I'm curious about the rise of “no gift” parties for children. I'm sure they existed when I was a kid, but I did not participate in that sort of thing

One last gift

Hmm

It's nearly time

So thoughtful...

The only gift I can afford is friendship

Giving people gifts can be one of the more challenging aspects of the holiday season. Especially when you're dating someone who isn't straightforward about the presents they would actually like to receive. The people in my life who I struggle to buy gifts for are my parents and my boyfriend. My parents simply have everything they could ever want and have abandoned the quirky interests of their past (like Mexican dioramas) for a more quaint and pastoral lifestyle in their new home of Vermont. My…

So much for Christmas spirit

From the time we were little, we were taught to be grateful for whatever gifts we were given during the holidays. Parents coach their children to say thank you no matter what present they get because doing anything else would be most unkind. However, as you grow up, you realize that some gifts are actually an insult. The mean girl in middle school didn't give you a Lady Speed Stick out of the kindness of her heart. Likewise, sometimes companies give gifts that are far more insulting than they a…

Devious

Growing up my foodie Dad had a huge section of his bookcase that was dedicated to cookbooks. I'd be able to rifle through books about indigenous Colombian cuisine, classic French cookbooks, and gorgeously photographed tomes of food from the Levant. I did notice, however, that he rarely, if ever, used these books. It turns out my parents needed that section not because my dad loves cookbooks, but because people love giving them to him. I wonder what would happen if they bothered to ask what he w…

Thanks, I love it

Bonus points for imagination