Co-Worker Gifts

[AlphaFrog]

Since we have a thread for every other person to buy for...


Does your office have a gift exchange??? What do you get for your coworkers?

My husband's got an office Christmas party, and he needs to buy for a young woman who has recently had a baby. Their limit is $20. She's a strong Catholic, so I suggested a rosary, and he looked at me like I had four heads.

I'm really not good at getting generic gifts/gifts for people I don't know. If it was up to my husband, she'd get a sweater...but when I asked him what size, he had no idea. We all know you DON'T want to give a woman the wrong size. (See Other Gift Thread)

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

My husband's got an office Christmas party, and he needs to buy for a young woman who has recently had a baby. Their limit is $20. She's a strong Catholic, so I suggested a rosary, and he looked at me like I had four heads.

I think I've suggested this somewhere else, but I'm gonna say it again. Coffee mugs and some good coffee. If she's a coffee connoisseur, get whole beans that she can grind herself.

As I'm sure you know (with two kids, yourself), anyone who recently had a baby and still works gets very little (if any, it seems) sleep. So, coffee is a must (at least it is in our family!).

[nikki1920]

We're doing a gift exchange in my unit and I asked for gift certificates to stores I like. As a new mom, I'd take a gift certificate to Target, or Babies R Us or something. I stay away from foods and drinks unless I know the person. She may not be a coffee drinker.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by nikki1920

I stay away from foods and drinks unless I know the person. She may not be a coffee drinker.

Good point. But, based on the jobs I've had, you don't have to know someone really well to know whether or not (s)he drinks coffee. If you see them with a mug, it's usually got coffee inside it.

What is lunch like where your hubby works? Do people usually bring their own? go out together? order in? If he's familiar with her food tastes, he could get her gift cards to a couple of her favorite restaurants.

I guess my only other suggestion would be to avoid mom things. She isn't a mom at work, so unless it's a shower or something, she shouldn't get baby-related things. But, that's just a pet peeve of mine, and it may not be a big deal to other moms.

[texas*princess]

We have a gift exchange... we call it the A.L.E.

Annual
Liquor
Exchange

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

What is lunch like where your hubby works? Do people usually bring their own? go out together? order in? If he's familiar with her food tastes, he could get her gift cards to a couple of her favorite restaurants.

He wouldn't know...they never work the same days/times. He's pretty good friends with the woman's sister, but he won't ask the sister what he should get her.

[Benzgirl]

No. We made a pact this year.

[ForeverRoses]

Last year I bought cute coffee mugs with sayings on them that fit each person's personality. My boss' mug read "I Don't Do Perky", the AR person/fashion maven got a mug that said "Office Goddess" and the sales admin's read "What Deadline?". I even bought myself one that reads "I See Dumb People". People are still commenting on the mugs.

As for the new Mom- how about a pretty picture frame that would look nice on her desk and that way she can display pictures of her new baby?

[AlphaFrog]

I like the mug thing - that's cute. I'd love to do that for my office (especially since everyone around here uses styrofoam cups - wasteful), but I have a feeling my coworkers/bosses wouldn't have a sense of humor about it.

[ForeverRoses]

I love my mug, I get to tell people I think they are stupid in a total passive-agressive sort of way!

Oh and this year, no gifts. We are going out for a nice lunch instead.

We did get stuffed gorillas one year from our COO as "Holiday Gifts". Something about us being the 800lb gorilla in the room or something. Didn't quite get it, but I do have a stuffed gorilla on my desk for when the kids visit.