My family is doing some sort of gift exchange thing and I need input

[quakerboy]

Basic rules: bring one wrapped gift, value $5-10. Each person gets to chose one gift, in order by a hat drawn number. Some stealing allowed.

I don't know what to take. My wife got an inexpensive throw. That will probably be the most out there gift present. I expect candy, perhaps beverage, if we are lucky some useless ornaments and mugs. Perhaps someone will go crazy and bring a gift card. It is largely a feminine motivated deal. Actually, only 1.5 patriarchs of the family will even be present this year. And I am the .5. And except for my wife, they all tend to stay in the bounds of pseudochristmascheerdecorumcuteseyawwwwwww type deals.

I want to do something different. So far all I can think is beer. Lotto tickets just popped into my head as I was writing. I also considered driving out of state for some real pseudophedrine containing alieve D, since they are not adventuresome people and you can't buy the real thing here without a prescription and the fake stuff doesn't work worth a dam.

I need some good ideas here.


Also, I need to find another gift(or gifts) that costs precisely 22.81, that I can pick up, wrap and deliver before 1 pm tomorrow afternoon.

Help me

[cynatnite]

1. What about scratch-offs? n/t

[quakerboy]

2. Thats what i was thinking of when i said lotto tickets

I dunno. Part of me wants something less stereotypically last minute male and more outside the box. I really have been thinking about what to get for the better part of 2 weeks, and the right thing just has not come.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

23. A crisp $10 bill

will be fought over..........you'll be famous!

[AwakeAtLast]

3. Do they enjoy movies?

Movie gift certificates might be fun. Put 'em in a box of popcorn or something.

I also like the scratch off idea.

I have younger relatives who like I-tunes gift certificates in case you have any I-pod owners.

If you have any avid book fans, a book store gift card might also work.

Hope these are helpful!

[quakerboy]

19. Arrgh

I am the reader of the group. And a book store gift card would be good and yet bad. A $10 gift card would be torture for me. I strive to completely use gift cards without going over and spending cash. But could you go to a bookstore and spend only $10?

I think that the ipod thing would be either unwanted or a bone of contention. there are a few who might use it, but i am not sure how many of them will be participating. I would hate to see bloodshed or ill feelings if that ended up the popular option. Or alternately completely wasted if one of my aunts ended up stuck with it.


I am giving more consideration to the scratch offs. It seems like the best all around so far, but it goes against the grain for some reason. I hit 2 thrift shops today and nothing clicked.


On the plus side, the nice lady at the adventist thrift shop helped me meet my second goal of $22.81 exactly. So thats a good thing.

[Kali]

4. an odd succulent or other houseplant

humming bird feeder
cheap birdfeeder and some bird seed (they have these little plastic things you screw onto you own recycled soda/water bottle for a couple bucks - available at Ace and probably dollar stores too)
packet of notecards/stationary and some pens or stamps
seeds/potting soil and a cute pot

[quakerboy]

21. My wife suggested a plant too.

[grasswire]

5. my extended family gathering has done this for three decades now

It can be quite a lot of fun. Our rule is that you can either open a gift from the pile or take one away from someone who already opened it. A gift can only be stolen twice, then it stays with whoever has it.

We go for outlandish things. Castoffs, often. Things from rummage, yes. Ugly things. This year I have a screaming peacock novelty -- the eyes light up, it screeches, and the tailfeathers open and shut. It's going to be a real hit. I paid $3 for it. The kicker is that I have TWO of them. Two people are going to get stuck with screaming peacocks.

[quakerboy]

22. We have the same basic rules

Last year the only extra rule was whatever it was had to come in/with a mug. So there was a lot of candy, some beverage mixes, a few giftcards, ornaments, etc.

This year, no extra stipulations. I want to be crazy different. Normally this comes quite naturally to me. And gifting as well, usualy the "right" thing just clicks in my brain. Not for this gift this time, though. It is torturing me.

[greenbriar]

6. 5 dollar DVDs and popcorn and pop

we love doing the dirty santa



This year we are doing it in 2 shifts one for the guys and one for the girls.


I got a bunch of good smelling bath stuff and new towels and wash cloths for my gift

[LeftyMom]

7. Bento set?

I got my sister and my son cute ones for about $5 each. A lot of people are trying to economize so something that makes taking lunch to work fun might be a hit, plus they're usually super cute and nice for storing random little things if one doesn't want to carry lunch in them.

Or a meatball sub from the Bye and Bye on Alberta. (If nobody wants it, you can overnight that to me.)

[grasswire]

26. the Bye and Bye?

Is that still there?

[LeftyMom]

28. It certainly was last month.

Ah, memories...

[Quantess]

8. "Some stealing allowed" WTF?

[seemunkee]

11. Thieves christmas

Draw numbers for order that gifts are opened. One person opens at a time. You can choose an wrapped gift, or take one from someone else that has already opened their gift. If you take someone's gift they get to pick a new unopened one.

[PassingFair]

14. I hate that game.

Really, who likes that?

[quakerboy]

16. Almost everyone in my family

At least, all the matriarchs and myself.

The only one who ever expressed dissatisfaction with it was the youngest, the developmentally delayed. She dosn't like it because it she prefered the not quite secret Santa system, where she as the youngest always ended up getting a bunch of extra anonymous gifts. She really isn't equipped to understand that Grandma who always did all the gifts for the kids has not been able to get out of bed for nearly 14 months.

[PassingFair]

17. You have to be a real a-hole to "steal" a gift from someone who is happy with what they have...

...and yes, there are a-holes in my family!

[quakerboy]

20. That may be the difference

There are a few oblivious people in my family, but noone who would be willing to step out into actual a-holeness at a family function. Or at least, no one excepting my grandpa, who will not be participating. He prefers to show up, stand outside, hork a few snotballs out of his trach hole, buzz at people with his buzzer, and then leave after throughly annoying everyone, but before doing anything useful or family like.

Anyway, none would dare be an actual asshole at the Christmas. They wouldn't get invited back. And they might get set aside for several private chats. And everyone except the youngest gets that its all in good fun. There is often trading after the opening is over, so that everyone can be at least moderately satisfied. And there isn't anyone who's happiness be bought off with some spare chocolate, which at $5-10/person is a reasonable alternate for any potential problems.

[Phentex]

9. Gas gift card attached to a whoopie cushion....

is always a hit!

[HopeHoops]

10. Go to Spencer Gifts and get one of those "massagers".

You know, the ones that have a rather familiar shape. I can't think of what it reminds me of, but I'll figure it out at some point.

[GoCubsGo]

12. A magazine subscription

There are several out there that one can subscribe for around ten bucks for a year. You can give them a choice.

http://www.magazinesubscriptions.com/ Sometimes, you can get better rates by going straight to the magazine's home page. For example, the magazine site wants $12 for a year of Good Housekeeping. At the GH site, you can get it for $7.97/yr.

Another site: http://www.magazines.com/

[gmoney]

13. Scotch?

[quakerboy]

15. for $5?

I really dont know how much scotch costs, but I would have thought more than that.

[dugaresa]

18. might as well buy robitussin because $5 scotch will taste probably worse

[Paper Roses]

24. A big jug of Laundry soap. Tide, when you care enough to

give the very best.

Actually, my family did just about the same thing this year. It was a mutual agreement and we're all happier for it.

Merry Christmas.

[grasswire]

25. uh.....I just see that you're in my general locale

I hope we're not in the same family. Or at least I hope you don't get two screaming peacocks.

[quakerboy]

27. That would be a kick in the shorts, eh?

I wouldn't mind peacocks, as long as you don't mind a giant package of neon zip ties. Thats what I settled on. I figure everyone has cords. And zip ties are just cool. I am kind of hoping i get them though. Its something I have wanted for a while, but could not justify buying in a world where free twist ties abound.

[Paper Roses]

29. But they are probably "Collectibles"!

Next year on ebay.........