Thoughtful Gifts for Employees

They’re your team, and you want good things for them. Here you’ll find a few small things that are very good indeed.

| Posted: 04 Dec, 2008 by Margaret Mason

1-15 of 15

• Recycled Calendar

  

  A simple, useful wall calendar, or a sampler basket of hand lotion from the mall?

  $9 at Things by Bubbo-Tubbo | Buy

  

  | Posted 04 Dec, 2008 by Margaret Mason

• Leatherman Multitool with Small Pliers

  

  A key-ring sized tool with lots of functionality. Plus, they’ll want a new one every year because airport security will certainly have claimed this one by the time the holidays roll around again.

  $24 at Amazon | Buy

  

  | Posted 04 Dec, 2008 by Margaret Mason

• Solid Wood Stapler

  

  This way, it’ll be easier to figure out who took your stapler.

  $20 at A+K Unique Gifts | Buy

  

  | Posted 02 Dec, 2008 by Margaret Mason

• Woodcut Floral File Folders

  

  For the very first time in my life, I have the urge to file something.

  $20 at Nantaka Joy | Buy

  (For eight folders.)

  

  | Posted 01 Dec, 2008 by Margaret Mason

• Awesome Office Supply Gift Box

  

  Treat the office to a little pre-holiday girth enhancement. The Zingerman’s Office box feeds about twelve people and includes: Sourcream Coffeecake, Koeze’s Cream-Nut Peanut Butter Clusters, Italian Biscotti, Peeled Snacks all natural dried Mangoes, all natural Smooch Lion Gummis, Virginia Peanuts, Zingerman’s Freshly Roasted Coffee, Homemade Spiced Pecans, two Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, a Ginger Jump Up Cookie, and a couple Magic Brownies.

  That last one should be especially popular.

  $150 at Zingerman's | Buy

  

  | Posted 28 Nov, 2008 by Margaret Mason

• Doodlebook Frame

  

  Now they can draw a new frame every time they rearrange their cube.

  $18 at SFMOMA | Buy

  

  | Posted 11 Sep, 2008 by Margaret Mason

• Custom Laser Engraved Moleskine

  

  OK, everyone in the world. You know how you’re always asking me what to get as a relatively inexpensive but cool gift for employees? And you know how I always tell you to just give them the cash instead? OK, I have a new idea.

  This! Get them this. Then tuck some cash inside.

  Via uncrate

  $20 at Engrave Your Book | Buy

  (Price varies by quantity.)

  

  | Posted 27 Mar, 2008 by Margaret Mason

• Ohto Tasche Fountain Pen

  

  This slim fountain pen will make you feel fastidious. The cap lets you carry it with you.

  $20 at Jet Pens | Buy

  (10.2 cm long when closed, 10 cm long when used by itself, and 14.7 cm when used with the cap on)

  

  | Posted 17 Jan, 2006 by Margaret Mason

• Marshmallow Shooter

  

  This gun holds 20 mini marshmallows for rapid-fire up to 30 feet. What a shame there aren’t any dogs in the office.

  $15 at Drugstore.com | Buy

  

  | Posted 01 Dec, 2005 by Margaret Mason

• BYO Lunchbag

  

  This grownup neoprene lunchbox holds a drink in one compartment, and food in the other. It insulates, and opens to form a placemat. Also, you can throw it in the washing machine without incident. Pretty cool digs for your PBJ.

  $12 at Amazon | Buy

  

  | Posted 13 May, 2005 by Margaret Mason

• Notepaper Holder

  

  Nothing can ultimately replace Post-Its, but this looks so much cooler on your desk.

  $28 at DWR | Buy

  

  | Posted 22 Apr, 2005 by Margaret Mason

• A Working Girl Can’t Win

  

  If you have an office full of women, this book of poetry by Deborah Garrison is such a fun gift – proof that poetry needn’t be inscrutable to be intelligent. My favorite poem:

  The Firemen

  God forgive me– It’s the firemen,
  leaning in the firehouse garage
  with their sleeves rolled up
  on the hottest day of the year. As usual, the darkest one is handsomest.
  The oldest is handsomest.
  The one with the thin, wiry arms is handsomest.
  The young one already going bald is handsomest. And so on.
  Every day I pass them at their station:
  the word sexy wouldn’t do them justice.
  Such idle men are divine– especially in the summer, when my hair
  sticks to the back of my neck,
  a dirty wind from the subway grate
  blows my skirt up, and I feel vulgar, lifting my hair, gathering it together,
  tying it back while they watch
  as a kind of relief.
  Once, one of them walked beside me. to the corner. Looked into my eyes.
  He said, “Will I never see you again?”
  Gutsy, I thought.
  I’m afraid not, I thought. What I said was I’m sorry.
  But how could he look into my eyes
  if I didn’t look equally into his?
  I’m sorry: as though he’d come close, as though this really were a near miss.

  $8 at Amazon | Buy

  

  | Posted 05 Apr, 2005 by Margaret Mason

• Moonbeam Clock

  

  Wouldn’t you rather be woken by a “gently illuminating light” than, say, a spine-slamming alarm that sends adrenaline spiking through your veins? Me too. The Moonbeam Clock wakes you naturally with light, and has a backup bell for mornings when you need extra encouragement.

  $36 at L.L. Bean | Buy

  ( 5"H x 7"W x 3"D.)

  

  | Posted 27 Jan, 2005 by Margaret Mason

• iTunes Music Store Card

  

  Prepaid iTunes cards let recipients load their Macs and iPods with whatever they’re into that week. Because songs are only 99 cents each, a $15 card goes the distance.

  $15 at Amazon | Buy

  

  | Posted 13 Jan, 2005 by Margaret Mason

• 2-Zip Dopp

  

  I’ve had this dopp kit for years now, and it’s one of my favorite gifts. If your employees travel a lot, this is the perfect dopp kit.

  The bag is spacious, has a water-resistant interior and a stain-resistant exterior, and is made of good-quality materials. Also, it comes in orange, lime, pink, light blue, and red. I keep my travel toiletries and an extra toothbrush inside, so I can just throw it in my suitcase without thinking too much. It has this handle that unzips two zippers at once, giving you wide-open access to the top of the bag so you never have to rummage around for anything. It has one interior-zip pocket, which I use for small stuff like bobby pins and hair bands, and a small exterior pocket, which is great for jewelry or keys.

  $34 at Flight 001 | Buy

  

  | Posted 12 Oct, 2004 by Margaret Mason