On the Fourth Day of Advent - Gift Exchanges

My Parents, siblings and inlaws - 2005

I hope you are all enjoying the Advent Season and using your Advent Wreaths.

My idea for today is about the gifts you exchange with your adult siblings or coworkers or friends. You know the gift you dread buying each year because who really wants or needs another do-dad you didn't pick out?

Over the years this has run the gamut in my family - 9 siblings, 7 inlaws and my parents. Some years we drew names and spent a certain amount. Other years we spent a certain amount and played a game to see what you received. There was lots of fun and lots of bad presents - girls socks for a teen aged boy etc.

The last couple years we have done something different and we really LOVE it. As a family we "adopt" a family for Christmas. One year we all gave in the form of gift certificates what we would have spent on the exchange to a very needy and deserving family. This year we are adopting a family who is going on their 10th child in 10 years.

But we still have fun. Everyone brings something from home they no longer want or need and we play the game for true White Elephant fun.

This truly makes Christmas special to us. Perhaps if you all have more than you need you might consider it. Oh, and we chose families we know but still make it anonymous.

I am linking this to Works for Me Wednesday.