What to buy in office secret Santa if you don’t know the person at all?

[MaryLeith]

Any idea welcome! Apparently she loves dogs. Budget £10.

I think a coffee shop gift card is a good idea!

Matching reindeer headband for her and her dog, dog fleece, nice engraved wooden Xmas decoration, Xmas fluffy bed socks.

I think if she says she likes Dogs, that is because she hates Secret Santa, and so picked one thing that narrows the choice. I always say I love stationary; I mean, I like it, but then I always get stationary, which never goes to waste.

https://shop.battersea.org.uk/collections/stocking-fillers-for-humans tote bag, christmas decoration, mug, key ring, tea towel. All of which can be regifted or used fairly easily and if nothing else contributes to a charity.

A dog themed reusuable bag. One of those ones that fold in on themsleves and are small. I got one for a secret sanata before and i still use it now.

A dog themed pen/post it/organiser pad. I use these at work and pretty ones make me happier.

I'd go for fun and practical gifts.

Avoid chocolate, alcohol or anything skincare/producty as you don't know her preferences or requirements.

I once got given wine and chocolate as a gift at work a few months after starting a job. No one had bothered to get to know me (it was an awful job). I don't drink alcohol and am vegan. Lets just say it was the most unwanted gift i've received. Plus was I could regift it and save some money.

Does she have a dog?

Loving all dogs and loving her dog are two different things.

I would stick with Xmas themed. If she hasn't made you aware of a preference or allergy go for chocolates/hot chocolate set or a Xmas candle. She can always regift.

Greggs / Costa / Starbucks voucher? Or equivalent that's close to your work?

Do you know if she has a dog? If so a nice tin of biscuits for her, and one for the dog might go down well.

Or a dog calendar, at least with a calendar if its not greatly to your taste you only have it for a year. As suggested earlier something that supports an animal charity would be good, she should like that aspect, whatever she thinks of the gift.

This

No to diaries or calendars because there's a limit on how many you need, and they are old very quickly. Stationery could be regifted.
Candles, mugs, pens etc. - tat
Chocolates/biscuits could go in the food bank or regifted
Booze - not everyone drinks
Gift tokens are a bit impersonal but are better than tat.

I'd choose to not take part give something useful and inexpensive like a swiss army credit card tool or torch.

Chocolates in the shape of dogs

Spending money on someone you don't know in secret santa feels like a christmas tax to me.

It's very person dependent unfortunately. I think I'm quite normal though, so perhaps my thoughts will help.

Personally I'd like a nice bar of soap (Nesti Dante or similar) fancy biscuits I wouldn't buy for myself, or a book (probably with a gift receipt in case I already have it). I like being given new books to try that I might not have chosen.

Chocolate is fine, wine is ok but less exciting to me. I like the idea of a Christmas decoration, but I'm a bit fussy so might not be as keen in real life! A foldable bag plus trolley token was a nice one one year, but it depends how many she has.

Stationery maybe, I'd like something useful like a memo block. Something like a bag to put your cables in when you travel might seem a bit weird, but is actually really useful.

I don't really like candles, and I have a set of mugs that match my plates so I don't really use odd ones. I also don't like hot chocolate but I think I might be unusual there.

I never overthink it. If I don't know someone at all I do fall into the booze/chocolate trap, because most people do like those things (at least in my circle). If I know a bit about the person (AKA that they don't drink) I will take that into account. I hate buying for people I know little bits of info about because at least with someone I don't know I won't even try to guess what they like.

My mum (a teacher) does secret Santa at her work, and alcohol goes down very well. The people she works with always joke that teachers need it after the long term before christmas.

Socks and a mug - not necessarily doggy themed.

M&S gift card .

I'd like gloves or something like that that you can never have too many of. Assuming also she has a dog she would get the use of them. Wouldn't appreciate a candle or booze cos I don't drink so have stacks of candles

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sticky-Notes-Dog-Adhesive-Children/dp/B0C5SR9WTD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=OW99YZRW9RU8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8KNUsXK3Hf0GatxVUHUVosx3kErGWBR3Ovqhhg_yo1tzgjGvRyhf-X_rj7AJsDEhSag3vtTS8PgJn2BmehZxNqv9saRIox8bKkG9_M3qDKpU_1U0600vqWWf2GCvgDylc51pbeZMBy462ExqpKDRH5LZoaMhhuvuELWvbn8gUrXsLtQbDWuKPbTQ9ZEsMQT1sfQ5uGstlC6ZO_vml-tmxUFna3A9dEzW9xQLWAZNNuaMCC6sMsh3ahHRy-Oj-F4r7uHC4xOaYM-lEk9U9tbd76OciqVtNWOgffSRrHhIxK8.Nfw16XUSouwe5dwaptGMHdcLJg-n9trbCa2y4wcwKBo&dib_tag=se&keywords=sticky+notes+set+dogs&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1732108001&sprefix=sticky+notes+set+dogs%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1&smid=A370ERP12DRTD8

I got one similar to this last year, they come all prices so you could add a pen.

i love mine, it lives on the kitchen side (hopefully get another this year I have hinted )

OP can't go asking her about her likes and dislikes, then it won't be secret!

I would run with the one thing you know about her (that she likes dogs, not that she's hard to work with) and buy an everyday thing that will get used - mug, drinking glass, cereal bowl along with a small chocolate gift (easy to regift if you don't like choc). I might even buy something for the dog instead if she actually has one, silly but I love getting gifts for my cats!

My dog loving DP enjoyed this book (dogs are one of the species): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamed-Species-that-Changed-World/dp/178633061X#:~:text=In%20Tamed%2C%20Alice%20Roberts%20uncovers,–%20and%2C%20finally%2C%20humans.

Or if you know what type of dog she has, a little felt tree decoration would be cute.

Not a mug - we get given new mugs as gifts every damned year and are forever binning or charity shopping them because we have far too many. (Bloody easter egg mugs are a particular pain). They are such a default "easy present" and I swear they multiply in the cupboard when we aren't looking.

Gift cards for the local coffee shop to work if you want very easy.
Something indulgent and consumable like a box of good florentines (if no allergies). A dog charity christmas ornament - is there a particular breed? Hand warmers for walking her dog. One of those dog treat pouches, you can get them for about £8.

Have a look on the Oliver Bonas secret santa bit - I always find something in there

Pick a dog charity (Guide Dogs, Battersea, a local rehoming charity), and see if they have gifts that will go towards supporting that charity.

Those tokens that work in shopping trollies are useful!

I can only say that I have lots of mugs, hate candles (DH is astmatic, they are awful for him), don't use any notebook or diary and are very fussy about smellies.

If she drinks tea or coffee, get her a voucher from a chain near work. If she is ok with food, get a nice box of non-Christmasssy chocolate or biscuits she can either re-gift or eat later.

And recommend to everyone that next year no more Secret Santa.

I’d get a mug with dogs on and some socks with dogs on I don’t think you can go far wrong with mugs and socks. Everyone needs socks

I've got plenty of mugs and socks.

I would check she really does like dogs and/or has one. People are very quick to take offence and read inner meanings into Secret Santa. Is she implying I'm an old dog, a B. etc. I still remember the scene caused by my boss being given a tin of catfood one year. She neither owned or liked cats and as we didn't get on well I was suspected of being the gift giver. She was fine to me about it and believed me when we spoke later. I bought a small present for her and swapped it for the catfood so we were both sort of happy.