Just for Fun: 15 Quick, Cheap & Terrible Ideas for Your Office Secret Santa
by Ed
Does your workplace have a Secret Santa gift exchange? Pretty much everywhere I’ve ever worked has had one. This is the story of why I opt out…
One year I got a piece of marketing promotional material in my mailbox. It was a car company flyer with a punch out car that you folded together to make a little version of whatever model of vehicle they were trying to sell a bunch of.
Now, I’m kind of used to this sort of thing. As a business teacher, people often pass along bits and things that they feel represent cool/unethical/bad/great examples of marketing for me to use. I get forwarded stuff, talked to in the hall, whatever. I like it – it gives me fresh course materials and makes me realize that other teachers find what I teach cool. Or something.
But I soon realized that this wasn’t the case.
As I looked at the promotional flyer, I saw a little note: From your S.S.
Seriously. This was my gift.
I don’t want to sound like a spoiled ingrate. I probably still will, but whatever. I had spent a lot of time thinking about what my Secret Santa would like. I read the profile sheet over and genuinely wanted to make this person happy. I mean, that’s the point – do something nice for someone else. But a cardboard piece of junk mail? Seriously.
My Santa followed this up by actually missing a day and then giving a couple other junk gifts. This was years and years ago, but the general suckiness has lingered. Writing this list was both catharsis and entertainment.
I really do think Secret Santas are great, as long as you don’t get any of these gifts…
15 Quick, Cheap & Terrible Ideas for Your Office Secret Santa…
1. Backstage passes to monthly All Staff Meeting
2. Perfume or makeup sample from Val-Pak mailer (or torn from a magazine)
3. Handmade coupon good for “One(1) High Five”
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| Not awkward! |
4. A half-completed word jumble from an old newspaper: “Gave you a head start!”
5. Personalized parking spot located in the shopping centre across the road from your office
6. A literal Mixtape
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| Depeche Mode AND Spin Doctors?!!? You shouldn’t have… |
7. Dealcoholized/Decaffeinated anything
8. A Like/Retweet/Follow on social media
9. Starbucks Card with $1.24 left on it
10. A workspace motivational poster
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| A workplace classic. |
11. Copy-machine waste toner tube with ends cut off and “Monochrome Kaleidoscope” written on it
12. A Youtube link to “Jingle all the Way: FULL VERSION” emailed anonymously with the subject line: Enjoy!
13. Scotch mints and food safe markers
14. Setting their desk phone to play Christmas Carols and disabling the mute
15. A printed off Jacquie Lawson eCard from your mom with your name scratched out and theirs written in
Robin and Ed are a DIY-loving couple with over 25 years of design and build experience. Also, Robin is a Nutritionist and former Registered Dietitian and Ed is an award-winning Business Educator. We share strategies for living a rich life on a DIY budget: creative money-savvy ideas for a stylish home, healthy meals and family fun. Our work has been published in the pages of Do It Yourself, Farmhouse Style and Better Homes & Gardens magazines.
