Re-gifting: The Green & Inexpensive Way to Give
Some frown on re-gifting, but it is an art... unless you set out to re-gift and your recipient knows it.
This holiday season I was invited to an Elfster event where a bunch of us Chicago Hipmamas (that's the group's name, not an evaluation of my hipness) participated in a re-gifting Secret Santa group.
It turned out great. I spent a few hours digging through my home office of all the fun swag I've collected over the years which I've always thought would make a nice gift. I found a few beautiful blank cards so my mama friend can rediscover the joy of writing with a pen. I also gave her this cute handmade button that I received in a grab bag of swag. Not an "I'm with stupid button" either. A really nicely made glass button that I never could figure out what to wear with.
In some ways it was more fun to dig through my office to find something nice to re-gift than hitting the mall and Etsy for presents. It really made me realize how much nice stuff I horde and it was nice packing it all up. For the cost of a few stamps, I sent a pretty nice gift.
Did you re-gift this holiday season? Are you willing to share with us what you did? Was it that fugly gift you got last year or did you dig into your nice stash and really gift someone something nice?
[Image: ABC News]
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Although I didn't regift, I received a re-gift (happily, I might add). Hubby and I gave someone a present unexpectedly for the holidays and flustered, she handed us a gift card which obviously had just been handed to her. While we were expecting nothing in return, we accepted it graciously and spent it two days later. I don't think there's anything at all wrong with regifting!
I didn't receive a re-gift, to my knowledge, but I did give a gift that was re-gifted. And while I know about the re-gifting, the recipient doesn't -- she thinks my girlfriend went out and bought her a pair of gold (colored) earrings, which she didn't... Now I'm forbidden to discuss the true origin of the earrings the next time I see the friend.
LOL, David! I was at a jewelry party earlier this month and someone said that they never gave jewelry that they didn't wear themselves at least once. I still wonder if that's re-gifting or not.