How to do Holiday Grab Bag

Traditionally on or around Christmas, my dad's side of the family gets together. The cast isn't always the same, but one tradition is: grab bag.

Rules

The deal with grab bag is that one must adhere to certain rules, which can change depending on the year. Examples include:

• No food
• Made in a specific location
• One must shop for one's own gift

Gift Selection

Selecting a gift should

1. adhere to all the rules of the particular year
2. be unexpected

Naturally, I chose an eco-friendly door mat.

Decoys

Strictly speaking, decoys are an optional part of the tradition. I prefer to include them, because these gifts are likely to be shaken, rattled, and, yes, rolled.

Level 1

Don't forget to label your decoy

And position it appropriately

Level 2

My 2nd layer of decoy is planted within the packaging.

Packaging

If one is going to shop for his or herself, one may as well create the packaging as well. Kids tend to create the most memorable packaging, especially when young. That's a tradition that I like to keep alive with my fine paper craftsmanship.

The Riddle

Lastly, and new this year, is the riddle.

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Fun Fact Riddles are now required

Holiday Rescue Mission: Mug-Planter

T'was the morning of Christmas when my sister did receive, a planter disguised as a mug...from someone other than me.

Not one night later we heard a yelp, as young Bini left her planter in need of help.

Quick to the scene, we all inquired: "How did this happen? What transpired?"

Wearing a disappointed look on her face, she pointed to the floor of the place.

An ill-placed boot was the culprit in fact, as our protagonist smiled and reassuringly leaned back.

"This is a job for my trusty sidekick!" he exclaimed. Then out from the toolbox came the super-glue, well-acclaimed.

Twelve minutes later the planter was intact, with nary a sign of its former cracks.

Last but not least were the characters' smiles, which could be seen all the way from the British Isles.

Happy holidays everyone!

Fun Fact My sister's name is Lindsey, but we're nicknamers. As such, she's gone by several variations of the name in previous years. A brief peak at the evolution:

1. Lindsey
2. Linds
3. Linds-Binds
4. Bini