|
|
Post by Tamhugh on Dec 12, 2017 22:14:31 GMT
I am trying very hard to still like my DH this holiday season. I do all of the shopping and wrapping. He goes on my Amazon wish list and is done in 5 minutes. He has been saying for the past week, "we need to get wrapping so we aren't doing it at the last minute like always." So, the past two nights, I have been wrapping like a crazy person. He has not helped once. Then, DS mentioned last night that DH is going to pay him to wrap the gifts for me. I don't think the word we means what he thinks it means.
|
|
moodyblue
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,263 
Location: Western Illinois
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
|
Post by moodyblue on Dec 13, 2017 0:47:42 GMT
I quit participating in the Secret Santa thing at school several years ago, and have no regrets. I, like many others, tried to give a nice gift and I usually got something random. I got a few good gifts over the years, but not enough to make me want to do it again. And there were times that sucked - like when we were at the staff breakfast and everyone got their gift but not me, because my Secret Santa wasn't there. I got it hours later, but I was left sitting there wondering if I'd been forgotten, and not wanting to call attention to the situation.
I also hate the White Elephant stuff. I agree with the others that everyone has to be on the same page for it to work. I also really don't like the exchanges when you have a gift you actually like and people can "steal" it. I've never found that fun because I seemed to always end up with crap.
|
|
peaname
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,390
|
Post by peaname on Dec 13, 2017 1:28:49 GMT
I got a wine bottle shaped cutting board that had been personalized with "Bill & Linda's Vineyard" one time. My name is not Linda. The hostess' name was Linda and her husband's name was William. Oddly enough, my husband has an aunt and uncle named Bill and Linda but I could never remember to bring that ugly thing when we visited and I was too irritated to spend money to ship it to them. So it's in a landfill somewhere!
|
|
Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,300
|
Post by Mystie on Dec 13, 2017 1:48:00 GMT
I am trying very hard to still like my DH this holiday season. I do all of the shopping and wrapping. He goes on my Amazon wish list and is done in 5 minutes. He has been saying for the past week, "we need to get wrapping so we aren't doing it at the last minute like always." So, the past two nights, I have been wrapping like a crazy person. He has not helped once. Then, DS mentioned last night that DH is going to pay him to wrap the gifts for me. I don't think the word we means what he thinks it means. My husband actually helped me wrap gifts last night; we got about half of them done. I'm sure he's helped me wrap a few times over the years but I certainly couldn't name a year. It helped a ton to have him help me...I think he's just inherited a new holiday chore. And I give him an Amazon wishlist to buy from for me...the past couple years he put it off so long half my presents came in after Christmas.  This year I suggested not exchanging gifts, but he says he likes to give me gifts. It's December 12th. Do you think he's ordered my gifts yet? Sometimes I feel like my tongue is going to fall off, I bite it so many times. (And not just at Christmas!) And I get irritated even over this small stuff--if we had kids and I had to shoulder as much of the holiday-making as you ladies do, not even to get a single damn present at all...I think it would be time for a come-to-baby-Jesus talk. Or a massive shopping spree on his credit card. Hugs all around. |
|
|
|
Post by Hayjaker on Dec 13, 2017 4:29:41 GMT
You know I'm tempted to just sit out next year. Attend the party, bring a dish to the pot luck and then just politely pass the cup when the numbers come around. No time or expense on my part beyond what I consume in the form of wonderful food my co-workers bring. There are a large group of us, I bet if I just passed the cup without taking a number, no one would notice. You know what? That’s what I did this year. I’m going to be on vacation anyway, and won’t have to go into the office to deliver a gift or bonus, return in the new year and deal with a random crap gift. The stink eyes will probably roll but who cares! This is exactly what I did this year...sit out! Im ok with it! |
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 13, 2017 4:38:38 GMT
You know, white elephants suck when it's a range of gifts from nice to crap. it feels like it only works if everyone is on the same page in terms of everyone is giving something funny/quirky vs something nice (er) Signed, the person who got a banana slicer in the office white elephant exchange, while several others got gift cards and coffee mugs. I'm just bitter today. I gave a funny day calendar, and firmly believe in putting something nice(er) in or at least putting a gift card in with the crap. I need to let it go, the person who put in the slicer is my boss. I am therefore saying it here. The pea who got the live mouse one year still wins. I agree 100%. The last one I took part in I ended up getting a set of two oddly shaped coffee mugs—right after I cleared out my cabinets of ALL of the oddball mismatched, non-stacking coffee mugs we never used.  It was one of those Dirty Santa ones where people could steal the good gifts from the people who opened earlier which made it suck even more because several really nice gifts passed through my hands a few times before I got stuck with the stupid mugs. |
|
|
|
Post by canadianscrappergirl on Dec 13, 2017 15:34:03 GMT
Ugh it seems most of those types of exchanges never go well do they!
We do one at our Christmas party with a group of ladies I scrap with.
The limit is $25. The person organizing it always says in the email you can give your stash as part of it ugh that can go a few ways!
This year my gift I was giving was a some stash wood veneer/ star and arrow paper clips/PL cards and I cut a bunch of die cuts with my big shot. I also included a $5 Timmies card. I went to a LLS and bought a pack of pink puffy heart stickers $6and one of those tools to remove the stickiness from stickers$9( I always get ppl asking me about it)! Also gave some chocolate. I packaged everything up in cute chevron paper bags and added tags and doilies. Made a sequin shaker gc holder for us and placed it all in a adorable gift bag with a ton of colorful tissue paper and tulle because it's all about presentation right!
So it was a Chinese gift exchange where you can steal from each other. When i went to see what there was it was between a cute snowman to go cup with a few stamp sets and a stencil or the one I ended up picking. I had chosen a cool book of sketches complete with measurements and layouts done with the sketch. Also with it was a canvas Corp kit which was cute. Of course it got stolen at the last minute and I had to either take the last gift or steal another one.
So the only thing left that no one picked and I have no idea why lol was a bag of stickers that looked like they were at least 10 yrs old just a bunch of random ones not even coordinating or unused! Seriously WTF and they were just shoved in a clearly used clear plastic bag.
I felt shitty but I was like screw it I gave a really nice gift I'm not taking the sticker shit show gift so I stole the snowman cup stamps and stencil.
Who ended up getting the stickers well it was the person who brought them so it all worked out in the end.
|
|
|
|
Post by wezee on Dec 13, 2017 16:17:43 GMT
I used to feel the same way as you but then I thought about it, it really is about getting gifts. I would happily get a crappy gift because I really don't need a thing. Honestly I get more joy by giving. I know it sounds hokey. I'm sure a lot of you are rolling your eyes. LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 13, 2017 16:22:41 GMT
Who ended up getting the stickers well it was the person who brought them so it all worked out in the end. Finally! Gift exchange justice. If only that would happen more often! Most of the groups I attend have done away with these gift exchanges - thank goodness! One group does a silent auction with all the funds going to a local charity (someone from the charity speaks that day). This year they had to implement a minimum price on what you donated to the auction because last year there were some awful, cheap gifts. People, it's for a charity! We don't need the stuff you really should be donating to Goodwill! I shouldn't be, but I am always surprised at the cheapness of some people. |
|
|
|
Post by genny on Dec 13, 2017 16:36:38 GMT
We used to do Secret Santa at the last job I had - they'd done it for years before I got there. Same thing - some people put a lot of thought into the $25 gift they bought and others clearly not. A few years before I left some of us employees suggested that instead of the secret santa exchange, we all donate the $25 to be spent on the gift to a pool and we'd use that money to adopt a family for christmas - it was a huge hit! The owner was kind of 'hands off' and we didn't see him much, but when word got to him from our manager what we were doing he matched what we employees had donated! A couple of us did the legwork to find the families through a local charity and went and bought the gifts - y'all we had SO MUCH FUN doing this! We had the best time shopping for these kids (and always got a little something for the parents as well, like a WalMart gift card). The last year I was there we did our shopping for the DV shelter here. I can't tell you how rewarding it was  |
|
PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,808
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
|
Post by PLurker on Dec 13, 2017 16:41:34 GMT
I understand your feelings. Been there, done that. As I have aged I truly find more joy in giving a welcomed gift than the receiving a great one. I am not dismissing your feeling at all as I (a non coffee/tea drinker) too feel a twinge of "really, another coffee cup?" when I get the 997th mug of my life. As years have gone by I have flipped it and find some amusement in it and a lot more pleasure from the giving. A lot more. Like wezee said, sounds hokey but it's so true. A perfect gift received becomes extra special if I go in expecting nothing nothing in return. The joy, for me, is now even more in the giving. I was just at a Fave Things gift exchange and I can honestly say the squeal of joy from the recipient of the gifts I brought gave me far more joy than any gifts received. |
|
|
|
Post by JustCallMeMommy on Dec 13, 2017 16:42:22 GMT
My staff voted "NO!" for the gift exchange this year. Instead, I'm bringing a saran wrap ball to our party. It cost more than I expected to put it together though - this is a one time thing for this crowd!
|
|
|
|
Post by jen on Dec 13, 2017 16:51:44 GMT
No one in my large family "gets it" when it comes to a white elephant exchange or drawing names, so we don't bother with it anymore. We tried a cookie swap a few years & several brought candy bars to exchange. I gave up on it lol.
|
|
casii
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,517
|
Post by casii on Dec 13, 2017 18:18:11 GMT
DH and I started skipping that just a few years after we were married, claiming poverty. Really we got stuck with some real stinkers of 'gifts'.
Not a White Elephant exchange, but when I was a little girl, I had only boy cousins. Everyone drew names of cousins to exchange gifts and you know the parents bought the gifts. That year, the hot new toy was the Coleco (I think that was the brand) handheld electronic football game. Every single boy got one. I got a deck of Old Maid cards. Who coordinated the mass football game purchase and said, "Oh hey, throw in these boring cards I found on an end cap display for the girl?"
|
|
|
|
Post by papersilly on Dec 13, 2017 18:29:40 GMT
my dad's side of the family did a gift exchange one year. my one cousin put in a shitty gift that was far below the minimum amount and she got fully outed for it. awkward to say the least. that was the last time we did the gift exchange. i think it left a bad taste in people's mouths.
|
|
|
|
Post by disneypal on Dec 13, 2017 18:33:50 GMT
I just saw this on twitter and it made me think of this thread...  |
|
|
|
Post by Really Red on Dec 13, 2017 18:43:02 GMT
I like the gift exchanges but agree that the rules should be clear and I'm all for calling out someone who doesn't play by the rules. I think it's fun to get something you wouldn't think of normally. Perhaps not a banana slicers, but there was a glass moose mug this year that was rather impressive and definitely interesting.
|
|
|
|
Post by ceepea on Dec 13, 2017 19:44:45 GMT
I hope to never again have to participate in one of those gift exchanges. The last one I did in an office our supervisor got stuck with a branch from someones tree?!?!
We guessed it was supposed to be a yule log, but it really was just a branch. He really did look so funny sitting there with a piece of wood in his lap,lol!
|
|
bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,640
Member is Online
|
Post by bethany102399 on Dec 13, 2017 19:58:21 GMT
The last one I did in an office our supervisor got stuck with a branch from someones tree?!?! See it's stuff like that that kills it for everyone. I'm not saying be overly generous, but at least put SOME effort into it. |
|
|
|
Post by kimber731 on Dec 13, 2017 20:20:02 GMT
I used to work at an office where we did a gift exchange. Background: A few days before our party, all of the office staff received a meat and cheese cube gift box from a court reporter. Fast forward to day of party: One of the attorneys presented his box of meat and cheese as his gift. We were all pretty miffed at him for "regifting" something that the rest of had already received and gave him a pretty hard time about it. He just sat there and didn't say a word. Our receptionist was the one who ended up getting his gift. But she was a good sport about it and lifted out one of the cheeses to show which one she really liked and there was a $5.00 bill under the cheese. She lifted out each of the other items and there was money under every one. I think there ended up being over $50 in cash hidden in the meat and cheese gift box so we all felt pretty bad about calling him a cheapskate.
|
|
Sue
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,243
Location: SE of Portland, Oregon
|
Post by Sue on Dec 13, 2017 20:37:14 GMT
I think I mentioned this here last year but... in the last Secret Santa gift exchange I attended I received a squirrel pressed out of dried manure that was made to be placed in a garden to slowly melt in the rain. Oy.
|
|
bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,640
Member is Online
|
Post by bethany102399 on Dec 13, 2017 20:43:28 GMT
I attended I received a squirrel pressed out of dried manure that was made to be placed in a garden to slowly melt in the rain. Oy. My argument is invalid. I'm going to take my banana slicer and back out of this thread slowly.  |
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Dec 13, 2017 20:58:06 GMT
A friend just posted a pic of her gift, a used and dirty Harley Davidson land line phone. Lolol I know she hasn't had a land line for about 17 years. I'd take that straight to the Goodwill, someone will like it once it's cleaned up.
I'm easy to please but even I have to draw the line at an ancient used phone.
|
|
|
|
Post by miss_lizzie on Dec 13, 2017 21:02:06 GMT
My co-worker entered a horn for your cat to wear. I’d have loved that! (Eta: I dress our cat up on holidays so it would have been fun to try.) |
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Dec 13, 2017 21:03:40 GMT
My co-worker entered a horn for your cat to wear. I’d have loved that! Lolol me too A friend bought me a bow tie for my cat to wear, but we were both annoyed that it didn't come with a collar. Just a tie. Nothing to attach it to and my cat doesn't wear a collar. |
|
|
|
Post by miss_lizzie on Dec 13, 2017 21:13:27 GMT
Lolol me too A friend bought me a bow tie for my cat to wear, but we were both annoyed that it didn't come with a collar. Just a tie. Nothing to attach it to and my cat doesn't wear a collar. I use ribbon or yarn because our cat’s only going to wear it for a few minutes. |
|
|
|
Post by Zee on Dec 13, 2017 21:20:01 GMT
Lolol me too A friend bought me a bow tie for my cat to wear, but we were both annoyed that it didn't come with a collar. Just a tie. Nothing to attach it to and my cat doesn't wear a collar. I use ribbon or yarn because our cat’s only going to wear it for a few minutes. Sensible, though I actually don't have any since I cleared out my craft stash and I throw all string and ribbon away immediately because that genius cat likes to eat it! I pulled a length of ribbon out of his throat a few months ago. I think he has a death wish. Next time I have some I'll snap a pic.  |
|
maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,798
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
|
Post by maryannscraps on Dec 13, 2017 21:54:09 GMT
My husband's company had a gift exchange where the company bought all the gifts. The CFO called out instructions like 'pass it to the third person on your left', 'everyone with a red bow exchange their gift with someone at the other table', etc. It was a blast. In the end, DH and I had $50 and $100 gift cards, but we and the other partners switched with some of the shop floor employees who didn't get such a good gift.
It was a blast done that way -- everyone had fun and you didn't have to stress over what to buy and wrap.
|
|
|
|
Post by smokeynspike on Dec 13, 2017 23:06:27 GMT
Yeah, I'm not a fan of spending my hard earned money on white elephant gift exchanges. We did one last year at work. I brought something that I bought and I received a décor item from someone's home that was broken and glued back together. It sucked.
This year I said NO to the white elephant gift exchange. We either all do nice gifts or I won't participate. We are an office of 5 people (last year we did a larger group outside of our branch staff).
Melissa |
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 13, 2017 23:10:04 GMT
A friend of mine told me about one her family does that’s a gift card white elephant exchange. Everybody gets a $25 gift card from someplace and creatively wraps it up. It can be from anywhere but the only requirement is that it has to be for $25. Gas cards, grocery stores, restaurants, Target, Walmart, craft stores, doesn’t matter. I think they pass around a pair of dice and the first person to get doubles picks first. Second person can steal the first person’s GC or choose a different wrapped gift and so on until all of them are unwrapped. At the end, people can keep what they got or trade with someone, but bottom line is everyone got something worth the exact same amount so at least it’s fair. In her family the most coveted ones are the gas cards and the craft store cards, LOL.
|
|
This year I suggested not exchanging gifts, but he says he likes to give me gifts. It's December 12th. Do you think he's ordered my gifts yet? Sometimes I feel like my tongue is going to fall off, I bite it so many times. (And not just at Christmas!)
_on_the_beach.jpg)
