Holiday gifts for co-workers?

[bluethruandthru]

I'm wondering what others here do (if anything) for holiday gifts for co-workers. I always get gifts for those in my department...but I work very closely with many others and would like to do something for them as well. In the past I've made food gifts...which is such a huge project. ..and I've given small things - like candles, pens, etc. I'm just wondering if anyone else has a situation like this and what kind of gifts you've given. I need to keep the cost down since there's probably about 20 people.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

1. Food - everyone I know likes food.

So I treat them to tasty treats and the recipe if they like it.

[bluethruandthru]

2. Any suggestions?

I think the easiest food gift I've ever done is chocolate covered pretzels. I use the rod kind then dip them in white, milk or dark chocolate and roll in crushed peppermint sticks, oreos, butterfingers, etc. Not hard...just time consuming.

I'd love other thoughts!

[mad-mommy]

3. Hey, we're both thinking about the same things...

My husband runs into a problem at work. He is a manager, but not the top manager. He has 50 people that he works with. There is no way we could afford to buy something for all of those people. The people above him don't buy anything for anyone, and they stopped the holiday bonus. He brings in a large bagel or cookie basket for everyone one day. I was working very limited hrs last year at x-mas. The girls all wanted to do a gift exchange, and honestly, I did not have the money to go in on it, and several people were hired that I never even met. I just politely declined and brought in cookies for everyone one evening I worked. If people are offended by that, that's their problem for not understanding that holidays are not always about gifts. If you have the finances and you enjoy ( and I stress the word enjoy here) doing it, go for it. People should appreciate the gift no matter what it is. if you decide that maybe you want to stop doing it, and maybe feel others in your shoes are on the same page, why not type a memo and say that due to the number of people, time, etc, that the office won't be gift exchanging this year, and maybe plan a night out where everyone pays their own way, or how about a small office party where everyone brings something in ? Don't torture yourself though, and good luck.

[Catshrink]

4. Rather than a gift or something else to hassle about...

how about instead of a gift exchange, everyone pool their money and donate it to a food kitchen or other charity. Or you could sponsor a family or do a mitten tree thing for needy kids.

I tried to convince my sisters to do something like this in memory of our mom -- maybe next year but I sprung the idea too late on them this year.

This idea does several things: first of all, it reminds us that others don't have as much as we do or that there are causes (juvenile diabetes, heart disease, AIDS, etc.) bigger than ourselves. That's the altruistic aspect. The other is self-preservation -- we all have too much to do for our families so this simplifies things. And, on the snotty side, most of us already have enough crap around the house we don't need more and, speaking for myself, my ass is fat enough already so I don't need more cookies or candy.

Call me scrooge, but this is my take on it.

[mad-mommy]

5. I like this idea!