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Wisconsin Parent

White Elephant Gone Wild: Give and Take Party

Sep 17, 2013 08:58PM ● By Julie Henning
Taking a new spin on the white elephant exchange, Wisconsin Parent recently had a Give and Take party and lived to tell you how to throw your own. We all have "things" we can't—for whatever reason—bring ourselves to sell at a garage sale or throw in the Goodwill box. The fancy (ugly) scarf your sister-in-law gave you three birthdays ago, the candle you've never burned, the vase you barely ever use. These items occupy space in our closets and clutter our shelves, yet we hold on to them like a bad habit.Guests invited to the Give and Take party must bring five to ten of these items and put them out on display. Drawing numbers out of a jar, a picking order is established for the "taking." As the saying goes: One man's junk is another man's treasure. One by one, items are taken from the table and (like a white elephant party) can be stolen up to two times. Any items left at the end of the evening are put into a donation box and the host makes the charitable giving to the venue of his or her choice.

FriendsComplimenting the evening with good food, drinks, and laughter, a Give and Take party is an inexpensive alternative to dinner or a movie. If you like, make your party a potluck or serve snacks or light appetizers. You may also want to have extra boxes or reusable bags for guests to store their goodies in. All in all, it's a good feeling to know someone else will truly love (and use) the things you never really did. For me, I'm digging my new jazzy duck earrings and plaid wool purse.

Party PailA special thanks to Party Pail for providing the Give and Take party decorations. Party Pail is an Internet-based retailer of extraordinary baby showers, wedding showers, and birthday parties for busy people. Shower and Party supplies are organized by theme allowing our customers to easily create their own unique, coordinated package of decorations and favors. In less time (and much less gas) than a trip to the local party store, items from the Tie Die Fun line truly set the tone for a "groovy" evening with the gals.