Secret Santa difficulties...

[benna2]

So the girls in the office (there are six of us) decided to do a Secret Santa present exchange for Christmas. With a group that small, all it takes is one person telling who they have and then everyone finds out! So its no longer a Secret Santa....it's just a Santa I guess.

The girl that has my name is saying that I am hard to buy for. I am not really in need of any "material" things because I am going on my trip. Is there anything in the $20-30 range that could come in handy for a backpacking trip? I personally think I am not that hard to buy for but whatever....

[pinion]

There tons of stuff for backpacking in the $20-$30 range:

compass, flashlight, a book to read while on trains or whatever, a Journal, Photo album for pictures, First Aid Kit, zipper locks, Water Bottle...the list goes on and on!

[TheJake]

oooh yeah I could think of a lotta 20-30 things.
Like everything he said actually...

[mowark]

If you don't already have one, a travel guide might be nice.

[mark-0]

A twenty-sided die is always handy for those difficult decisions and they're pretty cheap. This is a joke between my brother and I, as just before I left for my last big trip I went to pick up my passport off my bed and he had put one of his twenty-siders (he's a D&D player) inside the passport. He said it was for good luck and it must have worked because I had the greatest time, didn't lose my stuff or get robbed or attacked and got engaged. So back in Sept. I gave him a fancy glass die that I had bought in Venice for good luck on a shorter trip he was taking to Nova Scotia. Must have worked because he came home in one piece.

Anyway, enough tangents. I can't really think of anything that hasn't been said yet. It would be a crappy, but practical gift if they got you a bunch of travel-friendly toiletries. Or what about a really small pillow? I know I could have used one of those a few times on my trip. Dirty clothes don't work as a pillow. You just start to consume the stink. Blech!

[xanthuos]

Is it your office that has a big mouth? Or women in general, since all 6 are women... :P

{braces for the smack}

[space virgin]

Guys would never participate in a secret santa thing to begin with, so the question is moot.

[kingcrazylegs]

The best gift giving thing is sort of like a game. Everyone buys a gift that they would like to have themselves, they wrap it and bring it. All the gifts go in a pile with no "to" or "from". Draw numbers to see the order of turns. The first person picks a gift frfom the pile and opens it. Every person after the first person can either take a gift from the pile and open it, or "steal" a gift from someone who has already opened a gift. When a gift is stolen from someone then that person gets to take another gift from the pile or steal a gift from another person before the next person can go. Ther can only be 2 "steals" in a row, the 3rd person MUST take a gift from the pile. The person who went first has the option at after the last person goes to steal a gift from someone else and give them the gift they have.

SO much fun!

[mark-0]

Originally posted by space virgin@Nov 18 2005, 07:32 PM
Guys would never participate in a secret santa thing to begin with, so the question is moot.*

[snapback]88345[/snapback]

I'm almost certain I'm a male, and I've gone in on secret santas before, with other guys. One was when I worked with my brother and I ended up being his secret santa. Needless to say, I already had a gift for him, so I bought him some funny stuff at an "adult" shop.

[xanthuos]

Originally posted by kingcrazylegs@Nov 18 2005, 11:18 PM
The best gift giving thing is sort of like a game.* Everyone buys a gift that they would like to have themselves, they wrap it and bring it.* All the gifts go in a pile with no "to" or "from".* Draw numbers to see the order of turns.* The first person picks a gift frfom the pile and opens it.* Every person after the first person can either take a gift from the pile and open it, or "steal" a gift from someone who has already opened a gift.* When a gift is stolen from someone then that person gets to take another gift from the pile or steal a gift from another person before the next person can go.* Ther can only be 2 "steals" in a row, the 3rd person MUST take a gift from the pile.* The person who went first has the option at after the last person goes to steal a gift from someone else and give them the gift they have.

SO much fun!

[snapback]88368[/snapback]

This is called a White Elephant...and my family's started a very fun tradition of doing one on New Year's Day at our party. All the neighbors who came last year said they already have gifts for it. When lots of booze flows, it gets pretty funny.

[stargirl]

The problem as I see it, and I have a VERY clear view, is that Benna is,,well,,,umm,,yup,,a bit of a Diva.
Oh, she will deny it, and say it aint so,,but our Benna is a princess, no doubt about it. The girl who drew her name is terrified of buying the "wrong" thing,,I may have to switch names with her. Have you all heard of Fantasia? Toys for the big girls and boys,,,I think I could pick her up something that would fit in a backpack!
Don't get me wrong, Benna is awesome,and sweet as pie,but very very very picky.
I will let you know what we pick out, and maybe try to get a pic of the look on her face when she turns it on---oooops-I mean opens it!