4 Wiley Farm
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
    • Cows
    • Semen
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
    • Cows
    • Semen
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise

This is Us​ - our life, our story, our farm

The Perfect Office Christmas Gift

12/4/2017

2 Comments

 
It's Christmas time, and Christmas time means lots of gift exchanges.

Gift exchanges can be stressful, intimidating and sometimes downright scary.  

What do I get?  

What if they don't like it?

Will it fit?

What if they already have it?

Last week we had a department meeting at work and my boss explained all the ins and outs of the Christmas gift exchange to our new employees. 

To be honest, the whole discussion pretty much revolved around my gift.  Because....our gift exchange revolves around my gift.
Picture
The first year I took this gift, I wasn't really sure how it would go over.  After all it was very unusual and so different from anything anyone else had ever done.
But...when your boss gleefully ends up with the prize...you know you have done a good job.

Our gift exchange is a variation on the white elephant exchange.

My office is full of men and women, young and old.  We all bring in a $20.00 wrapped gift that would be enjoyed by anyone in the group.  We draw numbers and the person with #1 gets to choose and unwrap the first gift from the table.  The person with #2 get to either steal the gift from #1 or choose a new gift from the table.  We move down the line until everyone has a gift.  

It creates lots of oohs, aahs and laughter.  That is until the gift you really want is stolen from you.  

The first year I brought my gift, it was stolen so many times that we had to create a rule that an item can only be stolen 2 times.  This means it takes some strategy to end up with the perfect gift at the end of the game.  
Picture
So what is this perfect gift?

Steak.

Yep...it's that simple.

Don't worry...I am not spilling the beans.  At our meeting, I was told, in no uncertain terms,  to bring steaks, so it's not a secret....the secret is always which package the steaks are in.
​
Most years I just go to the local meat shop and buy whatever steaks the butcher recommends.  This year, I will be bringing some of our grass-fed Miniature Hereford t-bones.  

Sometimes I even spice up the gift a little by adding a jar of steak seasoning, my famous hot pepper jelly or candied jalapenos.  You could even add a fresh baked loaf of bread or a homemade pie to the gift to make it really special.  
Picture
It is such a simple gift, but one that is enjoyed and looked forward to by all.  

You should have seen the faces the first time the newbie stole the steaks from the boss.  But...the newbie is still around so there must not have been anything about "steak stealing" on his review.  

Office parties can sometimes be downright intimidating and awkward, but our steak exchange keeps us all light-hearted, laughing, competitive and in the Christmas spirit.  

Now...I just have to figure out how to wrap it.  

Don't think for one minute I don't have extra visitors in my office trying to catch a peak at my wrapping job.  Some even stoop so low as to feel all the gifts to see which one is cold (don't worry, they can never tell).

Don't stress this year...just stop by the local butcher shop and you just might find yourself some new friends...or maybe even a promotion.

You might also like...
My Kind of Shopping
Practical Stocking Stuffers
Things We Love - Boot Dryer
2 Comments
Jean Stockwell
12/10/2021 05:14:06 pm

Yes, I would also would like to find out how it is kept cold - just nosey!!!!!😁

Reply
Heather Wiley
12/10/2021 05:33:55 pm

It's all in the creative packaging. Sometimes I just use a gift bag and other times I use a wrapped box with a removable lid. I keep the steaks in the refrigerator or freezer in the break room (wrapped in a plain grocery bag) and then sneak them into the box/gift bag a few minutes before the party starts. The difficult part is getting to work early and sneaking around so no one figures out which package is mine.

One year I just put a "gift certificate" inside the wrapped package to throw them off. I have some co-workers that try to feel the packages for the colder temperature, the right weight or shake the packages. The more advanced their guessing techniques, the more creative I have had to get with my wrapping.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Let's Connect

    Picture

    Author

    Hello!  I am Heather... the city girl turned mom to manure loving country boys. My husband and I both grew up in the city, but spent weekends visiting grandparents in the country.  We are first generation farmers who learn best by almost always doing things the hard way.  I hope you enjoy following along with our adventures down on the farm.

    Shop Our Farm

    Archives

    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    10 On The 10th
    Books
    Calving
    Character
    Everything Else
    Food
    Hay
    How To
    Photography
    Showing
    Things We Love

    RSS Feed

    Popular Posts

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

The Cows

​Why Minis?
Our Winners
For Sale

The Family

Home
About Us
Contact Us
Disclosure

Follow Us

Blog - Down on the Farm
Instagram
You Tube
Facebook

Associations

​Miniature Hereford Breeders Association
American Hereford Association
Ohio Cattlemen's Association