xmas-matcher.py

from random import sample
from itertools import chain


FAMILIES = {
    'Joel and Amanda Sletten': ['Blaine', 'Bruce', 'Titus', 'Olivia'],
    'Micah and Leslie Winchester': ['Jack', 'Alex'],
    'Cody and Laurel Winchester': ['Julian', 'Lucy'],
    'Barry and April Winchester': ['Brook', 'Blake']
}

KIDS = list(chain.from_iterable(FAMILIES.values()))


def make_matches():

    final = {}
    taken = []

    try:
        for f in FAMILIES:
            opk = [x for x in KIDS if x not in FAMILIES[f] and x not in taken]
            picks = sample(opk, len(FAMILIES[f]))
            final[f] = picks
            taken.extend(picks)
        return final
    except ValueError:
        return


while True:
    matches = make_matches()
    if matches:
        for m in matches:
            print(m, '=>', ', '.join(matches[m]))
        break
    else:
        pass