The perfect Christmas present........NOT

[historymystery]

Yes, you are right, Candycane. The way my manager reacted you'd have thought I'd done something really awful! I thought I was being direct, yet tactful. I was really surprised when I was expected to justify my decision. I hate Secret Santa. It's always suggested by some awful person who thinks it will be "fun" and they are more than likely just trying to raise their profile within the business. Secret Santa is awful. I'm so glad I had the strength to resist it this year!

Rejecting participation in Secret Santa is, in some people's eyes, akin to telling everyone you're a serial killer.

At our local village Xmas fair, the local church sell mystery gift bags at £1 each. Each one contains unwanted unopened gifts, and people buy up to 10 at a time ! It's a popular stall - they make a lot money for the church and people love a surprise. I'm told people get them instead of crackers for the dinner table. I've got 5 to open on Xmas morning as I live alone - if I get rubbish that's OK it's all the luck of the draw. One year I had a box of new Molton Brown handcream for a £1. Everyone saves their gift bags/shop carriers throughout the year for the church to use. So if possible don't bin that awful present, someone may love it !

That's a great idea.

 

[merryone]

Today I saw a couple of the SS presents, one lady quite obviously has been given a small pack of Celebrations chocolates or similar going by the shape of the package whilst somebody else has been given not one but 2 bottles of decent Fizz! It's a blinking lottery. I'm actually quite surprised that it went ahead this year considering we have so many new people working there right now so nobody really knows anybody that well, so I'm reckoning on a lot of easy options....though I'd be more than happy to receive the 2 bottles of fizz!

 

[Cashers]

Today I saw a couple of the SS presents, one lady quite obviously has been given a small pack of Celebrations chocolates or similar going by the shape of the package whilst somebody else has been given not one but 2 bottles of decent Fizz! It's a blinking lottery. I'm actually quite surprised that it went ahead this year considering we have so many new people working there right now so nobody really knows anybody that well, so I'm reckoning on a lot of easy options....though I'd be more than happy to receive the 2 bottles of fizz!

Merry, there's fizz and there's fizz!! Could be two bottles of that disgusting cheap bucks fizz!! The £1.99 a bottle stuff

 

[merryone]

Merry, there's fizz and there's fizz!! Could be two bottles of that disgusting cheap bucks fizz!! The £1.99 a bottle stuff

It was none of that crap I can tell you! They’d have both been round the £8- £10 mark and normally dearer as on promotion at the moment and with added staff discount- a winner of a present!

 

[candycane]

Merry, there's fizz and there's fizz!! Could be two bottles of that disgusting cheap bucks fizz!! The £1.99 a bottle stuff

Yes, I got that from my nephew one year and (not wanting to be ungrateful but) I was a bit disappointed seeing as I buy him the best of everything and always have done. I know you don't give to receive but he's working and lives at home so can't say he's got no money. More like couldn't be bothered? Make an effort or don't buy anything.

CC

 

[SisterBliss]

Yes, I got that from my nephew one year and (not wanting to be ungrateful but) I was a bit disappointed seeing as I buy him the best of everything and always have done. I know you don't give to receive but he's working and lives at home so can't say he's got no money. More like couldn't be bothered? Make an effort or don't buy anything.

CC

One year we received A wooden. cheese. board. Possibly with a cutty thing, but it was **** nonetheless. What made it even more **** was that it was bought in the previous years Lakeland January Sale. Adding to the **** factor (is that possible?) was that he gifters had inherited (circa) 1.5 million the previous year, one of whom is Mr B's brother - AKA the Patron Saint of Arseholes.

You should have seen my thankyou letter (Mommy dragged me up proper). Something like 'Just what we wanted'. The word 'splendid' also featured at least once . It was some of my best work.

 

[merryone]

One year we received A wooden. cheese. board. Possibly with a cutty thing, but it was **** nonetheless. What made it even more **** was that it was bought in the previous years Lakeland January Sale. Adding to the **** factor (is that possible?) was that he gifters had inherited (circa) 1.5 million the previous year, one of whom is Mr B's brother - AKA the Patron Saint of Arseholes.

You should have seen my thankyou letter (Mommy dragged me up proper). Something like 'Just what we wanted'. The word 'splendid' also featured at least once . It was some of my best work.

Yes, it's one of those things that get gifted year on year and let's face it anyone who feels that they need a cheeseboard with a cheese wire or special knives would've bought one for themselves. If you do receive one chances are it'll come out once a year if you've got guests round for Christmas or it'll go straight in the charity shop donation bag. My ex husband had a cheese cutter thing it had a small marble base and a wire attached, he said it had been given to him as a gift but he never used it and was just out on the work surface for decorative purposes. I used it a couple of times when I moved in with him and I decided I didn't really need to slice cheese like a pro and then the wire snapped and back in pre-Amazon days that was that, unless you were prepared to put in a lot of legwork and I wasn't! It went in the bin. Me too with the thank you letters - "Thank you for the cheese wire, it's the best thing since sliced bread, well sliced cheese, I shall use it every day and think of you when I'm cutting my cheddar".
Back to the subject of my workplace SS - I told this woman today that your present has been left behind the counter and she said "Christ, I still have to buy mine"! I asked her, "who have you got"? She said I don't know 'cause when I went to pick a name the box with all the names in it had been lost!!! She said I'm gonna just have to buy something gender neutral like a bottle of wine and stick it behind one of the counters addressed to the person who didn't get a present. The chances are, more than one person won't get a gift - What a bliddy shambles eh?! I'm well out of it!