CLEVER GIFTING

Julie, thanks for getting this started. Indeed, gifts or anything related to gifts is YOUR language, and I happen to speak it from time to time.

This what my electrical synapses were able to come up with in response to your propositions:

1. Everyone buys everyone else a gift.
- this could get expensive seeing that we officially added two new people to our family this year.

2. Draw names and each person buys one person a gift.
- rather boring, isn't it?

3. See number 2, except we have a theme. (This theme could be similar to last year, or could be changed so each person buys the other person an ornament, a calendar, or a tshirt.)
- i consider this my number one choice. your and i would do the planning, of course. i suggest we do a theme and a color. (oh, the ideas are beginning to flow through my brain like the waters of the red sea.)

4. Donate money to heifer.org or similar organization.
- i am all for this one in combination with #3. We each have to pick an organization/charity/personal cause to donate money or time to and then tell the whole family why you picked that organization. i think this could get us to think creatively about giving besides the usual - church, salvation army, green party, etc. some of my favorites are www.one.org and http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com

5. Combination of number 3 and number 4, except introduce a lower spending limit for 3.
- ah... see my response above

6. Each person composes a piece of art for another person. This could include a dvd of Calli singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," Dad making a stained glass box, Katie painting a wall, or Rich making a cd of Guatemalan rap.
- i don't like to talk about guatemalan rappers. they don't tip very well.

7. Draw names and each person plants a tree in honor of another person in our family.
- have you been watching dr. phil lately?

8. Each person sends everyone else free sample packets garnered throughout the year.
- i am the king of freebies, and i admit that i use what i get. so, i do not have any extras of the things i receive for free: http://absurdlycool.com

9. Everyone buys Dad socks, underwear, and the occasional tie. (oh wait, nothing new there).
- i have never bought Dad socks before. are they comfortable?

10. An idea that YOU contribute!
- everyone builds an amazon wish list, and we can all buy a random gift from the list for each other
- mayday, mayday, mayday, electrical synapse #37 not firing!