I know that some of you have posted gift-giving guides and I’m grateful. I really am. But I need your expertise for one more thing.
You see, in our office, we do a Secret Santa gift exchange. We pulled names out of a hat a few weeks ago and are having the big to-do at our next staff meeting.
I felt like I had so much time, but now, that to-do is this Friday and I’ve yet to get my gift. Mostly because I have one of the senior fellows and shopping for a 50-something-year-old PhD who has lived all over the world is a little daunting. I also don’t work with him directly, so I’m kind of drawing a blank.
I don’t really like giving gift cards (even though I know they’re more practical), but that’s the direction I’m headed, unless someone here comes up with something truly inspiring.
So, please, help me out and think like an academic: what would you ask Santa for?
If he’s lived all over the world because he likes to travel, you could get something travel related. But, yeah, I’d be tempted to go with either something cheesy/silly or a gift card.
He definitely does like to travel, but also gets to because of attending so many conferences. In the past couple months he’s been to Morocco, China, and Thailand! I’m mostly just jealous.
a bottle of wine? Or a really good book? I don’t know, that’s a tough one.
More and more I’m liking the bottle of wine.
I would go with a book from their field or favorite place they have been. But, booze always works in a pinch. I would give them an African Fertility God statue, just to mess with them.
I like where your head’s at. Booze or African Fertility God statue…
The security detail in the gov office where I work organize a white elephant every year. Presents are collected under a massive tree in the lobby, they take your name down as participating then we circle up around grab a gift and do the white elephant thing.
“Some one” went to the sex shop in georgetown and purchased a black, fist shaped dildo, put it in a shoebox and had their roommates girlfriend gift wrap it for them.
This year they are making people write their names on the presents.
Sounds like “some one” just wanted to liven up the party a little bit. I support that.
See, I’m going the other way on this. Find something nice, but totally out of the person’s lane. If someone spends all their time work time working and thinking about a specific subject, do you think they want to do some more on their off time? It’d be like buying me a book on journalism. OK, bad example since I’d probably read that.
Don’t know what the $$ limit is, but I’m guessing it’s $20 or so, so that’s kinda limiting – books, booze and gift cards are the usuals. How about a box of golf balls if he golfs? Every gopher can always use some more balls.
Spot on with the price limit. I’m not sure about golf, specifically, but yeah…branching out’s not a bad idea. Gracias.
An emergency cell phone charger $15 workers on the major brands!
Ooh, I might have to ask for one of those myself. I hate getting caught with no bars left.
Wow. That’s a tough one.
He’s probably got a lot of books — how about a nice set of bookends?
He definitely does. His office is overflowing. Maybe I’ll do a little research…
This is kind of random but might go over really well, especially if he’s a tea-drinker, but something like this:
http://www.surlatable.com/product/le+creuset+honey+pot%2C+white%2C+16+oz..do?keyword=honey&sortby=ourPicks
with
http://www.surlatable.com/product/maine+wild+raspberry+honey.do?keyword=honey&sortby=ourPicks
might be quirky and fun, depending on your price limit of course.
Um, I kind of just fell in love with that honey pot. It reminds me of Winnie the Pooh.
im sorry Im no help with anything here but I want to just say that last year our office did that white rhino thing instead of a secret santa and IT SUCKED.
I picked a bottle of wine and someone stole it and I got stuck with an effin Clapper.
sucked.
Oof, yeah. You got screwed. Sorry, buddy.
a snuggie. FOR SURE.
I laughed out loud at that. Thank you.
I gave my person a gift card. OH YES I DID! Mainly because I’m lazy and couldn’t think of anything better. Plus, I’m practical. At least this way they can pick something they really like and buy it.
Best of luck!
Oooo I just thought of something! One of the people’s gift during our secret santa exchange was a small box of chocolate with a gift card to buy more chocolate! But this only works if the person likes chocolate.
I have given this in the past for one of those “white elephant” gift things, and it was stolen 5 times! It was the most coveted thing in the bunch:
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Sushi-Deluxe-Book-Kit/2139268/product.html
(not only has a recipe book, but also has chopsticks, the bowls, the bamboo mat. It comes in a box with little pull out drawers for the accessories.)
It’s sold out on the link above, and Amazon no longer has them, but a search online you should be able to find one in stock.