[libby02127]

Hi All!

I am looking for ideas for holiday gifts under $30 for my manager to give his direct reports. We encompass Ohio, Michigan and part of Indiana.

Any smart/unusual ideas out there?

[Chrissy Scivicque]

Hi there -

A couple of ideas for you:

1) Fairytale Brownies: these guys are sponsors of OfficeArrow and their brownies are, no joke, unbelievable! Everyone loves a sweet treat - these are gourmet and amazing and they have a huge selection of flavors.

2) Last year, I got my boss and his two partners bottles of wine with custom labels that had a staff picture taken at our annual retreat on them. It also had the company logo and a short poem. They were all so touched - it was pretty inexpensive but very classy. I went through Winsor Vineyards in Sonoma, California. It was a very simple process.

Best of luck!

[deana79]

Although a little inpersonal, gift cards are always quite popular in my office. Amex gift cards, as well as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are usually the big hits. If you are looking for something a little more personal and different, Gifts - Unique gift ideas and personalized gifts at RedEnvelope. has some great gift ideas. You may be able to find something in your budget.

You could also check the Container Store (The Container Store - The Original Storage and Organization Store®). Last year, I found some unusual gifts there, mostly under $30.

Last year, my boss got some of us silver star engraved paperweights from Things Remembered (Personalized Gifts and Unique Gift Ideas at Things Remembered). They go for about $20 each plus the cost of engraving. I never realized how useful paperweights were until I received one. Now, it is always on my desk!

[Stuart Wingate]

I personally like Chrissy's recommendations -- receiving something as a treat -- like the brownies or bottle of wine is a nice touch and will be long-remembered after the act of giving. Problem with gift cards is $30 coming from a company just says "cheap" in my book. A physical gift always has a higher perceived value.

[Christine Jones]

You can make a donation on their behalf at a charity or organization. My supervisor is an animal lover. I am going to make a donation on her behalf at a shelter close to her home.

Give a gift that keeps on giving.

[Chrissy Scivicque]

Christine sparked another idea for me - when she said, "...the gift that keeps on giving."

I got my dad a subscription to Netflix a few years ago and he loved it. I paid for something like 8 months or maybe it was a year (I don't really remember) but it gave him enough time to figure it out and see that he liked it. Then, he could make the decision to continue on his own once the paid subscription ran out. You can do this with magazines too - like National Geographic for a nature lover, or a specific industry magazine. It's kind of nice to have something that, as Christine says, "keeps on giving." And I really liked her idea of doing a donation on behalf of others a lot as well...

[Jodith]

The problem with things like brownies or wine is that people might have dietary or religious restrictions and won't be able to enjoy the gift.

I like the idea of the magazine subscriptions. You can make up a nice card offering a choice from a selection of magazines so people can get something to their liking.

A gift basket of some kind is nice as well. There are a number of gift basket providers these days. You can contact someone local who can give you some suggestions in your price range. Fruit baskets are nice (and less likely to run afoul of persons with dietary restictions), gourmet coffee baskets (although that could hit religious restrictions), baskets with varieties of popcorn, or an assortment of tea with a company mug. I love doing gift baskets, and if you have a small staff where you know a bit about each person, you could actually customize the basket for each one.

[libby02127]

Thank you all for your suggestions!
I think we are leaning towards this:
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