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 Coworker gifts
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| Author | Topic: Coworker gifts |
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blanketbat Housemate |
posted 10-28-2002 01:16 PM
  
Continuing the present theme...What do you guys do for office mates? I work in an office with four other full time people, my boss, and a handful of student employees who come in for a few hours each week. All of the full time staff are faily close, and we have a great time joking and talking at work. It's a very fun and relaxed environment. I'm trying to come up with something fun and not too expensive to do for everyone (the students will be home for christmas break, so I don't have to worry about that). I know I'm going to make up a big batch of the worlds best cinammon rolls, but I want something for people to actually have. I had one idea, but I'm not sure about it. Over the course of the year I have been picking up cool looking coffee mugs as I find them. They have usually been only a dollar or two. I was thinking of putting some sort of yummy drink product (coco, tea, coffee, whatever people like) along with some cool random toy (playdough, slinky, crayons) and probably a mini altoids tin of cool geeky marble magnets in each cup. The whole shebang would be under $10 a pop...what do you guys think? How does anyone else deal with the office gift thing? Any good suggestions? IP: Logged |
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mamichan Housemate |
posted 10-28-2002 02:15 PM
we have an office of 8 full-time, 1 PT, a few interns. we do a secret santa and buy $10 or less gag gifts for each other and then take the afternoon off and go bowling or something similar (last year it was mini-golf), then out to eat. your coffe-mug idea is great! i would love to get one of those. IP: Logged |
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kena Housesitter |
posted 10-28-2002 03:03 PM
My boss once gave his team a big block of playdough among with other funny dollar store toys (it was a reward for releasing our software on time*). Everybody in the office started playing with it and after a few weeks, we had a nice little sculpture gallery. It might be too childish for most work environments, but for our very very casual office, it was just the perfect gift. *Edited to say that the programmers also got a substantial bonus. Playdough is fun, but not enough to compensate for lots of unpaid overtime. [This message has been edited by kena (edited 10-28-2002).] IP: Logged |
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naynay45 Housemate |
posted 10-29-2002 09:33 AM
We also do a grab bag at our holiday party. I think the mugs are a great idea! IP: Logged |
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crowjoy Housemate |
posted 10-29-2002 09:58 AM
Good question! My old team, of 12-20 people over the years, just did polyanna thing where we all brought in one gift and took one gift (there was that whole bargaining thing too). Now I'm on a local team of 1, with a global team of 4. My boss is local. I always used to get the boss candy for the kids, but this boss has no kids. It's our first Christmas, so I don't know what he's likely to do. Should I get someone for each of the folks on my team, ala the mug/candy/toy theme, or just cards? Are electronic cards tacky seeing as we're scattered? IP: Logged |
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emmalou Housemate |
posted 10-29-2002 04:09 PM
There are only five of us, so we do the whole "secret santa" thang. What a lame name for a gift exchange. Anyway, last year I gave a velvet scarf, I got a beautiful mosaic-tiled candleholder with a scented candle, and the other gifts were an imported CD, a leather keychain and something I can't remember. It was all supposed to be $20 or under, but I couldn't help but wonder... it's no fun when people don't stick to the rules. 
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BionicGirl Housemate |
posted 10-30-2002 08:54 AM
At my old job, we did Secret Santa stuff too. Then I became such close friends with some of my coworkers that we started having our own exchange. They were more friend gifts than coworker gifts so I guess that doesn't count. At this job, there is a pretty significant lack of "community." You could get away with not giving anything and no one would blink an eye. I will probably just bring a plate of treats and set it out for people though. [This message has been edited by BionicGirl (edited 10-30-2002).] IP: Logged |
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giamaria Housemate |
posted 10-30-2002 09:06 AM
Last year I gave candles to some people that had scent names that reminded me of them or were colors they liked...this year I am stumped. I am thinking that I might make some little baggies of goodies like fudge, etc. I don't know what to do! IP: Logged |
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heather Housemate |
posted 10-30-2002 11:51 AM
One year I did the coffee cup w/flavored coffees as gifts - another year I gave crazy picture frames - last year I simply made treats for the whole office and set them out in the kitchen. IP: Logged |
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atw26 Housemate |
posted 12-18-2002 08:40 AM
bumping this up for ideas for the Secret Santa that I'm involved in. $20 limit. I'm looking for some good office toy ideas. I'd like something fun, tactile and that doesn't take up too much space. I'd originally thought that the Cranium Cosmo would be fun but I can't find it and I think it'd be over the limit anyway. I'm now at the Lite Brite, Mr.Potato Head, Rubik's Snake juncture having nixed Uncle Milton's Thingamabotz for not being very tactile even though they are really cute. What cool office toys have you seen lately? IP: Logged |
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ChiefPete Housemate |
posted 12-18-2002 08:59 AM
I dunno if this sounds like a boring present as compared to all of your fun and whimsical gifts... but my bosses are all very "plant" people, so I was thinking of getting them little bonsai trees for their desks. I'm not sure if they're really ok as indoor office plants, so if anyone knows... IP: Logged |
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Jezabel Housesitter |
posted 12-18-2002 10:16 AM
Well, I have over a hundred co-workers (I'm a teacher), so gifts are out. We have a school-wide "Secret Pal" exchange--we can't say Secret Santa, it's a public school...can't say Secret Snowflake since this is Texas and maybe some people don't know what that is...j/k. I didn't participate this year b/c I just didn't have the time/energy to deal with it. Bah Humbug. I usually get one or two small gifts for my friends at work (this year it's a leopard-print CD case with matching mousepad). Then, I make cookies or fudge or something and wrap it up pretty for the custodian who cleans my room and for the woman who runs the photocopy room. This year, it was stained-glass cookies, where you melt hard candies in the cookies so they look like stained glass. (sorta). IP: Logged |
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lunah74 Subletter |
posted 12-18-2002 12:22 PM
I used to have a mini, plastic, rainbow colored slinky on my desk. I loved it. Whenever I got stumped on something, I would play with the slinky for a few minutes to un-jam my brain. I called it "Thinking Slinky". My coworkers felt the same way and were always borrowing it. That would be cheap and non-gender specific to boot. IP: Logged |
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Fenchurch Housemate |
posted 12-18-2002 02:23 PM
Someone in my office just gave me a cute snowman ornament for my tree, I think that's a great gift. You could probably get them for $1 a piece at Garden Ridge or BigLots. And at least it's not edible. I am so tired of candy, yet I just keep on eating it. IP: Logged |
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SmallBladder Housemate |
posted 12-18-2002 02:26 PM
quote:
They are actually a bit pricey, so if you are getting more than two, unless you know a wholesaler or distributor, it might cost you a bit. IP: Logged |
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ralphyr Housemate |
posted 12-18-2002 03:11 PM
Instead of doing secret santa this year we each bought a gift and the Salvation Army picked them up to give to the families affected by the drought here. I still have a warm fuzzy feeling. IP: Logged |
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Sophie Housemate |
posted 12-18-2002 06:29 PM
That's a great idea, Ralphyr. I'm having a particularly crappy day today with the racist cow I sit next to, and am quite inclined to give her a mug printed with "WHITE PEOPLE ARE NOT DEVIL SPAWN". IP: Logged |
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atw26 Housemate |
posted 12-19-2002 09:44 AM
ChiefP, have you considered lucky bamboos if the bonsai trees add up too much? They require little maintenance and are supposedly very difficult to kill (although I've managed it). They are very prevalent at our office. Jez, got a kick out of the Secret Snowflake. hehe. We had someone give out snowman ornaments at work this year as well. IP: Logged |
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naynay45 Housemate |
posted 12-19-2002 01:36 PM
For our gift exchange at work, we each buy one gift of $10 or less. I bought mini game keyrings from Target - I think I bought an etch-a-sketch and twister, but they had a ton of different ones. Another fun thing would be a magic 8 ball. I got my roomie an "ask Yoda" doll - like the magic 8 ball, but it's Yoda. He was $20 though. I always think funky/colorful pens are good gifts, assuming you can use different colors of ink in your work environment. Good luck! IP: Logged |
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ChiefPete Housemate |
posted 12-19-2002 06:26 PM
I was actually thinking of getting them those small jade plants, but wasn't sure where I would find them and I was a little stretched for time. And they love lucky bamboo... their desks are covered with little pots of them! I figured they probably don't need anymore. I went ahead and got little bonsai's, and they could easily just take them home if they're not office-y plants. Thanks for the suggestions! IP: Logged |
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