Secret Santa - got the boss

[fingersdoublecrossed]

Suggestions, please!

Secret Santa has been drawn at work today, and I've got the boss.

Elegant and sophisticated lady in her 50s, don't know much about her, definitely not a novelty/joke gift, budget £10.

I'm already stressed about it! 🤦‍♀️

Individual Tea Infuser (Whittard does one for £10)
Penguin Clothbound Classic Book ( Christmas Stories is under £10)
Neom Ceramic Staff Diffuser and some chocs
Candle Carousel/Spinner, they're a Diptyque knockoff
Molton Brown Bauble also a good idea

I got the boss last year. I got her a reed diffuser for her office and she really liked it

An air plant, she can have it on her desk or at home, doesn’t need feeding and they are small and intricate- something you may appreciate more at work on hold or when the pizza wheel of doom is turning on the pc

Saint Julia Malbec often on offer around £10.
White company Seychelles hand gel.
Oliver bonas have a few nice umbrellas down to £10 in the sale.
Tote bag.

A fluffy hot water bottle

Cosy gloves with a touch screen finger pad, or heat tech gloves from uniqlo which also work on phone screens.

We bought a retiring teacher who was always a bit scary a vibrator from the pound shop. She could stop laughing

Couldn't

A friend recently gave me the Oliver Bonas collapsible cup and it's fantastic. As a mid 40s boss, I'd be delighted to receive something like that.

Last year one of my team got me a personalised apron, which is totally epic, but that's because they knew how much I love baking. Otherwise you can't go wrong with a good quality mug (still love the one I got a few years back), something small from the White Company or Oliver Bonas (who have a sale on at the moment) or something neutral like nice lip balm. Good luck!

This years Booker winner (The Promise by Damon Galgutt) is £10 on Amazon at the moment. It's also absolutely fantastic (IMO) so if she's a reader it would be well received.

Please don't buy tea. I would be so disappointed to receive tea. Dont like it.

Travel coffee mug, the Bailey's from Morrison's sounds really good, nice gel Ink pen.

A nice candle - TKMaxx have some nice ones around that price.

As an almost mid 50 boss - although not sure about the elegant bit! - I would be pleased with almost everything suggested, but as others have said steer clear of scarves!

I wouldn't go for handcream/soap etc, it's such a personal choice, some people use certain brands because of skin issues etc (I can only use certain stuff otherwise it irritates my skin, so anything like that bought for me gets regifted or eventually thrown away)

Look up silly sentiments (was filthy sentiments) they gave some good novelty items.

I once got the chief exec in secret santander, I bought her an arty farty Christmas sign type thing and a few marching baubles for the tree......apparently she still uses them to this day (6 years on) x

A little ternanium set for her desk - once you have it all planted and going it’s a wee ecosystem of it’s own so easy for leaving at work as decor but not worrying about watering it!

A nice water bottle if she drinks that at office. Or a nice mug with a silly slogan on like this mug is for gin.

I am also into the WTF notebooks. The have different slogans on. There 11.99 but it might be worth it

No scarf please - cashmere and silk are over budget and those within not so coveted and very much a matter of personal taste!

Maybe some nice coffee, Fortnum & Mason biscuits, Hotel du Chocolat chocolates, M&S gift voucher if desperate??

Good luck OP!

Re the collapsable cup, think it's a Stojo. Can get them in a few places if you aren't near an Oliver Bonas. I recommend the water bottle too.

I'm in my 50s (but not elegant) and not keen on a scarf or any kind of gift set.

I thought a novel, a new one she won't have read, bottle of Prosecco (even tho it will be undrinkable 🤔) or some gorgeous chocolate from Hotel Chocolat, or a reed diffuser is a good idea.

Things I’ve seen my (similar profile) 50s boss appreciate:

Luxe Christmas tree bauble - try Anthropologie
Gorgeous notebook
Lottery scratch card

Please don’t get tea or coffee unless you know they drink it. I hate tea and wouldn’t want to get that.

A Radley tote bag?

One of my favourite ever Secret Santa gifts was these Christmassy playing cards. We always use them in December/early January if we play a game.

Unless you know she likes Alcohol, Coffee, Tea, then dont get any of those!

I dont drink so wouldnt like Alcohol

Depends on the budget so a little tricky to say apart from some of the very good suggestions already, if she likes chocolate then good but still affordable options are Hotel Chocolat, Montezumas, Willie's, Tony Chocolonely; chocochoc do some fun packs; fudge lovers might enjoy Fudge Kitchen; Ocado has some nice sounding chocolate and other gifts from Harrods and Harvey Nichols; also chocolate bombs with marshmallows inside them; good coffee; nice handcream as suggested; small enamel pin in hobby she might like (eg camera for photographer); local artisan gin if she drinks...and if she has a PA definitely ask them!