At work we have a Secret Santa gift exchange. It is fun to partake in, but it also means more gifts to buy. Which then potentially causes more holiday stress. But I was able to minimize the stress with some clever and easy Christmas gifts. I also have found the most amazing recipe for making edible coal – seriously so good! And I made some cute little Christmas themed brownies that could not have been any easier. ?
Secret Santa Gifts
First off though, my Secret Santa gifts. We did $2-5 gifts for two weeks and then had a budget of $15-20 for the final gift. When I got my recipients name, I was a little nervous since I haven’t worked closely with her much and we both are stationed in different buildings. But then I found the answer in our Christmas storage boxes…
As I was going through Christmas decor, I found a Christmas foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works that I would probably never use (since I make my own!) so I re-gifted. I made a sign that said “Just soap’n you have a Merry Christmas” and threw in a mini box of chocolates for good measure. Easy-peasy.
The second week, I picked up this cute snowman nail polish gift set at TJMaxx and made a sign that said “For your Mistle Toes.” I swear I thought these were the most clever gifts ever. Not to mention simple.
For the final, bigger gift, I went for things that would be useful for work in the winter. Like I mentioned in last week’s post, I like practical gifts. Since my Secret Santa recipient also has my same position at work, it was easy to think of some useful things. A fun colored pen that won’t be unprofessional since it’s just for marking up things for our own use. Some cute little post-its and sticky flags to easily mark where she left off on invoices or entering promotional calendars. A pair of fuzzy socks to keep her feet warm at the office and when working from home. A pencil case for carrying necessities. And finally, a mini Boat box of Moscato for when it’s been a long day at the office. ?
Honestly, I wish I had bought two of everything for myself. I did buy myself a teal pen and my Secret Santa also gave me fuzzy socks so I’m nearly there! I really did struggle initially with what to get but once I thought about it from a winter/work survival mode, it was easy to come up with things that would be useful. And useful is practical, and practical means the gift isn’t tossed aside. And that feels like success. ??
Edible Coal
We have a group text with my husband’s family. As we were planning Christmas, my brother-in-law texted that he wanted coal for Christmas. So I decided he would get some. It was so, so easy to make and everyone enjoyed eating it!
Ingredients
1 package of Oreos
1 bag of mini marshmallows
4tbsp butter
Directions
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the Oreos in a gallon sized plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. It may be easier to do in batches. Set aside. Melt butter and marshmallows on the stove. Once fully melted, add crushed Oreos. Spoon out the mix and set into lumps on the parchment lined baking sheets. Make them as big or as little as you’d like! Place in freezer to help set for a few hours. They can be stored (and devoured) at room temperature.
Easy Christmas Brownies
For real, this was too easy. I made these to go with some fun pens and fuzzy socks that I am giving with the etched glass vases I made. All I did was make a box of Betty Crocker brownies. Just before putting in the oven, I added Christmas colored sprinkles so they would set in while baking. After the brownies were done and cooled, I used little Christmas cookie cutters to cut out little holiday shapes. Cute bite-sized treats! ?
Have a wonderful Christmas and safe travels! ?
I love all your cute little gifts!