2008 White Elephant/Yankee Swap Gift Ideas.

Every company I have worked at in the past six years has a gift exchange thing during the holiday season. Additionally, I have been to quite a few holiday parties in my time where guests are expected to bring a gift for a gift exchange.

In every case, the gifts have to be less than $20. And that is pretty much the only requirement. So, because I have been to so many of these exchanges, I thought I would put together a sampling of the gifts I have either given or been given in the past few years:

Porn - Yes. Well, technically this wasn't given to me... Someone else got it. It was at a friend's holiday party... And someone brought a variety of low-brow porno magazines as their gift. (Though, we never found out who brought them.) My friends and I took the pictures from the magazine, and naughtily hid them around the hosts' apartment. We stuck them in books (like the Holy Bible), under couch cushions and rugs, also under the coffee maker, taped to the outside of blinds in the window... You get the idea. For months afterwards, the hosts would randomly pick up stuff or move stuff and be treated with porn.

Six Pack of Budweiser and a Bag of Doritos - I brought this gift to an office party back when I worked at The Evil Empire. Everyone who works there is very creative. They would hand-make things, or draw pictures that were incredble.. Or sew something loverly. I decided to just take the easy way out and bought stuff that would be fun to have on a Friday night.

Apron and a Subscription to Food & Wine - This was a gift I brought last year. I found a cute but cheap apron on sale, and paired it with a subscription for cooking. It was well-received.

Lady's Magazine, Bubble Bath and Mini Champagne Bottles - This is actually what I am bringing this year. (So, no one I work with take this idea!) Yes, it's very girlie... But on a Winter evening, what a nice idea, don't you think? Who doesn't want to take a bubble bath, read Elle and drink a mini bottle of pink Champagne?

Starbucks Gift Cards - Yes... So easy to do. But really, who doesn't love these?  The same goes for Sephora gift cards.  And iTunes gift cards.  (But not Dunkin' Donuts gift cards.  If I ever hot those, I would donate it to charity.  Bleccch!)

Alcohol - Yes... Whether it's wine, gin, lager, or Mexican moonshine...  Alcohol is always a big winner.  People will usually (unless they're in AA) like opening a present with a liter of alcohol in it.

That's all I got.  Anyone else got any suggestions?