On the last night of our Thanksgiving family reunion last week, our family celebrated Christmas. My mother in law gave each member of the family a gift and then the family participated in a white elephant exchange.
Each five children, their spouses and their adult children was to bring gifts. We were to bring gag as well as great gifts for the exchange. I bought a Starbucks coffee gift pack and a Christmas tree cookie kit as our gifts. Both gifts looked like great gifts to me.
Early on in the gift exchange my twenty three year old nephew ended up selecting the Christmas cookie tree kit. He spent most of the game trying to get his female cousins to steal it from him. “It would make a great activity for couple bonding,” he mentioned over and over again.
None of his seven female cousins seemed to want to steal it for couple bonding time. Actually only one of the seven are seeing someone right now and one is married. Maybe if more of them were dating or married they would have decided it was a must have gift.
There were several other gifts that seemed destined to stay with the person who had unknowingly picked them. One niece had a fleece snowman hat that JDaniel thought I should steal from one of my nieces. He thought it was marvelous. I quickly responded that I wasn’t going to steal the lovely hat. It will most likely return to the white elephant exchange next year along with the plush Christmas duck that says “Aflac!” and the rubber chicken dog toy that has already made several appearances at our family gift exchange.
The Starbucks coffee gift pack we brought was stolen several times. After three steals, it was deemed safe with the person who had orchestrated the last steal. One of my brother in laws was thrilled to end up with it.
As the game drew to a close, my husband had a different Starbucks gift pack stolen from him. (Yes, there were several Starbucks gifts in the game. I think there were three in total.) He was given the choice of stealing a gift or selecting one of the three packages that were left.
My guy did what any wonderful father and uncle would do he stole the Christmas tree cookie kit from his nephew. I wish I had taken a picture of JDaniel with his fists pumping up and down shouting “Yes!” as his dad brought the box over and handed it to him. I thought the kit would be something everyone would want and it turned out to have only one ideal recipient.
My nephew ended up stealing potholders from someone. He said he doesn’t have any and that he is tired of using towel to take food out of the oven. Only the pot holders barely fit on his large hands. He may end up having to buy some larger ones and bringing the ones he stole back next year.
Oh! What did I end up with? Well, I had a Christmas hand towel and evergreen scented soap up until the second to the last person had a turn. It was stolen and I was left to choose or steal. I ended up stealing three cans of specialty nuts and giving them to my husband. He had been eyeing them all night and he deserved them after getting a hold of the Christmas cookie kit for JDaniel.
What is the most interesting gift you have received at a white elephant exchange?
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About Deirdre
Welcome! My name is Deirdre and I am JDaniel4's Mom. After teaching in Virginia for twenty years, I was a stay at home mom learning and growing beside my son JDaniel the 4th for five years. I recently went back to teaching at a local school here in South Carolina.
We do one each year with the multiples club. I am thinking about bringing one of my painted birdhouse gourds that look like snowman as my gift this year. I’m not sure if it’ll go over well or not though.
The thing I took that did the best was one year a set of 4 nutcracker ornaments. They originally retailed for $20 but since I’d gotten them on Christmas clearance the year before, I truly only spent the $5. They were cute!
I LOVE that game!!! It is a lot of fun when you have a big group with some great gifts and some really funny gifts too! But I have to say, I would be eyeing that Christmas cookie kit. I think it looks fun! But yea, your husband totally rocked it and deserved those nuts! 🙂
those exchanges are nerve-wracking! you and your husband are good souls. glad JDaniel is a happy camper. (I’m thinking gift exchange for anyone under the age of 12, but that’s me.)
maryanne @ mama smilessays
My husband got a telescope at last year’s $10 exchange at work! It’s not very high quality, but it works, and it’s been fun to use with the kids!
karensays
SOMEWHERE in my house I have one of those cookie tree kits. I think I need to hunt it down and actually (finally) use it!
I’ve participated in a few White Elephant exchanges, and I’ve always worried about what I would end up with. One year I got a set of margarita glasses (which I got to keep) and another I got a set of cool commemorative ornaments.
I’m glad your husband got the cans of nuts. That’s probably what I would have wanted, too!
We play the same game in our gathering as well, and I always ended up with something that I really didn’t want or like..
The thing is we all had fun 🙂
Sandysays
Your post brings back such memories when all us kids married and each living in different countries would come to my moms and we would celebrate Christmas no matter what the month was, just to do it together. What fun you all had.. Happy Holidays
ArtMuseDog and Carolsays
What a loving and fun family ~ great ideas and photos for ‘B’ ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
Just Shortsays
How fun! I loe making Christmas cookies. This is a fun way to display them.
VBRsays
Well, I can certainly understand why JDaniel was excited to get the cookie tree! That is a pretty magnificent creation for a little guy to have!!
Melissa Campeausays
OH! I would’ve been so mad of having my Starbucks gift pack stolen from me! I would’ve ran and hid with it!
I’ve never done an exchange like this with family, but it sure would be fun! I guess it’s hard since my side of the family is pretty small. I’ll suggest it to them and see what they think! =)
Oh that was such a FUN read!!! Loved the exchange and the sweetness of your hubby!! I could just picture your nephew’s big hands and the typical need for potholders at that age of adulthood! HA! What a fun Christmas gift exchange to write about!! Bless your heart for giving the nuts to hubby. 🙂
~ Noellesays
how fun… we do that too… zaxbys gift cards and chocolate are always the big hits for us… I try to steal a gift to turn around and give as a gift to someone.. lol…
We used to play this game at our bridge group Christmas party. It is loads of fun! Oh, and that rubber chicken dog toy? Mulligan got one for Christmas a couple of years ago, and he turned his nose up at it! Hahahahaha!
We do one each year with the multiples club. I am thinking about bringing one of my painted birdhouse gourds that look like snowman as my gift this year. I’m not sure if it’ll go over well or not though.
The thing I took that did the best was one year a set of 4 nutcracker ornaments. They originally retailed for $20 but since I’d gotten them on Christmas clearance the year before, I truly only spent the $5. They were cute!
I have never had the fun of participating in one–sounds like a great time was had by all!!
Oh what fun!!!!!
I have never did one but this looks like such fun!
What a fun Christmas game! I’ve heard of it but never had the chance to participate!
I LOVE that game!!! It is a lot of fun when you have a big group with some great gifts and some really funny gifts too! But I have to say, I would be eyeing that Christmas cookie kit. I think it looks fun! But yea, your husband totally rocked it and deserved those nuts! 🙂
The cookie Christmas tree kit looks so pretty. How do you take it apart to eat it?
We used to do this back when I was young. I won stuff from puzzles to eyeshadow palettes…I am trying to organize this year, should be fun.
~Cute story. 🙂
Those exchanges are always interesting .I think the cookie tree is pretty darn cool!
I would have loved to end up with the cookie tree!
those exchanges are nerve-wracking! you and your husband are good souls. glad JDaniel is a happy camper. (I’m thinking gift exchange for anyone under the age of 12, but that’s me.)
My husband got a telescope at last year’s $10 exchange at work! It’s not very high quality, but it works, and it’s been fun to use with the kids!
SOMEWHERE in my house I have one of those cookie tree kits. I think I need to hunt it down and actually (finally) use it!
It’s fabulous that JDaniel got the cookie tree! I would have loved it too. 🙂
We do that at the office and it’s always a fun time…
What a lovely idea. I don’t think we have that here. It is nice JDaniel had the cookie tree.
Have a nice week
We just played this game for the first time at Thanksgiving. So fun! That cookie kit is a great prize and glad you got your husband his pistachios.
This sounds like fun. Have a great time together.
I’ve participated in a few White Elephant exchanges, and I’ve always worried about what I would end up with. One year I got a set of margarita glasses (which I got to keep) and another I got a set of cool commemorative ornaments.
I’m glad your husband got the cans of nuts. That’s probably what I would have wanted, too!
We play the same game in our gathering as well, and I always ended up with something that I really didn’t want or like..
The thing is we all had fun 🙂
Your post brings back such memories when all us kids
married and each living in different countries would come
to my moms and we would celebrate Christmas no matter
what the month was, just to do it together.
What fun you all had..
Happy Holidays
What a loving and fun family ~ great ideas and photos for ‘B’ ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
How fun! I loe making Christmas cookies. This is a fun way to display them.
Well, I can certainly understand why JDaniel was excited to get the cookie tree! That is a pretty magnificent creation for a little guy to have!!
OH! I would’ve been so mad of having my Starbucks gift pack stolen from me! I would’ve ran and hid with it!
Now I want to make a cookie tree.
My son would LOVE this…what a neat idea!
that cookie tree is cute…
i’ve been to many white elephants and can’t remember any of what i got
I hardly use my pot holder, always grabbing the tea towel.
I got a bathroom garbage can with used toliet paper rolls. EW
What a great Tradition! Love it!
I’ve never done an exchange like this with family, but it sure would be fun! I guess it’s hard since my side of the family is pretty small. I’ll suggest it to them and see what they think! =)
Oh that was such a FUN read!!! Loved the exchange and the sweetness of your hubby!! I could just picture your nephew’s big hands and the typical need for potholders at that age of adulthood! HA! What a fun Christmas gift exchange to write about!! Bless your heart for giving the nuts to hubby. 🙂
how fun…
we do that too… zaxbys gift cards and chocolate are always the big hits for us…
I try to steal a gift to turn around and give as a gift to someone.. lol…
Sounds like fun!
And the most interesting thing I ever came home with from a white elephant exchange was a stamp holder made in Africa. I love that thing!
=)
I want that Christmas cookie tree kit. It looks great to me!
This is awesome. The last time I did White Elelphant was back in college and the gifts were very interesting back then 😉
We do this at Christmas!
I always end up being nice so I don’t steal what I want.
Darn it!
I’m going to buck up this year and grab the darned cookie tree!
Oh.
Sorry.
Got a little rambunctious there gearing up for Christmas!
This was such a cute post!
Glad you got the nuts for your husband, too!
A+
Very cute and sounds like really fun. 🙂
We used to play this game at our bridge group Christmas party. It is loads of fun! Oh, and that rubber chicken dog toy? Mulligan got one for Christmas a couple of years ago, and he turned his nose up at it! Hahahahaha!