(ABC 6 News) — The holiday season is just around the corner, and with it comes the joy—and sometimes
chaos—of Secret Santa gift exchanges.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation reminiscent of that classic episode of The Office, where gifts go awry and names get mixed up, you’ll be thrilled to learn about a digital solution: the Elfster app.

Elfster is a user-friendly app designed to simplify the process of organizing Secret Santa parties,
whether for family, friends, or colleagues. Created by a husband, wife, and sister team who
faced the challenge of coordinating a family gift exchange across several states, Elfster
addresses the common pitfalls that can make these events stressful, or at least less fun.

Gone are the days of drawing names from a hat and mailing them out. With Elfster, you can
send out digital invitations for your Secret Santa party, which can be held in person or remotely.
Once participants accept the invite, they can create wish lists that only their assigned Secret
Santa can view. This ensures that everyone receives a gift they truly want!

One of the standout features of Elfster is its ability to prevent common mix-ups. The app doesn’t
allow participants to draw their own names, and organizers can set rules to ensure that spouses
don’t end up exchanging gifts with each other. Each participant can only see the name they’ve
drawn, keeping the element of surprise intact.

In today’s world, many families are spread out across different states—or even countries. Elfster
makes it easy to include everyone in the festivities, regardless of location. For those unable to
celebrate in person, the app provides direct links to gifts on Amazon, where items can be
wrapped and delivered straight to recipients’ doorsteps. Plus, if you have Amazon Prime, you
won’t pay any delivery charges!

Elfster is available as an app for both iPhone and Android devices, but you can also participate online without downloading anything. This flexibility means everyone can join in on the fun!