Cal just got invited to a birthday party for a kid in his class at one of the local bouncy-house indoor inflatable playgrounds. The invitation stipulated that in lieu of presents for the birthday girl, all the guests are to bring a book, and at the end of the party all the kids will do a "book exchange," so that everyone can go home with a new book. Which, I have to say, is a really nice way to do things, and a cool way to send everyone home with a little something instead of a bag full of goody bag junk, promote non-materialism with respect to the birthday kid, all that good jazz. (Yes, it would be EVEN BETTER if we all brought toys and books to donate to ORPHANS or something, but hey, you can ask people to do that at your party.)
But another part of me is thinking, "No presents at your own birthday party? Man, that's cold."