My sister, ShopGirl Jr., swears that if she sees another pair of Isotoner gloves under the Christmas tree, she’s going to flip.

She has at least five pairs of perfectly good mittens already, and besides, the whole idea of taupe or mauve driving gloves makes her cringe. Every year, some well-meaning relative buys them for her because it’s SO cold way up here in Maine. Every year, she longs to return them, but there’s never a receipt.

My heart goes out to gals like Junior.

As we gather around our respective Christmas trees this morning, let’s pause to think about the meaning of giving, receiving and returning. It’s the thought that counts, right? Sure it is. But in the blur that is holiday shopping, there are bound to be a few jumbled thoughts, misplaced sentiments and last-minute, “what the heck am I supposed to buy her?” moments.

Hence, the ever-popular gift receipt, gift card and gift certificate.

The gift receipt is a no-brainer. Somewhere on the slip, it will tell you how long you have to return or exchange the SpongeBob SquarePants slippers, monogram sweater or Hickory Farms gift pack (though I’m not sure how anyone could resist Summer Sausage). Simply take it into the store, swap the offending item for a cute T-shirt, a nice picture frame or – bonus! – cash, and you’re good to go.

Regular receipts are a slippery slope, however. Who wants to ask Aunt Sally to hand over the receipt for the oh-so-cute Louis faux-ton handbag? Especially when she bought everyone else’s gift at the same place?

In an informal survey of retailers I conducted this week, most said you’ll have the best luck with a receipt. However, some stores will take back items with the tag (or part of the tag) still on. In the most dire circumstances – no receipt, no tag – clerks and managers will use their discretion. Often, they’ll recognize an item, remember its cost and give the customer store credit.

“People are usually pretty reasonable and we try to be reasonable,” said Laurie Schweikert, who owns The Grasshopper Shop in Bangor. “The tags don’t need to be on, but we do like to have the receipt.”

And they like to have all Christmas returns in by Jan. 8. Still, they will make exceptions, unless someone tries to pull a fast one.

“I think we’ve occasionally had people try to return things a year after they’ve bought them,” Schweikert said. “Some have even tried to return things that didn’t come from our store.”

Filene’s in Bangor has what store manager Bill Kearns calls “the most liberal return policy I know of.”

“If you say you bought it here, we take it back,” Kearns said. “You won’t always get cash back, but you’ll get store credit in the form of a gift card.”

With a receipt, you’ll get full credit. Without, you’ll get credit for the item’s lowest selling price in the last 30 days.

Many stores have flexible return policies, but when it comes to cash, things get tricky.

“We’ll only give cash refunds or credit your charge card if we have the register receipt,” said Laura McDowell, a spokeswoman for T.J. Maxx parent company TJX. “If you want to return something, hopefully the price tag is still there … At least we know they got it at the store.”

The bottom line? You’ll probably end up with a gift card, another popular holiday gift. Just be sure you read the fine print. Though T.J.’s, Marshalls and Filene’s gift cards have no expiration date and no fees, some stores will lessen the value of your card if you wait too long to use it. When in doubt, ask.

Sometimes, though, even a gift card can be a bad fit. Say you get a card for Chili’s and you really wanted one for the Olive Garden. Or you got a Gap card and flea-market chic is more your style. There is one option I discovered while flipping through the December issue of Budget Living (only the name isn’t hip). Post your card on www.SwapAGift.com, where you can swap it with another cardholder or sell it at a discount (for a $4 fee).

You could just regift it, like Elaine in “Seinfeld” (remember the Label Baby, baby?) but that’s so tacky. Unless you’re regifting to Goodwill – shoppers who come bearing unwanted gifts between Dec. 26 and Dec. 31 will receive a coupon for 10 percent off. A sweet deal.

So if you’re in the market for a pair of Isotoner gloves, wait until next week and then check the Bangor Goodwill. It’s only a hunch, but I think they’ll have a pair in mauve or taupe.

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329, or by fax to: 941-9476. Tune in to ShopGirl at 5 p.m. Fridays on WLBZ-2.