Kitchen cleanup one “re-gift” at a time

Pool your resources and do a kitchen exchange

Things that get stuck in drawers…

There is no bigger annoyance than reaching for a whisk and finding your cutlery drawer jammed up by one of your three potato mashers or garlic crushers. Just like it is necessary to clean out your wardrobe once in a while or take the time to unsubscribe from the four million newsletters and push notifications you get each day, we think a thorough kitchen cleanup is a must.

However: this time, do it with a twist!

A white elephant party is almost like a secret Santa party, but with extra rules.

1. You need at least four, but preferably more, people.
2. Everybody brings a wrapped gift and puts it on a pile.
3. The first person takes a gift and unwraps it.
4. The second person can decide to unwrap a new gift or steal the first gift.
5. In this case the first person opens another gift and then the third person gets a chance to open or steal.
6. Carry on like this until everyone has an opened gift

This festive season, we decided to give this fun holiday party idea a makeover and turn it into a kitchen exchange.

Invite your guests, but instead of them bringing a new gift, ask them to pick an appliance or item from their own kitchen that’s still in good condition and wrap that. Then apply rules 1 – 6. By doing this you’ll save on gift shopping and get rid of that white elephant item cluttering your kitchen and jamming up your drawers

You can also choose to do good

An alternative to the kitchen exchange is to host a mini kitchen “sale”. Instead of handing the gifts over to each other for free, each person needs to pay a token amount for it – say R100. The host can then decide which local charity to donate the funds to.

There are many variation’s on the kitchen exchange party idea, and you can be as altruistic as you want to be.

Super altruistic white elephant

You can make it a clothing exchange, an unopened toiletry exchange or even a toy drive – as long as the host ensures a steady supply of drinks and snacks, we are sure the guests won’t mind leaving without yet another boring and awkward secret Santa gift.

Super hedonistic (Hey – we are not here to judge, you deserve a treat!)

If you and your friends have already done your part for charity this season, why not host a baking sheet/potluck party?

Everyone brings something on a baking sheet or in a pot/casserole dish/salad or serving bowl that they no longer want or need. The guests all enjoy eating the food and getting merry, and at the end of the party you split up the dirty dishes by following rule 1 to 6 and everyone gets a pot to take home (and wash). A host your kitchen will stay clean, and you can simply offer a supply of plastic bags for people to carry their new (dirty) dishes in…You can also just hand out those re-usable black Woollies bags you have stuffed in your cupboard!

Don’t get caught up in the big spending spree!

Let’s be honest – the festive season can get a bit crazy and it is fatiguing to find a million small, budget friendly gifts for all those friends and contacts that you are going to see, but who aren’t necessarily part of your inner circle. This means we are excited about every little chance to save some cash. If a re-gifting white elephant party is a way to be festive with your friends without splashing cash, we are all for it!

Also read our article on how to celebrate with friends.

Here are some re-gifting rules to guide you.