Top Tips for Secret Santa: The Office Edition
In an attempt not to come across as the office Scrooge, you’ve opted into the (borderline compulsory) office Secret Santa. Because what’s £10 in the name of colleague camaraderie? Yes, you would much rather get a round in at the office Christmas party than endure the stress of finding a work-appropriate present for less than a tenner, but fear not! We’re here to help. Cheerily, your admin supervisor (dressed in a jumper with twelve too many bells on) approaches with a Santa’s hat filled with names and from it, you draw…
…the Intern
The name is androgynous, and the paper doesn’t feature a surname (so a social media stalk is out of the question). They’ve only been here for three days and you aren’t entirely sure that they are of age to drink. Well, great. You look forward to spending an hour after work in Boots scanning the same six aisles for a unisex item that somehow seems personal. The solution? Socks. Funky socks, fluffy socks, Christmas socks, long socks, ankle socks, trainer socks… fill your boots.
… your Bestie
Yes, we all have our favourites and what better way of showing your love to your lunchbreak bestie than buying them the single most embarrassing gift you can think of… It’s Secret Santa, there’s always one. I am not sure what I am allowed to suggest in a work blog, but what I will say is that Ann Summers has a number novelty gifts for less than ten pounds (and stress balls happen to come in all shapes and sizes).
… the Office Heartthrob
Mistletoe. Just kidding (kind of).
… the Snacker
It’s Christmas so, at lunch, we treat ourselves to healthy quality not convenient quantity in an attempt to counteract the baked camembert and cheese boards that we can somehow justify having for dinner three nights a week for the entire month of December. Four o’clock strikes and you realise that that Pret salad was never going to keep you satisfied until supper and your stomach craves a carb. You peek over you monitor to find that your colleague is well equipped for the mid-afternoon munchies. Easiest person to buy for. Poundland is a fab place to shop for snacks; for precisely £10 you could get two packets of Maryland cookies, a 6 pack of party rings, a Cadbury selection box, a bag of cashew nuts, a bag of oranges, some Haribo for good measure, some yoghurt coated raisins, a 12 pack of candy canes, and bamboo basket to pop it all into for that true Christmas hamper feel (alternatively, you could go for a shimmering gold gift box, for that extra level of suspense).
… your Boss
Oh, baubles. Before you start to panic, picture this: it's the crack of dawn, the good mugs are taken, your boss is craving a coffee that is taller than an espresso and a sturdy glass will not hold the heat of an americano. What do they need? A personalised mug. Wrap a festive pun around it, your favourite team photo or scribe ‘The Boss’ in bold so that everyone else knows exactly whose mug it is. Whilst VistaPrint offers designs from £3.99 (delivery starts at £3.59), Tesco’s mugs sit around £10 a pop but are available for same-day collection from your local store.
Not sure about your gift? Here are some honourable mentions (most of which you can get from either Boots or your local supermarket):
Wine or a miniature spirt set
Slippers
Cheeseboard
A low maintenance plant
A top-notch water bottle (or protein shaker)
A (fancy) box of chocolates
A toiletry set
A scented candle/diffuser gift set
A £10 Amazon gift voucher
£10 sterling
Have you found this useful? What’s the best (or worst) Secret Santa gift that you have received? Let us know in the comments!