regiftable blogs

Calling all regifters! It’s your time to shine!

10/31/2007

I have so much to tell you, but before I get distracted, I think we should get a few housekeeping things out of the way. First, I am pleased to announce that the 2007 regifting story contest is underway! Once again, we are offering you the chance to submit your ultimate regifting story for a chance to win a (brand new) gift! Second, before you get preoccupied with winning the 2007 contest, you should read some of the 700+ plus regifting stories shared last year. They range from horrifying to hilarious and are worth every second of your time. Third, the answer is “yes.” Regifting Robin can read your mind and I will never, ever share her secret! Fourth, as if last year’s site wasn’t cool enough, we added some amazing features I don’t want you to miss. Obviously, there’s the blog. In addition, we’ve improved our customizable gift certificates and now offer a free eCard! You can also choose to set the regifting mood through music. Fifth, I invite you to learn more about Money Management International, the nonprofit educational organization that created this site. Finally, we have a lot of holiday-related stuff to cover through this blog. Click on one of the syndication options to assure that you don’t miss a thing.

Where would we bee without Jerry Seinfeld?

11/5/2007

It’s hard to miss the fact that Bee Movie is now in theatres. Hearing Jerry’s voice day in and day out has made me think that perhaps we wouldn’t be where we are now (I am referring to this Web site, not the state of the universe in general!) without him. Sure, there might have been some regifting going on before Seinfeld’s 1995 episode titled The Label Maker, but it certainly wasn’t talked about. Maybe that’s because we didn’t know what to call it. (Actually, it was Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who first said the word and Tim Whatley (Bryan Cranston) who actually did the regifting, so they should probably get some credit too!) Here is the famous scene that made this Web site possible: Elaine: Hey. Oh, is that a label maker? Jerry: Yes it is. I got it as a gift; it's a Label Baby Junior. Elaine: Love the Label Baby, baby. You know those things make great gifts. I just got one of those for Tim Whatley for Christmas. Jerry: Tim Whatley? Elaine: Yeah. Who sent you that one? Jerry: One Tim Whatley! Elaine. No! My Tim Whatley? Jerry: The same. He sent it as a thank you for my Super Bowl tickets. Elaine: I think this is the same one I gave him. He recycled this gift. He's a regifter! Jerry, Julia, and Bryan—If any of you are reading this, there is still time to jump on board as a Regiftable.com spokesperson!

Are you a regifter?

11/9/2007

I’ve been asked that a lot lately. The answer is yes, I am a chronic regifter. Some of the items I have regifted include wine, wine glasses, towels, jewelry, socks, gift cards, books, CDs, ornaments, chocolates, toys, mugs, and clothing. This confession makes me think about why I (and you) regift. Our survey discovered that most people regift because they think the item is something the receiver will actually like. (BTW, I think that is very nice.) Other popular reasons include the desire to save money and/or time. The rest of the regifters said that they regift because they have multiples of the items they are giving. Makes sense. The strange thing is that none of these really capture the reason why I am a habitual regifter. I regift because I value the act of giving much more than what is being given. Don’t get me wrong, I like “stuff” as much as the next person, it’s just that I’ve recently started thinking that maybe the world is full of enough “stuff” already. Also, if I really needed that “stuff” you are giving me, I would have probably bought it for myself already. I’m aware that this might sound spoiled, but I am taking that chance in the hopes that there are others like me out there. Are you “stuffed” out?

Time to Regift the Halloween Candy

11/12/2007

Well, I am a bit grossed out by the amount of candy my kids carted home on Halloween night. Would you believe that the average per capita consumption of candy by Americans is around 25 pounds a year? It is believed a large portion of the 25 pounds is consumed by kids around Halloween. Scary! If we were to keep all of our candy to ourselves, I would end up with sick kids and an extra five pounds. (Plus, we’ve already eaten most of the good stuff!) So, I have decided to get into the regifting spirit early by passing the rest on to my coworkers. Sometimes, regifting just makes sense!

Regifting is Feng Shui-friendly

11/13/2007

Our survey discovered that most people regift because they think the item is something the receiver will actually like. (BTW, I think that is very nice.) Other popular reasons include the desire to save money and/or time. The rest of the regifters say that they regift because they have multiples of the items they are giving. Makes sense. What we didn’t know to ask in our survey is whether or not regifting was good for your ch’i. And apparently, it is. According to Carol Olmstead, AKA The Feng Shui Maven, regifting is Feng Shui-friendly. To support this theory, Olmstead points to the fact that regifting removes things you do not want from your home and sends them to a place where they are welcome. Olmstead warns in her press release that you should “just be sure to avoid re-gifting if you have negative feelings about the gift or its original giver, since you might be passing along your negative thoughts to the next recipient.” Makes sense.

Online holiday help

11/14/2007

In case your holiday planning needs go beyond Regifting 101, I wanted to let you know that Money Management International’s (MMI) first Planning for the Holidays webinar is scheduled for Monday, November 19 at 8:00 pm EST. Unlike other webinars that I have attended, this one is interactive to the point that the participants actually speak with the educator. Topics covered in this *free* webinar include tips and suggestions how to keep holiday spending under control, advice for online shoppers, and ways to stretch your gifting dollars (regifting, anyone??) Sign up today. Also, don’t forget to check out MMI’s free online holiday gift planner.

Regifted Turkeys!

11/16/2007

Charities across the nation are gearing up to feed the nation’s hungry on Thanksgiving. Thousands of turkeys are being donated just in time to be regifted for the holiday. In fact, many local charities have announced that their goal is to distribute more than 100,000 turkeys this holiday season. For information on donating turkeys, contact your local food bank. Giving to the less fortunate can be a great way to keep your holiday joy and your budget in tact. This year instead of running to the mall and loading up on debt and a bunch of gifts that may be regifted next year, consider using your holiday spirit on things other than shopping. More than half a million federally recognized charities are soliciting contributions and volunteers. For help selecting a charitable organization, visit www.charitynavigator.org.

I am so glad you found us!

11/22/2007

We were interviewed for a storyb with the LA Times about regifting that ran today -- Thanksgiving day. Unfortunately, our URL was misspelled with an "s" at the end! Well, it is Thanksgiving day, so I am not able to reach anyone (outside of my family and they are not that helpful in these matters!) So, if you made it here, WELCOME! Here is a direct link to the Regiftable.com story featured in the article: Calendar Girl. Once you've read it, please feel free to share your own regifting story.

Fun Fun Fun

11/27/2007

This year’s Regiftable.com features a fun song to rewrap by. The song was written and performed by The Alice Project. I recently had a chance to talk with Alice about regifting. Here are some excerpts from our conversation: Kim: What inspired you to write a song about regifting? Alice: Every year I like to write something new for the holidays and since I am a struggling musician these CD's become my yearly gifts to friends and family along with things that I'm regifting. I thought the concept for the song was really funny. All of my songs have an element of personal truth to them (though I don't actually have a cousin named Ted or an Aunt Sue!) Kim: Can you tell us a bit about some of the items you list in the song? How were they chosen? Alice: The truth is that, except for the "quart of Old Spice" mentioned in the song, I did actually receive all the items mentioned in the song. I received a SANTA PILLOW, which I promptly regifted when attending a last minute holiday party. I received fuzzy dice and a YULE LOG video which I gave away at an AP live show. A friend of mine gave me a glow in the dark Martian, I think it was a collector's item from the movie "Mars Attacks." Anyway, I gave it to a friend of mine's son who displayed it in the living room. I seriously got caught when the friend who gave it to ME, showed up at this family's house soon after and saw it there. Although he never accused me outright, he did give me quite a look. My Mom sent me a Mickey Mouse sandwich maker....I didn't have kids and was puzzled by the choice so assumed she regifted it to ME! Kim: I understand that you are a regifter yourself. What is the primary reason you regift? Alice: Usually I regift if I have two of the same items, or if I'm in a last minute bind, so have to come up with something quick. Or just to be funny. I have a giant stuffed rooster that I'm trying to figure out who to wrap it up for. Kim: Do you have some regifting advice to share with our Web site visitors? Alice: Take the tag that says YOUR NAME on it OFF! Never regift back to the person who gave the gift to you first. OH! Don’t forget to buy some ALICE PROJECT CD's, listen to them, and then regift them (shameless plug!)

Bobbin Robinhead

12/4/2007

In addition to the valuable Amazon gift certificates we will award to our regifting story contest winners, the first, second, and third place winners will also receive a much sought-after Regifting Robin bobblehead! Made by Bobbleme.com, these little beauties are sure to become a collector’s item! The contest ends on December 31, 2007 so submit your story for a chance to own one of these limited-edition bobbles today!

NationalRegiftingDay.com goes live!

12/5/2007

Regifters tell us that coworkers are a common recipient of their regifts. So, in honor of the thousands of office parties that will be happening on or around December 20 (we learned that the third Thursday before Christmas was the most common day for an office party), we offer NationalRegiftingDay.com! The site encourages folks to shake things up a bit by turning their boring old gift exchange into a regifting party. And because wrapping paper is really a one time thing, the site also offers customizable gift tags. There is even a National Regifting Day countdown clock! We knew you’d love it, so we made it so you can add the counter to your own Web site. Yup, we’re regifting it to you! Happy Holidays!

Confessions of a Baby Boomer Gift Card Giver

12/7/2007

Growing up in the 1950 and 1960s, giving gifts for any occasion was a balance between the “proper thing to do,” being able to afford the gift requested, having the ability to find that item, and for me the big challenge, being able to wrap the gift and deliver it. Stores did provide “gift certificates” but I was told that only people that could not get out much or that were “frail” (read that as older—like 58 years old!) had permission from the etiquette books to give cash or a gift certificate. Fast forward to 2007 and the world of gift cards. What to my wondrous eye did appear but a whole new opportunity to satisfy all those on my list, save me some time, and maximize my gift giving money? And I could achieve the all time goal for me—they could be wrapped correctly and delivered! On November 30, at 6:30 CST, I entered my local food store. At the check out line, I was able to purchase 12 gift cards for 12 very different stores, in the exact amounts I had planned to spend, receive “points” on my preferred member card, pay for the entire transaction with the swipe of my debit card, and go home with one small, recyclable plastic bag. Now the temptation to go back out and find creative ways to “package” these gift cards—little tin boxes ($4.50 each), slick holders ($5 each), pairs of funny socks ($6 each)—was very strong. But I remembered that I had spent my budget and those little additional things would not achieve my goal. With a stack of holiday cards and a gold pen, I wrote a short verse to each, tucked the card in, and patted the envelope closed. Some went in the mail, some will be personally delivered and some will be placed in the tree for Christmas morning discovery. All done! Yet those old messages about taking time to select the right gift, wrap with care sure came back to me. I think I met all the things my Mother taught me, but in that time gift cards had not been invented yet.

Real Men Regift

12/10/2007

As of today, regifting (or thinking about it) is more prevalent among women (68% vs. 47% of men). But we know that it is just a matter of time before the guys jump on board. With a plug by Bud Light, regifting by men is bound to increase! Take a listen to Mr. Holiday Gift Regifter Guy.

Unselfish Regifting

12/17/2007

In addition to reading this year’s regifting stories (and submitting your own), I wanted to draw your attention to last year’s winning regifting story. It was submitted by Twila, proud Mom of three from Kansas. “When my daughter was in 6th grade she had a friend whose mother I knew casually. The girl spent a lot of time at our house because her mother spent a lot of time running around. That Christmas Eve they showed up at our door about 10pm and asked if the girl could stay the night as her mom had a date. The mother said she would buy her something for Christmas later. My kids were real slim on Christmas and it was far too late to go buy anything at all. Christmas morning came and the girl was really sad but tried not to show it. Before we opened presents my girl pulled me off to the side and asked if I would pull some of her presents out and give them to her friend instead. What could I do? Mine did not have much but if that was what she wanted. She just kept shaking her head until her friend had about half of her presents. The look on that little girls face was priceless. My daughter regifted without ever knowing what she was regifting.” With stories like this, and the recent story in the Washington Post, no wonder people feel that regifting is becoming more acceptable

Regift Recipients Relax

12/18/2007

Our 2007 survey found that regifting is becoming more widely accepted. In fact, 60% of respondents think so. Even more telling, less than 10% of respondents claimed they would be unhappy to receive a regift. 18% even claimed they would be happy or amused to be on the receiving end of a regift. An exception to this can be found in one of my favorite episodes of The Office. In this 2005 holiday episode, everyone gets together for the Secret Santa gift exchange. Gifts are passed back and forth but Michael is mad because he gets a hand-made oven mitt from Phyllis and storms out of the room. Maybe he didn’t realize that most regifters have good intentions -- 62% regift because they think it is something the recipient would really like. Speaking of gift exchanges, there are only three days until National Regifting Day. The MMI Regifting Survey was conducted in October 2007 by Cynapsus. There were a total of 1,049 respondents. Results were weighted by demographics so they are representative of the US population as a whole.

Merry Regifting Day!

12/20/2007

I just left our office regifting party. As you might imagine, we had some fun with it and took things a bit to the extreme! I walked away with a rather dusty looking basket filled with musk-scented soaps and lotions. (I am not certain, but I think musk is a smell that small rodent-like animals excrete.) I also just learned that it was originally received more than three years ago as a free promotional item from a casino. My favorite quote from the party: “I can’t wait to pass this on to someone else!” In case you hope to have more success with your regifts, I urge you to read Regifting 101.

Anti-Regifting Task Force?

1/3/2008

Well, I now have proof that regifting has arrived. Check out this funny anti-regifting radio ad by the Colorado Lottery. While it appears that we may be on opposing sides of this gifting "issue," I have to give them credit for the word 'regiftification.'

Austria’s Capital City Launches Regifting Website

1/4/2008

The City of Vienna is launching a new online ‘flea market’ to promote recycling of unwanted Christmas gifts. Viennese residents are being encouraged to recycle and regift with this new resource. The website is similar to the freecycle.org website in that people from the city can post their belongings and can be contacted to arrange an exchange. There is also space for wanted requests. It is hoped that the website will assist people in reducing, reusing, and recycling. Officials claim that the website will be offering a benefit to the environment and saving money as well. I’d tell you more, but I don’t speak German!

It's a wrap!

1/9/2008

The 2007 Regifting Story Contest officially wrapped up as we rung in the New Year. Our team is busy tallying the results and will alert the prize winners on or before March 31. Now that the holiday mayhem has died down, I encourage you to spend some time reading some of the great regifting stories that were submitted this season. There are now more than 850 regifting stories on the site for you to enjoy. If you didn’t get your regifting story written before the deadline, we still want to hear from you! While you are in the story telling mood, visit our tax related Web site at www.SaveOrSpend.com and tell us what you plan to do with your tax refund.

Regift your gift card

2/25/2008

Are you letting retail stores get away with your gift cards? Gift cards have become the new gifting phenomena but many of them are not being used, giving retailers free money. Before you lose, forget, or throw out the gift card you received to what seems like your grandmother’s favorite clothing store, consider regifting it. You can swap it, sell it or use it to buy other gift cards at discounted prices. Swapagift.com allows you to swap your gift card for cash or exchange it for a different store. It’s a great way to regift a card you had counted as a loss and allow someone with grandma’s taste to put to use. Along with buying, selling and trading gift cards, plasticjungle.com also gives their consumers gift card ideas for weddings and college students. A great idea for the person who has not yet mastered the art of gift card giving (who knew it was so hard). And for those who have a lot of gift cards sitting in couch cushions or sock drawers, leveragecard.com offers a way to earn interest on gift card balances while waiting to swap them out. So before you pass along your “big and tall” gift card to your “small and short” best friend- trade it, and then regift it.

What to do during off-peak regifting times

4/1/2008

In addition to being entertaining, the stories on Regiftable.com provide us an opportunity to explore our gifting options. After all, with today’s particularly tight budgets, it only makes sense to talk about all possible ways to stretch your resources. Since we are in currently in off-peak regifting times (peak times being wedding season and holiday season), I wanted to let you know about another great money management resource. The creators of Regiftable.com just launched a website in honor of Financial Literacy Month. FinancialLiteracyMonth.com offers a with a simple 30 step path to financial wellness. In addition to the 30 steps, the Web site provides access to financial tools, savings tips, and the option to join others in taking the pledge to financial freedom! Visit FinancialLiteracyMonth.com today to take the pledge! While April is the official Financial Literacy Month, the 30 step path will help you create a successful strategy to better your overall financial situation no matter what day or month of the year you begin.

Don’t forget to vote (for your favorite regifting story!)

11/4/2008

Don’t worry—this is an election-free zone. I am referring to the 2008 regifting story contest that is now underway! In addition to voting for your favorites, I would like to encourage you to share your own regifting story for a chance to win prizes valued up to $500. New this year, you also have the option of uploading a regifting video. But before you get preoccupied with winning the 2008 contest, you should read some of the nearly 900 regifting stories submitted in 2006 and 2007. They range from horrifying to hilarious and are worth every second of your time. Don’t believe me? Check out the following excerpt from a story submitted by Elizabeth from Greenville: …it was always entertaining when an eccentric uncle appeared with a dirty pillow case, used grocery bag or gym bag full of stuff for us, never wrapped. As he handed out the presents (unwrapped), we all tried not to show our "fear", not knowing what he would hand us. The gifts… were items like unmatched socks, 10-year old chocolate covered cherries, knock-off perfumes or after-shave, flashlites that never worked, or flannel shirts that you could see through. The most memorable, though, was the meat grinder with dried up meat all over it! Too bad Elizabeth’s uncle didn’t read the Regifting 101!

National Regifting Day goes legit!

11/3/2008

Yesterday's mail contained a very official looking document from Colorado Governor Bill Ritter proclaiming December 18 as National Regifting Day! (No, you don't get the day off work! In fact, you should throw an office regifting party on that day.)
Here is what the Proclamation says: NATIONAL REGIFTING DAY December 18, 2008 WHEREAS, it is practical for consumers to reduce their financial burdens and environmental impact during the holiday season; and WHEREAS, regifting is accepted as a way to save money and avoid debt as well as spread holiday warmth; and WHEREAS, due to reduced consumption, the impact on the environment is limited during the holiday season; and WHEREAS, the third Thursday of December is commonly recognized as a regifting day in offices where co-workers identify and exchange gifts; and WHEREAS, the State of Colorado recognizes National Regifting Day for its environmentally friendly goals and for its intensions to reduce the financial burdens on the families of our state; Therefore, I, Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby proclaim December 18, NATIONAL REGIFTING DAY GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado, this twenty-fourth day of October, 2008 Bill Ritter, Jr. Governor We’ve sent requests to a few other states, so I’ll let you know if we hear from them!

Santa Scales Back

11/5/2008

This year everyone is planning to cut back their holiday spending. And I mean everyone. Check out this letter my children got in the mail yesterday: Santa Claus North Pole Canada Dear Children, I am writing because I need your help. You see, there is a limited supply of magic corn this year. To help conserve the reindeer’s energy, I need to keep the sled light. You can help by narrowing your list down to one or two special wishes. On the bright side, there is no shortage of Christmas spirit! Please spread some holiday cheer by spending time with your family and friends, baking cookies, drawing pictures, and singing carols. Remember, the best gifts don’t come in a box. Thank you for consistently making the ‘nice’ list, Santa Want Santa to send a letter like this to your kids? Send an email with your mailing address to Robin@Regiftable.com and I’ll see what I can do. (Don’t worry—Santa will not share your contact information with anyone.)

All your stories are top stories

11/6/2008

We are so pleased to announce that Alltop.com has agreed to include your regifting stories to their “digital magazine rack.” Alltop collects stories from all the top sites on the Web. Regifting stories submitted to this site will be featured under the subject heading ‘frugality.’ At any given time, Alltop will display the headlines of the five most recent stories. We just new you regifters were the tops! If you haven't submitted your top story yet, how about right now?

Hey Regifters!

11/13/2008

The Home section of The New York Times is doing a story about the perils, pleasures, humiliations, and heart-aches of re-gifting. If you have another re-gifting story to share (hopefully, one that has never been published), please write Joyce Wadler, reporter in the Home section, at jowadl@nytimes.com. Story deadline is December 12th. Thanks for your help, guys!

Frugal & festive way to feed family & friends

11/17/2008

The holiday season usually involves entertaining; unfortunately, hosting a dinner party can be costly. That is why I wanted to share a recipe for an impressive, but inexpensive dessert. This yummy treat feeds a whole crowd for under $9. Death by Chocolate Ingredients: 1 box chocolate cake mix (with pudding) $.97 1 large (6oz) box chocolate pudding (not instant) $1.02 6 Heath Bars $4.14 1 bag of caramels $1.89 1 12oz container whipped cream $.92 Total cost: $8.94 (Coupon users could probably do even better!) Instructions: Bake cake in 9x13 pan; cool. Punch holes in cake with fork and poor caramel over cake; set aside. Cook chocolate pudding and cool. Break up cake and place half in bottom of large glass bowl. Layer with pudding and whipped cream and Heath bars. Repeat. Do you have a frugal way to feed your family and friends? Please let us know!

Don’t be a rude regifter

11/20/2008

When it comes to regifting, there is a fine line between rude and resourceful. We think that if you are going to do it, you should do it right! Now is the perfect time to brush up on some basic regifting dos and don’ts. Dos: Do update the wrapping paper and/or original packaging. Do keep track of the original giver. Do consider the recipients wants and/or needs. Do regift items to people who are not related to or likely to see the original giver. Do regift appropriate items to charitable organizations. Don’ts: Don’t give partially used gift cards. Don’t give items you’ve owned for a long time. Don’t give products from defunct companies. Don’t regift personalized or one-of-a-kind items. Don’t regift items that you feel are worthless or undesirable. Don’t regift items that could be viewed as offensive. Don’t be upset if your gift becomes a new regift for someone else. Don’t feel guilty about regifting. For more regifting rules, read or listen to Regifting 101 today.

November 28: Black Friday vs. Buy Nothing Day

11/24/2008

I just learned that Friday, November 28 is not only Black Friday, but it is also Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day is part of an international movement, publicized by social activists, to encourage consumers to consume less. For many, shopping on Black Friday is a tradition they are hesitant to give up even though they plan/hope to keep this year’s holiday spending to a minimum. From my conversations with other moms at my kids’ school, I get the distinct feeling many of them had shopped on that day for so many years that they weren’t quite sure what else to do with the time. Therefore, I offer 34 alternatives to shopping on Black Friday. Take a hike, String popcorn, Hang holiday lights, Address holiday cards, Volunteer, Watch movies, Play board games, Go to an indoor swimming pool, Build a puzzle, Go ice skating, Visit a museum, Read, Build a snowman, Take a nap, Make turkey soup, Make a turkey loaf, Make turkey sandwiches, Make turkey chili, Play football, Watch football, Cross country ski, Go sledding, Visit with friends, Visit with family, Go to the park, Walk a dog, Do yoga, Clean up, Knit, Take a bath, Go to the zoo, Paint a picture, Trim a tree, Listen to music There are enough items on this list to safely get you through Saturday and Sunday too. Remember, shopping should not be considered a hobby or recreational sport. Have other alternatives to share? Please do!

Strange Donations

12/1/2008

Regifting to charity is a great idea—most of the time. However, there are some things that just shouldn’t be passed on. Check out this list of 10 Unusual Items That've Really Been Donated To Food Drives. I found them in an article on CuriousRead.com: 10. Four gallons of cake icing 9. Charcoal 8. MREs (MREs are self-contained field rations) 7. 40's of malt liquor 6. German cough syrup 5. Homemade pickled eggs 4. Motor oil 3. Raw emu meat and ostrich eggs 2. Personal lubricant, cherry-flavored 1. Box of cucumbers, with cash and drugs In lieu of emu meat, consider donating something really valuable—your time. Use your holiday spirit on activities such as volunteering at a local food bank (just be sure to watch out for those pickled eggs!)

UPS and PayPal jump on the regifting bandwagon

12/4/2008

Because I am such a giver, I wanted to let you know about some “other” fun regifting campaigns. This year, both UPS and PayPal launched Internet-based promotions that focus on regifting. UPS’s new Web site UPSRegifter.com allows you to send your friends and family members a virtual regift. Visitors can select their regift from a wide variety of items including a nose hair trimmer, a knitted tea cozy, and cheesy tie. You can also watch a video explaining the concept of regifting (although if you are reading this blog, you are already well versed in the concept!) PayPal is promoting a Facebook application called Regift the Fruitcake. They are lucky enough to have real celebrities (sorry to break it to you, but Regifting Robin isn’t real) who are passing along virtual fruitcakes to raise money for their charities. People who get the regifted fruitcakes have the opportunity to donate to their charity and the privilege of deciding which of their ten friends will get it next. The nice people at PayPal have already donated $20,000 to each charity to start the fundraising effort. In case you are wondering, it is perfectly legitimate for you to share a virtual regifting story on this site. You might even win a non-virtual (aka real) prize!

Regifting song and story

12/9/2008

For your listening pleasure, this site offers an inspirational regifting song by The Alice Project (it’s the perfect thing to listen to while rewrapping!) Alice Leon of The Alice Project was also kind enough to share this regifting story with us: “When I was a kid, my brother and I decided to get my Dad some cologne for Hanukah. They sold it at the front of the A&P and the price was right. We wrapped it up and presented it to him with high expectations. He opened it and feigned excitement. About a year later I was looking for something high in the linen closet when lo and behold, I came across the "unused" bottle of cologne. We decided to wrap it up again and present it to our Dad for Hanukah again. I don't think this falls under the category of regift...perhaps repeatgift. Anyway, it became a funny tradition when each year we would re wrap it in a new box or hide it within another gift where he'd least expect it.” Here are a few repeatregift stories that have been shared on the site: Peanut Butter Maker, Birthday Card Repeat, Family Heirloom, and Naughty Brothers. Sorry if I am repeating myself, but don't forget to share your regifting story for a chance to win!

Tis the season for giving, not getting!

12/16/2008

There is an interesting discussion and contest occurring on GreatSchools.net where parents are sharing stories about teaching kids the importance of giving for a chance to win $500 for their child’s school. I’m sure if you were to ask any kid, under the age of ten, what the holidays mean to them they will go on and on about all the great gifts and holiday treats they expect to receive this year. For children, we’ve officially entered the season of “getting” not “giving.” Consider shaking up your gift-giving tradition this year with the kids in your family. Instead of spoiling them with a bunch of new toys, video games, and a bunch of other stuff they may not remember or appreciate this time next year, consider a few of the following and give them the gift of opportunity to become a giver: •Encourage them to regift one gift to charity or to a friend or another family member. •Encourage them to gift some of their time to help with things such as a few hours of yard work for a neighbor, or laundry for a busy mom. •Replace one of their gifts for money or a gift card to be used on a gift for someone else. •Encourage them to spend time out from watching TV or playing video games to create homemade gifts for friends. There are many things parents can do to teach their children the importance of giving. The most important is to lead by example, not just during the holidays, but all year long.