Gift Card Resources

How to ask for gift cards to a baby shower if you live out of state?

I live in Texas and all of my family and friends live in MO. I'm going in for 1 weekend and having 3 baby showers. How can they put it in the card that we prefer gift cards instead of presents? It's an 11 hr drive back to TX and my car can't fit that much.

Public Comments

1. Just put it on the invites that due to space for travelling back you would prefer gift cards. I'm sure that people will understand.
2. You don't ask for gifts at all, that is beyond tacky.
3. You accept what you get and deal with it. You can mail stuff home if you have to. It is SO rude to dictate what gifts you expect at your baby shower. Your family should realize you live out of state and not buy you big stuff to haul home, and if you get gift receipts you could return it for store credit and re buy it when you get home. Whoever is taking RSVPs can mention how excited they are that you are driving in as a subtle hint, but if someone shows up with a discontinued pattern of a stroller and no gift receipt you will just have to make room and get it home.
4. Instead of 'asking' for gifts, you can register in the baby registry of a popular retailer like Wal-Mart or Target. Then, you can discreetly have it noised around that you are registered at those locations. Then people order either presents (for which you should be more grateful!) or gift cards which you likely will use for things that they won't buy, like a crib. They can also have items shipped to your home in Texas for a small fee as well by using the baby registry.
5. You shouldn't be asking for gifts at all. THere is no polite way to request that someone give you a gift card instead of a gift. It you do indeed get a lot of "gifts" you can have them shipped back instead of taking them in the car. Obviously all these people know that you have to travel, so they should know enough to have any big gifts shipped to your house and present you with a picture of it at your shower.
6. do you have a baby registry, just registry only things that you will be able to haul home. Your friends should understand your situation and won't buy something for you which is hard for you to carry home. I just attended a baby shower of my friend who flew in from another state, even she didn't ask "gift card only", most of the people attend bought her gift card or baby clothings ... so i think you shouldn't worry too much. Worse come to worse, ship them home.
7. You don't. As we use to tell the kids in the daycare.."You get what you get and you don't throw a fit". You can mail things back home. Most people will probably get you a gift card anyway since they know you live further away.
8. You can register for gift cards as well on most registrys, I would just register for small things and also register for x- amount of gift cards. I would write on the invites where you are registered, and underneath maybe write, please, no large sized gifts because of limited space while traveling. The should get the hint. There is no nice way to flat out say please give me gift cards on the invitation.