Got any Yankee Swap gift ideas?

[maslex]

For the past few years, when we get together at my brother's house on Christmas Eve, we would do a Secret Santa. This year he's suggested doing a Yankee Swap or White Elephant or Dirty Santa (whatever it's called lol). I went to one, YEARS ago and I really cannot remember what any of the gifts were, except what I ended up with (it was actually a big Yankee Candle).

I believe he said we're sticking with a $20 price range. There will be 5 adults (in our 40's) 4 young adults (early 20's) 2 teenaged boys (14 & 16) and an 8yr old girl. (he's debating on whether to have the 8yr old participate)

Anyhow, how about some ideas on what to get. We've agreed that it should be something useful and nothing like a toilet seat or something that would probably just get thrown out by the end of the night.

What have been some of your favorites?

 

[ZephyrHawk]

THIS!

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/st...ight-trade-in-white/1061920316?Keyword=toilet

I already bought my white elephant gift for this year, so I can't get it.

 

[arminnie]

A good pair of scissors
A windup flashlight (LL Bean carries them) - my flashlights never have batteries that work when I need them
Something weird like a can of spam with lottery tickets attached
A box of great chocolates
Swiss Army knife
A great Disney Mickey ornament if they are so inclined to appreciate Disney
A plug in rechargeable light that comes on when power is lost
Small soft sided cooler for lunch/drinks

 

[Cinderella94]

A movie night kit- popcorn bucket, a few bags of microwave popcorn, candy, a holiday DVD

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Movie tickets and candy, or DVD of recent good movie with microwave popcorn or Jiffy Pop and/or candy
Coffee and commuter mug
Bottle(s) of liquor or wine
Small appliance like egg sandwich or panini maker
Favorite sports team hat and gloves
Ear buds and charger for electronics
iTunes card
Blanket
Walking stick
LED candle
Political something if your group can take it

Lots of things when you start looking - we always do one so I keep my eye out year round.

 

[Disney Doll]

Tervis tumbler with a lid and put a couple of lottery scratch offs in it. It fill it with candy.

 

[anniemae]

The best gifts I got from Yankee Swaps were:

Stick blender
pizza stone with pizza cutter

Both of these were very aggressively fought for.

 

[kaytieeldr]

A box of great chocolates

Today only, Godiva.com has 50% off a number of items.

Something weird like a can of spam with lottery tickets attache

e
Weirder but fun, canned unicorn from Amazon. You wouldn't be able to budget for too many lottery tickets, though.
Kohl's has their One Big Throw on sale today for $8.99, and novelty coffee mugs for $11.99, and 15% \off.

 

[NJlauren]

How about some scratch off lottery tickets? It's always a big hit when we do this.

 

[kimmar067]

....never heard of the expression "Yankee Swap"....what is it exactly?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I went looking for a simple description, and there's actually a website! http://www.yankeeswap.com
You probably know it by another name.

There's a link on the site to Amazon's Yankee Swap gift suggestions. https://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/R2OLD0FF7AYYEV?ie=UTF8

 

[usnuzuloose]

Oh so many fun things you can do.
You can find a big jar wide mouth and fill it with all kinds of fun things. You could find things at home that you don't use that may be new. Put some bag of the $1 box of candy in it. Nice gel pens. Hot chocolate packets. Just about anything. And if they are including the younger one put in a 5 gc for fun. Big lots , toys r us, movie card for food. Ha everyone may want that jar. Not saying you have to be cheap for the 20 dollars. But you may have things laying around the house and not sure what to with it. And you could decorate the jar with stuff from home. Have fun with whatever you choose.

 

[kimmar067]

I went looking for a simple description, and there's actually a website! http://www.yankeeswap.com
You probably know it by another name.

There's a link on the site to Amazon's Yankee Swap gift suggestions. https://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/R2OLD0FF7AYYEV?ie=UTF8

....thanks!

 

[CynBeth]

A gift card or box of candy or Bath and Body Works products.

 

[saucymb]

We had to take 1 gift per person to our Christmas party gift swap. I forgot to shop for the Dirty Santa gift. I had 2 gift cards to Applebees in my wallet - one had $25 on it and one had $1.35 left on it. I wrote a cute little note for each one "Maybe I have $25 on me or maybe I have $1.35 on me"...they were both fought over and traded the maximum number of times.

 

[descovy]

last year I gave wireless earbuds (found at Best Buy for $20) but packaged them in a tin can of beets, (rinsed and drained of course) So they were "beets earphones" Silly for the game, and yet a decent gift to receive!

 

[Southernmiss]

I ordered a sandwich maker from Wal-Mart for my gift today.

Dh will probably get a bottle of alcohol for his.

I've had church kids play it. One kid brought in a stuffed dirty Santa!

Dh regifted President head pez dispensers last year that he had won the year before.

 

[xjillianpaige]

We're not much into the gag gift idea. But we do a yankee swap at family things. It's all adults (when the kids are involved their mom or grandma contributes their gifts, which are for them) so we do lots of scratch tickets and alcohol. I've done themed gifts, last year I did coloring pencils and a coloring book and comfy cozy socks. I've done a movie night in a basket. Sometimes my family will find some sort of set (hot chocolate. cookie, etc.) and add a gift card to it. Dunkin' Donuts packs are a big hit in this area, especially if it comes with a gift card.