This year we won't be having a regular holiday potluck :( Only a dessert exchange.

But this is due to the employee lounge with a kitchen being under renovation and not due to budget cuts or anything like that.

I do not know if to bring brownies or pumpkin pie. Eating too many of my baked goods caused me to gain too much weight recently- though I have lost 1 1/2 pounds since I noticed and cut back.

Our office holiday party is always cool. Last year my group went to a restaurant and got to help prepare a six-course meal with some very well-known Seattle chefs, complete with a recipe book to take home with us. The year before, we had dinner and drinks at one of Seattle's best restaurants. And every year, our office rents out a bar and hires a band. I love advertising!

Time for wheelchair races and bedpan horseshoes here at the concrete m*a*s*h. happy whatever-it-is-you-celebrate!

What is the best and worst secret santa gift you guys have received? Our holiday party is next week, and I'm not sure what to get. Would you recommend a gift card even though that is SO unimaginative? We have a $25 limit...

^^^ To be honest, I hate gifts ofter than gift cards. A person would have to REALLLLLLY know me to get me a gift I'd appreciate, such as the old school Alpha cardigan from simplygreek that I've been dropping hints on for two years.

All I want from coworkers -- from anybody, really -- is gift cards to Borders Books & music.

That way, you also aren't getting them something that junks up their house.

I'm beginning to hate gift exchanges with the passion of a trillion fiery suns. We do a family gift exchange that I think is the scourge of Satan. My work exchange I actually prefer, because the people really think about me and what I want. Meanwhile, our family exchange is just me getting gifts for people who don't even acknowledge them (I don't necessarily need a thank-you note, just some confirmation that the package I sent your stupid ass got to you), and me getting gifts that I'd rather just throw away or leave at my parents' house.

Since I live in the Northeast and most of my family lives in the sunbelt, I end up getting a lot of inappropriate winter gear. Hey, that 12" long scarf really won't work. Neither will the cotton summerweight gloves. Thanks a million!

What do I want? A lot of things--people could just ask me.

Yeah...what Sen I said....well, I am in charge of Secret Santa in my office and what I requested that everyone do is to list 3 items that they would like (I had to compromise and let everyone request ONE giftcard) and their Secret Satan could get those items listed up to the limit.

Of course people running to me asking what should they ask for, and I said, think of that DVD or CD or book or what have you that you have been procrastrinating on and use your imagination!

Hehe...somebody remind me to revisit the final result next week please.

Please tell me this was a Freudian slip lol

nah....intentional...hehehe

Thank GOD I haven't had to be a part of many of those. I remember one with my family where I got a bottle of Clinique Happy. However, it didn't smell the same as when I tried it on in the store. *shrug* I exchanged it and used the credit toward Amarige instead; I was still happy in the end.

The worst.... We had a limit of $10 in an offfice gift exchange. I made it easy and asked for a gift card from Caribou Coffee, Barnes and Noble, or Target. This chick got me a broke down gift basket with a metallic green coffee mug, cheap candy, and... a $25 gift certificate to buy one of her gift baskets. *blink, blink* She gave me the gift of supporting her business; most of her baskets were $35 and up.

Worst part of all: I kinda collect coffee mugs for fun. I have no idea where that tacky metallic mug is, and I don't care.

Did you work somewhere in MA? I, too, worked somewhere where we were called cult-ish.:confused:

Ours is tomorrow. It's just a potluck luncheon in our building, with main dishes catered by our cafeteria (which is a contractor who really sucks and who is being ousted Dec. 31st so we're all a bit nervous about daring to eat that food!). They have a dessert contest and last year, 2 of the 3 judges didn't like chocolate so gourmet homemade truffles and the most amazing chocolate/amaretto cheesecake didn't win anything but banana pudding with bananas and nilla wafers did.. ridiculous! The best part is that they let us leave right after the luncheon. Excellent timing since I can pick up my new car tomorrow :)

When I first started at my job I was nervous about the gift grab (my work place gets mean and nasty during the gift exchange). You bring a wrapped gift, and open it, someone can steal it, and that is where it gets ridiculous. I brought a folding camp chair because it was a gift without age or gender issues the first year, the second year I bought an ornament organizer box, and this year I want to bring either a jug or wine or a remote control fart machine and not put my name on it. I can just watch these people act crazy and see who gets the 25 foot remote control fart machine, or a jug of Carlo Rossi.

I did end up with a bottle of champagne my first year, the second year I can't remember so it must have been super lame. Gift cards are the awesome.

My office was in North Carolina, but it is an international company and has offices in MA- the manager of my office actually transferred from a Boston office.

One year I worked in an office where the minimum limit was $20.00. That year I got a calendar they probably got at the dollar store and a jump drive they probably got for free at a vendor show. All in all this person probably spent $1.00. :rolleyes: When I opened my gift and saw it, I was like b*%$h why did you even bother? If they did not want to get me anything, just slap a 20 in an envelope and say Merry Christmas and be done with it.

Yes I would if you really don't know what the person would like. Or, one year I pulled a guy's name and I knew he loved all things Mac so I got him a gift card to the Apple store. He loved it.