A white elephant gift exchange is a popular holiday party game found primarily in North America. It has many variations in both the name and the game play. Generally, white elephant parties need a minimum of six participants. With a larger group, game play may be more protracted. White elephant parties have been known to result in intensely vicious and/or playful rivalries between players trying to get sought after gifts. The goal of a white elephant party is usually to entertain rather than to gain. This game is sometimes called a Yankee Swap, Chinese Gift Exchange, Dirty Santa, Thieving Secret Santa, or Parcel Pass.I hardly ever get invited to gift exchange parties (why that is might be the subject for another post). When I have participated in a gift exchange, it's been during the end of year party season, which is half the calendar away at present. So naturally a few ideas for budget-limited gifts percolated to the top of my thoughts today. Because I am likely to forget these ideas by the time the next white elephant challenge presents itself to me, I thought I'd post them here for reference.
1. THE PURELY SILLY GIFT: USB Pet Rock, $9.99 from ThinkGeek.com. As the retailer name would indicate, this product is targeted at tech geeks, particularly those between the ages of 35 and 45 (aka children of the 1970s). I love that it's compatible with every operating system, past or future, and draws no power.
2. THE ARTFUL FOODIE GIFT: Artisan flowering tea, $9.95 from Stash Tea. For ten bucks you get two tea packets. This specialty product requires an appreciative audience, or else your money is truly wasted. Drop a packet into a glass bowl (or glass tea pot, if you've got one of those lying around) and pour hot water over it. Watch as the packet unfurls into some arty shape. So you get a lovely pot of tea on two counts.
3. THE GENERIC READER GIFT: A copy of a bestseller (look at NYT or Amazon lists). This may seem boring, but chances are someone in the crowd is going to want the book, and you can leave the party feeling your gift won't go to waste. Right now I'd pick comedy writer/actress Tina Fey's memoir Bossypants or the yet-to-be-released parent-sympathy book Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. Depending on the dollar limit, I might throw in a pair of fuzzy socks or other comfort object to round out the "relax for a while" vibe of the gift.
4. THE INDULGENT EATER GIFT: Gourmet marshmallows, such as a 4 ounce bag of vanilla Plush Puffs for $6. Years ago we received a hot cocoa kit as a gift, which came with mugs, hot chocolate mix, some peppermint swizzle sticks and several enormous square marshmallows. I'm not much of a marshmallow fan, but these were delicious, absolutely melt in your mouth smooth puffy deliciousness. I'd happily share such joy with another. Package a bag of Plush Puffs with a container of Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix or some graham crackers and chocolate bars and you've got a delectable present.
4. THE ELUSIVE BOARD GAMER GIFT: Anything within price range from Mayfair games. What I'm sensing in my gift ideas list are an assortment of items I'd like to take home for myself. This particular gift idea, a semi-cerebral board game, would identify for me the person or people in the crowd whom I could later hit up to invite me over for a night of gaming. Maybe it would be such a success that we'd decide to schedule regular game nights. A gift that would keep on giving. :)
PS If you ever receive one of these gifts from me, I hope you like it. If not, you know you can always return it to me. :)
