Miss Manners and Martha May Not Agree...but I Think Regifting is a Good Thing

If you are reading this after the Holidays, odds are you have a few Christmas gifts you weren't thrilled about.

Rather than selling them at a garage sale, or stockpiling them in a storage shed...re-gift them

Even if you don't like the hot-pink mittens you got from your great aunt, or the "dickey" you got from your grandmother (this actually happened to me)...someone else will appreciate a brand new item.

Think carefully about where you want to re-gift.

Did you get baby clothes that didn't fit your child? Give them to a teen pregnancy program. Did you get a winter coat that you don't like? Drop it off at a homeless shelter. What about the drum set your sister-in-law gave to your preschooler? Give it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army so they can sell it for profit. What about a pair of dress pants that don't fit?

Skip the lengthy exchange lines and donate it to a local "Dress for Success" program where an impoverished woman seeking a job can proudly wear it to her first interview.

Domestic violence shelters, foster care programs and teen runaway agencies would love to have new electronics to give to teens who are usually the last to get donated gifts for Christmas. I am sure your local preschool or library would love some brand new books too.

You can also re-gift gift cards although they may be a bit harder to part with than the hot-pink mittens or drum set. After the holidays most stores offer huge discounts on toys and winter clothing. Use part of your gift-card to stock up on items for "Toys for Tots" for next year.

If you have really good gift-givers in your family and aren't willing to part with any of your presents, consider asking your children to donate one toy to a needy child for every toy they received. This will help them learn the value of helping others and will leave you with less
blocks, dolls, dinosaurs and trucks to trip over.

Here are just a few of the additional resources to help you put your post-holiday, re-gifting plan into place.

Charity Guide - Donate Toys to Inspire Children

Salvation Army - Locate a Store or Donation Center Near You

Goodwill Industries - Locate a Store or Donation Center Near You

Operation Give - Donate Toys and other goodies to Iraqi Children

Alibris - Donate Books to Schools and Non-Profits Nationwide

Make-A-Wish - Donate "Wish" Items to Terminally Ill Children Including Backpacks, Albums, Airline Miles and More...

Miss Manners and Martha may not agree, but I think re-gifting is a very good thing!

Tags: regifting, donations, donating, gifts, decluttering, organizing, home, family, charity, kindness