Best Gifts for the Office

Need ideas for the office gift exchange, for an office pal's birthday or even something festive to give the whole office at Christmas? It can be hard to find appropriate holiday gifts for co-workers. Often you have a strict price range making selection difficult or you might not know the person well whose name you drew for the gift exchange.

Here are ideas to make the holiday gift giving easier for you. Waste no more time browsing the Internet or sacrificing your lunch time to shop aimlessly.

These are fun to give a co-worker when you want to thank them for something. They can be combined with a fun mug and some candy to make a gift or give a different one to each person in the office.

These come in so many shapes like stars or hearts that it's hard to choose. Why not get a selection!

A mug warmer can plug into the wall or into a laptop. They aren't very expensive, maybe $10 or so.

If you want to expand on this gift, add a coffee mug with a design that suits the interests of the recipient.

Sometimes, I design a one-of-a-kind mug on a site like Zazzle. You can even put their name on the mug or a photo of the recipient. If they keep a favorite photo on their desk, make a copy of it and put it on their coffee mug. How unique!

Really sturdy and ever useful coasters like stoneware ones are great office gifts. It will keep the desk from getting messy and from coffee rings getting onto important documents.

Save your office pal a trip to the coffee shop by giving them a personal coffeemaker. Great gifts for co-workers if you want to splurge a bit. Several people could go together and get one of these to give the boss. You can expand on the gift by getting gourmet packets of coffee and some snacks. Create a cute gift basket with all these tucked into it.

The same idea will work for the tea drinker in the office or someone who prefers hot chocolate.

Sure they can get the standard wall clock from office supplies, but they will love a clock that combines a photo frame and small battery-powered clock. There's quite a variety on Amazon. Some are more decorative and in some cases multi-talented (display your photos, store your pencils or countdown for you).

You can find fancy push pins at the office supply store or check on Amazon. They come in all sorts of playful designs. If you want elegant, look at the ones shaped like Fleur de Lis in antique gold.

This is great for someone who works in an overly cool office. I'm sure you know who really would love this. It's the one who's always sneaking over to meddle with the thermostat. The one who keeps a sweater and a lap blanket in their office.

Several people could go together to get this for a co-worker. Once his or her feet are toasty warm, they will be a lot happier and more productive, I'm sure.

• Restaurant Gift Cards - These are always a hit in an office gift exchange. Everyone likes to eat out. You'll find these available at Walmart and other stores on a rack by the check-out counter. There are ones for all the popular restaurants and also coffee chains. They come in $25, $50 and $100. You can also buy them in the restaurant and sometimes they offer an incentive to get them. Choose one that you know your co-worker likes or that is close to the office so they can go there on their lunch break.
• Get the office pal a really nice letter opener. There are ones with mother-of-pearl handles, designs with their college name and seal on it, and other unique letter openers. They will use it daily at their desk and appreciate your thoughtfulness.
• Get an insulated lunch bag for someone who brings their lunches each day. You can find ones that are quite stylish and comes in a variety of patterns. The insulated part is important, so they can keep it in the office without refrigeration.

In some offices, everyone leaves a card and token gift such as candy on each desk during the holiday season. This works particularly well when there's a large number of people.

You can find a pack of 36 chocolate Santas will brighten the day of all your co-workers. Everyone loves a little chocolate around the holidays. They will be glad you thought of them.