Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Holiday Shopping Tip #7: Think "gag gift"

If you want to give a truly memorable present, how about the gift of laughter?

Gag gifts, while often inexpensive or even free, can often create cherished holiday memories.

My favorite example of this comes from my high school days. One day shortly before Christmas, my friend Nikki was at my house when inspiration struck. We gathered up a few items from around the house, and she took them home.

A few days later, she showed up at the door with her arms full of gifts, one for each member of my family. Then we sat back and watched the entertainment.

My dad unwrapped his present and found...a beat up tennis shoe. He looked puzzled for a moment before he realized it was his own shoe! "Hey," he cracked, "I have another one just like it around here somewhere!"

My mom burst out laughing when she realized the strangely familiar blue and white cup she was holding had been stolen from her bathroom counter top.

My family still talks about those unexpected "gifts" every time we reminisce about our favorite holiday memories. You can't say the same for too many of the "real" presents we've given and received over the years.

Here's hoping your holidays are filled with fun, laughter and lots of good cheer!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is funny! I'd be afraid to attempt it with my family, though... because they wouldn't NOTICE!

Kathleen said...

Funny! One time we gave my brother in law a fake lotto ticket and he thought he won $10,000. He kept telling everyone who came "I won, I won". I guess it was more funny for us rather than him.