The Perfect Office Christmas Gift

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.

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.  

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.  

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