Secret Santa at work

[Carol52]

We are having a secret Santa at work. I have no idea what the person I have to buy for likes.
we work in a school and are all business support / first ciders etc,
the lady is around fifty (I don’t know) for sure.
The limit is £10.00. I thought a mug or something . Any ideas please .

https://curaprox.co.uk/toothbrushes/manual-toothbrushes/toothbrush-cs-5460-christmas-edition-2025-ultra-soft-2-pcs-p728

Secret Santa is not for you if you're going to be disappointed by a generic gift that you don't really want. That's very much the remit of Secret Santa!

Hi sorry what do you mean both parts ? I have signed up and got 10% off but nothing else
Thanks

Wax melt burner off Amazon and wax melts off Etsy will set you back about £10

£2 over budget but lovely - anything in the Apothecary range is really nice.

Apothecary Calm Hand Wash & Lotion | Apothecary | M&S

Or maybe a pen and notebook - TK Maxx always have nice ones.

Don't go alcohol unless you explicitly know that she drinks.

I think a toothbrush might be quite offensive- she'd might worry that she has noticeably poor dental hygiene!

I'd get a hyacinth or nice foodie treat from M&S

Wtf?

We're using Elfster for ours..I sent an anonymous 'nudge' asking for ideas and got 'world peace'.

Socks and a mug it is then.

I got the large and small one of these for £11, so £1 over budget for my secret santa this year. They are gorgeous in person and I want to keep them for myself! Light up bauble

Chocolates or biscuits from M&S.

Christmas scratch cards

Errrr , I'd be mightily hacked off if someone bought me this .
I'd rather have the wine and I don't drink !

A nice compact handbag mirror . Unless she;s a vampire ( no reflection) everyone needs a mirror .

None of, most of, the above. (if you read this current thread) 😂 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5449320-xmas-gifts-i-hate-receiving

Aargh this is exactly why secret santa needs to die out ASAP!
Not too mention it just adds to the waste at this time of year (sorry) 😬

Bottle of Baileys. Nice biscuits or chocolates, jams or pickles. Winter scented candle. Fancy pannettone. Fancy Christmas decoration ie glass bauble. Bubble bath. Bottle of Christmas mead. A recently released book. Lip balms.

All things as a 51 year old woman I’d be grateful to receive.

I think I’d buy a succulent in a nice pot

Anything except for the Costa or Starbucks voucher suggestion 😳 I actually quite like the mug idea, so long as it’s a nice mug from an independent shop, not some Merry Christmas s*e or anything like that.

Go onto silver rain website. Lovely 925 earrings for less than a tenner a loads of choice.

I have this set, it’s lovely. Perhaps M&S Black Friday might take it down to £10

Calendar. Waterstones have a good range of art calendars this year.
Or a nice notebook and pen

Scarf doesn't need to mean a fluffy woolly scarf. I've got several long ones of different fabrics, colours and designs, a couple of which I bought from a 70s style retro shop.

At £10 it doesn't need overthinking, it just needs not to be tat.

I'd rather have a mug than a candle or smellies, especially a china one that's nice to drink from.

Ideally speak to someone who knows her and ask what she's into. Or you could have a conversation with your colleague and ask her yourself.

Lush do a bath bomb set for £10 and its already wrapped!

This would be a terrible present imo
Lush stinks
I don't have baths

Chocolate and wine is the safest bet

So many examples here of why Secret Santa is a terrible idea. I can't imagine any time, ever, when I'd use a handbag mirror (or when I'd have it with me if I needed it). Ive managed to get to 55 without ever "needing" one.