A loophole? Or just plain wrong?

I find myself faced with a dilemma on this beautiful Thursday morning when all my Sacred Studies classes have been cancelled for Spring Musical practice (which is amazing!). I was approached by one of the parents from the Day School today, who handed me a bag of small gifts as part of teacher appreciation week. There were three small soap bars, each a different fragrance, and then another small bag with some things in it that I couldn't see. I have just opened the bag, and there's a gift certificate for The Country Bookshop, which I have blogged about before. It's for $15, just enough to buy myself a nice new paperback book, soft floppy pages and all.

I realize now, of course, that we did not build any rules about gift cards into our Stuff Stand-off. We have rules about accepting gifts - that being that we get rid of something in our house as an exchange. I just ran out of soap the other day, and toiletries haven't really been part of the Stand-off, so I feel like I'm okay there. But the gift card compels me to go to the store and purchase a thing that I would then bring into my home. Does it qualify as a gift? Or am I just looking for a good reason to go into my favorite store in town and buy myself something nice and new for the first time in almost five months?

I suppose I can contact the store and find out what their expiration date is on a gift card. But honestly, the likelihood of my remembering that I even have the thing tucked into my desk someplace is slim to none. Or I guess I could give the card to someone else and let them use it instead of me. But I have worked pretty hard with the kids this year, and am certainly not opposed to a little appreciation at the end of a long year. ::BIG SIGH:: I don't know what to do. But I'm open to suggestion... help?