Regifting Rules

How to “Recycle” Presents—And Not Get Caught

So if you're a closet regifter, rest assured: You're not alone. In fact, a Code of Regifting Ethics has emerged from the shadowy, persecuted regifting underworld, marking horror stories the signs of amateurs at work. Follow these simple commandments, and you, too, can regift with class, dignity, and little to no fear of karmic retribution...

Rule #1: Thou shalt not regift anything you've already used. This is the single most important rule. Don't try to fudge it. Think of this rule as your excuse to give that gently-worn sweater to a worthy charity, instead of racking your brains trying to think of a friend who won't remember seeing you in it.

Rule #2: Thou shalt carefully examine your regift from every angle. Check for gift notes tucked into the box. Check for inscriptions on the first ten pages of the book. Check for damage. And for the love of sweet pickle juice, check for monograms and personalization.

Rule #3: Thou shalt be certain, beyond a doubt, that the person who originally gave you the gift does not know, and never will know, the person you're regifting it to. File under "duh."

Rule #4: Thou shalt regift with the same care and generosity with which you, er, regular-gift. Wrap the gift nicely, include a thoughtful card, and observe your usual gift-giving discretion. You wouldn't tell a friend how much you paid for a gift you bought, right? You don't need to tell her how much you didn't pay, either. (Total honesty might make you feel better, but it probably won't have the same effect on the recipient.)

Rule #5: Thou shalt only regift things that other people might actually want. On the "do" list: Bottles of wine and champagne are almost universally welcome regifts. Other good regifts: new toys, bestselling books, unused (and unopened) beauty products, edible goodies that not only are fresh but also look fresh, music (anything that wasn't the big hit of last year, that is), and picture frames you've taken the trouble to put great pictures into.

On the "don't" list: Branded stuff (umbrellas with logos on them, the silver pen from the conference you went to that has the conference name on it), small appliances (too obvious), anything that was itself obviously a regift. . . unless you're headed to a White Elephant party.

And then there's "the big maybe:" Anyone who's ever been married has probably regifted at least one wedding present. We ain't sayin' it's right or wrong. But if you regifted a wedding present, you probably know that there's about a 65% chance that the recipient guessed. . . which isn't exactly the desired effect. Which brings us to the final rule of regifting.

Rule #6: Thou shalt remember why you give gifts to begin with. We give gifts because we want people to like them. We give gifts out of the impulse of generosity, and because as a species, we like seeing each others' eyes light up with delight and surprise, one of many characteristics that distinguishes human beings from, say, woodpeckers or garden slugs. If you can't see a regift making somebody you know and love happy, maybe that regift deserves another recipient. Like a charity. Or the recycle bin.

More of the article here.

Prairie Dogs

Learn more about the Prairie Dogs :) from Zoo Days on CBS 8...



Maybe I could have one of them for a pet.. I mean, look how cool they are on a leash.

Chasing Pavements

I have loved Adele since two seasons ago on So You Think You Can Dance. Here is a live show of Chasing Pavements:

Happiest States

Maybe Ryan and I should look into one of these states to move to next year :)

Happiest States Revealed by New Research

The happiest states:

1. Louisiana
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Arizona
6. Mississippi
7. Montana
8. South Carolina
9. Alabama
10. Maine

The scientists caution, however, that the top spot, Louisiana, might not reflect current levels of well-being since the data were collected before the disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina. They are confident that data for the other states does accurately reflect happiness levels.

The article can be found here.

Etsy :)

I was looking on Yahoo.com today and saw this article. I've had an Etsy shop for about a year now... I, of course, have not made more than $25, but hey, at least some people are making it big through Etsy. It is possible :)

Cashing In Big Selling On Etsy

To some craft enthusiasts that is just the name of a popular blog on Etsy, the fast-growing Web site that serves as a marketplace for crafts and vintage goods.

But to Yokoo Gibran, it was an epiphany.

Ms. Gibran, who is in her 30s, had been selling her hand-knit scarves and accessories on the site for less than a year when she decided last November to quit her day job at a copy center in Atlanta. Thirteen months later, she would seem to be living the Etsy dream: running a one-woman knitwear operation, Yokoo, from her home and earning more than $140,000 a year, more than many law associates.

Jealous? How could you not be? Her hobby is her job. But consider this before you quit your day job: at the pace she’s working, she might as well be a law associate.

More of the article here.

Christmas Letter

December 2009

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! We hope this letter finds you well. This has been an awesome and exciting year and we wanted to share a little of what has happened.

This year was our first full year of marriage – and boy was it great. Ryan and I are still madly in-love and enjoying one another (what a relief, huh? ☺). We even decided to go sky diving for our one-year anniversary (we had a BLAST). Of course, a healthy and happy marriage takes a lot of work, but we have really treasured learning more about each other and growing together as a couple. Our ‘young married’ small group, through our church, has been an amazing place for growth and friendship.

One thing that we have really enjoyed this year was becoming annual pass holders to Disneyland. It may seem childish – but I think that is what we love most about it. We have had a blast spending time with Mickey, Minnie, our friends, and each other at the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH! Ryan’s office is about 15 minutes away from Disney, so I sometimes take the train up on Fridays and we will head over to the park for a few hours, catch the fireworks, ride a few rides and just take in the magic (and it is so much nicer when you don’t have to jam everything in to the trip, when you can take your time, and take pleasure in everything around you). I like the characters and Ryan likes the rides – but we both love DISNEY!

We’ve done a little traveling this year (not as much as we would have liked, but hey, that’s what happens when you have full time jobs and the economy is on the fritz – good thing our STAYcations are in the “Finest City in America”). In February we went to the Virgin Islands (with the McClurgs), in November we went to Destin, FL (with the Padots) and in December we will be heading to Cheboygan, MI (with the McClurgs). We will be taking a trip to San Francisco with friends in January and then Hawaii in February for another family vacation (MAN, WE’RE BLESSED!!).

BREAKING NEWS – There has been a new development in our lives as of late. Ryan and I have decided that we will be moving back to the East Coast this spring. We know that we love Southern California, but thought we would try the East Coast for a while. We want to be able to spend more time with family and figured now would be an awesome time to try it out. We don’t have many of the details worked out yet, but are thinking that we will pack up and head east in April. We will spend the summer with our families (down in Temperance, up in Cheboygan, and probably plenty of places in between ☺), as well as spending time traveling along the East Coast to decide where we want to set down roots next. We are thinking possibly Wilmington, NC, but really it will be up to where God leads us. Normally I am the type that needs to have every detail planned out, but I am actually at peace about this decision and not having things already determined – how freeing. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen – we realize we don’t like it out east and have to move west? We’ve already done it once before, it’s not that scary, don’t worry.

If you are interested in more frequent updates (rather than just once a year), feel free to check out my blog – www.carleepadot.blogspot.com. I am sure I will keep it updated when we are making the move out east (I may even start one dedicated to the trip and adventures along the way).

We love you,

<3 Carlee & Ryan <3

Hemp Giveaway

Awesome hemp clothing giveaway... One Love Creations and Indigo Inspired Giveaway

I’m so excited about this one. This week is a DOUBLE giveaway featuring clothing designed by Bethany at One Love Creations and Gillian at Indigo Inspired. We spent several weeks in Eugene getting our new RV converted to run on veggie oil, and while we were there, I had the blessing of spending lots of time with the mamas that run these stores. They each have their own Etsy stores and their own unique lines of clothing, but they work together to dye them. When Bethany gave me one of her pieces for my birthday, I just knew I had to ask if they would do a giveaway because I fell IN LOVE with the clothes and I knew you would too!

All of their beautiful pieces are:

**Certified Organic Hemp + Cotton blend…with the perfect stretch!
**Dyed by hand with environmentally friendly dyes
**Custom designed
**Handmade with love

If you’ve never had any hemp clothing before…now is your chance to try it out. I LOVE how hemp wears…so soft and cozy (and yet sturdy too!). I also thought it would be fun for you to get to know Bethany and Gillian better…so I asked them to introduce themselves to you and say a little about their clothing.

The original post here.