Hilltopmom Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Recommendations for a white elephant gift exchange item for something you might actually want ? $20-25 range all educators, almost all females Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Trader Joe’s has great stuff for this sort of thing. Specialty chocolates, fancy honey collection, popcorn, fancy soaps etc. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Large zip drive? (128+ size) Gift card to Starbucks, ? Kendra Scott jewelry is big here, but I don't know if they have any in that price range. Portable battery charger for your phone? (I have one that doubles as a hand warmer too, but it cannot do both at the same time) Contigo auto-seal tumbler (coffee, tea, or cold liquid) - or other brand, I just like this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Liquor — to get through the white elephant exchange. 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 The Trader Joe’s assortment would probably go over well. What would I like? Toilet paper. Now, hear me out...white elephant gifts are usually things I don’t want, like candles or coffee or mugs filled with stuff. But give me a gag gift that I can use- toilet paper- and I’m happy to be laughed at all evening. Went to a party once and the best white elephant there was a basket for someone with a cold. Some cold meds, Emergen-C, cough drops, Kleenex, etc. That was when our car club did our holiday party in January, when everyone had a cold. It was stolen three times super fast. 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Some kind of alcohol. Most teachers I know can't wait to have a glass of wine or a cocktail on Friday night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecropia Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 A DeLorme atlas & gazetteer for the state in which you all reside 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 I love the cold medicine supplies idea! if I go with alcohol, it should be a bottle of Relax Reisling, lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 A nice bottle of wine.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 (edited) For these things I go with things that are consumable, practical, nonscented and something I would happily take home and use myself. So no to stinky lotions, perfumes, soaps etc (because I'm sensitive to smells). No to alcohol (because I don't drink) but yes to costco size package of toilet paper, AA batteries, jug of unpopped popcorn, or just a giant bag of some other consumable (hey I've got 6 kids nothing is too big for my household). My thought is so many people bring "stuff" and I don't want more stuff and if I "win" stuff it's more than likely going straight into the Goodwill pile so I try to bring something boring that I will use up and then try to "win" my own gift. My son used the giant unpopped popcorn idea (costco sells a 12 1/2 pound jug)to his work and it went over well. It was stolen the maximum number of times. Unfortunately he ended up with a bottle of alcohol. Which not only do we not drink it our family but my son is underaged as well (the next youngest person in the department is 24 but since DS has been there for over 2 years already, they kinda forget how young he is). Thankfully someone took pity on him and traded after the game was over but his replacement gift was not much better but at least he could legally bring it home. Edited November 17, 2018 by cjzimmer1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 A selection of unscented candles. They are the good kind of stuff in that they can be admired and then used. Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Novelty toilet paper might be something to consider - there are many fun designs. It has the white elephant 'useless' factor, but can still be used. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 I'd laugh at something marked as a 'zombie survival kit' with some random things like sticking plasters, paperclips, chocolate, a water bottle, etc inside of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Sadly, it's backordered. https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/cast-iron-garlic-roaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 A nice bag 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Amazon gift card Movie passes A couple of steaks A homemade meal Nothing scented Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 How about a nice planner? https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Year-Sweets-Planner-Recollections/dp/B07C2JJP4V/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1542488690&sr=8-4&keywords=planner+creative Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX Native Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 a mag flash light with batteries pistachios a group of potted herbs that will fit well near a window gift certificate to a take out restaurant or local pizza place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Fancy Starbucks mug A selection of cute post-it notes (or maybe that's just me!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 I just discovered a store that sells amazing olive oils and vinegars by the mL. You can purchase a refillable jar, taste all the choices you are interested in, and have them fill the jar with your choice. I am doing this for my bunco exchange. Im also going to make a homemade sourdough bread to go with it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Post it notes staples and paper clips fuzzy socks, mug, and hot cocoa or tea 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 (edited) Consumables like coffee, chocolate, tea, popcorn, other snacks would go over well. If they weren’t my thing, someone else in my house would like them. Family card or board game Love the idea of toilet paper! Or paper towels, spices, batteries, tape. . . As a homeschooler, I would love dry erase markers, printer paper, card stock, glue sticks. . . Oven mitts, kitchen towels, wooden spoons, spatula — maybe not the most exciting, but still can be fun as well as useful, if they have a cute design, especially if you throw in some chocolate or specialty coffee. Edited November 18, 2018 by happypamama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 A smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 If it's supposed to be a bit funny, then go with toilet paper - we all need lots of it all the time! Otherwise, some reusable hand warmers if you live someplace cold, or perhaps a coffee mug. I would not give food gifts. You never know if somebody is allergic to some ingredient in that bag of cookies, or can't consume alcohol, or hates coffee, or simply is very conscious about only buying sustainable, fair trade goodies. (Hi, I'm the last one. I won't say anything about slave labor at our gift swap, but I won't be very happy to get slavery-infested chocolate either.) I feel so strongly about this that I think it ought to be a formal rule. NO FOOD. If you want to go the boring route, go with a gift card, preferably some gift card that can be used on a wide variety of items. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 I grew up with "white elephant gift" meaning something we already had but didn't want, so are giving it away...(so, 2nd hand, from me). It sounds like you're doing new things? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Ridiculously huge candy? My sister once got one of my kids a rice crispy treat the size of a cereal box and the other a Resees cup as big as a pie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 1 hour ago, J-rap said: I grew up with "white elephant gift" meaning something we already had but didn't want, so are giving it away...(so, 2nd hand, from me). It sounds like you're doing new things? There's a lot of variation and a lot of names for this activity, and it's really best if whoever is coordinating it makes it clear up front whether they're doing regifting only, or gag gifts only, or real gifts only, or what. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 10 minutes ago, Tanaqui said: There's a lot of variation and a lot of names for this activity, and it's really best if whoever is coordinating it makes it clear up front whether they're doing regifting only, or gag gifts only, or real gifts only, or what. Yes. One year, my poor child got stuck with a box of old, ratty sheet music. (It was just shoved in, too, all higgledy-piggledy.) The giver that it was hilarious; my kid thought it sucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 And I bet most everything else was nice stuff, right? Yeah, you gotta state right from the start what the expectations are. Rules make things better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmsurbat1 Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 At the last steal-a-new-but-not-much-money-gift exchange I went to, two things which got stolen repeatedly were: a cute apron, and a novelty timer (this one was an adorable red&white mushroom-shaped dial-up-to-1-hour timer). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted November 19, 2018 Author Share Posted November 19, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, J-rap said: I grew up with "white elephant gift" meaning something we already had but didn't want, so are giving it away...(so, 2nd hand, from me). It sounds like you're doing new things? Me too. But yeah, they are doing new items Edited November 19, 2018 by Hilltopmom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 That USB stick idea is a good one. There’s never enough. Otherwise stationery is always good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 When my brother was in high school, he was invited to a Christmas party -- various ages, people he worked with (I think) -- and my mom elected me to drive him to it. I found out on the way to the party that he needed to take a white elephant gift. New item, less than $5, iirc. We made a quick stop at Walmart and flew to the toy section (teenage boys, after all). I grabbed some Play-doh and told my brother "Let's go." He thought Play-doh was stupid, I told him that we didn't have any time. The Play-doh was loved and traded often. And of course I told my brother "I told you so!". If the cost had been higher, Nerf guns would have also been a hit with this group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 12 hours ago, J-rap said: I grew up with "white elephant gift" meaning something we already had but didn't want, so are giving it away...(so, 2nd hand, from me). It sounds like you're doing new things? Yeah, me too. But then we went to an exchange taking a gift of this type (it wasn't used, but was something like a furry picture frame), and the other gifts were pretty nice. I was very embarrassed and felt so cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Why I don’t generally enjoy white elephant exchanges: We were new to our car club and at the holiday party we did a white elephant exchange, usually a mix of gag gifts and things that were really nice gifts. We opened an item that turned out to be the club joke- it was a framed drawing of all different sizes and shapes of bOOks and underneath they had descriptions. In our club it was THE item to display in the garage for the year you had it, and then you signed it and brought it back for the next year. Tradition was that you signed it near the pic that best represented your spouse (or your own) bOOks. And kicker: it was not able to be stolen or traded. WHoever got it had to keep it. I hated that stupid thing and refused to hang it in the garage. Couldn’t wait until the next year when we could force it on someone else. I did give some thought to ‘losing’ or breaking it but I knew we would be shunned. The same year, a couple opened a piece of art that was clearly handmade, and everyone laughed and laughed. Except a couple at our table had been the ones to make it and they thought it was well done and were so embarrassed that everyone laughed. So yes, please make the rules clear- nobody wants to show up with a used, silly item if everyone else is bring bottles of booze or other ‘real’ gifts. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Gift certificate to local bookstore. Nice set of pens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Annie G said: Why I don’t generally enjoy white elephant exchanges: We were new to our car club and at the holiday party we did a white elephant exchange, usually a mix of gag gifts and things that were really nice gifts. We opened an item that turned out to be the club joke- it was a framed drawing of all different sizes and shapes of bOOks and underneath they had descriptions. In our club it was THE item to display in the garage for the year you had it, and then you signed it and brought it back for the next year. Tradition was that you signed it near the pic that best represented your spouse (or your own) bOOks. And kicker: it was not able to be stolen or traded. WHoever got it had to keep it. I hated that stupid thing and refused to hang it in the garage. Couldn’t wait until the next year when we could force it on someone else. I did give some thought to ‘losing’ or breaking it but I knew we would be shunned. The same year, a couple opened a piece of art that was clearly handmade, and everyone laughed and laughed. Except a couple at our table had been the ones to make it and they thought it was well done and were so embarrassed that everyone laughed. So yes, please make the rules clear- nobody wants to show up with a used, silly item if everyone else is bring bottles of booze or other ‘real’ gifts. Twice we've been new to a group and ended up with the "hysterical" gift that "you have to bring it back next year". What you received was particularly icky. I think I might have refused it. The art story makes me sad. One annual exchanged tried way too hard at being hysterical with many trying to one-up each other. It wasn't fun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 (edited) On 11/17/2018 at 8:40 AM, Hilltopmom said: Recommendations for a white elephant gift exchange item for something you might actually want ? $20-25 range all educators, almost all females Thanks My two favorite white elephant gift exchange items have been: a Blanket that folded into a pillow A pair of Star Wars socks (one C3PO and one R2-D2) I'm taking a calendar this year to one exchange And a stuffed llama to another (but that is sort of an in joke to the group; and I may just "Steal" it myself if I can keep it because my daughter wants it.) Starbucks gift cards also always get fought over (though I, personally, am not that interested) Edited November 19, 2018 by vonfirmath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Reusable heat pack. Pretty fabric one filled with rice or a nice gel hot/cold on from amazon Seasonal apron (a bit of fun since it is pretty and not just functional) Seasonal couch pillow Hydroflask hot or cold (insulated metal water bottle) Coffee gift card for what ever place is close to the school and has a drive through Reusable grocery bags. (not the stiff ones you can buy at checkouts) The small thing ones that stuff in a purse, or mesh produce bags, or canvas bags. Something a bit nicer or unique. Nice coffee and ceramic mug with a lid (that can be removed and leave a nice sipping lip for those who don't like lids). Easy to buy at Peets/Starbucks etc. Bees wax candles. Savory gift basket. crackers, salamis, olives, smoked salmon Ingredients for a fun drink/snack to be made with or without alcohol. ie 2 margarita glasses, bottle of margarita mix, lime and chips with salsa. Selection of local honeys/jams A nice baking dish (I usually buy le Crusset) and a brownie mix. You can usually find a small one for about $20 at TJmaxx, Home Goods etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Quote The same year, a couple opened a piece of art that was clearly handmade, and everyone laughed and laughed. Except a couple at our table had been the ones to make it and they thought it was well done and were so embarrassed that everyone laughed. When I was a kid, we didn't do swaps like this, but we did grab bags - in school, in dance class, at skating, everywhere. Everybody brought a wrapped present and went home with a different, unmarked wrapped present - there was no stealing, though, it was lucky dip. You get what you get. (Some classes divided it into "girls" and "boys".) When we were aging out of the ritual, my mother finally confessed to us that she hated those, because there's always one kid whose parents picked out something wildly out of touch with what everybody else got, and everybody always knew who it was. There may have been no names attached to the presents, but they all know who had brought in the baby toy or the boring gift or the weird thing. With that said, my mother's taste in picking out presents for these things was always surprisingly on point. Who knew that ten year old girls would get so excited over novelty bath sets or funny pens? (Nobody ever knew which gifts were mine.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I don't really like white elephant (also called dirty Santa around here) exchanges. For one, our budget has always been tight, and to spend on something extra like that isn't really something I want to spend on; I'd rather use that money for someone I am close to. It's usually pretty fun, I guess, but I just wish we could have enjoyable get-togethers without having gifts be part of it. We still participate, in order to be good sports, but my preferences lie elsewhere. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 My husband’s colleague was a tester for this dimmable night light and gave it to us. My kids love it. They call it their disco light. AUKEY Night Light, Rechargeable Bedside Lamp with RGB Color-Changing & Dimmable White Light https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Rechargeable-Color-Changing-Water-Resistance-Drop-Resistance/dp/B072M7FM7S/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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