- Last Minute Gift Ideas for Secret Pal - Ivan Prole
Whether you use the term "Secret Santa" or "Secret Pal," joining in Christmas gift games like this can be a fun part of the holiday season. In a typical game, names are put into a bowl and everyone joining in a Secret Pal exchange chooses a name. The giver only knows his or her giftee, and they are not allowed to get a shopping list for buying the right office gifts (if the exchange is at work) or personal item (if the Christmas gift game is at home). Last minute gift ideas are hard to come by, though, so here are a few Secret Santa gifts to help for those in a rush.
Office Gifts for the Secret Pal
What happens when it's Secret Santa gifts day and the giver isn't prepared? Realizing that office gifts are required for the exchange while on the way to work can be a moment of panic. A few last minute gift ideas for the Secret Pal, though, include:
- Exotic or high-quality fruit
- Wine or hard liquor, if the giftee drinks
- High-quality coffee
- A good tea set, including loose tea and a proper teapot
- 70% or higher dark chocolate
One of the easiest last-minute Secret Santa gifts is, of course, the electronic gift card. E-cards help you to buy a Christmas gift that is useful. Research your options and take advantage of any promotion that gives you a last minute gift that the recipient will enjoy. The relief of having the right gift card and getting it to the gift exchange on time makes buying online worth it.
Secret Santa Gifts for the Christmas Gift Games
Secret Santa gifts don't have to be exclusive office gifts for colleagues, though. The challenge with being someone's Secret Pal is that the giver can't ask for a list of ideas. The giver has to be creative, and yet buy something appropriate. Last minute gift ideas for these Christmas gift games can also include the following:
- Picture holders that double as tree ornaments
- A travel coffee mug from a local coffee shop and a gift card for refills
- A micro SD card for the giftee's digital camera (also good for cell phones)
If you only have a few days before the exchange, take advantage of free shipping and low-cost rush shipping from major retailers. If you're really down to the wire, look for unique gift ideas that give you the right item and that can meet your needs immediately. Information about gifts is always free, so do as much research as possible, even with limited time, to order or buy the right item.
Ultimate Last Minute Gift Ideas
With one hour before the Christmas gift games, what are some good Secret Santa gifts? If a convenience store is nearby, or a computer with Internet access available, all a giver needs is a credit card and a few minutes for these last minute gift ideas for the Secret Pal:
- iTunes gift certificate--sent straight to their email
- Lottery tickets--be prepared to be gracious if they win!
- A donation to a charity that is meaningful to the giftee (print a lovely card from the website)
- Amazon.com gift cards--like iTunes, sent straight to their email
The super-rushed gift means you have to buy an electronic gift certificate. There's no shame in doing so, and most people will love the versatility. While you can go for music and books, which most folks will like, don't forget about other major e-gift cards for companies like Godiva, Groupon (yes, you can give a gift certificate to Groupon and stretch the dollars!), and more.
Wrapping the Last Minute Gift
Secret Santa gifts etiquette does not permit shoving a hastily-purchased office gift in a convenience store bag at the Secret Pal, so finding some sort of wrapping for the Christmas gift games is critical. If wrapping choices are available at the same store where the present is purchased, then that is the obvious choice.
Creative wrapping ideas for last minute gift ideas include:
- Desperately asking an overly-organized office colleague to take mercy and lend some wrapping
- Comics from a newspaper put in the recycling bin
- A sheet of dollar bills taped together to form wrapping paper (if the gift is small)
In the end, the Secret Santa gifts are supposed to be fun. Last minute gift ideas help the unprepared, but office gifts don't have to be fancy, complicated, or even well-planned to be enjoyed. For these Christmas gift games, a Secret Pal will enjoy something from the suggestions here, or from well-researched and whimsical ideas found in online and print promotions.
To read more about Secret Santa tips, go to: Best Secret Pal Gift Ideas. If you're looking for truly weird and unique gift ideas, check out Philosophy Books as Unusual Christmas Gifts and Weird History Books for Christmas Gifts.
Melanie Zoltan - Melanie Zoltan is a former college professor and administrator who has written for About.com, PCWorld, Brain Child, Thomson Gale, and ...
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