Bad Gift = Good Gift

The holidays are over and we're all focused on tackling our New Year's Resolutions, right? Um, if you're like me, not really. We still have to put away our gifts and decide what will be done with the few gifts that didn't work out. But, shedding unwanted gifts is a delicate situation. Here are my tips on how to clear out the clutter without hurting anyone's feelings (or at least trying not to).

Gifts.com's "How to Deal With Unwanted Gifts" List:

Return for store credit.
Excuse: The color, size, style was a little off so we swapped it for something we really love!

Donate it.
Excuse: It's a great experience for the kids to learn about helping others and being selfless during a time of year when people tend to be so greedy. Or, after how much (insert cause) has helped/affected our family, we opt to only keep a few of our gifts each year and donate the rest.

Have a yard sale.
Excuse: We are selling a ton of our stuff so that we can take a second honeymoon to ____________. Thank you for helping us get there! * You can substitute any big-ticket item here like a TV or dance lessons.

Save to re-gift.
Excuse: This is the perfect gift for my office exchange; it is going to be the star of the show!

Of course, sometimes you just need a generic one-liner that won't hurt anyone's feelings. Here you go.

Gift awkwardness cover-up lines (using the sweetest voice you can muster):
- "I've never seen anything like it!"
- "You were too sweet to get me that!"
- "I saw it on/in (insert magazine, blog, TV show here)!"

Now, on to those New Year's Resolutions & Valentine's Day Gifts!