. I’m especially fond of sending little gifts when they are completely unexpected. I’m forever bookmarking the little (affordable) adorables I come across on Etsy so I have them at hand when I want to send a wee gift. If I could afford it, I would fill my pockets with SuAmi animals to hand out at will, but I would need much deeper pockets (literally and figuratively).

I try to keep my thank you budget under $20, so I have to get a lot more creative. And depending on the recipient’s sense of humor, I may send something completely random or hilariously ugly rather than something beautiful. These are my favorite gifts to send, and I suspect they are displayed more often and with more pride than their better-looking counterparts. Well, some of them, anyway.

Uglies aside, today is mostly about little unexpected treats to make someone’s day. Below are some of my favorite thank you giftlets. I figure if someone is going to steal these wonderful finds away from me, it should be you lovely people. And I promise we will resume our usual snarky programming next week.

As usual, links to the items for sale appear below each picture. For more Etsy fun, check out all my weekly Etsomnia™ posts.