I used to wrap professionally too. So a certain effort is expected. My inlaws are here, and I'm going to bed. I'm trying not to cry so they won't hear me.

That is entirely what gift bags are for. My mother wraps presents beautifully, and I absorbed nothing of it. I mean, I can enclose a rectangle-ish shape in wrapping paper and tape, but it won't necessarily be pretty. Or symmetrical. But ribbons and stuff? No way. Even with gift bags I feel like my tissue isn't artistic enough.

I'm good at artistic tissue.

I used to wrap professionally too. So a certain effort is expected.

Fuck expectations. Do what will meet your needs and take care of you. If someone seriously has a problem with *how* a gift is presented, fuck them and take the gift back. I mean, it's a *gift*. It's something given out of generosity. If the receiver is petty enough to have a problem with it being in a bag instead of wrapped, fuck them and take care of yourself. What the shit. Your mental and emotional needs right now are VASTLY more important than someone's expectation that they get a gift wrapped instead of in a gift bag. In fact, someone's expectation of *how* their gift is presented is of ZERO importance. It has negative importance.

Use the gift bags.

I can wrap nicely but mostly it seems wasteful to me! To be fair though this year I am sending unwrapped presents to my family via amazon, so...

1. Teppy is wise. Reread that entire post.

2. Gift bags. Gift bags! I am team gift bags. I am terrible at gift wrapping. (Also I hate doing it, as it was one of my holiday chores growing up.)

Yeah, I am excellent at gift-wrapping, and for the most part, can't be arsed. Plus, less waste with giftbags, 'cuz they can be re-used!

And mild disappointment in presentation that will soon be overshadowed by the gift itself anyway is substantially less important than your mental well-being. Spend the spoons on things that matter!

Plus, less waste with giftbags, 'cuz they can be re-used!

Better for your mental health AND the environment. Double win!

Just had our office White Elephant and I got the BEST GIFT! While everybody else was stealing booze from each other, I got a bracelet with the planets (like the ThinkGeek necklace, in bracelet form), with a little space shuttle on the opposite side! It's so cute! And between my excited reaction (and the fact that no one else in the room - aside from the girl who made the bracelet - was as nerdy as me), nobody even tried to steal it! It worked out so great, 'cuz the girl who brought it is kinda new and was worried that nobody would get it, so apparently my reaction was all she could have wanted. Love it when things work out.

That is delightful, Epic!