A friend just had Secret Santa at the office with a $30 limit and her officemate bought her 6 or 8 wine glasses from Pier One with a red swirl in them. Cute for holiday parties. Course, they'd have to be packed up well.

Ah man, I was hoping this would be a swap thread...

Oh well :)

So what's the context? Is it a group of some sort of interest? Or workplace?

Do you have a Michael's crafts or an Aaron Bros. framing shop near you? A nice set of 5X7 and 4X6 frames would be good...or one of those new wood frames that holds mulitple pictures. I picked up 2 5x7's and 2 4x6's that all coordinate together just the other day for about $30 for our gift drawing. Aarons also has some beautiful leather photo albums too.

We are 5 girls just going out for dinner and having fun. We decided to play a game where everyone brings a gift and when one opens one the other (before opening their) can choose the opened gift if it is to their liking. Anyway it is supposed to be a personal gift so candles, frames, etc. are out. We are all about the same size. Also I would like to put some sort of gag gift along with it to make it fun!

I like Caswell Massey soaps and they have a sampler...

Here is a link that might be useful: Caswell Massey sampler

Maybe a whimsical pin?

Paige - I love the idea of the wine glasses - I need a hostess gift and it is the perfect thing. I went to Pier 1 today and they only had about ten left - 20% off! I bought 6 and I also got some cute holiday dish towels at Kohls I am going to "pack" them in. Saw some cute polka dot ones for me but I resisted. Thanks for the idea. I was shopping for lamps today - no luck :(.

Z - how about one of those singing bass for a gag gift?

Like Paige, the first thing I thought of was wine glasses... or Pier One has some GREAT martini glasses - and that's something most people don't by themselves. (Ok, I have this little problem (OK, DH thinks it's getting to be a big problem)). I LOVE glassware... and have about 20 martini glasses, 30 or 40 wine glasses (both burgundy and chardonnay), lots of snifters and other barware.. but I'll always open for more.

How about 2 fancy glasses, and the wine/liquor/liquer to go with it? (I love lemoncello in liquer glasses).

I also love anything for my kitchen (fancy that, since this is where I hang out so much)... serving trays and bowls; ceramic dishes; cocktail, wine and hors d'ouevre plates (I've gotten some really cute things at Williams Sonoma, and I inherited glass ones from my husband's aunt); cool kitchen tools; interesting spices (see penzeys online);

Then, since you are all about the same size, there is the wardrobe... scarf, hat, and gloves; etc....

How fun!

Sometimes $30 can go a long way at an antique store. What about a great vintage flowerpot- plop a nice plant or perhaps a rosemary bush into it. Necklaces are 'back'- check out strands of beads- they don't have to match.

Good luck- sounds like a fun group!

Sam's Club had a Godiva gift basket for around $20. And Starbucks has gift baskets as well. Things that are consumable are wonderful presents for those who have just about everything. And like Pecan said, rosemary bushes. You can get them shaped like a little Christmas tree that you can decorate, plus, they smell divine. You might need to go to a nice nursery or florist to find a really lovely rosemary plant. I've given those before and they always are a wonderful surprise to the recipent because they are so unusual, but make a striking centerpiece as well. And you can use it in cooking to boot!

I'm all for giving food, particularly when it's from a source that most people aren't familiar with. My current favorites are:

Vermont Gold USA (check out the flavored syrups): http://www.vermontgoldusa.com/

Dancing Deer Bakery (the clove cookies are our favorites): http://www.dancingdeer.com/

Both companies have gift packs available.

Oh! Another great food source (pricey but awesome) is Zingerman's

Here is a link that might be useful: Zingerman's

Oh, and don't forget See's candies. My absolute favorite! They set up a booth in our mall every year at this time. They are the best for real old-fashioned style filled chocolates.

Here is a link that might be useful: See's Candies

I just put one together yesterday -- "Escape - By Any Means Necessary" which included a cozy ultra-suede covered down throw, a bottle of Baileys with two glasses, a gift box of chocolate truffles, some bath salts, and a mystery novel. You could include some aspirin, sleeping pills or a toy gun to up the gag factor, and drop the throw to reduce the price.

I almost always purchase a 'professional hair care deal'. You can get a better price if you know a hair designer/stylist that can buy "at their cost" at a supply house. Around this time of the year, you can purchase gift bags of hair care products savings at about 25% or more. Usually a bag or brush, nail polish come extra about this time.