Gifts for Co-Workers. I need help!

[Krystal]

I work in the film industry and change offices/co-workers every six to nine months as I go from show to show. I have been working with my current co-workers for about 1 1/2 months and only have a few weeks left on this particular job. My delima is that everyone is planning on exchanging gifts and I'm at a loss on what to get them for christmas. I would rather not spend a lot of money and baking anything is out of the question due to time constraints. I'm thinking of getting itune cards for two of them because they are into their Ipods, however I'm stuck on the other two.

Any idea on what to get for someone that you haven't known for long?

Thanks for your help!

Krystal

[wwhirledpeas]

The cheapest IPOD card you can get is $15.00.

So you are looking for generic $15.00 gifts?

A Christmas decoration - such as a candle or ornament (they should be on sale twords the end of the week)

A traveling coffee mug from Starbucks

A picture frame

A bottle of wine

Calendars

[cherylopal]

There is a local bread shop that makes the most phenomenal bread- pesto, cinnamon, apple, honey whole wheat etc. If you have something like that nearby, I think that would make a great gift.

[krhm]

I ended up getting coworkers $5 each of lottery cards and putting them in a generic happy holidays card. I didn't even know if they celebrated Christmas or Hannukah or what. I wanted to get everyone roughly the same thing but knew that food gifts were out for one women who was diabetic and on a strict diet. We actually had a lot of fun with the lottery cards and one woman even ended up winning $45. Another won $10.

[ErinM]

I'm in the same boat, as you, having only been at my job for about 6 weeks now. Luckily, I just happened to have a conversation with the person who happens to be my secret santa recipient. She's always wanted to learn to knit, but didn't think she could go to the group my department has because she didn't already know how. So, I got her some nice yarn that's rose colored with iridescent threads running through it, will give her my extra pair of size 10 needles and will write or print up a simple scarf pattern so she can learn!

[lov2cook]

If you have a hard time thinking of what to give to your co-workers I suggest you give them a gift card worth 20 dollars to any store they want it makes them happy because they can choose what to buy for themselves. It makes sense right?:)

[masimmons]

I've been making a donation to a charity instead of giving something. The last couple years I sent a check to Habitat to Humanity on behalf of my department. This year I may send one to a (legit) veterans group.

[blazedog]

I would personally try to opt out of gifts in this situation unless it would create a really awkward situation.

Most co-workers do not exchange gifts in these kinds of situations because most people have no reason to want to spend $80/$100 or so to gift their co-workers with c*rap for the privilege of receiving c*rap -- ahem candles back.

At most, there is an organized secret santa which coincides with the office lunch or party.

[masimmons]

Most co-workers do not exchange gifts in these kinds of situations because most people have no reason to want to spend $80/$100 or so to gift their co-workers with c*rap for the privilege of receiving c*rap -- ahem candles back.


Thats exactly why I go the charity donation route.

[avariell]

i made beer bread mixes -
3 c. ap flour (you can sub 1/2 cup of something else - i used oats)
1 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t salt

give them instructions and a bottle of beer (optional of course)

it solved my "omygod i don't have enough time to bake" dilemma, and i feel happy to give them away.

[TKay]

I'm a big Starbuck's gift card fan.
Dh had his work Christmas party last week and his boss gave everyone the same thing: a pancake mix, syrup and snowman-shaped cutter from Crate & Barrel. Not sure of the cost, but it was an easy gift and everybody liked it.
Good luck.

[blazedog]

I really think people are making presumptions about what people want.

I really have no desire for pancake mix, syrup and a cookie cutter and neither would most of my co-workers -- perhaps it could be regifted.

And most of the people I know DON'T bake -- so even a mix would be something that would be worthless.

Really the whole issue of gifting people with meaningless low cost items is something that I think most people would like to opt out of.

I DON'T want gift cards from a store thank you since I wind up forgetting the card when I am at the store -- nor do I see much purpose in spending $80/$100 to "gift" people I don't care that much or know that much about. If I had to receive anything, an AMEX/gift card would be the only thing I would want -- but I frankly don't want to be in the circle of this kind of tit for tat giving.

Secret Santas/Yankee/Diry Santa are another thing altogether but they are generally part of the festivities as are gifts to one's underlings in a department or people who otherwise help one -- but this is done with NO expectation of reciprocity.

[Robyn1007]

Okay, Blaze, I think we all get your point, you think it's pointless and irritating to gift co-workers with cr*p. But, the OP is in a situation where she needs to come up with something. And, true, some people won't like baking stuff, others won't like candles or lotion, still others won't like a gift card, and others refuse to use iTunes etc. She works in film and that industry has people moving all over the place and starting a bad reputation just based on Christmas gifts is not a good idea.

I really like the lottery scratch card idea and I think I'm going to sneak a couple of those in stockings this year when family isn't looking. :p :D

[blazedog]

Okay, Blaze, I think we all get your point, you think it's pointless and irritating to gift co-workers with cr*p. But, the OP is in a situation where she needs to come up with something. And, true, some people won't like baking stuff, others won't like candles or lotion, still others won't like a gift card, and others refuse to use iTunes etc. She works in film and that industry has people moving all over the place and starting a bad reputation just based on Christmas gifts is not a good idea.

I really like the lottery scratch card idea and I think I'm going to sneak a couple of those in stockings this year when family isn't looking. :p :D

Per my original post, I would opt out -- and I do move from place to place. Frankly, I think MANY people would be relieved to not have to buy an additional piece of c*rap.

But if you have to buy a cheap present for someone you know nothing about and care less about, I would opt for a VISA /AMEX card because at least there is a chance that it is functional -- pretty much knowing that I have just tossed out the money spent in exchange for stuff that will sit in the trunk of my car until I remember to drop it off at Goodwill.

And I am not sure why someone can't be the voice in the wilderness to opt out of this kind of meaningless tit for tat exchange of junk.

Given the strike in the film business, it is relatively easy to make the Strike the reason for tightening one's belt in terms of providing an excuse for NOT participating.:)

[Geo_nerd]

We did a "secret Santa" gift exchange between the women in my office and I picked out these coffee corsets (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5218284). They are really cute, and I've started a little personal collection of them.;)

[avariell]

Okay, Blaze, I think we all get your point, you think it's pointless and irritating to gift co-workers with cr*p. But, the OP is in a situation where she needs to come up with something. And, true, some people won't like baking stuff, others won't like candles or lotion, still others won't like a gift card, and others refuse to use iTunes etc. She works in film and that industry has people moving all over the place and starting a bad reputation just based on Christmas gifts is not a good idea.

I really like the lottery scratch card idea and I think I'm going to sneak a couple of those in stockings this year when family isn't looking. :p :D

well said.... I don't think anyone here is trying to encourage you, blazedog, to give anyone anything. lord knows I wouldn't dare attempt to give you any homemade crap... :rolleyes: you have made it perfectly clear on numerous threads that you think gift giving is bullsh!t. but some of us like it.

[blazedog]

well said.... I don't think anyone here is trying to encourage you, blazedog, to give anyone anything. lord knows I wouldn't dare attempt to give you any homemade crap... :rolleyes: you have made it perfectly clear on numerous threads that you think gift giving is bullsh!t. but some of us like it.

I didn't get the sense from the original question that the poster LIKED the practice -- I got the sense that this was being done from a sense of obligation and came as a shock.

My point was that one CAN get off the merry go round in most situations without being viewed as an office pariah and I would daresay there are plenty of people who would be relieved not to have to exchange candles with people they could care less about.

FWIW, I DO enjoy gift giving -- I just think the practice of having to give token gifts of meaningless c*rap to people simply because THEY are giving it to you is insane.

And people are offering suggestions of gifts that are meant as something that EVERYONE would like -- just pointing out that unless you KNOW something about the person, none of the gifts would really be coveted by many people.

[ljt2r]

Hey Blazedog--to act like you had no idea you would offend people when you referred to THEIR ideas of nice gifts as cr*p, repeatedly I might add, is totally disingenuous. If you want to advocate not giving when she has been there for a short time, I get it. As a matter of fact, I agree. I personally would not shell out up to $100--or even as low as $50--for people I had known for 6 weeks. We just don't have the money. But she asked for ideas, and you pretty much called all of the ideas--that other people have already used I might add--cr*p. Repeatedly. :rolleyes: :mad: And for the record, homemade gifts are NEVER cr*p--what they say is that the person enjoys giving gifts and did not at all feel obligated to give gifts but instead truly wanted to.

[blazedog]

Hey Blazedog--to act like you had no idea you would offend people when you referred to THEIR ideas of nice gifts as cr*p, repeatedly I might add, is totally disingenuous. If you want to advocate not giving when she has been there for a short time, I get it. As a matter of fact, I agree. I personally would not shell out up to $100--or even as low as $50--for people I had known for 6 weeks. We just don't have the money. But she asked for ideas, and you pretty much called all of the ideas--that other people have already used I might add--cr*p. Repeatedly. :rolleyes: :mad: And for the record, homemade gifts are NEVER cr*p--what they say is that the person enjoys giving gifts and did not at all feel obligated to give gifts but instead truly wanted to.

If I offended people by denominating generic cheap gifts that are given out of obligation rather than because one has a true desire to gift someone with something they want, I can't say I'm sorry because I'm not.:D

FWIW, I was calling these kinds of gifts as a generic group - c*rap. I neither want to receive them nor do I particularly want to be in obligated to spend time and effort to locate them.

My reference to two specific gift suggestions was to point out that many people would not have a particular desire to receive these items -- although they were presented as gifts that "everyone" would love to receive.

Gifts that are given from the heart are never c*rap -- but obligatory gifts (which I am responding to in this thread) are not what I would call gifts of the heart -- If the OP initial message had stated: I work with a group of WONDERFUL people and I would like to show my love for these people by getting them something to show my extreme love/liking my response would have been different -- context is all.

I didn't see anything "homemade" as a suggestion -- what I stated was that a bread mix might not be something that most people would find useful since most of the people I have worked with don't bake -- a gift of homemade cookies or bread is something completely different.

[zwieback]

FWIW, I was calling these kinds of gifts as a generic group - c*rap. I neither want to receive them nor do I particularly want to be in obligated to spend time and effort to locate them.

I don't think any of the gifts suggested are cheap gifts or cr*p gifts. Some people enjoy this kind of thing. Some don't. Obviously, as you've stated in every post, you don't. But, I'm just curious. Are you truly incapable of having any empathy for anyone who might be in the position of the original poster? Yes, she could elect to opt out of the gift exchange. But, she chose not to. She's asking for some suggestions, not your personal objection to gift exchanges.

[applecrisp]

Saw this at at holiday party -- but it's $19.99.

I've seen it at my local B&N.

Giftscriptions is the unique way to give and get a magazine gift subscription
Easy-to-wrap box contains a magazine collection catalog and a prepaid gift certificate good for 1 of 50 popular magazines
Your friends and family browse the enclosed catalog and pick their favorites or try something new

[blazedog]

I don't think any of the gifts suggested are cheap gifts or cr*p gifts. Some people enjoy this kind of thing. Some don't. Obviously, as you've stated in every post, you don't. But, I'm just curious. Are you truly incapable of having any empathy for anyone who might be in the position of the original poster? Yes, she could elect to opt out of the gift exchange. But, she chose not to. She's asking for some suggestions, not your personal objection to gift exchanges.

In the year 2007, I would give -- and hope to receive - a VISA/AMEX gift card -- not a card tied to any particular store (I have itunes, Barnes & NObles and Spa gift certificates lurking unused from Christmases past).

Regarding empathy, I am still not understanding why someone who has worked with people for 1 1/2 months and is leaving for a new job situation in a few weeks feels an obligation to participate in an exchange of meaningless gifts.

Again, I am perhaps missing something since I didn't catch any hint of gee I just LOVE these people but only a sense of obligation -- given that is the only motivation, I would think under the circumstances it would be relatively easy to drop out -- and would no doubt be a relief to some of the other people who were no doubt cowed by some overbearing person in the first place.

If there is a need to "grease" people in terms of future employment =- again I didn't catch that nuance -- and given that the whole industry is in turmoil because of the strike, one has a pretty ready excuse NOT to participate since everyone's economic future is up in the air in the business.

[MKSquared]

Krystal, since you're basically giving a gift to people you don't know, I'd suggest checking out the recent Yankee Swap thread. There are lots of great gift ideas there that nearly everyone who isn't a complete Scrooge would be happy to unwrap!

The idea of giving completely generic gift cards - like the suggested AMEX/VISA ones - reminds me so much of just giving a gift of cash. And a gift of cash seems very much like an obligation and not a holiday gift.

I can totally understand feeling uncomfortable in this situation - I'd totally want to be part of the celebration, just because I'm like that. I'd want to be in on the celebration.

[CLModerator]

Hi all,

Just a gentle reminder that the OP of this thread requested ideas for gifts, not opinions about her decision to give. I'd like to keep this thread open to make sure people are able to contribute ideas to her, but I think we've established that everyone has different ideas about giving Christmas gifts, and those ideas are unlikely to change via this board.

Thanks for your cooperation and happy holidays --

Jen

[swquilts]

In the year 2007, I would give -- and hope to receive - a VISA/AMEX gift card -- not a card tied to any particular store (I have itunes, Barnes & NObles and Spa gift certificates lurking unused from Christmases past).



I'll take the ITunes! :D



Is there a deli near by? I made Kahlua to give out....course most folks I work with drink! :eek: Grocery store gift card? Drug store? Folks always need food or sundries.

[zwieback]

swquilts beat me to it, but I was just thinking a grocery store gift card would be good or even a gas card. With the price of gas and groceries going up these days, any amount would definitely help. I would be thrilled with either of those gifts.

[Meganator]

Hi all,

Just a gentle reminder that the OP of this thread requested ideas for gifts, not opinions about her decision to give. I'd like to keep this thread open to make sure people are able to contribute ideas to her, but I think we've established that everyone has different ideas about giving Christmas gifts, and those ideas are unlikely to change via this board.

Thanks for your cooperation and happy holidays --

Jen


:confused: Wow.