Close your eyes.  Take deep breaths.  Relax.  Now, open your eyes. 

You survived! 

Another Christmas has come and gone.  And, while I hope you have a healthy stack of awesome, ‘Just what you wanted’ gifts, you probably have at least a couple ‘What were they thinking!’ gifts too.  It’s okay, it happens to just about everyone and I’m going to help you out.  I have a few solutions that are pretty much guaranteed to result in maximum satisfaction for you (bad gift recipient) and minimal hurt feelings for them (bad gift giver). 

Before we delve into the great ideas, a bit of bad news.  If Grandma knit you (another) hideous Christmas sweater, don’t fret.  Grin, bear it, and wear it (once) next year.  Hey, you might even be able to enter an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest!  Just remember, if you win, you owe it all to Grandma.

Okay, so you lied a little and said you loved it.  Maybe you lied a lot and, really, you hate it.  Damage control depends a lot on who the bad gift is from.  This is my personal experience.  Extended family bad gifts are easier to recover from because you don’t see them as often.  Bad gifts from parents and siblings is a little tougher.  (To be honest,  I haven’t gotten a bad gift from my parents or siblings in many, many years.  However, if I did, my plan of action would be either honesty or complete denial.  (Hey, I never said this was foolproof.))  I have found that bad gifts from significant others, no matter what degree of ‘significant’, is the most touchy.  Tact is of utmost importance.  Trust me here people, because I have dealt with years of bad gifts from my boyfriend-turned-fiance-turned-husband.  Bless his heart, he just never ‘got it’. 

If you know where the gift came from and have a gift receipt,  you can simply return it.  Without a gift receipt, the store will usually let you exchange it for something else.  Or you might even be able to opt for store credit.  Just remember that after Christmas lots of things go on sale.  So, if you weren’t lucky enough to obtain a gift receipt, that $25 set of ceramic rooster salt ‘n pepper shakers may only trade in for $12.50.  In keeping with the current trend of ‘going green’, your other option is another growing trend: Regifting. 

Just don’t be suprised, or offended, if cousin Ned gives you a heartbreaking ‘My cat jumped up on the kitchen table and before I could catch them the ceramic rooster salt ‘n pepper shakers were shattered.’ story.  (He doesn’t even have a cat! He’s allergic!)  And you can smile a little when the ‘TO: Aunt Sylvia FROM: Ned’ gift ends up being none other than ceramic rooster salt ‘n pepper shakers. 

Ahh, the gift that keeps on giving…

**My husband deserves a disclaimer.  This year he did amazing.  Remote car starter, GPS, and iPod Touch.  I must have been good this year!**

Jeremy

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