We’ve all been a part of the dreaded secret Santa swap at work. If you’re anything like us, without fail, you’ve drawn the name of the one person in the office who you know nothing about. This year, we’ve scoured online shops for easy, foolproof gifts for all of your cubicle mates. The best part? Nothing is over $25.
Your Eco-Friendly Cubicle Mate: Have a coworker who is always munching on the best local, organic fare during lunch breaks? Then this stainless steel eco-lunchbox is sure to impress. Designed for two sandwich halves with room for chips, fruit, veggies and other snacks on the side, it reduces the need for plastic baggies that will be tossed and end up in the landfill. Plus, it not only fits inside a backpack or briefcase, but it also eliminates all worrying about plastic, lead or BPA. Stainless Steel Lunch Box, by ECOlunchbox.
The Jet-Setting Boss: A calculator? That’s useful for everyday office matters. But a calculator that doubles as a currency converter? Well, that’s impressive. And isn’t that the point with gifts for the person who signs your checks? Every time the man upstairs flies to Tokyo for a big meeting and whips out his trusty converter, he’ll be less confused about the foreign currency exchange—and he’ll have you to thank. At less than $20, this slim pocket device is certainly a sound investment. SmoothTrip ST-C2002 Currency Converter, by Talus.
Your Office BFF: Your on-the-clock bestie deserves something to brighten her day. So give her the gift of a cool gadget that begs people to buy her fresh flowers—or at least compels her to pick up a stem or two for herself on her trek to the office. Plus, this water clock is completely green. The LCD time and date display actually uses water as its energy source. Such an impressive gift! Amazing Water Clock, by Princess Int’l.
The Music Man: You know the guy who is rarely seen around the office without his iPod? The one who always rolls into the break room on Monday mornings and regales you with tales from the rock shows he enjoyed over the weekend? This book is perfect for him. Instead of trying to impress him with some album he either already owns or doesn’t want to own, get him the Music Listography Journal, which will beg him to makes lists of everything from his top 20 fave albums to concerts he wishes he could travel back in time to attend. Music Listography, by Lisa Nola.
Ms. Organized: Every office has one: a super-Type-A-never-late-always-organized perfectionist. She is the one whose perpetually spic-and-span desk is a true wonder. Chances are, if she fits this profile, she also appreciates the value of a good list. That’s where the Listography 2010 Engagement Calendar comes in handy. It provides a full year of list-making bliss with each week featuring a new list topic, including to-do lists, shopping lists and on and on. An organized lady’s dream come true! Listography 2010 Engagement Calendar, by Chronicle Books.
Your Boyfriend-Obsessed Coworker: You know the type. When you ask about her weekend, her vacation plans or her favorite restaurants, her answer always includes a reference to Mr. Right. Give her Love Listography: Your Love Life in Lists, and for less than $15, you’ll give her an outlet to write about (rather than blab endlessly about) her favorite love songs and things of a similar ilk. Love Listography: Your Love Life in Lists, by Lisa Nola.
Your Partner in Crime: Could you imagine a workday without the person whose cubicle offers refuge from the madness of corporate life and the idiosyncrasies of your coworkers? The one whose sarcasm has got you through many office catastrophes? Us either. Crap Jobs: 100 Tales of Workplace Hell provides plenty of fodder—think the most ridiculous, soul-crushing, horrible jobs around—to crack you both up and remind you both that things could always be much, much worse. Crap Jobs: 100 Tales of Workplace Hell, by Dan Kieran.
The Office Cat Lady: We’ve all worked with a woman whose dedication to furry friends rivals that of Angela from The Office. If pictures of her cats in costume line her cubicle walls, The Cutest Sneeze in the World postcard box will definitely win her over. With 30 different strips by the comic artist and author of Cat Getting Out of a Bag, this set will soon be plastered all over her cubicle walls—you know, if her own cat photos haven’t taken up all available space. The Cutest Sneeze in the World, by Jeffrey Brown.
