My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Christmas

Gift ideas for older female colleagues

60 replies

LongWalkShortPlank · 14/10/2018 10:38

I started a new job in September and I work with 4 other ladies. I'm the youngest by 20 years and I'm a little stuck on something lovely I can get for them that fits in with the budget they have of around £5-10 per person. I dont know them well enough yet and I'm stumped! Help! Grin

OP posts:
Report
AjasLipstick · 14/10/2018 11:15

What's "older" I'm 46...that's probably older is it?

I like nail polish the same as I always did! Also nice hand cream. Other than that, a mug with a Cafe Nero voucher? Or just a nice travel cup.

Report
Fstar · 14/10/2018 11:36

Candle (asda do yankee under tenner), molton brown hand cream, nice bubble bath and face mask, starbucks giftcard, nice mug and some shortbread,

Report
Angelcd · 14/10/2018 11:47

Id say the same nail polish is always a winner with me & mugs cant go wrong.x

Report
GreenTulips · 14/10/2018 11:48

Bottle of Presseco

Report
QuaterMiss · 14/10/2018 11:51

Single bar of chocolate from a proper chocolatier. (Preferably not Hotel Chocolat.)

Token gifts on such a tiny budget do seem a bit of a waste of time and effort though. Surely better to all go out for a glass of wine? Get to know them better ...

Report
LongWalkShortPlank · 14/10/2018 11:54

The oldest will be 60-70, I'm the youngest at 28 myself. We will be having a Christmas meal in the New year, we pushed it back due to circumstances of health. I'm usually fantastic at gifts and was thinking something along the lines of a nice hand cream each, some little chocolates and in a nice cup or pot of some kind. I just wondered if there was something a bit nicer I was forgetting about!

OP posts:
Report
QuaterMiss · 14/10/2018 12:00

Thing is OP - lots of women over what - 40? 50? - don’t actually care for ‘nice’. And we have expensive tastes. Nothing I’m likely to buy for myself would be within your budget (other than maybe a magazine or emery boards!) and I wouldn’t be terribly grateful for random bits and pieces for the sake of Christmas ritual.

Report
primoestate · 14/10/2018 12:20

What are they like? Have a proper look at them all, listen to what they like.
Then buy the best quality thing you can no matter how small.
Or even a lovely Christmas bauble?
Or a small orchid plant?
Or a lovely bar of soap....TKMaxx have high end soaps at good prices.
Ask them their favourite smells at Christmas and buy a candle to suit them.
HTH.

Report
tentative3 · 14/10/2018 13:26

I'd rather a scratch card or a coffee shop gift card than most of what you've said. It's a lovely idea but I think more and more the tide is turning against 'stuff'. If you want something more festive then consumables - a couple of lovely boxed minced pies if you have a nice farm shop or fancy bakery, a single bar of great chocolate as someone else said, even a jar of fancy jam (but in a normal flavour!).

Report
Yika · 14/10/2018 13:32

I am 52 and don't have expensive tastes. I think I would like pretty much the same things as a 30 year old.

Nice office Christmas presents could include nice stationery or office supplies of all kinds, magnets, coaster, photo frame, packet of fancy tea, small plant (poinsettia)? (as well as other suggestions mentioned above).

Report
Hairytangerine · 14/10/2018 13:36

I would hate nail polish.

I would love a fake chill bottle to keep drinks hot and cold £6.99 to max

Report
Hairytangerine · 14/10/2018 13:36

Tk max

Report
christmaschristmaschristmas · 14/10/2018 13:37

I would buy a l'occitane hand cream set and give one each along with a mug and a nice card.

Report
WaxOnFeckOff · 14/10/2018 13:44

I would buy a l'occitane hand cream set and give one each along with a mug and a nice card.

Wow, where do you shop that you can get all that for £5-10 per person?

Report
QuaterMiss · 14/10/2018 13:47

Indeed ...

(I know about TK Maxx - great place - but I’d much rather rummage there myself than have someone else choose bargains for me.)

Report
WaxOnFeckOff · 14/10/2018 13:49

I'm older - early 50s, I don't have expensive tastes but I don't drink tea or coffee or paint my nails - I'm a pain to buy for! I'd just concentrate on getting to know them. Are present obligatory? I wouldn't expect anything at all.

Our office is quite dry so hand cream/lip balm does come in very handy.

I have this one and I love it:

www.feelunique.com/p/Eos-Smooth-Active-Pink-Grapefruit-SPF30-Lip-Balm-7g?gclid=CjwKCAjw0oveBRAmEiwAzf6_rAsINPidVLCubfVTcd8TTaMyaOiyPa1f8xh-UfCaiEVrrqSBGWKeRRoC3HcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Report
SimplyPut · 14/10/2018 13:50

Are you sure you 'do gifts' in your office? Our office has a secret santa - £20 and no tat/joke gift rule.

Sainsbury's have lovely boxed candles down to £2.50 at the moment. I would rather something I can use than stuff if you know what I mean.

Report
WaxOnFeckOff · 14/10/2018 13:52

They have those lip balms in different varieties. One of those with a little hand ceam would be lovely.

They have this one at £1.50 on the same site:

www.feelunique.com/p/Bubble-T-Bath--Body-Hand-Cream-in-Lemongrass--Green-Tea-100ml

Report
SimplyPut · 14/10/2018 13:52

Also never paint my own nails.

Report
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 14/10/2018 13:59

No to mugs, cheap handcream etc.

If you want handcream, Aveda Hand Relief comes in a mini version and is about £8. That and a bar of decent choc or TK Maxx Nesti Dante soap would be a nice gift for a tenner.

Or a small box of 'posh' local chocs.

Or one of these

Or a pretty bauble for the Christmas tree.

Or a bottle of Prosecco.

Report
AjasLipstick · 14/10/2018 14:35

See it's silly! I'd hate a bauble or a magazine. I don't drink alcohol either.

I'd love a mug or a nail polish!

"Older" is like saying "Younger". We're all different. Just get them all chocolates.

Report
AjasLipstick · 14/10/2018 14:36

And as for that Fiorelli bag! No!

Report

Newsletters you might like

Discover Exclusive Savings!

Sign up to our Money Saver newsletter now and receive exclusive deals and hot tips on where to find the biggest online bargains, tailored just for Mumsnetters.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Parent-Approved Gems Await!

Subscribe to our weekly Swears By newsletter and receive handpicked recommendations for parents, by parents, every Sunday.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Thinkingofausername1 · 14/10/2018 14:42

Candles, luxury hand cream, photo frames, scarf, or even just flowers 💐 or a nice plant pot for a plant 

Report
TruelyTruelyScrumptious · 14/10/2018 14:43

if you are gift giving in january everyone will be on a diet by then, so not chocolate or biscuits. They will also be alcohol free.

I would just get each a bunch of flowers on the day that you meet up.

Report
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 14/10/2018 14:45

I've got one of those fold-up bags, and also got my daughter one - they are really useful. Ours are plain black though.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.