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Chasinginspir

About a decade ago, our family realized that Christmas shopping was just getting way too expensive. The adults were all married (except me) so our family nearly doubled in size. Then there were the kids coming along... There are 14 of them now. So we started a gift exchange "plan". Each year I buy a large gift and a small gift. Those are just our names for them. We spend only about $30 on the large one and $10 for the small one. I am assigned two people - one for the large and one for the small. likewise, I will receive a large and a small. It works GREAT for us. We all know what to expect and we can all budget safely. And then we can spend whatever each of us wants to on all the kids. They are, after all, the most fun on Christmas day. :) To build our "plan", we used a simple spreadsheet, and wrote all of our names in a list in column A. Then in column B we rotated the names down one, and in C we rotated them once more. Then, each year, all we have to do is bump columns B and C down one slot and our gift exchange is set. Here's an example (if the format holds when I submit the comment!):

Buying: - Big Gift: - Little Gift:
Sue - Joe - John
Sally - Sue - Joe
Lucy - Sally - Sue
Tom - Lucy - Sally
John - Tom - Lucy
Joe - John - Tom

Blessings on your Christmas, McNair!!

Rose Mc.

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    As a freelance stage director / Artist-in-Residence :: two stints at Huntington University (Indiana.) At Huntington our production of ALICE IN WONDERLAND featured an inventive cast including (L-R photo at top): Kylie Edmonds as Doormouse; Mr.Jeffrey Blossom as March Hair; McNair Wilson, Director; Lauralee Brautigam as Alice; and the indefatigable Daniel Neil Olson as a very Mad Hatter. (Photo by Mr. Mike Burnett.) I love directing for the stage–call me, TODAY!
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