£20 Secret Santa for a colleague I don't know very well... wwyb?

[DollyMixtureLulus]

Is there such a thing as a thoughtful neutral gift?

Not a candle! It's a marmite gift

I'd like a Christmas decoration of some kind, a nice mug and coaster (maybe with posh biscuits or coffee) or some stationery (notebook/journal and nice pens) but I like the sleep gift set or the mini hamper previously suggested

I would like:
Fortnums tea and biscuits
A Papier notebook or a Moleskine notebook
A vase and a bunch of flowers
Prosecco and nice chocolates
One or two really beautiful glass or pottery Christmas tree decorations
A locally made ceramic vase or mug
Really lovely cashmere mix socks (not 100% cashmere because I'd want to be able to machine wash them)

Tbh I would love a gift voucher. M&S, Boots or even TK Maxx

If you don't know them then either get something consumable (tricky admittedly if you don't know what they can eat), or a gift voucher.

What type of hair does she have?
I’ve had some really odd secret Santa presents over the years but for me the Dock & Bay hair wrap I got last year was a brilliant buy.
I wasn’t entirely sure what it was when I opened the box but I use it every time I wash my hair - It’s so much better than a towel, both in the way it gets rid of the excess moisture in my hair and the speed it dries
You could always make the difference up with something else hair related, or if you were buying for me a bar of Tony’s Chocolonely would go down a treat. There isn’t a flavour I don’t like so you could choose the one that has a wrapper that matches the colour of the hair wrap!
Thank you!

Afternoon tea hamper
Scones, cream, jam, tea bags etc

@LimaFoxtrotCharlie
I’m sure most people could find something to buy in M&S, even if it’s just socks or knickers. But if you’re the kind of person who’d stick a voucher in a drawer and not even bother to pass it on to someone who’d appreciate it, perhaps not.

@millymae

What type of hair does she have? I’ve had some really odd secret Santa presents over the years but for me the Dock & Bay hair wrap I got last year was a brilliant buy. I wasn’t entirely sure what it was when I opened the box but I use it every time I wash my hair - It’s so much better than a towel, both in the way it gets rid of the excess moisture in my hair and the speed it dries You could always make the difference up with something else hair related, or if you were buying for me a bar of Tony’s Chocolonely would go down a treat. There isn’t a flavour I don’t like so you could choose the one that has a wrapper that matches the colour of the hair wrap! Thank you!

Ooh. I'm nicking the hair wrap idea for DD.

Thank you @millymae

Bottle of gin and one of the following
A novel
Christmassy plant
Chocolate
Nice soap

Please no candles! I'm still working through candles I was given last year!
The best Secret Santa I was given was a scarf and gloves set from M&S, because they will accept returns no bother and I was able to use the credit to buy a gift for someone else!
So include a gift receipt and buy from somewhere easy to return to

Not gin! Horrible stuff - unless you know she likes it.

As a gin lover (who'd have guessed ) I wouldn't assume that some one else would like it.

Also, as a gin lover I don't want gin fudge, gin truffles, gin and lemon cakes or flavoured gin. I just like good old plain gin flavoured gin.

M&S gin liqueur snow globe maybe?

I’d be pleased by a small indoor plant and a ceramic plant pot.

Also be pleased to receive the new Nigella book as suggested by a previous poster. I bought the Dishoom book in lockdown (think it was about £12). Made a lot and all lovely but some of the spices were hard to get - the book plus a couple of the obscure ingredients would be good (can be ordered off eBay). Nigel Slater Christmas chronicles is quite a nice one to own as a mixture of recipe and winter traditions etc.

Silk pillowcase
Subversive teatowels (I have one from radicalteatowel.co.uk)
Personalised keepcup

Deliveroo/just eat voucher?

@Thepilotlightsgoneout

Cookery book. Most people like them and even if they don’t cook, they like having them on display in their kitchen.

That's a pretty good idea actually.

£20!!!!! For a secret Santa?

Please don’t opt for amazon or a big retailer that is able to be open and trade now. You could get a gift or voucher from a small independent shop. They have to stay closed now which is a massive financial challenge. You can help their business survive. Maybe she might become a regular customer there in the future so you’d be doing good twice over.

@Ylvamoon

I am in the process of making a Christmas survival box 2020! for my secret Santa (female late 30's £10.- ) so far I have Christmas socks, Wooden Santa tree decoration and "dinner for 2" = packet of soup mix that serves 2! I just need something sweet and toying with the idea of a mug cake set ... If I get one for £ 5.- ! ...

You are seriously buying someone packet soup for Christmas?

Confused as to why people think £20 is a lot... it'll barely buy you anything. £5 would buy a box of chocolates but fuck all else.

@Ylvamoon

I am in the process of making a Christmas survival box 2020! for my secret Santa (female late 30's £10.- ) so far I have Christmas socks, Wooden Santa tree decoration and "dinner for 2" = packet of soup mix that serves 2! I just need something sweet and toying with the idea of a mug cake set ... If I get one for £ 5.- ! ...

I would find this such a weird fucking gift. Packet soup? Why?

@CorianderLord

Confused as to why people think £20 is a lot... it'll barely buy you anything. £5 would buy a box of chocolates but fuck all else.

I'm not. You must be well paid.

I think most people would begrudge spending £20 on someone they barely know or don't even like very much.

@CorianderLord

Confused as to why people think £20 is a lot... it'll barely buy you anything. £5 would buy a box of chocolates but fuck all else.

Er.... because people have different budgets ?

In our family we don't spend that much on brothers and sister, nieces and nephews. I'd be damned if I were going to spend that much buying something for someone I hardly know and as this thread proves am statistically likely to get wrong

Are you really lacking that much in either imagination or empathy ?

I'd hate most of the suggestions on here! I'd get a bottle of Prosecco and the rest in amazon vouchers. Fully appreciate that some would hate this suggestion too!!