DIY Life

Some people love giving Secret Santa gifts, mainly the overly friendly HR lady who is in a constant state of cheer. For the rest of us, it can be a royal pain. The sentiment is good: getting to know each other and celebrating the holidays with your workmates. The idea is that you pull somebody's name and you'll be their "Secret Santa", giving them a special gift. The problem is that you might not know much about the person who's name you drew and you might not have a clue where to start.

First, consider the guidelines that have been set out (probably by the same cheerful HR lady). You'll want to make sure that you stick within the guidelines for price and type of gift. Some offices love crude gag gifts while others have strict rules against it. Make sure you know what you're working with before you set out to find that perfect present. Once you know what you're working with, it's time research your giftee. Wired.com has some great suggestions for choosing the perfect gift, starting with getting to know them. They suggest a number of questions you can ask about this person to give you a pretty clear indication of what sort of thing they would like. Once you've decided on what you want to give, they have some ideas for where to get it. Remember that presentation matters and the gift giver is supposed to be a surprise, so don't wrap it in that old gift bag that's been sitting on your desk for a month!

Don't dread this part of your Christmas party. You're going to participate anyway, so have a little fun with it.

[via: Lifehacker]