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! 🤦‍♀️

Looks good to me!

A 3pack of durex and some tingly lube.

@fingersdoublecrossed

I've never started a thread with so many replies before - thank you!! 😂

I might go a bit over budget.. we have to have visible IDs so I thought about a rose-gold lanyard with an extendable cord for getting through security doors. Thought I might drape it over the neck of a bottle of English sparkling wine...
Even if she hates the lanyard, she can still get pissed?!

Perfect.

Work problem-solving solution plus consumable festivity.

Job done.

Not a scarf unless it's a big blanket scarf or chunky knit. All I've had since I turned 35 is bloody fine knit or print scarves for every bloody birthday and Christmas and I've genuinely liked approximately 2 of them, despite now having enough to cover a football field.

Maybe a house plant in a nice pot? Nice teas and/or a strainer if she drinks tea? A desk calendar, planner or to do list from Paperchase if she's the organised type? (To-do list pad and a nice pen is one of my favourite ever received secret santas)

That is an excellent gift for her OP 👏👏👏👏 good work!

One of them hot chocolate gift sets that comes with a nice mug, perhaps a Bailey's flavoured one if appropriate? And some fluffy (but not outrageously coloured) socks. Chances are she'll get use out of atleast one of those things.

A nice scarf? Candle? Posh diary/note book?

I’m also in my 50s and would NOT want scarf, candles, stationery, mug, gloves, book (use a kindle)

Cookery book - recently published one?

The person at our workplace who used to organise the Secret Santa has left and no one has volunteered to take over. I’m actually quite relieved. Every year, a gift goes missing, without fail.

@fingersdoublecrossed

I've never started a thread with so many replies before - thank you!! 😂

I might go a bit over budget.. we have to have visible IDs so I thought about a rose-gold lanyard with an extendable cord for getting through security doors. Thought I might drape it over the neck of a bottle of English sparkling wine...
Even if she hates the lanyard, she can still get pissed?!

But the wine's going to cost at least £20 plus the cost of the lanyard. What's the point of setting a budget if you're not going to stick to it? Upthread, I suggested a bottle of cremant, which will cost around £10 on its own, so there you go, job done.

A nice lanyard is a good idea if you work somewhere where you have to wear one but isn't rose gold going to look dated very soon? Hopefully then manufacturers will stop adding it to appliances etc because I think its horrible.

Interesting - why go over budget for the most well paid person in the room? Every work SS (I’ve stopped joining now) the boss gets some well thought out lovely over budget gifts while the rest of us get Baylis and Harding bath sets 😂

I can do without secret Santas. So stressful.

Love the posts saying any bottle under £10 will be "undrinkable"!
I'm sure most people don't regularly spend more than that!!

Oh for fucks sake. Only on bloody Mumsnet could people consider that a fucking lanyard might look ‘dated’.

Don’t go over budget. You’ll only feel resentful when you open your box of cheap bubble bath and get thrush just on looking at it.

I would get a really nice bottle of wine. It won't be wasted because if she doesn't like it she can open it one evening when she has guests for dinner.

But let's face it, most of these gifts will either be rewrapped and used as gifts next year or used as raffle donations for the school or church so buy something with them in mind.

I think it's more like £11 but there's some BEAUTIFUL bath salts from www.inbloomandco.com

Really luxurious / high end. They actually have 20% off this week so I've stocked up on presents for people (and me 🤣)

I second the idea of a bottle of Cremant eg www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/marks-spencer-classics-no12-brut-cremant-de-bourgogne-42493 which is very drinkable, readily available, in budget and looks Christmassy.

I think it’s important not to go obviously over budget if you’re buying for the boss as that could make her feel a bit uncomfortable.

@JumperandJacket that does look nice - I might treat myself to one of those this weekend!

What about one of this little bottles of champagne or prosecco, with a tiny box of chocolates to make it up to £10 if necessary? I would love that as I am selfish and greedy and would keep it for an occasion when I was alone in the house and could have it all myself.

I second those saying please don't spend over the agreed amount just because it's the boss. Don't overspend anyway, but especially for the boss. It looks like sucking up.

*those. Sigh.

Do people still use notebooks? I quite like the idea of them but I know I would never use one and it would just get left in my bad. I use my phone for notes.

Coffee table type book about something you know she's vaguely interested in? Not as personal as a novel and easily regifted if she doesn't like it.

Someone got me one of those "unusual maps of the world" books for secret santa one year and I was genuinely surprised and pleased with it

It's just a secret Santa. I'd like anything that showed the person buying for me had through about me a bit and not bought something totally generic. Even if they missed the target, it's the thought that would count for me! Mind you, once you've got your secret Santa name it looks really obvious if you start asking your "person" about their tastes in alcohol, chocolate and tea!