Guest Author - Meg Meyer

The table explodes in laughter as Patti finishes her story, "and now - everyone WANTS the ugly garden gnome!"

She started a new tradition in her family, one season, when times were hard and jobs were scarce. Their large family was instructed to wrap a gift - something that's already in their home that they don't really want - and bring it to the Christmas celebration.

Everyone laughed when her uncle selected and unwrapped "UGG" the ugly garden gnome, that first year. And he's been re-gifted every year since. But now, people want to go first, get - and keep UGG for themselves!

You can adopt this tradition for your home and office celebrations. Have fun with it, don't spend money, and get rid of something that you don't really want, that someone else may love!

Here are the rules:

1. No one is allowed to buy the gift. It HAS to be something already within your property. Think about things that you don't really want but haven't gotten around to getting rid of. Think of gifts you've been given, have stashed away, but don't really fit your personality.

2. Wrap your gift well. Have fun with it! Box within a box, and the duct-tape wrap are fun ones.

3. Count how many people are playing. Each person that brought a White Elephant Gift are counted. Write each number on a piece of paper, put in a hat, and drawn.

4. People pick their gift in order. One goes first, etc. One picks the first gift. One then unwraps the gift and shows it off.

5. Two and up, pick their gift, unwrap it, and decide to either keep their gift or trade it with someone who already went.

6. Whoever goes first, also goes last. Let me explain. Since One hasn't gotten a chance to trade, they finish the game by choosing to keep what they ended up with, or trade for whichever gift they want.

7. Whoever goes first this year, does not get to go first next year.

Not only is the discovering fun, but it's hilarious to see what folks wind up trading for. It's even more interesting to see which gifts do not return next year.

Like UGG, who stayed in Patti's uncles garden for two years before he returned to the fray!

A White Elephant Gift Exchange is a fun, clutter free, expense free way of enjoying the Holiday Gifting Season with your colleagues, family and friends. Start this new tradition in your office today!



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