Please Help!! Yankee Swap Gift Suggestion

[Bens Momma]

DH's extended family gets together and does a Yankee Swap at their Christmas party every year. For those that are unfamiliar a Yankee Swap is where everyone puts a gift in, you draw numbers and the first person opens a gift, each subsequent person can choose to open another gift or "steal" a gift that's already been opened, etc. We have other rules but that's it in nutshell.

We've had fun years and dud years doing this, but here's where I need help. The limit is $25 (we usually spend between $25-30) and it's a mix of ages between 23-68, males and females. We've done themey type gifts in the past like a DVD, fleece blanket, mugs, hot chocolate, etc. This year I'm feeling fried with a total lack of creativity and I'm running out of time! Would like to put in something that someone will actually want, but can't think of anything good in that price range! Any suggestions????? If you do, keep 'em coming because we have to come up with something for me AND DH to put in!

TIA-
R.
Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy:

PS-We have 1 1/2 weeks so we have enough time to order & have things delivered if that helps!

[JTsMom]

A gc would be easy.

[ncat]

A bottle of port?

[wellyes]

LOVE Yankee Swaps

2 simple board games: Jenga + Bananagrams
Movie gift pack: Popcorn popper + cheesy movie
Easy Listening Set: the Susan Boyle CD + the Norah Jones CD
SNUGGIE! Would be a big hit, I bet

[truly scrumptious]

I had to buy 2 gifts for a Yankee swap this year and I went with these:

http://www.landsend.com/pp/Thermacheck100FleeceEarWrap~175068_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::MXT&CM_MERCH=SRCH_00001&origin=search

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1401308236

[mamicka]

I must be dense. Why is this called a Yankee Swap?

[maybeebaby08]

Last year for our family yankee swap I bought a roll of toilet paper and wrapped scratch tickets in it and then re rolled it. It was funny because it kept getting passed around no one wanted it then at the end of the game we told the person to unwrap it, and they were happy to find the scratch tickets. You could maybe put in movie ticket vouchers and vouchers for popcorn and drink. I know at AAA they sell the packages for 2 for the movies for $28. It would at least be funny.

[hollybloom24]

I always say go with something that is a treat that someone might not buy for themselves. I wouldn't do CDs or movies because you never know who has what movie or CD and what people's tastes are. The problem with a Yankee Swap is that some people get stuck with things they have no interest in (I've been there!) So it depends on how kind you wish to be (a friend's family does one with purposefully terrible gifts!)

Gift cards for restaurants, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Borders, movie tickets, Target, Dunkin Donuts, or Starbucks.

The bottle of Port is a great idea. Nice wines or a bottle of champagne (sometimes Veuve Cliquot is on sale around the holidays).

A box of spices from Penzey's Spices.

A box of nice chocolates like Godiva.

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

We are doing a $20 exchange at a party next weekend. Our two gifts are:

"Not a Paper Cup" and Good Earth chai

Snuggie and mug + hot chocolate

I love the Snuggie! :D

ETA - Others we have done:
Chocolate cups & Bonny Doon Frambroise (rasberry wine)
"Merry Christmas" shots - midori & UV red, I think
carmel syrup, carmel topping, coffee (for carmel lattes)
Liquor chocolates

etc.


I don't like when people do GCs.

[misshollygolightly]

I was also going to suggest a snuggie :-)

Another thought: some kind of stress release back or foot massager. Here's a $25 one at Target: http://www.target.com/Scholls-Sole-Sensations-Classic-Foot/dp/B0002U2YL6/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton

[wellyes]

I must be dense. Why is this called a Yankee Swap?

Another name for it is a White Elephant Exchange. It's origin is as a joke..... the idea was that each person should bring the WORST Christmas present they got. So you try to see if you can swap up for something better. Since then it's evolved to become a way for a group of people to exchange inexpensive gifts in an entertaining way.

I've also heard it called "Dirty Santa" and some other, less socially acceptable (read: racist) names. So I guess the term Yankee Swap still makes it sound kinda low-rent without being nasty.

[JenaW]

We've started doing this with the adults in my (large) extended family. We make a rule that it HAS to be something you would not mind going home with. People do sometimes try to buy something with a specific person in mind. but in general, we try to get gifts that are appealing to the masses. We too have a wide age range. Last year, we let people specify if the gift was for a male, female, or either.

Some of our examples
GC to iTunes
GC for a spa inside of a "pampers" diaper (to be pampered)
Starbucks GC and a small bag of choc covered coffee beans
Board games
Book and scratch off lottery tickets
Bottle of vodka, cosmo mix, cute pier one etched martini/cosmo glass set
Mini bar (shaker, tray, strainer, ice bucket, few mini bottles of liquor, drink recipe book)
Scarf, hat, glove set and white puffy vest
Fondue set
GC to Melting Pot (we LOVE fondue)

[wendibird22]

GC to movie rental place placed in a bucket of microwave popcorn, box of candy and a bottle of soda or two.

a picture frame and a GC to snapfish or other photo shop

set of 2 cute martini/drink glasses and a container of martini or frozen drink mix

bird feeder and seed

batter bowl w/ waffle/pancake mix, syrup, preserves, a kitchen gadget

if there are pet owners: a pet themed basket with dog/cat treats, toy, collar

[Momof3Labs]

Board games - Blokus!! Great for all ages.

[Seitvonzu]

i think i would like swapping with you guys :) i was just at my newcomer's potluck/yankee swap exchange last night so this sorta thing is fresh on my mind. we have a 10-15 dollar "value" limit. i'm the youngest person in the club by about 10 years (at 31)...so sometimes the things are reallyreally not my style, but it usually works out okay. this year i got a vase. it's not the best thing (i would have prefered the real christmas greens arrangement that got stolen from me) , but it was not the worst-- those are usually the weird mismatch of dollar store/dollar bin/discount things.

i brought williams sonoma's "elf" mug set from last year. my mother gave me a set and i just think they are DARLING. with a retail of 30 dollars, i thought these were a really nice offering. i'm pretty sure the person that had their gift stolen and unwrapped mine was like "what the heck?" she was older and wearing a blinking light necklace- so i'm pretty sure they weren't her style. that's okay. i would have no use for the cutesy snowmen that are pretty every present at these gatherings. there was also this DARLING christmas fairy that a few people were eyeing up, but WAY more people were thinking "what the heck is that?" someone at my table even said "well, i'm glad i didn't open THAT." with 30+ people some are sure to be disappointed because they get "stuck" with something that doesn't fit their tastes.

when i don't find something "good" in my post holiday shopping (dh was like "we had that in our house for a YEAR and people didn't like it?" i explained that when it was unwrapped you couldn't see how cute all the different mugs are--all different stages of nordic elves building a snowman...but you'd have to unwrap each mug...), i usually do something consumable. i usually try to "steal" a consumable gift -- chocolate, coffee, candle (but i'm picky about that). i also like giftcards and they seem to be popular. i usually do panera. i LOVE panera,so that's a natural choice for me and it's been well received. our gift exchange happens the second tuesday of dec. so if i see something i think would be a good "regift" i'll try for that. again, it doesn't always work out- but it's still fun if you have a good spirit about it!

chocolate was very popular this year-- several of the gifts involved chocolate!
scented oil diffusers (saw two of these-- not so popular)
christmas serveware (always seems to be lots of this from year to year)
SANTA (after a 4 year run of SNOWMEN!!! people must be getting bored of them! mixing it up)
random decorative stuff (i'd avoid this as it's very likely to not be someone's style)
a couple cds (one was manheim steamroller, which is a good cd, but people didn't seem to like this...)
WINE (the local ones always seem to go over nicely... i had a friend that brought 2 bottles adn then confessed to me after that she stole her own gift back. i thought that was kinda weird, since it was a popular gift and other people seemed to want it. if i'd had a chance to steal my mugs i might have, just because the person who got them seemed less than delighted, but probably not)


traditionally no men at these exchanges. so, that is a factor. typing this up has made me strengthen my resolve to go back to a gift card next year :) i hope i don't see my mugs at a garage sale!

[Jen841]

Gift Certificates
Current or seasonal Movies
Movie Passes
Lottery tickets
Booze

[jse107]

Netflix subscription. We got this in our swap last year and LOVED it. I think two months was about $25-30.

[mousemom]

Random thoughts based on what's on my own gift list:


Fancy pancake/waffle/bread mix (such as from Stonehouse Kitchen or Williams Sonoma) (potentially could add some real maple syrup in too)
Quesadilla maker

[niccig]

DH's family is doing this with the adults, but our limit is $10. We went with a hot chocolate set - mug, mix, marshmallows from BBB and I think the other one will be a bottle of wine. I've been to a friend's swap and it's very difficult to know what people will fight over. I now stick to food/drink or gift cards. Kind of boring, but people like it.

[bubbaray]

Body Shop "Merry Christmas" gift set?

I'd actually love a Snuggie. DH laughed at me. Snuggie, a reusable coffee mug and a "chick flick".

A pound of Starbucks Christmas blend coffee and a cup?

ETA: pun intended -- Yankee Candle?

[alien_host]

ETA: pun intended -- Yankee Candle?

We had at least 2 yankee candles at our Yankee Swap last year...

We host a Yankee Swap party and we end up with lots of orphaned items. I should put together a box with all the crap people left behind from swaps past!


We are doing a $20 exchange at a party next weekend. Our two gifts are:

"Not a Paper Cup" and Good Earth chai We did this last year but with a Starbucks GC inside.

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

alien_host,

I just saw in Bargains that you're looking for bananagrams for your DH's yankee swap. We did that last year for one of ours. It was a big hit.

Oh, thought of another one from a few years back that was a big hit.

Sake pitcher, cups, and bottle of sake. (from Cost Plus)

[alien_host]

alien_host,

I just saw in Bargains that you're looking for bananagrams for your DH's yankee swap. We did that last year for one of ours. It was a big hit.



That would explain why I couldn't find it at AC Moore...they had a whole rack 3 weeks ago before most people started buying gifts I guess.

[wellyes]

WINE (the local ones always seem to go over nicely... i had a friend that brought 2 bottles adn then confessed to me after that she stole her own gift back. i thought that was kinda weird, since it was a popular gift and other people seemed to want it. if i'd had a chance to steal my mugs i might have, just because the person who got them seemed less than delighted, but probably not)

HA! I once stole my own gift back. In my defense, it was an extremely awesome immersion blender. I figure acting tacky is part of the game LOL.