White Elephant Gifts Gone Wrong

SSS Podcast (00:00) Hey everybody, Sugar Spice and Spirits coming at you. We are in our own respective areas. are, I'm in yours, Mindy you're at your home, Kelly you're at your home. And we're just excited to be here. We're bringing you some Christmas cherries. can tell Mindy and Kelly are really representing with that holiday spirit. Mindy (00:22) Well, we had to, Natalie. I mean, you're all the way in New York, which is known as one the most festive places across the country. And so we thought we'd bring our own little bit of Christmas cheer, all the way from Texas. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (00:22) you Yes, yes, yeah. I wish I was there with you because I've been there during Christmas and it had one of its first snows and there's nothing like New York City at Christmas. It's amazing. So I'm very jealous. SSS Podcast (00:46) We're having fun. I'm definitely grateful to be here with my daughter. So let's go ahead and get started. This is our slip of the day. So the slip of the day for me is just Plano Starbucks. I think I'm at the friendliest scarbugs ever. They are so nice here. And so everybody's just really happy. So I've got me a little caramel macchiato. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (01:07) Nice. Mindy (01:07) have a peppermint bar coffee plane. It's also not loaded. It's super early here and I have a lot to do today. So I'm enjoying my peppermint coffee. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (01:15) I've got coffee with just plain, Mickey Mouse, what Mickey Mouse saying with it, sorry. Peppermint mocha in my coffee as well, not loaded, like you said, same thing. Full day, shopping, and just all kinds of fun stuff. So, yeah, I decided to go low octane today as well, or no octane actually. SSS Podcast (01:30) you So I have a joke out of there. So what's the difference between a snowman and a snow woman? Mindy (01:45) What's the difference between a snowman and a snow woman? SSS Podcast (01:47) market. Smell that. Mindy (01:55) Snowballs. Bringing it now. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (02:00) Cheers, that was good. That was good. SSS Podcast (02:05) You know, the snow is melting here. It's a little slushy, but hey, we're having a good time. So let's talk about holiday gifts since we are at Christmas time here. What is like, you know, we all get crazy gifts, receive crazy gifts and we go to the White Elephant parties. Like what's some of the... crazy thing that you've seen given. I'll let you ladies go first and I'll wrap it up. What's craziest kids I've received and seen and that kind of thing. So go ahead. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (02:36) You start, Mindy, because I'm contemplating trying to figure out what it is over the years I've gotten that's just been kind of off the wall. So go ahead. Mindy (02:44) So I personally did not receive this gift, but to see the women's reaction to the gift. It was White Elephant. For years we did a big group of our girlfriends, we would get together, and they just kept getting crazier and crazier on the gifts. And this particular one was an adult toy that... SSS Podcast (02:51) . Thank you all for watching. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (03:07) knew that's where you were going. I remember that. Mindy (03:08) clearly was over the $50 limit. It was a very fancy one that the ladies took a fancy to and that thing got passed around until it couldn't get stolen anymore. And I think it was actually a married woman that actually got it. And we were just like, what? And then Nat, that actually became one of the gifts that was always given. SSS Podcast (03:17) Okay. Thank Mindy (03:32) So yeah, that particular year, I ended up with a Miki Couture Throw blanket. I think the price limit was either $50 or $100, and it clearly was much more than that. So I really scored, although one of the other women thought they really scored. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (03:50) Yes, I remember I was single at the time and they kept telling me to steal it and I'm like, there's no way I'm going to steal that and walk out of this room and listen to y'all for the rest of my life. No, thank you. if that gives us any idea of what exactly we're talking about. Yeah. All the single ladies, all the single ladies. Yeah. No, no, no. I got a ring on it now. So. I don't know if can talk that one or not because that was a pretty eventful night. Gosh. You know, I always like to give sometimes funny gag gifts and everything like that. But I don't know, I guess a lot of times I just, like to pretty much give what my kids want. I mean, with no reason, because I mean, of course they're going to want the moon and the stars, but me being the Disney person that I am, Probably the best Christmas gift I got was when they took me to Disney for Christmas. I'd never been there. We had been completely transformed. it was a pretty amazing time to be there. So I have to say that was probably one of my favorite gifts is when I got to go to Disney during Christmas time. The rest of the time, I wouldn't suggest it because it was so crowded. But it's definitely one my favorite days. And the other one, of course, I said Natalie when I got to go to actually took my daughter to New York and my mom was with us because my birthday is right around Christmas and my daughter's is after Christmas close to Mindy's and we took her to New York and got to go see the Rockettes and the big Christmas tree and and we went to Macy's which my daughter's name is Macy so that's probably up there with the Disney was getting to see New York during Christmas time so yeah that was probably mine. Exciting as the whole toy thing, but you know. SSS Podcast (05:42) So As far as crazy gifts what I've received one year was the 50 cups coffee maker So literally the silver industrial that you see like at the hotels where everybody goes and pulls over. That's what I received as a personal gift from my ex-husband. Okay. I was, was, Have coffee. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (06:03) If you add the five zero, five zero. Wow, do Mindy (06:08) But you know what, Natalie, Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (06:08) you drink that much coffee? Mindy (06:09) you do love to entertain. You open your home up at Thanksgiving for anybody who needs a spot. So he probably had his thought around how much coffee you go through and thought it would be a great gift. SSS Podcast (06:18) you He did. Guys, if you're listening and you think that it's a great idea to get your wife because she wants these power, because she entertains, she does not want it for her Christmas gift or her birthday. You can get it as an ancillary gift, even if it's expensive. I understand there's something about receiving a 50-pound coffee maker that's not the most appealing, but if you did have that in mind for the entertainment reasons. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (06:38) Yes. I think that ranks up there with a vacuum cleaner. SSS Podcast (06:52) Right, yeah, that's what I was like. At least I like coffee. I mean, I don't like to vacuum. So one of the gifts that somebody brought was an old potpourri that was like stashed up in the closet. was for the white elephant gift game or your $25 price, like $25 to $30. And we bring real gifts and they brought that and it was such a disappointment. Everybody was like, so needless to say, that person didn't get invited back to the white elephant Christmas party. And then... Because everybody figured out, you yours was producing, like, who brought that? Where did that come from? And then this year at the Christmas party, our family Christmas party, we have a huge family. I know you guys saw some of the pictures. I mean, we are procreating, we are repopulating this world one family at a time. I think each of us, it's a requirement. you're in the family, you've got to have four plus kids. And so that's what we all do. So I know. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (07:37) Thank SSS Podcast (07:46) But one of the gifts that we gave, which I thought was fun, was a calendar, firefighter calendar, which my nephew is Mr. December. And it's funny because his personality is real quiet. And so we put $100 in the back of the calendar. Well, his little brother got the calendar and he was pissed. He didn't want the calendar. because he's seen enough of his brother. And then we told him to go on the back. Of course, that got stolen. But that was a fun one. And then the other gift was given was my cousin's husband. He's crazy. Actually, he said, I'm going to bring mine in right before we get started. We're like, OK. So he brings in this big box, sets it down on the table. Of course, like a 14-year-old girl goes and opens it. It was a live chicken. So a whole red chicken. You'll see it on my Tik Tok if you go. He had gone to the food store that day. It was left there. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (08:39) Gosh. SSS Podcast (08:44) One of my kids actually ended up bringing it home and giving it to his girlfriend's mom. Just the randomness of the gift, know. But he did have a backup gift, so somebody got the chicken that couldn't take the chicken or know how to care for the chicken. Because you can just take chicken. So he did have a backup gift and offered it. And each time the chicken got stolen, he had a saying right now that if the chicken gets stolen. So was pretty funny. It was very entertaining, definitely for our country Christmas. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (09:15) Definitely country, definitely country. And you know, I think traditionally a white elephant gift exchange is just that. It's kind of a funny bag gift. And so you sometimes have to let the people know if they're not really part of your group, whether or not it's just a true white elephant or if it's a different gift exchange. Because we had the same thing happen. We had a big group of girls and I lived in Louisiana and we called it a white elephant gift exchange. Well, all of us brought SSS Podcast (09:28) Bye. you Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (09:44) the nice gifts and the new person that we invited, she brought a pair of old used white rubber boots. And we were like, what? But it wasn't fair. So the next year we called it the Cajun Christmas exchange gift exchange. And then we put the rules out there a little bit better. So because she was embarrassed and and and of course we all made fun of her because you know, we had a little bit of octane that night. yeah, a white elephant is that gift that you don't really want. SSS Podcast (09:50) you. Yeah. you So is that the Chinese Christmas or is that a white elephant? Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (10:16) out there, but you're doing. funny. A chicken. Mindy (10:20) know the difference between the two. I yeah I'm not sure. SSS Podcast (10:24) But you do need to clarify. Like definitely, Kelly. That would be embarrassing. I did want to say, Mindy, before you get started on the next segment, ladies, I want to... I am wrapping underneath layers and layers in my Sugar Spice and Spirit shirt. Just in case I get a chance to take everything off. I mean, not everything, but I get a chance to layer. I am wrapping. Mindy (10:50) Well. We appreciate you repping all the way from New York, Natalie. And hopefully we see some of those YouTube subscriptions go up. No pressure at all, but let's get some of those there. So with that, I'll go into our next segment, which is just rapid fire ladies. I've got some pretty harmless would you rather questions. This isn't for you to give me a big dissertation about your reason. It's just would you rather and then give me your answer. SSS Podcast (10:57) Thank you Okay. Right. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (11:14) Okay. Mindy (11:21) and then if we need to come back and talk about any of them, we will. All right? So the order that we're gonna go first is the first question, Natalie, I'll start with you, then we'll get Kelly, all right? Then Kelly will go through, then we'll get Natalie. So we're just gonna beep Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (11:34) you Mindy (11:36) off on the order. So it's fair for both y'all, all right? Okay, so would you rather get a gift you already gave someone or get caught re-gifting Natalie? Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (11:41) you SSS Podcast (11:50) Repeat the question the first part. Mindy (11:52) Would you rather get or receive a gift you already gave someone or get caught re-gifting? SSS Podcast (11:59) Pretty gifted. Mindy (12:02) You'd rather get caught re-gifting? Okay, all right. What about you, Kelly? Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (12:10) I get a gift that already had because I re-gifted last night and at our Cajun career, our company gift exchange, I didn't want to re-gift it last night because no one knew where I got it. But I'm always afraid if I re-gift something it might go back to the person that gave it to me. And so just the same face for me, I would rather just get something that I've already got. then get part of the gift to someone that knows I go out and spend the time or the effort to get something for myself. yeah. Mindy (12:45) So Kelly, you get penalized because you gave a big dissertation. So. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (12:50) I'm sorry. Pigeon tax. Mindy (12:54) Yeah, so drink that straight coffee. We'll drink our coffee with you. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (12:57) Yeah. Mindy (13:00) rather receive a gift I gave because that means it's a good gift. I give good gifts. All right, would you rather wake up at dawn for Christmas or sleep in and open gifts later? Kelly. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (13:14) This is Mayor Natalie. Dawn. Mindy (13:16) It's you, Kelly. Natalie? Dawn. Okay, Natalie, would you rather someone show up two hours early or two hours late? SSS Podcast (13:23) Dawn Dawn Two hours early I'm getting up two hours early. I'm heading to work Mindy (13:37) Okay, Kelly. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (13:42) Early. Mindy (13:44) You know what, Natalie, your last comment made me change my mind. I'm like, let them come late. I'm like, no, put them to work. They're going to come early. Then they get to experience the whole thing. OK. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (13:53) That's what got me to, because I think I would rather than be two hours early and say, do this while I'm still getting ready, other than because they're late. SSS Podcast (14:00) Yeah. Mindy (14:04) I know y'all, the holidays are so stressful though. Someone shows up early, you're like, what? Oh my gosh, even in 30 minutes, but I do like the whole put them to work. Kelly, this one's to you to start. Would you rather have a perfectly decorated house or a stress-free Christmas? Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (14:13) you too. perfectly decorated house. Mindy (14:26) Natalie. SSS Podcast (14:29) There's no such thing as either. What we say is stress free house. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (14:32) You Mindy (14:36) I'm going to say stress for free Christmas. Natalie, would you rather end Christmas exhausted but happy or rested but slightly bored? SSS Podcast (14:46) Ooh, exhausted, happy. Mindy (14:50) Same, okay, same for all of us. Kelly, would you rather have someone bring an uninvited guest or show up empty handed? So someone bring an uninvited guest or someone show up empty handed. SSS Podcast (14:52) Thank you. Thank I'm not sitting there. You know, come as you are, that's what I say for Thanksgiving, but I do ask everybody to bring a dish, bring a side, I don't care. Just bring something, if they can, of course, if they can, it's okay. I say the more the merrier, bring a guest. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (15:07) I'm invited guest. Mindy (15:10) Natalie. Yeah, I'm okay if somebody shows up empty handed because I don't know what they're going through. You know, so either way. All right. Would you rather host Christmas for 20 people, Natalie, or travel on Christmas Day with a layover? SSS Podcast (15:45) Host for 20 people. Yeah. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (15:48) I'd rather be stressed over the 20 than stressed over the layovers, so absolutely. Mindy (15:53) But if I'm going to a beach, I'm just saying. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (15:57) Well, no that's true. If you're going someplace tropical or even to the mountains, but depending on, you know, we can always elaborate on how long of a layover, where are you laid over, are you laid over in some little crappy town, or are you like, Vegas, know, so. SSS Podcast (16:02) Yeah. Mindy (16:14) Yeah, and I'd rather be around everyone. I love having people over. So, all right, last one, ladies. Would you rather receive a clearly regifted candle or a homemade gift you hate but have to pretend to love forever? Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (16:35) homemade. SSS Podcast (16:36) I like homemade even if it's something I appreciate the time and effort that somebody thought of me. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (16:43) Right, The only gift a candle would definitely be the white elephant. Mindy (16:51) have done that before but a really nice candle you know Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (16:55) Yeah, I just lit it to see how it smelled. So that was all. SSS Podcast (17:00) Well, you can return a lot of those. So our last segment, know, is Christmas as an Adult. You know, there's so many things as a child that we remember, traditions, fun things, Santa Claus, the whole Nick and just the whole experience, like mythical kind of, that just time that we have as a child. Mindy (17:00) we thought we were going bring a little bit of fun into our segment today. SSS Podcast (17:26) but now we're older, we're mature, and we're adulting this stuff, like, you know, we've got it down. But also we're in a phase two where our kids are going away. So it's, you know, we're juggling schedules and trying to make everybody's lives, you know, blended families and just trying to make everybody match with the schedule. What, you know, what are we grateful for and what are we most thankful for, kind of like as Christmas as an adult? And I just... I think for me it's not so much the gifts. I love giving gifts for the littles. I think having grand babies, Now it's fun to be able to see them and give them stuff and spoil them. In that sense, that's the fun part. But also my nine-year-old, he's still, he asks his mom, his family, and I'm like, Google, look at Saint Nick. Yes, we're celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Some people will say it's not Christmas, it's a pagan holiday. I'm enjoying the moment as Christ our Savior was born. That's the way I look at it. We're so thankful that he came to earth and came here for us. And so anytime I get to spend with the family and create those memories, we do a family game night with all of our kids on Christmas Day that's just fine. And I enjoy my family's Christmas party that we all come together that one time, which is like. That's what I think as an adult, like it just changed. I'm not concerned about what I get, what I just get if I get me to you. Like this trip with my daughter, I'm so grateful I get to have it. I'm so thankful for these memories and the things that we're learning and experiencing. know, walk through New York and now the need for subway. I mean, I'm on an Android, they don't have subway maps apparently, but Apple do. So, you know, I'll give you guys. I'll give you Apple people that. So that's what I'm grateful for. What about you, Mindy? Mindy (19:21) Oh man, you know, I'm super grateful for the time where it brings us all together no matter what. And because my, you know, my son graduated high school this year, my other son graduated college and he's engaged and, know, just getting together and seeing that transition where they're realizing that Christmas isn't all about the gifts. It's about the time together. This morning I was talking to my youngest son and I asked him, was like, Hey, you haven't told me what you want for SSS Podcast (19:30) Thank Thank Mindy (19:51) Christmas he was like because I don't really need anything mom this is the first time he said that he did say well get me X Y & Z but it's like two grand and no you're not gonna buy that and it was something that's not a necessity definitely a want and no but just seeing that and he's not super sentimental I'm looking forward to being with the family And seeing that transition and seeing how they do appreciate our time together, I love that. And I used to love waking up on Christmas morning with my family super early and opening all the presents. And that was what I looked forward to. Now it's just seeing everyone and seeing them light up. You do get that right present. Or even if you don't, just the... SSS Podcast (20:31) Yeah There you go. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (20:34) in. Mindy (20:40) being able to spend time together for what the holiday really is for because it's still like one of the times that we're forced, I don't want to say forced to be together, but you're supposed to. You're supposed to do it whether you believe in it or not. And I love the fact that we do try to slow down and we do recognize a day that in my religion, being Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (20:50) Right. SSS Podcast (20:54) Down. Mindy (21:00) a Christian is very important, but just everybody slows down a little bit. And tempers for the most part seem to be a little less and people are SSS Podcast (21:01) Okay. Mindy (21:10) more kind. However, as an adult too, I have seen how this is a super hard time, especially as we're aging and getting older and we're losing people. And so I think it also makes us want to have more time together. So I'm just grateful for that. I don't stress over SSS Podcast (21:30) I'm not sure if to I'm if this. I'm not sure if Mindy (21:30) this is the first year I haven't stressed over decorating everything. It's very, very minimal. And I don't know how I feel about it yet, but I think I feel okay about it. And I think once I have grandchildren I'll start the big stuff again but right now I'm just in a nice place in my life I'm not super stressed thankfully what a blessing because I've been through some really hard years you know and so just thankful for family and friends and it's not about the gifts SSS Podcast (21:41) I'm I'm sure I'm not sure able to this. I'm not I'm I'm not if this. this. not sure this. if Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (21:43) Okay. think I have to echo what both of you ladies have said. I lost my husband five years ago, it was, I really kind of wondered for a while what Christmas was going to be like, because he was kind of the... would say the glue was the common denominator between our two families. And I wanted to make sure that the families did not separate. Of course, I have my two stepchildren that we raised when they were babies. And so they're my kids. My son, Ryan, just got married this past year. And this is the first Christmas in 20 years. He won't be here. SSS Podcast (22:25) I always like... Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (22:50) So that's going to be like, wait, what? mean, know, we had He and his wife for Thanksgiving. It's just going to be really weird to not have him because he's going to be in Dallas with our family. it's stressful because he still has his biological mom. And so they have to make the rounds and she's five hours from, they live in Kansas. SSS Podcast (22:55) Are you ready? Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (23:11) So I'm like, okay, I promise not to make it too terribly difficult for you and make it hard time. But it's also neat because I now have my new husband and he is so much a part of my late husband's family as well. They all knew each other. And so they just kind of welcomed him in. And for Thanksgiving, we brought in his mom and his brother. So we're slowly meshing the two families. SSS Podcast (23:14) yeah! Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (23:39) three families together. And it's just turning out to be great time. My kids are older. So I give them just like the little necessity of But I now have a little bonus granddaughter. My daughter's boyfriend has a seven year old. And girl, I am going to town. Macy said Mom You've got to stop him. I can't help it. can't help it, you know. So. together and then, but I also have to split my time up now with my daughter because now she's going to be with the boyfriend's family. so being together is, is ideal. we, like you said, we start, we're all Christians. We definitely celebrate, you know, reason for the season and we celebrate that and recognize that, but we do, you know, give gifts and I'm like you, I liked it. Of course I love getting gifts. I'm like, love a present. I'm not gonna lie. I love a present. SSS Podcast (24:13) You Okay. Okay. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (24:39) Don't forget my birthday's coming up. But I love giving gifts. I love giving gifts. I love the family coming together. yeah, I have to echo what you guys said. Family time together and just building memories that you can never forget because we lost my father-in-law, we lost my stepfather, and we lost my late husband. So you really do appreciate and hold on to significance of that family while you still got it. SSS Podcast (24:47) you you you Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (25:08) I mean, I know you've had to, Mindy, and you it's just, you realize how much you cherish those times together. Even if it's just 20 minutes, let's come in there and enjoy our time. It's 100 % the thing about the holidays is just family time and sharing the love with each other. SSS Podcast (25:09) Yeah, I do want to go back just to fix something that I said on the brother game. I did not understand that first question. And I would rather, I'm gonna change. I'm a giver, I'd rather receive the gift that I have because I will purposely give stuff at the White Elephant that I want to give back or that I know I like. I didn't hear that right. So I'm gonna wrap with that, but. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (25:52) Well, no, no, for sure. If it's like at a gift exchange, stealing game like that, heck yeah, I'm definitely gonna bring what I want and I'm gonna go grab it. But if it's just like a random gift to someone, yeah, that's circumstances, but anyway, but you know, totally get what, yeah, okay. You never know. If you don't want, you want yours. SSS Podcast (26:14) Ladies, grab your glass Grab your glass. We are going to give a cheers and a toast to you, our listeners. love and we appreciate you. We hope that you're enjoying your family time, that you're enjoying your solitude, if that's what you're going for, and just that you know that you are loved and that we appreciate you. So cheers from Sugar, Spice, and Spirits to you. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (26:37) Thank Mindy (26:38) Cheers to you and Merry Christmas. Sugar Spice & Spirit Podcast (26:40) Merry, early Merry Christmas everyone.