The Day After Christmas: Ideas for Unwanted Gifts

Christmas Toilet
About a month ago, I talked about Black Friday, the day that every business loves and all retail employees dread. However, now that Christmas is over, there’s another day that not only retail employees dread but the stores that they work for dread as well. This day that lives in retail infamy is of course today because the Day After Christmas, which is also known as Boxing Day in a number of countries and states, has become the chosen time for people to return all of their duplicate gifts, broken items, and all of the other stuff that they simply didn’t need or didn’t want.

In fact, more returns occur on the Day After Christmas than on any other date on the calendar, so it has become a day for many stores to watch their hard-earned (or, in some cases, not-so-hard-earned) money disappear in a puff of smoke. Fortunately, if you’re feeling a little guilty about that fact (which you shouldn’t be because most stores make all their money back from impulse buys before you have even left the store), you don’t know where your gift came from, or you simply don’t want to brave the crazy mobs at the mall to wait in line for the rest of your natural life, here are some ways that you can get rid of your unwanted stuff without going back to the store.

1. Give it to Someone Else.

If you have an unbroken gift that you don’t need or you don’t want, you can always pass it on to someone else like a proverbial fruitcake (and if you like fruitcake, I do apologize for the implication.) In fact, just because you don’t like a gift or already have three of them doesn’t necessarily mean that someone else won’t love it and/or find it extremely useful. There are a number of charities that will happily accept any clothing, large items, toys, and/or other gifts that you may be trying to get rid of, and if you can’t find a charity that wants your gift, you can always give it to a friend or family member that will love it (and, if they don’t love it, they’ll just begin the process all over again.)

2. Sell it.

If you have an unbroken gift or, in some cases, a broken gift that could be repaired, you may be able to convince someone else to buy it. Yard sales, auction sites like eBay, online stores like Amazon or Etsy, and the classifieds in your local newspaper or on Craigslist are all great ways to find a potential buyer and get rid of all of the stuff that you don’t want. Best of all, you can even get rid of some of the stuff that has been sitting around your house since long before Christmas because you’re selling stuff anyway.

The only thing to keep in mind is that selling your stuff will require you to deal with customers, so it is important to make sure that whatever you say in person or on the listing is detailed and accurate and that you a have a plan for how to actually get the item to the person that buys it. This is especially important for broken items that you are attempting to sell online (or even at a yard sale) because you may find the whole process to be a much bigger hassle than it’s worth if you don’t make it clear that the item you are selling is damaged.

It’s also important to remember that if you are selling a gift, you should make sure to sell your gift somewhere that the person who gave it to you is unlikely to see it. This is important because it’s going to be pretty awkward when your aunt or uncle shows up at your yard sale only to find out that you are selling all of the stuff they gave you.

3. Find a Use for It.

If all else fails and/or you just feel too guilty to get rid of one or more of your Christmas gifts, you can always use your gift in a way other than it was originally intended. For example, if your child got a teddy bear that is big enough to be seen from space, you could always use it as a chair in your child’s room. If you got six calendars that you absolutely love, but, like most people, you only really need one of them, you can cut out the images from the calendars that you like and use them as posters. And, if you got enough socks to outfit a small armed force, you could always turn them into your own sock puppet army and entertain all of the little children in your household or even your extended family.

Photo credit: Corey Ann / DecorLove.com / CC BY-ND

Twas The Weekend Before Christmas 2014

A Small GiftTwas the weekend before Christmas, when you felt like a louse
Because you had forgotten to buy gifts for all in the house.
The gifts bags were empty, the wrapping paper was there,
But you desperately needed to find a gift with some flair.

As the kids stood watch with pans on their heads,
Using candy cane swords to strike their foes dead,
You sat quietly wondering “What the heck am I going to do?
Six shopping days till Christmas and I don’t have a clue.”

When, suddenly the cobwebs from your brain began to scatter,
And your fears of a giftless Christmas ultimately shatter.
“The internet’s the answer!” you think to yourself.
“It’s far better than any silly elf on a shelf!”

Then, the glow of that beautiful screen,
Suddenly seems a whole lot less serene
When the realization begins to set in
That there’s no way your items will reach you before Christmas is “Fin.”

You could always pay extra so they deliver it real quick,
But the amount of money involved would certainly make you sick.
And with only days left to find something in the mall,
It’s going to be tough to find your kids’ Christmas doll.

However, I’m here to say:
“Fear not on this wondrous winter day,
For if it is a last-minute gift that you need,
All you have to do is read here and take heed!”

1. Tickets

When I say tickets, I’m not talking about parking tickets or speeding tickets because while it would be great if you could give somebody you absolutely loathe all of your unpaid tickets and require them to pay them for you, the world just doesn’t work that way. Instead, what I’m actually talking about here is tickets to the theater or tickets to a sporting event. I mean when you stop and think about it, almost everyone has a band, a musical, a sport, or some other type of event that they absolutely love but don’t necessarily want to pay for. As a result, buying tickets to a show or a game that a friend or family member really wants to go to can be a great way to grab a last minute gift.

In fact, this type of gift is great for people that already have a lot of stuff because you’re buying something that they really want and something that doesn’t take up a lot space. Best of all, you can always print out the tickets at the very last minute and still have them under the tree for Christmas.

2. Coupons

Alright, I know you’re probably sitting there looking at the word, “coupons”, while slowly backing away from the guy who’s obviously lost his mind, but bear with me for just a second. I’m not suggesting that you should hand your beloved aunt or uncle the coupon booklet from [Insert Store Here] that you just got out of the mail. What I am suggesting is that you, like most people, have a very unique set of skills that may come in handy to other members of your family. For example, you may be good with a computer or good with a hammer while the rest of your family screams like somebody out of a horror movie every time someone mentions the word “mouse” or “batt” (for those of you who are not familiar with carpentry terminology, batt refers to a specific type of insulation.) This means that you may be able to offer your skills as a present if there is something that you can do to make someone else’s life easier.

In fact, you don’t necessarily have to have a unique skill. If there is a task that someone hates to do or a task that someone is simply too busy to do, you may be able to give that person a set of coupons that represents your promise to carry out some of the tasks that he or she finds time-consuming or bothersome. Best of all, some of the tasks that you offer could actually be fun (especially if you’re an adult and you use your imagination), and most of the time, they won’t cost you a thing.

3. Memberships

If you know someone that loves a particular museum, zoo, or another similar location, a membership to that location can be one of the best and easiest gifts that you will ever find. This is because memberships typically allow an individual to go to their favorite museum, zoo, gym, or other location for a substantially discounted price all year long. In fact, most of the museums and zoos that offer memberships will actually allow their members and, in some cases, their members’ friends and family, to enter the museum or zoo for free. This means that if you have a family member with young children that goes to the zoo several times a year in spite of the alarming amount of money it costs, you could buy them a membership that would allow them to go as many as times as they wanted for significantly less or, in some cases, without paying a dime (until the kids reach the gift shop and all bets are off.)

For more last minute Christmas ideas, see last years’ weekend before Christmas post.

Photo credit: asenat29 / DecorLove / CC BY

‘Tis the Season for Cookies and Crafts

Girl Scout Troopers
Christmas Eve is only two weeks away, which means no matter which holiday you celebrate, time is running out fast. In fact, if you or your friends celebrate Chanukah, time has pretty much run out already as the celebration begins at sundown on Tuesday. This means that if you haven’t found gifts for everybody on your list yet, you may be looking for some not quite last minute, but pretty close to the end ideas. Fortunately, if this is indeed the case and you’re trying to cross a few more names off your holiday list, there are a couple of awesome events this weekend that are sure to help you find presents for all of the people and/or pets in your life.

First, if you’re searching for the perfect gift for the cookie-lover in your life, the Girl Scouts of America have you covered. This is because the Girl Scout Cookie Sale actually begins today, which means that if you know someone who just can’t live without their Thin Mints ®, Caramel Delights®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Lemonades™, Cranberry Citrus Crisps, or any of the multitude of other Girl Scout cookies out there, all you need to do is find a local Girl Scout troop. Now, finding a local troop can be easier said than done in some cases, but the Girl Scouts have actually already thought of that. In fact, if you’re having trouble finding a local troop, you may want to try out the Girl Scout Cookie Finder because this handy little website (or app) will allow you to put in your information and a local troop will find you. For more information on the Girl Scout Cookie sale, including all of the cookies that are available, please visit the Girl Scouts of America website.

Secondly, if your loved one is a fan of handcrafted gifts and you can’t make it to any of the craft fairs that I mentioned last week (which with the exception of CraftBoston are still running), there is another local fair that you may want to check out. The 11th Annual SoWa Holiday Market is scheduled to take place from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Saturday (December 13, 2014) and 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday (December 14, 2014) at the Benjamin Franklin Institute on Berkeley Street in Boston. This holiday fair will feature candy, cards, candles, ceramics, clothing, coffee, glassware, jewelry, and more. For more information on the SoWa Holiday Market, please visit the SoWa Holiday Market website.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / CC BY

Girl Scouts ®, Thin Mints ®, Caramel Delights®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Lemonades™, and all associated names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Unique Holiday Gifts

Unique Gifts
With 21 days until Kwanzaa, 20 days until Christmas, 16 days until the Winter Solstice, 11 days until the beginning of Chanukah, and less than 30 days for whatever other December holiday that you celebrate, you may be trying to find the perfect gift before time runs out. In fact, you may already be tearing your hair out trying to figure out what to get your loved ones this year because you want to get something uniquely awesome, but you have no idea what that is. Fortunately, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, there are several events this weekend that are devoted to one-of-a-kind gifts that your family is sure to love (and if they don’t, they’ll learn to love them because some of these gifts are awfully hard to return.)

First, if you’re looking for a gift that would be considered part of the apparel, accessories, and/or food family (and don’t worry, the food isn’t actually part of the clothing until you wear it for the first time and spill it all over yourself at dinner), you should definitely check out Boston’s Downtown Holiday Market. The Downtown Holiday Market, which is located at 459 Washington Street in Boston, will feature a different set of local vendors each week from now until January 10, 2015. Some of the vendors that you can expect to see this week include Alex’s Ugly Sauce, Epoca Amber Jewelry, Golden Rule Honey, Karol Peralta Jewelry, Mao Sim Silk, and Recycled Glass Jewelry. For more information on the Downtown Holiday Market, which is open from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, please visit the Downtown Boston website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a hand-crafted gift or a gift that is truly one-of-a-kind, you may want to head over to the Hynes Convention Center this weekend. This is because the Hynes Convention Center is hosting the CraftBoston Holiday 2014 show, which will feature 175 artists and crafters that are planning to exhibit and/or sell their carefully crafted apparel, baskets, ceramics, furniture, glassware, jewelry, leather, metal art, wood crafts, and more. For more information on the event, including a complete program guide with all of the artists and crafters that will be exhibiting their work, please visit the Society of Arts and Crafts CraftBoston Holiday page.

Finally, if you’re looking for a truly unique gift that you can get without making the trek into Boston, you may want to check out the Lexington Arts and Crafts Holiday Marketplace. The Lexington Arts and Crafts Holiday Marketplace, which is located at 130 Waltham Street in Lexington, MA, is a large arts and crafts fair that runs from now until Christmas Eve (December 24, 2014.) This fair will feature dozens and dozens of artists and crafters who will be more than happy to sell you baskets, beads, cards, ceramics, decorations, jewelry, metal art, needle art, paintings, photographs and prints, and more. For more information on the Holiday Marketplace, which is open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 12:00 to 6:00 PM on Sunday, please visit the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society website.

Photo credit: John Drake Flickr / Foter / CC BY-ND