It is the season of indecision, in a year of tumultuous adjustments. You may be wondering — would an office gift be inappropriate this year? Well, we’ve tossed this around and here is what we came up with: If your heart is in, do it.
Celebrating the people in your work life that matter is never wrong. In fact, we can’t help but wonder if a thoughtful gift has more meaning than ever before.
How often have you thought of someone you would like to thank, yet you never mustered the motivation to follow through and find the right gift? This may be the right time to finally offer that heartfelt thank you, in a year where we’ve really needed to depend on each other for guidance and support.
We’ve been thinking about all of this decided to go a bit retro. We’ve settled on a few classic ideas which are not only nifty gifts, but are likely to be used or enjoyed, during the coming year.
Here we go.
The Multi-Use Tote
I don’t know about you, but most of us appreciate a practical holiday gift. I personally received this great gift from Maptote a couple of years ago — and I’ve used it frequently (currently sidelined of course, it is holding ribbons in my pantry). Maptote offers clever, destination-based tote bags for a variety of cities and states (they have other items as well). This option is not only a worthy contender, it has some retro flare to boot. Apolis, another great brand also makes market totes — with inspirational sayings helping to make a statement. The “Peace” Market Bag, was given to me as a gift recently and I love it.
Photo: Maptote
The Coffee Table Book.
I received Ocean Worlds, by Jacque Cousteau as a holiday gift from my first employer. (All 160 of us received the same book, sitting wrapped on our desks and this became a highly anticipated tradition.) The books I received during my tenure there, still sit on my coffee table offering hours of enjoyment. One suggestion is below — but there are so many fascinating options at various price points. (Click on the photo for more information.)*
Flowers (and Flower Subscriptions)
In this part of the US, winter are long and lacking in sunshine. The idea of a bouquet of flowers — couldn’t be more appealing, as waiting until early spring to see another bloom is just too long. A subscription service takes this to the next level. (In Britain they call these Letterbox Flowers.) Find my favorite London-based florist Highgate Flowers and subscription options here.) You can explore US options at any of these florists: Farmgirl Flowers, Bloomsy Box & The Bouq.
The Classic Notebook.
Ah… the notebook! Somehow when a notebook presents itself, it calls out to our creative side. Offering one as a thoughtful gift, shares the promise of new ideas and future observations. (Da Vinci couldn’t have been wrong, so we are following his lead.) The variety of choices are endless. We’ve chosen a couple of options below.
Rhodia Lined Notebook* – 5.5 x 8.5 – Fountain-pen friendly. Rhodia offers some colorful options as well. (Click on the photo for more information.)*
Find colorful options from Etsy by clicking here.
The Not So Classic Pen.
Sooner or later you have to ditch the keyboard and actually write by hand. These pens from Retro 1951 & Rifle Paper Co. roller ball pens are a stylish alternative and made our list! Find them here & here.
Photo: Rifle Paper Co.
The Tornado Vintage Blacksmith Roosevelt Pen is a also stylish, retro choice. (Click on the photo for more information.)*
Happy Holidays!
Live.Work.Think.Play shares observations concerning a wide array of topics. It is designed to share lessons learned from a variety of perspectives.
*LiveWorkThinkPlaycom is an affiliate of both Amazon & Awin — Etsy’s linking partner. That means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we receive a small commission. We only recommend products that we believe bring value to our readers.
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