Re-Gifting

Is re-gifting rude? 'Tis the season of Secret Santa office name-drawing and generic gift-giving. I don't think re-gifting is rude if you're giving something you don't need and won't use to someone who will enjoy it a lot more than you will. There's nothing wrong with that. As annoying as it all can be, I still think you should try to get a somewhat thoughtful gift for the person whose name you draw, even if it is your bitch of a boss. Well, I actually really like my boss (and feel lucky to have her as a boss), but you know what I mean. So far, this is what DD and I have given away in the Christmas (excuse me - "holiday") office giveaways:

1 book about mixing drinks (to someone who appears to be an alcoholic)
1 Elvis Presley Christmas tree ornament (DD bought and gave this. I shuddered when I saw it.)
1 Japanese calendar and 1 pack of multicolored wooden chopsticks (in a generic white elephant giveaway at my department holiday party)
2 Dagoba lavender blueberry chocolate bars and 2 bars of chocolate soap (to the receptionists at my work)
1 Pharmacopia lavender hand cream and bath salts + 1 Dagoba lavender blueberry chocolate bar to one receptionist at his work
1 Pharmacopia lavender shower gel and 1 body lotion + 1 Dagoba lavender blueberry chocolate bar to another receptionist at his work

(Yeah, I know. DD's receptionists got bigger gifts than mine... but... I'm on a tight budget. Plus, one of the receptionists at my work is also my friend outside of work, so I got her another gift, too.)

Okay, I re-gifted the Japanese calendar. My Dad got it for me. He gets me a beautiful Japanese calendar every year, which is cool, but now I don't even have my own workspace at work, I just float along to any empty desk with a laptop, so there was no place to hang the calendar. So I re-gifted it.

Here's some of the stuff we've received in the Secret Santa White Elephant Office Parties:

1 bottle of red wine
2 stemless Breast Cancer awareness Champagne glasses (they're pink)
2 battery-operated light-up desktop fountains (DD received these and loves them. Thank God he has decided to keep them at his workplace, where they belong)
1 company keychain (DD's company)
1 Timbuk2 brand messenger bag with company name on it (every single person at DD's company received one. All 1,500 of them. I joked that he should post a "missing bag" email and describe the bag. "black with a blue stripe... has the company logo on it... anyone seen my bag?")
1 margarita recipe book, 1 margarita glass
1 miniature lava lamp nightlight (I love it. It's plugged in in my bathroom. I stole someone's gift in the White elephant gift game. "I would never steal someone's gift," she told me. "Obviously, I would," I replied, cackling.)

It was reported that one person at my work was unhappy with the white elephant gift she received and loudly announced she would re-gift it. Even though I think re-gifting is fine, it's only fine if it's done delicately. Announcing to your coworkers that you were dissatisfied with your gift is just F-ing rude. Also f-ing rude - another co-worker opened her white elphant gift (exotic hot cocoa mix with chiles in it) and declared, "I got sick off this last year!" I really like that brand of hot cocoa; it's expensive and it's delicious. I kind of wanted to chastize her for being rude and then demand she hand the chocolate over to me. Another co-worker of mine was miffed at herself for giving away the really nice bamboo cutting board that she secretly (and not so secretly) wanted to keep. I've heard her mention this a few times. If it's making you sad enough that you have to mention it a few times, you should have never given it away in the first place! I hope she's learned her lesson. I know I've learned a few through this holiday season, but the biggest is: don't be an ungrateful bitch! Or maybe... don't do these forced gift giveaway things at work at all. They bring out the worst in all of us.