Yay!! It's Christmas this week, the perfect excuse to stuff my face without having to deal with any judgmental looks. Yes I'm greedy, I admit and I love it. Ok I don't love Christmas just for the food. I also just love it because like any family we love a bit of drama. Sharing our crazy stories, our ups and downs and laughter while putting another piece of chocolate down my throat keep me sane and happy. Christmas is also the gifting season. In my family, we aren't obliged to give each other presents but if you want to give one then there is no expectation to receive anything in return. That was worked fine for us for years, especially when some of us were cashless. I'm fully aware it's not the same in every family. The stress of finding the perfect present, the tiredness wandering through every store, the excitement of gifting the persons you love on Christmas day and the disappointment on their faces when they discover their present. Is it really worth it? Well yes and no. Two thirds of Christmas presents are returned and this was worth 223 million in 2014. Enough of this madness! I found the perfect solutions which will make everyone happy.
The Re-treat
It's 7 in the morning and everyone in the house is already opening their presents. You are excited because you have no idea if this present would be better than the pair of polka dots socks you got last year. It has to be. Well this time, it was almost perfect. You just got the wrong smart phone. You feel guilty because it must have cost a fortune. You are not ungrateful but that's not what you want. Well feel guilt free. Put it on eBay, use half of the money to contribute to the smart phone you wanted and use the other half to treat the person who got you that present. This way feel like they contributed to something you really wanted and they got something back too.
The Christmas trade
Christmas is over and it's back to work. Everyone is eating super healthy as part of their new year's resolutions, which will soon be forgotten, or eating noodles because they are completely penniless until the end of the month. That doesn't mean the fun is over. Send an email to your favourite colleagues and organise an exchange Christmas gift event. People have been doing this for many years, it's called trading. If two thirds of Christmas presents are returned, you can expect your colleagues and friends to want to exchange something too.
The Guilt
You had your eyes on this gorgeous pair of red leather boots for months. You tried them in store, they fit perfectly and you even Instagramed yourself with those beauties on your feet. You thought you gave enough hints to the boyfriend. We know men, they don't remember anything. So, it's Christmas day and he got you another necklace instead. It's nice but it's not going to elongate your legs, curve your bum or make the girls red with envy. So wear it, yes wear it and apologise to him. What for? Apologise for misleading him and not providing enough hints about what you wanted. Naturally he would feel sorry for you and ask for what you really wanted. Drop the bomb and offer the solution. That's how it's done!
The Love spreader
You love your grandma to bits and she is so predictable. She always loves to knit you those Christmas jumpers but you are allergic to wool so it itches like hell every time. Years and after years, thanks to her you just realised that you could actually launch your own collection of Christmas jumpers. So for next year, create your Christmas blog page: Grandma's Christmas jumper, the limited edition. Sell it online and use the money to support a charity for elderly or get your grandma knit fabrics that won't itch you next year.
The Re-gift
You've tried all of the above and nothing worked. You're still stuck with this present. Nobody wants to buy it or exchange it. Well, gift it and get rid of this burden. This way you can save time, save money and make someone happy who will appreciate this present better than your ungrateful self.
So the lesson to learn, we don't really know each other as well as we think do. So say no to "Surprise me!" and for once ask for what you want. If you are too shy to ask, well next year be honest. If you really love to give presents, ask them for what they want within a budget you can afford. If they haven't given you enough hints through the year, play it safe with a Bodyshop bath set or a bottle of Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque, oh wait that's for me! In the meantime, I will keep mentioning the word diamond to my loved ones.
Flavilla Fongang has mastered the art of cheekiness. She is also an expert when it comes to branding and fashion. Click here to know how to become a brand reference or start a fashion stylist career. To connect with Flavilla via email: flavilla@3coloursrule.com