Every year, I receive a gift from someone that begs me to ask the question, "Who gave this to you in the first place?". I can't give details on the worst one ever, as a blog reader may stumble across and reveal me for the materialistic bitch that I am, but let's just say it involved a dusty, half-used bottle of something from Avon.
Usually the re-gifting would happen at work, and 2 years ago, an employee of mine gave me a scarf that ANOTHER employee of mine had MADE for her the year prior! I felt awful being in the midst of this uncomfortable predicament, and wouldn't wish it on a mortal enemy (although I'm sure there's a few exceptions).
This year, as I set forth on my craftiest (read: brokest) of holidays to date, I found myself examining my yarn stash in preparation of Christmas gift planning. I realized that I have received a lot of yarn as a gift in the past (love the gorg Malabrigo hand-picked at a yarn store, hate the cheapo WalMart clearance bin weird colors/textures). I can't remember who gave me what when, or for what occasion. I started to try to separate the yarn I had purchased for myself from the yarn I've received as a present. In the midst of doing so, I found myself struggling with a moral dilemma:
Is it ok to make a gift for someone out of yarn I received as a gift from someone else?
Don't get me wrong, blog readers. There are times where I have tiptoed along the re-gifting line myself. I mean, is it 100% wrong to use your Wachovia Rewards points on a gift card to give to someone else? I earned those points, and that gift card *would* be for me, but I am unceremoniously parting with it for the betterment of someone on my gift list. What about spending a gift card you received on a gift for someone else? Is that ok?
Please, readers, weigh in on your thoughts on this important issue facing all of us this and every holiday season. And please, in the name of everything holy, don't even thinking about re-gifting an MA* original knit piece!
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6 comments:
Call me cheap, but I poor girl has to do what a poor girl has to do. I've never re-gifted (too greedy to give my own goods up and if I get a horrid present I just leave it at 1060). But I have definitely used rewards pts to buy g.c.s for others and have (I think graciously) used g.c.s given to me to purchase gifts for others.
My car has no roof and no brakes. I've been renting apts since '03 and I haven't bought a new pair of jeans in 3 years,so I hope those near and dear don't mind me cutting a few corners in the gift giving department.
Truly, it is the thought that counts. (I hope)
Rewards points to buy gift cards, yes.....yarn as a gift ever, no.
Definitely OK to use gift cards to buy gifts and also OK to use reward points to get gift cards for gifting. As you and Lindsey noted, that's actually a very unselfish gift...and also frugal! :)
I also think it's totally OK to use yarn given to you to make a gift for someone else. The yarn was given to you for the purpose of knitting with it. What you do with the product is up to you, I think! Anyway, saying to someone, "Here are the supplies to make yourself something from me!" is just weird, so I don't think the yarn-gifters were thinking that. It's like, "I wanted to give you a lovely handmade _____, but instead, here are the materials to do it yourself!" Weird.
In any case, I wouldn't feel weird if you used yarn I had bought for you to make something for someone else. *shrug* Life's too short.
(In other news, I had a totally random dream about you last night! I came to visit you in Florida, where you worked at some sort of carnival. I don't remember much else, but...weird.)
dilem!
amazon accidently shipped someone else's package to me! "How to Learn French vol. 1".
Obv need to return but how???
What is my responsibility for the turnaround time on something like this?
All I want for christmas is someone else's presents????
Copple, carnival, really? Are you sure we weren't in Bryan at the Jubilee?! :)
Linds, that is a dilem, but you are an innocent victim! Are you expected to fight lines at the post office so someone can brush up on their foreign language studies before spending their holidays in Paris? Hardly. I say call amazon customer service so they can send out a new one to the original intended recipient. And you will be parle-ing francais come Boxing Day!
boggs, you are obviously gifting that to your mom for xmas!
one less present to worry about:)
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