Affordable Yankee Swap / White Elephant Gift Ideas

‘Tis the season of Yankee Swaps! (Being from New England, we call them Yankee Swaps but most parts of the USA call them White Elephant Gift Exchanges.) Yankee Swaps are always a fun time and joke gifts usually rein. That said, it can be hard to decide what to bring as your gift so here are a variety of affordable gift ideas, ranging from funny to nice to extra cheap/free, all broken down into categories for easy shopping (I will keep adding to this list as I think of more). | This post contains affiliate links |

The first thing to consider before you choose your gift is your audience… is this a professional work party? Then you might not want to bring the toilet coffee mug.. however if the party goers have a sense of humor then silly gifts may win the night! Also consider if there’s an inside joke you can play up - for example one year at our work party someone wrapped and gave the dead houseplant that had been sitting in the breakroom for months! Now that was a clever and funny gift idea.

Funny and Silly (Joke) Gift Ideas

• Framed photo of yourself - preferrably in the dramatic, cheesy department store photoshoot style
• Burrito Blanket - Not going to lie, I kind of want one of these! haha
• Toliet Mug (with an extra surprise)
• Bean Boozled Game - This is a funny game: spin the spinner, take a jelly bean... is that yellow speckled jelly bean buttered popcorn flavored or ear wax flavored? You won't know until you try it!
• Scratch Off Dad Jokes - everybody loves a corny Dad joke!
• A Rotisserie Chicken (and a side) - this one is so unexpected it's bound to get a laugh. Just make sure you buy it right before the party and maybe put it on ice packs so it doesn't go bad.

Practical and Nice Gift Ideas

• Lottery tickets/Scratch off tickets - everyone dreams of winning big!
• A Cozy Blanket
• Food basket - come up with a theme and include nice snacks or drinks
• A Gift Card to a Local Shop or Restaurant

Cheap or Free Gift Ideas

• Something from around your house that you’re not using - coffee mug, knick knack, etc.
• Something half used from your house - like a candle.
• A Big Package of Toliet Paper or Tissues - People often get excited for these before opening because it looks like a big gift!

SALE: 20% Off EVERYTHING in Etsy Shop!

Happy Plaid Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday! (Whew, what a mouthful) To celebrate we’re offering 20% off everything in our Etsy Shop with no minimums - including some really unique Vintage Christmas items, as well as our classic Stickers, New England Lakeside Hats, and Hand-Etched Ornaments. Shop now before the sale ends!

And please don’t forget to Shop Local this weekend (and always!) - small shops need your support more than ever. This year we had four brick and mortar shops that we wholesale to close their doors… it’s a ripple effect that goes beyond that one business and impacts all the other small businesses (like mine) that they carry as well. Please support our local Stockists (tell them I sent ya), and all other local shops when you can.

Spirit Week Theme Day Ideas

Having worked at a middle/high school for a few years now I’ve experienced a bunch of Spirit Weeks and they can be pretty fun! I thought I’d share a list of some of the favorite Theme Days I’ve seen or have heard about from others - some are quite creative and ridiculous. I will continue to add to this list as I come across more fun ideas. Disclaimer: always make sure you check with your school/administration for any parameters or rules for Spirit Week Themes as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not.
| This post contains affiliate links |

Class Color Day

This is a classic theme day - every grade or classroom gets assigned a color and kids from that group are encouraged to wear that color. Some people get really into it with head-to-toe color-coordinated outfits and even face paint or temporary hair color!

Wacky Hair Day

For Wacky Hair Day kids are encouraged to wear their hair wacky! Side ponytails, mowhawks, temporary hair paint/color, crazy wigs, etc - and some kids even go all out with a crazy hair cut (with parents' permission/help of course).

Halloween in (Whatever Month You’re In) / Costume Day

This is a chance to bust out those Halloween costumes, dress up, and have Halloween in March (or whatever month you’re doing Spirit Week). Giving out some candy/trick or treating in the school might be a fun addition too. Just make sure those costumes are school appropriate!

Superhero Day

Dress up as your favorite Superhero! Kids can wear store bought costumes or easily make their own with some paper emblems taped to their shirts or homemade masks/capes.

Beach Day

For this one wear your beach-inspired items - think floral print shirts/outfits, shorts, tank tops, sandals, sun hats. Throw a towel over your shoulder or grab a beach ball to complete the look. Adding a flower lei necklace is an easy way to achieve Beach Day status.

Tourist Day

Tourist Day attire is usually very similar to Beach Day attire, but usually with the addition of a map, cameras or binoculars, and tall socks with sandals.

Anything But a Backpack Day

This one is always a favorite in our school - the idea is instead of bringing a backpack to carry your stuff, you bring just about anything else (a laundry basket, a microwave, a shopping cart, etc). Check out our dedicated blog post on Anything But a Backpack Day for more ideas!

Career Day

Career Day is a chance for kids to dress up as what they might want to be in a future career. Doctors, teachers, lawyers, electrician, plumber, race car driver, business owner, etc. This can be an easy one to put together from home with either nice or work clothes and a few accessories (a clipboard, a small toolbox, etc.).

Historical Figures Day

This can be a chance make a spirit day a bit educational as well as fun if kids need to provide a fact about their historical figure in addition to dressing up. Kids could pick figures from world history long ago (Julius Caesar, for example), our national history (ex. George Washington or Betsy Ross), or more recent history (ex. Steve Jobs or Sally Ride).

Ugly Sweater Day / Festive Sweater Day

This is always such a fun one, especially around the holidays! Everyone is encouraged to make or wear an ugly/tacky sweater or a festive sweater. If you make your own sweater it's a chance to get creative and repurpose an old sweatshirt or sweater and add your own fun twist to it - think rickrack, pom poms, old ornaments (just make sure they aren't breakable!), etc. - Don't forget to use a glue gun to make decorating your sweater easy!

There are also tons of options available online if you want to buy a tacky sweater - just make sure it's school appropriate and not offensive.

BBQ Dads & Soccer Moms

On this day it’s encouraged to dress up as the stereotypical “BBQ Dad” or “Soccer Mom” - kids had a lot of fun with this one and some girls dressed up as BBQ Dads and some boys dressed up as Soccer Moms (you can do whichever you prefer - or a combo of the two!).

For the BBQ Dad ensemble think: aprons, spatulas, white sneakers, khaki shorts, baseball caps.
For the Soccer Mom ensemble think: oversized sunglasses, leggings, an oversized waterbottle (Stanleys optional), oversized sweatshirt, and of course a cross body belt bag.

Adam Sandler Day

This one is pretty easy for most middle/high school kids to pull off - the goal here is to dress in “iconic Adam Sandler style” which pretty much consists of things like baggy basketball shorts, oversized t-shirts and flannels, and dark sunglasses. This is easily doable for most kids/staff and a lot of fun. (It’s also particularly a favorite here because Adam Sandler is a NH native!)

Disclaimer: always make sure you check with your school/administration for any parameters or rules for Spirit Week Themes as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not.

"Anything But a Backpack" Day Ideas

Having worked at a middle/high school for a few years now I’ve experienced a few “Anything But a Backpack” Days for Spirit Week and they can be pretty hilarious. …What does that mean? you might wonder - well, it pretty much means what it says - leave your backpack at home that day and come up with a creative way to carry your things around school for the day. I thought I’d share a list of some of the favorites I’ve seen or have heard about form others - some are quite creative and ridiculous. Disclaimer: always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not.

“Anything But a Backpack” Day Ideas

• laundry basket

• hamper

• stroller

• car seat

• remote control car

• PowerWheels

• wagon

• toy shopping cart

• real shopping cart

• Easter basket

• pizza box

• toolbox

• bucket

• a really ugly/tacky purse or bag (can be found cheap at a local thrift shop!)

• tool chest

• mini fridge

• microwave (that has to be heavy!)

• a car bumper (very tricky to put your stuff in - and yes, I have seen this one myself!)

• a kayak

• a canoe (very awkward to get up the stairs)

• golfbag

• milk crate

• horse saddle bag

• office chair

• cooking pot

• cat carrier

• birdcage

• wheelbarrow

• guitar case

• suitcase (the ones with the wheels are handy!)

• fishing net

• traffic cone

• stuffed animal that has a zippered pocket

• trick-or-treat bag or container

• trash bag or trash can (just make sure your stuff doesn’t get thrown out by accident!)

Check out our Spirit Week Theme Day Ideas blog post for other theme day ideas!

Disclaimer: Always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not. This list is for ideas/entertainment purposes only.

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Getting Christmas Ready with Island Wrapping Co.

As you know I love to share about local, New England-based makers and companies on my blog and today is no different! Bryn from Island Wrapping Co. reached out to me and asked if I’d like to check out her printed North Pole Newspaper wrapping paper and I just couldn’t resist! | This post contains affiliate links and an honest review of product provided by Island Wrapping Co. |

I hate to admit it, but I’m always a procrastinator when it comes to wrapping gifts… I’m always a wait-until-Christmas-Eve wrapper. But this year I’m getting a little jump start with this cute “The North Pole Sun” wrapping paper from Island Wrapping Co, a Massachusetts-based small business on Etsy. These Christmas-themed newspapers are double-sided and contain fun pretend stories, advertisements, a sports section, headlines, birth announcements, etc all Christmas/North Pole themed! These will make wrapping our gifts more fun this year for sure.

If you're looking for some unique and festive wrapping paper this year - or a newspaper for Santa to leave behind ;) - I reccomend checking out Island Wrapping Co. on Etsy.

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- I received this item for review from Island Wrapping Co. but all opinions expressed are my own.  Please see our full Disclosure Policy for more information -   

Holiday Sale - 2023

Happy Black Friday-Small Business Saturday-Cyber Monday! (Whew!)
To celebrate I’m offering 20% off everything in our Etsy shop, some items are very limited quantities so please shop early. Thank you again for your support!

Shopping locally in New England? Check out one of our amazing Stockists:

DIY Playhouse Flagpole

Our kids’ playhouse is pretty special - it was built for them by their Grandfather and the door was built by their Dad. It’s a special spot that has gotten a lot of use over the years and is always a hit when they have friends over. For awhile now I’ve wanted to add a little flagpole but wasn’t able to find an affordable boat flagpole in the dimensions I needed so I decided to make one myself. | This post contains affiliate links |

Materials:

• 12"x 18" boat flag (I used a nautical-inspired one but you could get a traditional American flag too)
• dowel (I used 3/4")
• small piece of 2x4
• drill and screws
• wooden knob that fits on end of dowel
• paint (white and gold)
• wood glue
• clothes line rope
• optional: you could use a boat flagpole and bracket kit if you wanted to make this quick and easy, but I was trying to make this project as inexpensively as possible and opted to make it myself with scrap wood we already had - I also wanted more control over the length of the pole and the angle which is another reason why I decided to make it myself.

How-To:

First, I decided on the angle of the dowel into the scrap piece of 2x4 and made a pilot hole at that angle with a small drill. Then I kept going up in drill sizes to make the hole the correct diameter. (Note: I do not recommend using a spade bit.. I tried that and it was terrible going in at an angle. We ended up borrowing a drill bit in correct final size to finish the hole.)

Once the hole was made I glued the dowel into it with some wood glue then painted it white with several coats of paint. While I was waiting for that to dry I moved on to painting the wooden knob with several coats of gold paint and then let that dry too.

Next I drilled a small hole into the end of the top of the flag pole and cut some toothpicks down to fit inside the hole but stick out far enough to also fit into the hole in the wooden knob. Then I added wood glue and put the knob onto the end of the flagpole. (Note: Using toothpicks to reinforce this joining is key - if just wood glue was used it would be at more risk to break off, but the toothpick reinforcement going through really helps!)

And now we can attach the flag! I just used some cotton clothes line rope to tie the flag to the flagpole. The wooden flagpole has enough grip and the flag is so small that we don’t have any issue with the flag sliding down or moving.

Now that your flag is assembled you just have to mount it. I screwed the base into the side of the playhouse then touched up the screw heads with white paint to help them blend in.

The finished product!

I will probably take the flag down come winter, as our harsh New England winters with heavy snow and ice would likely damage the pole but then I plan to put it right back up in the spring.

| "The Cottage" Sign - I made this a few years ago by making a stencil for the words using my Cricut and having the kids dip their hands in paint for the handprints. |

A few other Playhouse details…

I just love the simple details of our little playhouse - my favorite being the amazing custom farm-style door my husband made for the playhouse.

| Similar Wireless Doorbell - we put the button on the porch post and hung the box inside the playhouse so the kids can ring the doorbell to be let in. | Similar Kid-Sized Adirondack Chair - we got a kid-sized adirondack chair at a yardsale and painted it the same bright green that we painted the door (the original chair was yellow!). |

| Peep Hole - We added a peep hole to the playhouse door too. The kids love looking through it to see who's ringing the doorbell. | "Friends" Reference - I just had to paint a gold frame on the back of the door around the peep hole, just like on the TV show "Friends." |

| Porch Bell - the kids always get a kick out of ringing it to call their friends in from around the yard. |

| Chalkboard - Inside the playhouse I painted one wall in chalkboard paint so the kids have a space to draw. We just keep the chalk and eraser on one of the windowsills inside the playhouse. |

PS - At Christmas we even decorate the playhouse with solar Christmas lights and a wreath!

Cyber Week Sale - Ends 11/30/22

Cyber Week is fast approaching and we’re joining in! Now through the end of November we’re offering 20% Off EVERYTHING in our Etsy Shop - yes, even the handmade items that rarely go on sale!
Now is your chance to snag that item you’ve had your eye on or stock up on some stickers for stocking stuffers. Quantities are limited, so make sure to shop early ;)