To kick off the Emily Lucille holiday gift guide series (and the launch of the new Holiday page here on the blog) I thought I’d start with one that always throws me for a loop — gifts for coworkers. Now I don’t know about your office, but at mine we do a white elephant gift exchange and last year it got pretty intense. I swear there were multiple fights over fuzzy blankets, bottles of wine and candles…
With last year’s experience in mind, I wanted to share some gift ideas (under $25) that would be perfect for an office gift exchange, a boss or even a favorite coworker. I decided to stick to gifts $25 and under because I feel like it tends to be the limit in most exchanges, as well as an acceptable amount of money to spend on gifts for coworkers in general.
Below you’ll find gifts across a variety of categories including gifts for home, gift cards, gifts for the office (so many cute planners!), wine and more.
For the Home
There’s something exciting about a new cozy blanket or candle during the holiday season. We currently have two blankets I received during the holidays on our couch and use them everyday! Blankets and candles also happen to be two of the easiest gifts to find during the holiday season — hello Bath & Body Works and Home Goods! In addition to candles and blankets I’ve rounded up some other fun home accessories that your coworkers will definitely love (or even fight for in a gift exchange)…
Gift Cards
Personally I love a good gift card and I think they are a great option for a holiday gift exchange. Last year my gift was actually a Starbucks gift card and a cute mug, but I’ve been thinking about some alternatives as I think most people tend to go the coffee route. This year I’ve come up with some not-so-typical options below:
- Manicure gift card – my office happens to be pretty close to a couple of nail salons, so if yours is too, a gift card for a manicure might be a nice option! It’s a great treat yo’ self gift and I know that I would certainly love to win this in a gift exchange.
- Lunch gift card – again, my office happens to be close to a few popular spots for lunch, so I was thinking about maybe purchasing a gift card for my white elephant exchange to somewhere like Chopt, The Granola Bar (for my Fairfield County friends who are familiar with this popular Stamford/Greenwich/Westport spot), Chipotle, etc. In addition to yummy food, I like this option because it’s nice to get out of the office for lunch once in a while.
Gifts for the Office
If you’re anything like me, you love a good desk accessory, mug, water bottle, planner, etc. I don’t usually tend to want to buy these items for myself, but when gifted them I am always excited. Below are some fun, office-friendly items that I’ve had my eye on and think would be great gifts.
Wine
In my opinion you can never go wrong with wine, and bonus, it’s probably the easiest gift option on this guide. I mean, you can get wine almost anywhere and most liquor stores will wrap the bottle for you. In my experience, red seems to go quicker than white in an exchange and the person who ends up with it is usually pretty happy. I am by no means a wine expert, but my favorite red at the under $25 price point is Meiomi’s Pinot Noir. I love drinking this wine throughout the colder months, and I’ve even turned my best friend onto it as well (hi Courtney – we’ve come a long way from our Carlo Rossi days… anyone else remember Carlo Rossi?!). Wine is definitely a great option if you need a last minute gift, and Meiomi is definitely my go-to!
More (aka everything else that I love but didn’t have a category for!)
This is a random but important category. This category is made up of other gift ideas for coworkers/work gift exchanges that are awesome if you aren’t feeling any of the other ideas in this post. Personally I think when buying a gift you have to know who you are buying for. For example, last year I bought my boss a bunch of different hand lotions from L’Occitane because I knew she would love/use them. I might buy a coworker that I’m closer with a Fresh Tinted Lip Treatment because I know they are a huge fan. You can find a variety of great, thoughtful gift options for under $25, you just have to think about who you work with and what they enjoy!
What are your favorite gifts for coworkers? I would love to hear what you’re buying for your colleagues/office gift exchanges this holiday season.
Great suggestions! Will put this list to good use. Love you! Miss you! zoxo
Thank you so much! Love and miss you too! Xo
Cuuuute, I want it all. please and thank you.
Thank you, Binney!! Xo
Great suggestions!
Thank you so much!