M&M Gift Exchange - Share your best suggestions for gift

[emeraldcity]

Leaving next week on my cruise and the M&M Gift Exchange is to be an item between the $10-12 range ... something that the giver would like to receive ... no gag gifts and no white elephants. That leave me wide open to come up with something special and unique.

 

I'd be interested in hearing what other people gave or received at similar events that they really liked.

[fyrfyterwife]

Leaving next week on my cruise and the M&M Gift Exchange is to be an item between the $10-12 range ... something that the giver would like to receive ... no gag gifts and no white elephants. That leave me wide open to come up with something special and unique.

 

I'd be interested in hearing what other people gave or received at similar events that they really liked.

 

I live in Ohio in a small town where Smucker's is made. I gave some items like a magnet, a very small jar of jelly and a keyring. We also went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and purchased a magnet and keychain.

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

If you live in a state with any items that are unique to it, that's what I'd bring, although that price range is pretty low and would be hard to buy something non-white elephant-y.

 

I live in colorado and we have lots of things unique to us that I would consider. For example, Celestial Seasonings tea is made here, our mountains are full of geodes (rocks that are filled with crystals on the inside- they're hard to find on your own but can be bought in just about every mountain town), our state is also full of independent breweries and some people like to collect mugs from them, that could be fun for a beer drinker, we have the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, so...chocolate naturally :), or a souvenir shot glass or coffee mug with the name of your state on it, or some other small souvenir item. Things like that.

 

We also make crocs here about 20 minutes from my house, so I always think it's hilarious when we end up on an island that's hawking crocs and Coors beer (both are made 20 min from my town). We can buy a lot of unique crocs not available elsewhere, and for some reason that seems to be an item they promote on cruises so maybe people like them, but in colorado they're kind of made fun of so I would consider that a gag gift, but still...unique to my state.

 

Think of what is unique to yor state and start there, but if nothing, then go for the mugs or shot glasses.

Edited April 17, 2016 by ColoradoGurl

[impatientlywaiting]

When we did our TA in the spring of 2014, somebody from New Jersey brought a Superbowl bag and since the Seattle Seahawks had just won the Superbowl I was able to get that bag! It was an awesome gift IMO! Actually now that I think about it, the gift of chocolates (yummy) was in the bag (the bag was one of those $1 bags you buy at the grocery store) but I still have the bag!

 

I also received a small print of Kalamina Gorge in Karijini National Park, Australia from a couple in Australia and took their boys their when they were growing up. I still have it hanging on my wall!

[jagsfan]

I brought a couple of things made in Florida. One was Datil Pepper Hot Sayce. The other chocolate covered orange peel. What I received was a map of Houston Tx with the price sticker from an airport shop.

It became a joke, passing it around various Roll Call members' cabins. I wonder what the mindset would be of the giver. "Oh look, anyone would be thrilled to have a map of Houston!"

 

 

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[MNfamilycruiser]

We also brought items made in our state - Pearson's candy is here so we brought a Pearson's Salted Nut Roll and Nut Goodie bars.

 

Also some wild Chokecherry jelly That was more nostalgic on my part, probably not specifically from our state, but something I remember my grandmother making when I was a child.

 

We live close to a tourist "attraction" - the Mall of America - they happen to have several Minnesota stores that made it easy to pick out items from our state.

[Kesali]

What is an M&M gift exchange?

[jagsfan]

Meet and Mingle is the get together sponsored by the ship if at least 25 Roll Call members register for it. Often an active Roll Call will make it more of an occasion by having everyone bring something manufactured in their state or indicative of their state. Then either people draw numbers to pick one or some other way is done to distribute them. It's fun to see what everyone brings. Sometimes someone from the ship's staff will be there, sometimes snacks and bartender. It depends on how many sign up. It's fun to meet face to face the people you've met on the Roll Call.

 

 

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[DragonOfTheSeas]

What is an M&M gift exchange?

 

Most of my cruises have not had them lately. However, a few years ago the roll call would exchange gifts after the M and M. They set a price limit--usually $10-$20. there are often other rules. [ i.e. you can take a gift from the previous person that got a gift] Most of the time at M & M lately the RCL staff is pushing us out the door.

 

The last gift I gave was a bottle of Virginia wine within the price range. While Virginia is not Napa Valley we do have some nice wines.

 

edit: The funniest moment I have ever seen at a M & M was when the CD called the ticket of a cruiser for a bottle of wine as a prize. She gave her name and said she was from France. Shr took the wine back to her seat. After the next ticket had been called she took the bottle of wine back up to the CD and said he could give it to another person if he liked. LOL :) :o

Edited April 17, 2016 by DragonOfTheSeas

[Snit13]

Favorite gift I have luckily received from a Canadian cruiser was Real Maple Syrup. Great on my pancakes. I also received from a couple from London a London taxi filled with cookies. Being from Florida I always bring Florida gifts.

[cruisemoxy]

The theme for our M&M on the Grandeur a couple of years ago was to bring something from the area where you live. We are from northern Virginia so I gave two wine glasses from George Washington's Mt Vernon estate with the year engraved on them. We drove to the port, so that would be a consideration in your choice of gift. I received a tote bag from someone who lived in Maryland with the state map on it. The tote was a great gift and useful on our excursions. Enjoy your M&M gathering.

[traveler279]

On our last cruise we gave a pair of handmade pewter maple leaf earrings with a matching lapel pin. We're from Canada so it was either that or a hockey puck. [emoji39] We received an assortment of Dutch themed items including a travel mug, little china blue and white wooden shoes for the Christmas tree and a couple of other things from a couple from Holland. We enjoyed the experience.

 

 

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[AussieVisi2r]

When I have been involved in them......I buy the newspaper on the day I am leaving home and use that (the whole thing) as wrapping paper.

 

R

[Kesali]

Thanks!

[TBone2K]

Favorite gift I have luckily received from a Canadian cruiser was Real Maple Syrup. Great on my pancakes. I also received from a couple from London a London taxi filled with cookies. Being from Florida I always bring Florida gifts.

 

We have done that one in the past as well. Best one we received was a bag of wild rice grown in the state of X (sorry, can't remember where), but ironically it was a mixture of X and Canadian rice.

[jaspercat]

When I have attended a gift exchange it was normally 'something from your country/state/province type of exchange.

 

I am also from Canada so have brought things like small bottle(s) of maple syrup; maple candy; Tim Horton's coffee; Purdy's chocolate mini Hedgehogs; Roger's chocolate mini's; ice wine; a box Tom Thomson note cards; a selection of David's Tea.

 

Enjoy your cruise and gift exchange!

[Vexorg]

On the cruise I just got off of, I got a nice little variety of items from Wakefield UK from another attendee of the meet-and-greet. For my part I tend to collect various curios from the ports when I travel, so I brought a little Space Needle model from Seattle for the gift exchange. I happen to work only a few blocks from the Pike Place Market though, so next time I might try to find a few small items there and bring that.

[cynt]

I'm in TX so I brought a soft sided Dallas Cowboy 6 pack cooler. They LOVED IT!!! It was a guy that got it. I ended up with this 1000+ page book and it had to be 5 inches thick. I left it in my cabin so it could be added to the library collection. So be mindful that people have to transport the gift back home.