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From the comments of our roundup of gifts for people you really like but hardly know comes this great idea from Homie sjcottrell:
One tradition my husband and I started for our Christmas with the in-laws is the “Grab-bag of Useful Stuff.” We load it up with things like packs of batteries, Duct Tape, scissors, winter gloves, flashlights, warm socks, first aid supplies, and other little things that everyone in our family seems to need and use but is always running out of. Then all the adults get to take turns blindly choosing items.It’s a lot of fun, actually. It shows some degree of thought and care. And no one is stuck with a “here’s a useless gift because I couldn’t think of what else to get you” gift.
We also keep it grownups-only, so we have a special thing after the kids have ripped off their wrapping paper.
I once participated in something like this with my best friend’s family years ago — I still use the Tupperware set that I received!
This is a really cool idea. The secret santa on my husbands side has turned into just a gift card exchange and nobody likes it. I know there’s talk of an ornament exchange, but I like this idea too.
Oh I am so stealing this!
This would have been a GREAT idea back when I still lived with roommates — just give the collective group a bag of “shit we run out of,” since we’d all be using it anyway.
Thank you for this inspiration. I never know what to get my family.
This would be great at my job! At least then i wouldn’t get another set of hand lotion that smells awful 😉 Great idea!
This is a neat idea!
I do something similar for baby showers. As part of my gift I give a bag full of random little things that I found helpful as a parent.