# Help please, need Secret Santa suggestions. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438 "2006-12-16T22:29:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9c0ed/32.png) [@El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Perro_Fumando)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/1 "2006-12-16T22:29:25Z")
So I was all excited this week: I had finished my Christmas shopping and wrapped them all today. Then I get a call from my Mother-in-law breaking the bad news to me. **Only Mostly Dead** ’s extended family decided to do a Secret Santa this year as couples and we drew his aunt and uncle. Problem is, we don’t particularly like this aunt and uncle, as there have been issues in the past year revolving around this aunt and uncle and their son ([thread=365960]a sampling[/thread], plus the thoughtlessness of the aunt and her new daughter-in-law that’s come out since that post). So here are the guidelines: -$25-50 gift for the couple -They have a country/folksy/flowery style to their home (which is not something we seek out since we’re a stainless steel/IKEA couple). -The following stores are convenient to us: Bed, Bath and Beyond, Pier 1 Imports, Target, Kohls, IKEA and Wal-Mart. Please help two fellow dopers come up with something! ---
**Author:** ![Penchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Penchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penchan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/2 "2006-12-16T22:35:02Z")
I’d get a tin, bake up a few batches of cookies and send that to them. It’s relatively inexpensive, it’s homemade so it shows that you care (even if you don’t, it gives the impression) and can say it’s better than a giftcard cuz well you put the time into it. Hope this helped! ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/3 "2006-12-16T23:49:59Z")
On the other hand, if you’re _trying_ to send a message…go for the $25 Wal-Mart gift card. Do you have to ship or is this a gift that will be opened at some family event you and **OnlyMostlyDead** will be attending? Innocuous, simple, and readily available at Target or Kohls would be Christmas-y towels or a set of mugs. Another bland suggestion…a couple of nice snapshot-size picture frames or a photo montage frame (so they can display all those wedding pictures!) Consumables are good. Who would object to a nice fruit basket? If you live near the stores you mentioned, you’re probably near a large grocery store that will assemble one for you. How about [this](http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/84370-product.html) kind of consumable? If that appeals, I can give you some suggestions for a no-heavy-lifting way to do this with cheap Wal-Mart amaryllis or paperwhite narcissus bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9c0ed/32.png) [@El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Perro_Fumando)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/4 "2006-12-17T00:11:13Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] On the other hand, if you’re _trying_ to send a message…go for the $25 Wal-Mart gift card. Do you have to ship or is this a gift that will be opened at some family event you and **OnlyMostlyDead** will be attending? [/QUOTE] The Gift card idea is SOOO tempting, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. We’ll be swapping gifts at the annual gigantic family Christmas dinner, so we will most likely be face-to-face with them when they open it. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/5 "2006-12-17T00:15:52Z")
Haven’t you ever heard of this? Hey Santa! AlI want is a great big bag of money honey. You heard me! A Great Big Bag Of Money. Ten and twenties honey. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9c0ed/32.png) [@El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Perro_Fumando)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/6 "2006-12-17T00:17:27Z")
[QUOTE=Penchan] I’d get a tin, bake up a few batches of cookies and send that to them. It’s relatively inexpensive, it’s homemade so it shows that you care (even if you don’t, it gives the impression) and can say it’s better than a giftcard cuz well you put the time into it. Hope this helped! [/QUOTE] Normally, yes I would go the cookie route. However, we just learned of this today and I had finished my shopping because I knew this week was going to be crazy. I’d really prefer to just pick something up at the store. Thanks for the suggestion anyway. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/7 "2006-12-17T00:31:14Z")
[QUOTE=El Perro Fumando] The Gift card idea is SOOO tempting, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. We’ll be swapping gifts at the annual gigantic family Christmas dinner, so we will most likely be face-to-face with them when they open it. [/QUOTE] I say go with the picture frame(s). Depending on the degree to which you want your gift to have that “fuck you” quality, you could: A) Give them a snapshot you took at the cousin’s wedding in a very nice frame B) Give them the frame(s) and when your Secret Santa identiity is revealed, say you chose the gift knowing they had all those great wedding photos to display C) Say nothing and enjoy a great laugh with **OMD** later ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/8 "2006-12-17T01:10:26Z")
Since the wedding is over, you need to put the results on the end of that thread. You shouldn’t give a bad gift, because of emnity. Give them bath salts and lotions. It just says, I have no idea what you want, but it’s not an insult like if you bought them a bucket of lard and an ice cream scoop. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9c0ed/32.png) [@El\_Perro\_Fumando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Perro_Fumando)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/9 "2006-12-17T01:49:48Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Since the wedding is over, you need to put the results on the end of that thread. You shouldn’t give a bad gift, because of emnity. Give them bath salts and lotions. It just says, I have no idea what you want, but it’s not an insult like if you bought them a bucket of lard and an ice cream scoop. [/QUOTE] The gift idea is great. Thank you. I might just go somewhere along those lines - especially simple if I just go get a gift set from Bath and Body Works. As for the thread, it’s really water under the bridge now. We attended the wedding (invited) and laughed over it. They attended ours. Any weirdness stems from the other events surrounding a wedding. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/10 "2006-12-17T01:59:10Z")
[QUOTE=El Perro Fumando] Normally, yes I would go the cookie route. However, we just learned of this today and I had finished my shopping because I knew this week was going to be crazy. I’d really prefer to just pick something up at the store. Thanks for the suggestion anyway. [/QUOTE] Oatmeal raisin cookies and macaroons. What do these have in common? They’re often irregularly shaped/colored even when purchased commercially, and often very hard to tell from homemade. Uh…or so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/11 "2006-12-17T02:30:51Z")
[QUOTE=El Perro Fumando] The gift idea is great. Thank you. I might just go somewhere along those lines - especially simple if I just go get a gift set from Bath and Body Works. As for the thread, it’s really water under the bridge now. We attended the wedding (invited) and laughed over it. They attended ours. Any weirdness stems from the other events surrounding a wedding. [/QUOTE] Good I didn’t know if you ended up shuned or not, and bitter enemies. It’s kind of important when choosing a gift don’t yah know. I feel if you give a card, you can give me cash and then I can shop anywhere. Gifts I don’t have to go out and buy are better yet. I hate crowds and shopping. I go to Walmart at 2:00. The late shoppers are gone and the early birds are still at home. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-need-secret-santa-suggestions/384438/12 "2006-12-17T03:05:00Z")
I have found that soaps and parfums are my favourite “I don’t give a rat’s arse about you” present. It can’t help having the “you stink” undertone but it can be actually nice and they come in all price levels.