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!

I saw that on FB, Epic! It's very pretty.

Go team gift bags.

I used to hate wrapping gifts, so for awhile I would just get a brown paper bag from the grocery store. Then I'd use a Sharpie market to draw on the bow and gift tag, have fun with fanciful calligraphy and call it a day. Nobody ever complained, either. Mostly they liked their personalized wrap.

Good times!

While I understand that it is increasingly difficult to find gender-neutral baby items, I feel compelled to share (here, where I am significantly less likely to get "bitch, you crazy" looks) my list of gender-appropriate clothing/toy/decoration themes for small children:

• Dinosaurs: Gender neutral
• Domesticated animals: Gender neutral
• Mythological animals: Gender neutral
• Cryptids: Gender neutral
• Wild animals: Gender neutral (with the exception of the fossa (girls only) and the saiga antelope (boys only))
• Plants: Gender neutral
• Power tools: Gender neutral
• Hand tools: Gender neutral
• Construction and commercial vehicles: Gender neutral
• Cars, trucks, and vans: Gender neutral (with the exception of the El Camino (non-binary babies only))
• All meteorological and atmospheric phenomena: Gender neutral
• Space: Gender neutral
• Sparkles: Gender neutral (but if you give my kid an item that sheds glitter in my house, I will find you and I will hurt you)
• Super heroes: Gender neutral
• Historical persons: Gender neutral (with the exception of William Hooper-signer of the Declaration of Independence (girls only), William Hooper of Ohio (boys only), and William Hooper of PEI (Canadians only))
• Fictional characters: Gender neutral
• Political persons: Gender neutral
• Mythological personages: Gender neutral (but maybe stay away from entities that could turn said infant into an equal volume of spiders, out of an abundance of caution)
• Sports iconography: Gender neutral
• Footwear: Gender neutral
• Images of garments on garments: Gender neutral
• Stripes, spots, and geometric designs: Gender neutral
• All colors: Gender neutral

Please note the lack of "creepily sexualized slogans" on the list, as these are not appropriate for babies of any gender.

Thank you for your attention.