Shopping gurus: Secret Santa for less than $25

[niccig]

I need a great present for less than $25 for the secret santa stealing game - you can either pick from under the tree or steal a gift someone has already opened. Every year the presents at the christmas brunch are amazing - people try to give the most present for the money. One year I got a nine west handbag. I had planned to go shopping with MIL after Thanksgiving, but everyone was sick. Any suggestions for what I can give? I need it for this weekend so it has to be from a BM store. Please help - I don't want to give the gift everyone is glad they didn't choose.

Nicci

ETA gift is for a woman. Lotion is not allowed. Clothes are fine as long as size is clearly marked on the gift tag and gift receipt is included for exchange.

[dowlinal]

A good friend's family does this for their holiday gift exchange and the most stolen gift each year comes from an Aunt who always buys 25 one dollar scratch off lottery tickets. One year the recipient won $500 and our friend swears that the person who ends up witht the tickets always seems to win something.

[urquie]

that is exactly what i was going to suggest, it is always a favorite at our family x-mas party! it looks really cute in a little stocking (we do it as a stocking exchange gift game).

another fav is a good bottle of liquor - baileys, saphire gin.

or some nice chocolate - frango mints, see's candy.

i bet a starbucks gift cert would be stolen a few times. have fun!

[essnce629]

Oooh, the lottery tickets is a good one. I'm going to my mom's work Christmas party for the first time and they play this game too (with a $20 gift). Thanks for the suggestion! I wonder if there's a way I can end up with my own gift :).

***Latia
Conner, my homebirthed water baby, 8/19/03
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months! http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/9870.gif

[jamsmu]

Last year I did two, and got both ideas from BBB. The first was $20 of lotto tickets. The second was a compilation of bathroom items: cleaner, toilet scrubber, toilet paper, etc. Actually, this was the most popular gift in the room. Everyone wanted it because it was useful!

[tina-t]

Scented candles from Yankee Candle or Bath and Body Works.

Set of bath towels or kitchen towels.

I would probaby try and steal a starbucks gift card, lol.

[bostonsmama]

My mom's company always does a Secret Santa swap thing at their annual Christmas party, and THE MOST POPULAR GIFTS are ALWAYS alcohol!! Jim Bean, Jack Daniels, Crown Royal, Johnny Walker Red, Bailey's, you name it. This year my mom tagged along with us to BJs Wholesale Club and got some liquor chocolates (all premium, name-brand liquors inside chocolate shaped bottles wrapped in logo foil) for $9.99, something that would cost upwards of $35 at a fancy grocery store. She's so excited...she knows it's gonna be swiped a couple of times over.

Best of luck deciding. You can get a one-day shopping pass to BJs (without any non-member surcharge of 10%) online--they email it to your email address and you print it out and they type the number in at the register. Link:
http://www.bjs.com/general/checkusout

Larissa
who's gettin in the holiday mood

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." -
James Baldwin

[almostamom]

We did this at our staff holiday party one year. The two gifts that were stolen repeatedly were movie $ and a gift card to Victoria's Secret.

Have fun,
~Linda~
DS 11/9/04