Posts Tagged ‘gift exchange party’

Some Very Useless White Elephant Gifts

Sometimes it just makes perfect sense to do something truly wacky. And what could be more fun than to gather your family or friends together for a white elephant gift exchange with totally useless stuff?

Some people believe that white elephant gifts are supposed to be gag gifts or other less practical items, others use the event to share valuable items.  White elephant gifts can be useless or practical, it is completely up to you.

Of course, we always promote giving gifts that will get the conversation going within the game.  Most of the time it is the banter that makes the party more engaging, so wacky white elephant gifts can make perfect sense.

The following is a list of unique gifts that should help build conversation in your next white elephant party.

The World’s Most Useless Gadgets

There are some inventions that have been created to better the lives of people. Gadgets like the fire alarm device for homes, door bells, mobile phones etc. Then there are these utterly useless gadgets:

The AC T-shirt: This T-shirt comes with an Air Conditioner for those trips across the Kalahari Desert.
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The Flying Alarm Clock: As if we don’t spend enough energy trying to find the snooze button on our normal clocks, this clock will buzz around like a fly that you just want to swat. Buying a new one isn’t cheap so swat gently!
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The Electric Paper Airplane Launcher: Just put your paper plane between the two rotating discs and launch at 30mph. Wonder if you can launch other things like rotten tomatoes.
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The TV in the Armpit: Missing out on your latest soap opera or want to know what is going on at the Cricket World Cup, just switch on the TV conveniently located in your armpit. Hmmm… well you might not be able to watch, you will act like that antenna guy, holding up your arms while your friends can watch.
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Nothing: The perfect gift for anyone. The gift is a perfect orb that comes in a great packaging that does absolutely nothing but just look pretty. Won’t your friend be pleased with his ‘Nothing’.
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The Message Toaster: This is a great gift to give your special someone before you plan on dumping or divorcing them. Just write a message on the top of the toaster and switch it on, when the toast comes out it has the message written on it. Perfect way to break up over breakfast.
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The Nordic Bearded Cap: This is just plain silly. When will someone ever want to put on a cap and pretend to be a Viking named Olaf. This cap comes in four amazing colors with two beard lengths.
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The USB Fragrance Burner for Laptops: This probably was created to help people relax while they work. Available for just $8, I hope the boss doesn’t mind when you get so relaxed that you start snoozing at the job.
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USB Toothbrush: Who in the world would want to brush their teeth by the laptop. I mean cleaning up spilled drinks and food crumbs is hassle enough, can you imagine trying to clean up toothpaste.
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The two-sided shoes: These very unpractical shoes have been designed so that when you sit on the bed or sofa, you don’t have to turn the shoes around. Just insert your feet and you’re off.

Have you seen any silly gifts or gadgets that we haven’t featured here on on gizoo.co.uk? Let us know the silliest gadget you’ve seen in the comments below.

FIND MORE  → White Elephant Gift Ideas

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PartyWeDo
We are passionate about white elephant gifts and white elephant gift exchange parties. We will do all that we can to make your experience with AlbinoPhant better than you can imagine.

White elephant gifts gleaned from the Junkyard…

We all understand that the real purpose of a white elephant gift exchange is to gather friends together and have fun sharing unique white elephant gifts and great conversation. We also know that these group activities are more memorable when the host suggests something different.

We suggest that you do something unique this year and host a Junk and the Trunk white elephant party?

The rules are simple – Only gifts from a salvage or junk yard will be allowed.

Given that this weekend will mark another Earth Day, why not share recycled stuff with family and friends in a white elephant gift giving event.

Because gift shopping in a junkyard is a little bit different than going to WalMart, we have asked an expert in junk to share some insights.  Joey’s Junk has provided us some information on how to find the perfect white elephant gift for your Junk and the Trunk gift exchange.

By Joey’s Junk

If you are someone who sees the junk removal of others as a fascinating opportunity for your own home, you are in luck. As distressed goods and second hand furniture becomes more attractive, there are a lot of people who are interested in salvage yards and junk yards for their furnishing and hobby needs. While salvage yards have long been a place where people could find parts for car restoration, you’ll find that there are plenty of things that you can discover for your home and your hobbies. Check out these tips to get you started.

Call the Junkyard’s Owners Before Doing Anything Else.

City junkyards are typically not open to the public, and private junkyards are of course private property. Before you show up, make sure that you call ahead and let them know what you are after. This is essential if you want to avoid a hefty fee for trespassing!

Bring Along Gloves and Dress for the Occasion

Junkyards are full of, well, junk, and some of it is rather dangerous. Wear sturdy shoes, and long-sleeved shirts as well as jeans or some other sturdy covering on your lower half. If you are going to be doing some digging, be sure that you bring along some thick workman’s gloves to protect your skin. A tetanus shot is also a very good idea.

Keep an Open Mind

You never know when someone else’s junk removal is going to throw you a treasure. You can start by having a vague idea of what you need, but if you keep an open mind about things, you can discover some great options out there. You never know when you are going to discover something that you absolutely did not know that you needed.

Consider Sanitation

With the threat of bedbugs and other insect hitchhikers, it is always worth thinking about how you can disinfect things. Most household goods are fine with some bleach, but be especially careful about wooden furniture. Some people choose to follow the rule that if it can’t get tossed into the dryer and sanitized, it can’t come in the home.

Bring a Friend

You never know when you are going to find something that needs two people to carry it. A friend can also serve as an extra pair of eyes if you are looking for something specific, and you will also find that having another person there can just be fun.

Be Ready to Bargain

Some junkyards will let you haul things off for free, while others do ask that you pay for what you find. A certain amount of haggling is expected, and if you have never haggled before, it can be a little harrowing. Many junkyards will give you everything you find for a lump sum, so before you approach the area, have an idea of what your finds all together are worth. This avoids being put on the spot when the owner asks you what you want to pay. A junkyard has some fantastic options open to you, so be ready to get to work as soon as you find one!

 

This article was written by Joey’s Junk, your friendly garbage removal Vancouver company. http://www.joeysjunk.ca/what.html

Thanks to My Pink Turtle for sharing the image

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PartyWeDo
We are passionate about white elephant gifts and white elephant gift exchange parties. We will do all that we can to make your experience with AlbinoPhant better than you can imagine.

Banish the dull white elephant gift party

Every great white elephant gift boosts the level of fun when it provides a way to ignite great banter. This exercise video that “Banishes Fat” will always get a conversation started in a group of friends or family members.

I found this white elephant gift idea in the AlbinoPhant $15 dollar marketplace the other day and I could really see this gift ratcheting up the fun in your next exchange.

When a Fat Burning video is displayed in one of our family’s online white elephant parties, someone would share an image of a overweight image, or show a video clip from “People of Wal-mart”.

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MamaC
Head Recreationalist for PartyWeDo

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This has been an interesting year for the rambunctious infant business, Facebook. Like any two-year-old they have moved everything in the room up at least one level.

When a toddler comes into our house we immediately move up the knickknacks and put the door locks on the cabinet doors. If we don’t, they would be into everything!

Facebook has moved from crawling to sprinting around our internet houses like a whirl-wind. And this growth spurt has caused some growth pains for many.

But like any birth date, we should celebrate what has been accomplished in the last 12 months, and then look forward to what might be ahead.

Nick O’Neill of AllFacebook said it best: “While the past year has been a bumpy one, hanging on to the rocket that is Facebook has no doubt proven to be an exciting ride”!

Happy Birthday Facebook…. We should throw you a party…

Maybe a huge gift exchange? I know of an application that would be just the ticket!

And it is on Facebook….

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

The number one gift exchange activity in the US and Canada during the holidays is the white elephant party or yankee swap.

Families, churches and clubs all use this gift swap event to create a great social experience and to share gifts with each other. The white elephant gifts range from the silly to the very desirable, and all points in between.

Now there are online alternatives to this popular event that will save you time and money. We suggest the top 5 reasons to take the party online this year:

• Distant family and friends can be invited to participate without leaving their homes.
• Busy people can purchase all their gifts online without heading out to the mall.
• Travel expenses are eliminated, because you can share the fun from any computer.
• Increased communication from the more timid members of your group in a virtual, non-threatening setting.
• The ability to enter and leave the party activities at will and to participate on your schedule.

You can organize a party through email, use a social networking site or host a party through AlbinoPhant. Any way that you choose, your family and friends will enjoy being included in some memorable fun, without breaking the bank.

Are there other holiday activities that you could be moved online to save money in the recession?

Thanks to Per Ola Wiberg for the image

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Princess Phant
Daughter of the King of Burma
Caretaker of the AlbinoPhant Parties

If you’re hosting a white elephant gift exchange party, why not consider planning some extra games to make your event even more fun? Particularly if your guests don’t all know each other, or don’t see each other very often, some sort of ice-breaker game can be a really good way to get rid of any initial shyness or awkwardness. It will get your guests talking and laughing, and into the party mood.

A Yankee Swap or gift exchange party is about so much more than just the presents. More often than not, it’s an opportunity for friends and family to all get together in one room and share banter and laughter, and the best way for that to happen is to ensure that all your guests feel relaxed, comfortable… oh, and know each others names!

You could try out a traditional getting-to-know-you game, if your guests aren’t already familiar with who’s who at your white elephant party. A simple one is to make all the introductions and then play the “Blanket Game” or a variation of it. A blanket is held up between two randomly selected guests, and when the blanket drops, the first person to correctly identify the other wins. You can be sure your guests will be on first name terms in no time!

Or, for a bit more fun and the opportunity for you all to find out interesting and funny things about each other, you could play the Autograph Bingo game, where everyone is given a bingo card listing several different and interesting facts, and has to go around the room trying to find people matching those facts. It’s a great way to get people to mingle, and leads to hilarity as everyone finds out funny facts about everyone else!

There are lots of ice-breaker games out there. With a little planning, you can ensure that your white elephant event gets off to a great start, so that by the time you’re ready to play the gift exchange, all your guests will already be in the swing of things! Have fun!

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PartyWeDo
We are passionate about white elephant gifts and white elephant gift exchange parties. We will do all that we can to make your experience with AlbinoPhant better than you can imagine.