‘Tis the season of Yankee Swaps! (Being from New England, we call them Yankee Swaps but most parts of the USA call them White Elephant Gift Exchanges.) Yankee Swaps are always a fun time and joke gifts usually rein. That said, it can be hard to decide what to bring as your gift so here are a variety of affordable gift ideas, ranging from funny to nice to extra cheap/free, all broken down into categories for easy shopping (I will keep adding to this list as I think of more). | This post contains affiliate links |
The first thing to consider before you choose your gift is your audience… is this a professional work party? Then you might not want to bring the toilet coffee mug.. however if the party goers have a sense of humor then silly gifts may win the night! Also consider if there’s an inside joke you can play up - for example one year at our work party someone wrapped and gave the dead houseplant that had been sitting in the breakroom for months! Now that was a clever and funny gift idea.
Funny and Silly (Joke) Gift Ideas
- Framed photo of yourself - preferrably in the dramatic, cheesy department store photoshoot style
- Burrito Blanket - Not going to lie, I kind of want one of these! haha
- Toliet Mug (with an extra surprise)
- Bean Boozled Game - This is a funny game: spin the spinner, take a jelly bean... is that yellow speckled jelly bean buttered popcorn flavored or ear wax flavored? You won't know until you try it!
- Scratch Off Dad Jokes - everybody loves a corny Dad joke!
- A Rotisserie Chicken (and a side) - this one is so unexpected it's bound to get a laugh. Just make sure you buy it right before the party and maybe put it on ice packs so it doesn't go bad.
Practical and Nice Gift Ideas
- Lottery tickets/Scratch off tickets - everyone dreams of winning big!
- A Cozy Blanket
- Food basket - come up with a theme and include nice snacks or drinks
- Nice office supplies (a nice set of stationery, pens, etc)
- A board game or card game
- A Gift Card to a Local Shop or Restaurant
- Something from around your house that you’re not using - coffee mug, knick knack, etc.
- Something half used from your house - like a candle.
- Split and repot one of your houseplants to share
- A Big Package of Toliet Paper or Tissues - People often get excited for these before opening because it looks like a big gift!
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Having worked at a middle/high school for a few years now I’ve experienced a few “Anything But a Backpack” Days for Spirit Week and they can be pretty hilarious. …What does that mean? you might wonder - well, it pretty much means what it says - leave your backpack at home that day and come up with a creative way to carry your things around school for the day. I thought I’d share a list of some of the favorites I’ve seen or have heard about form others - some are quite creative and ridiculous. Disclaimer: always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not.
“Anything But a Backpack” Day Ideas
laundry basket
hamper
stroller
car seat
remote control car
PowerWheels
wagon
toy shopping cart
real shopping cart
Easter basket
pizza box
toolbox
bucket
a really ugly/tacky purse or bag (can be found cheap at a local thrift shop!)
tool chest
mini fridge
microwave (that has to be heavy!)
a car bumper (very tricky to put your stuff in - and yes, I have seen this one myself!)
a kayak
a canoe (very awkward to get up the stairs)
golfbag
milk crate
horse saddle bag
office chair
cooking pot
cat carrier
birdcage
wheelbarrow
guitar case
suitcase (the ones with the wheels are handy!)
fishing net
traffic cone
stuffed animal that has a zippered pocket
trick-or-treat bag or container
trash bag or trash can (just make sure your stuff doesn’t get thrown out by accident!)
Check out our Spirit Week Theme Day Ideas blog post for other theme day ideas!
Disclaimer: Always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not. This list is for ideas/entertainment purposes only.
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Today I thought I'd share what we'll be putting in our little one's Easter Basket. My goal was to spend less than $20 and fill it with practical and fun items. | This post contains affiliate links |
Our little girl is only 15 months old, has more than enough toys, and doesn't eat candy yet so I was a little stumped as to what to put in her Easter basket at first. After some thought I decided to fill it with some items she needed anyway and a few things to use outside once the warmer weather comes (someday soon, I hope).
I started with the Easter basket I made for her last year (you can read my post on making her Button Easter Basket here). First I filled the bottom with paper Easter grass - having a toddler and a dog, it's so important to use the paper Easter grass over plastic just in case any gets eaten. The paper grass is also a lot more eco-friendly.
I love what I found to put in her basket!
In her basket:
- Owl Lunchbox by SkipHop. She desperately needed a new lunchbox (hers broke) and this owl one from Amazon was just the cutest. There are many other animal styles to choose from too if owls aren't your thing.
- Purée pouches by Plum Organics. What toddler doesn't love snacks? We picked these up last time we were at Target but they can be found at just about any grocery store or purchased by the case from Amazon.
- Baby Farm Animals board book by Golden Books. We actually got this book for free from the local library (they were clearing out duplicates) but you can usually find inexpensive board books on Amazon or on sale at your local book store.
- Child's Watering Can. We got this from the Dollar Store, but these can also be found at your local pharmacy. (Similar one here.)
- Egg-Shaped Chalk. These came from the dollar bins at Target, and I love them because they're easy for little hands to hold. (Similar ones here.)
Since I got the board book for free I spent right around $15 for everything - wahoo!
Other basket ideas for a one-year old or young toddler:
All of these items can be done for a girl or a boy, and are easy to tweak if you wanted to tailor it more to your own child. I hope I've given you some ideas of what to put in your little one's Easter basket - Happy Easter!
Looking for more Easter ideas? Check out our other Easter posts:
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