Top Ten Gift Ideas for Your Office Associates

It's that time of year again. Food, family, parties and an all around joyous few months. The Holidays can be a little hectic, and anything to minimize the chaos is a good thing. While you're looking forward to the delicious goodies and visits from those you haven't seen since the year before, don't forget about the people you spend most of your time with, 8 hours a day (or more!), five days a week - your co-workers. Most companies have a price limit, or, the office will impose a spending maximum for exchanging gifts with your co-workers. I've always found it hard to find great gifts, let alone decent ones -ones that you actually wouldn't mind receiving yourself (instead of the infamous 're-gift' from the years before).

Here are a few ideas for your co-workers, for males and females, and the best thing is that they're ALL under $10!!! Secret Santa or White Elephant some of these and I'm sure they'll be a hit!

1) Black & Red Shoulder Bag - This is a cool shoulder purse that's embroidered with the recipient's name. It's roomy and sturdy and pretty trendy. It also comes in black & pink and brown & purple. It's only $9.99 at Things Remembered.

2) Red Stripe Engraveable Key Chain - This men's keychain is mimicked after the classic tie. It's enameled in red and black repeating stripes for a very masculine and sophisticated look. The back of the key chain can be engraved with the gift recipient's name. It's $9.99 at Things Remembered.

3) "For the Love of Chocolate Book" - Oh yeah! For your co-workers who are choca-holics, this is pretty neat. This hardcover book is full of chocolate facts, chocolate quotes, chocolate recipes, and more wholesome goodness. Get your fill of chocolate and don't worry, no calories! It's only $9.95 at Hallmark.

4) Shopper's Survival Kit - This is really cute. It's a 'survival kit' for those of us who LOVE to shop til we drop! It's a metal "Little Gestures" tin and has a fun "shopper's first aid" design. It holds a lipstick pen, shopping list pad, and energy pick-me-ups..."Strong Chick" and "Extreme Chick" dark chocolate candies. It's $9.95 at Hallmark.

5) Set of 2 Thermos Stainless Steel 14-oz. Travel Mugs - I know tons of co-workers that have a coffee mug attached to their hand all day long. Well, here is a set of two travel mugs that will also work great at the office, so they won't spill and splash all over their paperwork. The pair is insulated and holds 14ounces! They're durable, dishwasher safe and only $9.99 for the pair at Target.

6) High Fragrance Box Candle - Fruit Orchard - Nothing is more inviting than the tempting smells of apples, mango and other inviting aromas. These candles are sure to please with their fresh fruity scents. These delicious candles are $9.99 at Target.

7) Bandit Tee to Green - If you have a co-worker who loves to golf, whether he's any good or not, this little set may just be up his alley. It comes with "Maximum Distance" balls and includes "Power-Flex" tees that help increase yardage off the tee. If he's not any good, this might actually help! This set is only $9.99 at Pro Golf.

8) Nike Embroidered Tri-Fold Golf Towel - Again for the golfer. Here's a stylish Nike Golf® embroidered tri-fold golf towel made of 100% cotton velour and has a swivel clip attachment system. Pretty cool! It's $9.99 at Pro Golf.

9) The Blue Day Book: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up by Bradley Trevor Greive - This is one of my all-time favorites. It's a wonderful collection of funny animal photos and inspirational messages that will make your blue day go away. It's really hard to put this book down without smiling. It's only $9.95 at Barnes & Noble.

10) 2007 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said Page-A-Day Box Calendar by Kathryn and Ross Petras, Ross Petr - How many times have we all rolled with laughter over something that came flying out of politicians? This desk calendar will give you a good laugh every day of the year. It's only $8.96 at Barnes & Noble.

Well, there you have it. Ten awesome gifts for those co-workers that may not be so easy to shop for, or when your office or company policy sets a limit on the amount you can spend. Since it's usually $10 - $15, these gifts are priced just right and extremely cool.