The holiday season is now upon us and so much change is happening this year. It is going to be filled with more gifts than in-person gatherings this year. Gift cards, summer sausage packs, and some sort of candle are absolute staples at white elephant gift exchanges. Or that’s just my family. No matter the case, every family seems to have the recurring gifts that just happen to make it into the exchange year after year. 2020 is simply different due to the regulations and COVID-19 fear. The thing is, these gifts grow dull when this happens, which can also make the exchange less interesting and exciting. Try introducing some of the items on this list in your family’s next exchange to get people vying for the best gift out there. So let’s go over some fun things that can help with our new normal.
People are now spending more time in their homes than ever before due to the near martial law regulations being put in place by many states. So a subscription to Netflix can be a gamechanger. Be it a subscription service specializing in video streaming, music streaming, men’s razors, electric toothbrushes, or mystery items that simply come in cardboard boxes, buying a prepaid card for a subscription service is like one-upping all the gift cards that will abound at your family’s white elephant gift exchange. 3 months for a subscription is just enough to tell if you like the service, so the lucky person to get hold of this will at least be able to try out what it is and determine if they want to continue paying for it. Subscriptions are all the rage nowadays, so why not try upping your white elephant gift game? This can not only be fun but save lives and keep sanity.
At my work, we went all out with liquor this year. Books and boos were the way to go. You know, I always see these on store shelves and have never actually given or received this item as a gift (white elephant or otherwise). This is the perfect item for your family to gun for during your gift exchange. Not only is it alcohol; it’s almost always got a commemorative glass or trinket inside.
Cheese can always be a good idea and it is not old fashioned. A lot of people probably don’t have a decent cheese board, and that’s probably because a lot of people don’t actively host dinner parties and provide charcuteries for their guests. Nonetheless, there are some seriously nice slate or wood cheese boards out there that your family will unsuspectingly covet once the exchange begins. Let them know that it’s good for presenting more than meats and cheeses, too. Having it act as a base for other baked goods or as a serving platter for finger foods is just as good, especially because the presentation will be better than it would without their new board.
Sometimes useful gifts are really nice. Mousepads are not too old and useful especially if that is part of their job is mousing all day. While buying a nice mouse can get pretty spendy (and likely out of your spending range for the white elephant exchange), purchasing a nicer mouse pad isn’t nearly as tough on your wallet. Hope these gift ideas help!
Unboxing Concepts 