I need to give my secretary a gift - any thoughts? HELP!

[Rabrrrrrr]

I thought I'd do the standard flower arrangement thingy, which I'm happy to do, but now I'm thinking that's also kind of boring and not as personal.

I'd like to get her something unusual and exciting and personal. Obviously, you don't know her, so it might be tough for you to help out, but what kind of creative, wild (but not obscene or profane) ideas do you have?

She's an older woman, married, Lutheran, and is also one of the best secretaries I've ever known, so I really want to make it something good, but in the $25 range.

We have some exciting restaurants in town, so a gift certificate is possible - but I'm not big on the gift certificates because it's so specific: to whit, "You are worth exactly $25 to me". Plus, it also means they have to spend it at just one specific place.

You people are the geniuses of the world - give me some help!

[davidinalameda]

1. make a donation to her church in her name

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Well, she's actually not so keen on her church

and she doesn't give any money herself in protest.

Excellent idea otherwise, though!

[AmandaRuth]

2. time off with pay

That would mean something to me, anyway.

[wryter2000]

7. Ding, ding, ding!

Correct answer.

No one ever does this, but it's the best idea. Many years ago, "they" did a poll and discovered that most bosses thought secretaries wanted flowers while most secretaries really wanted a day off with pay.

BTW, I'm a secretary. I prefer the term to "administrative professional," which is gobbeldy-gook, as far as I'm concerned.

[Bunny]

35. Hi wryter!

How you been? :hi:

Love your sig line!!!

[wryter2000]

45. Hi,

I'm great. I still love your sig line!

[LibraLiz1973]

40. that gets my vote!

[Rabrrrrrr]

47. For all the years I was a secretary, I preferred to be called secretary

My official title was Executive Assistant, but I preferred "Executive Secretary".

And I was never ashamed, not even as an older male, to call myself a secretary. I said it with pride!

[xultar]

10. She'll love this!! n/t

[redqueen]

18. Oh, definitely.

She's guaranteed to love it!

[Book Lover]

21. What she said

Better than anything else you could do. Seriously.

[bertha katzenengel]

34. I concur! If you can, do it! A day off with pay!!

If you can't.... well, my boss is big on Border's & B&N gift certs because she knows I read the shit outta everything printed on the freaking planet. I don't resent the "you are worth exactly $$$ to me" -- I don't even look at it that way. So if she's a reader that's the way to go.

If she's not a reader, how about

a bottle of fine wine
a craft store GC
one of your own minor paintings you're not too attached to (too personal?)

Best wishes & good luck. Thanks for taking good care of your secretary!

[MADem]

4. A DAY OFF, WITH PAY!!!!

If you can afford it....there is a saying, don't give me posies when it's shoesies that I'm needing!

If you can't manage a full day, how about a half day off on a Friday, to get an early start at the weekend?

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Hey - those are good ideas!

It's more than $25, but she's the type that would do her whole week's worth of work in four days anyway, so we're technically not out anything.

:-)

[miss_kitty]

19. So if technically you are not out anything

give her the spa or manicure or whatever certificate to use on the day (if she chooses) as well. A day off with pay is a good thing.

On edit: this post, I just discovered, is in support of post #6 :)

[qanda]

6. Give her a gift certificate to a nice restaurant

And an afternoon off to use it.

[calico1]

8. You could take her out to lunch and ask her

to pick a place. Shouldn't be much more than $25. If there is a hobby you know she has like reading or gardening, you could get her a certificate for that type of place. Or just buy her a book or plant in something she likes if you know what it is.

[politicaholic]

9. A nice manicure/pedicure treatment. You get a hand and foot massage...

nothing better to relax the typing hands and make her feel good. It should only be around $25-30 dollars too!

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Thanks to and the others above! Great ideas! Keep them coming!

[wryter2000]

11. Thoughts on lunch

We just had our Secretaries' Day lunch, and frankly, I find it stressful. The boss is okay, but I don't really want to have lunch with him. He's not my friend.

If it were only the two of us, I'd dread it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Yeah, lunch with the boss isn't much of a reward, is it?

[calico1]

15. ROFL! I guess that is true.

I like the idea of time off with pay!

[davidinalameda]

17. call her hubby and surprise her with lunch with him

:shrug:

[wryter2000]

32. It can be

If it's a group party for a lot of people, it can be lots of fun.

I almost smacked my coworker at our lunch today. It's just the two of us and the boss. He started by asking how we felt things were going in the office, and we said "okay." I made a few jokes because already I felt uncomfortable. Then, she asked him if he wanted us to be doing things differently. What was this supposed to be, a ^(*&*()* performance evaluation. I know she meant well, but it was the epitome of how lunch with the boss isn't a treat. (He was okay, btw, but I had some tense moments.)

[babylonsister]

14. Wind chimes are nice for anyone. nt

[intheflow]

23. Sorry, I have to disagree with you.

Wind chimes aren't universally loved by everyone. I know quite a few people who hate all wind chimes. I, myself, am a wind chime snob. I like the big, deep tonal chimes, but not the tinkling chimes. Of course the chimes I like all cost, like, $150, so people always give me the little tinkling chimes. :eyes:

So I guess I'm saying that wind chimes are like music--there's a lot to chose from, but not everyone necessarily has the same taste.

FWIW, just my $.02.

[babylonsister]

38. You are a snob! Personally, I have all sizes

and weights. You can buy a fine chime at Home Depot for $25 that's really heavy. Only when the wind blows does this baby move, and it's tone is deep when it does. Conversely, I've bought a huge one for my husband that I haven't seen for a year, because we get some winds here and we feel like we're annoying the neighbors. HAving said that, my mom-in-law, when visiting, named the chimes 'the Bells of St. Mary's."

[intheflow]

39. babylonsister!

:rofl:

[CountAllVotes]

16. give her some money

and I mean it. I was in this line of work for over 20 years and I sure would have liked it if someone gave me some money as a gift - like even a savings bond ... anything. I made so little it was PATHETIC.

:kick:

[intheflow]

20. Enlist her husband's help.

He'd know of anything she might want or like to have, and if she's as good a wife as she is a secretary, he'll keep the secret. But if he says she needs new power tools, I'd be suspect of his motivations...
;)

BTW, even though I posted this suggestion, when I was working secretarial jobs I'd have really appreciated the day off with pay as mentioned above. It would have made me both happy and more loyal to my boss.

You must be a great boss to even think of asking this. Here's to you--and to the few truly good bosses everywhere.

:toast:

[Rabrrrrrr]

24. Well, tomorrow's secretary day! Gotta get her something!

And she's deserved it.

I'm very much 99% leaning to the day off with pay. It's easiest for me, I don't run the risk of getting her something she might not like as much as something else, and she can do whatever the hell she wants with it.

I was lucky to have had some great bosses when I was a secretary, and one Firm that treated us very well on secretary's day (a BOUNTIFUL feast of shrimp and prime rib and etc. in our corporate dining room with all the wine we wanted; needless to say, secretary's day always meant very little got done after lunch cuz most of us were loaded). So, I want to pay it forward, so to speak.

:-)

[Nay]

31. Have to disagree w/you, intheflow. Husbands are usually clueless.

They don't notice anything.

Go with the day off with pay! I'd love that!

[intheflow]

36. Yeah, but you might get lucky

and hit that unusual husband. Ya never know!

[artfan]

22. does she have any hobbies ?

there are lots of beautiful books out there that might tie into them. A plant instead of flowers, they last longer.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

25. I don't know how much you wanna spend, but a spa day is a good idea.

Most spas offer a combo menu type thing. Get her a full body and a facial or something. Then give her an afternoon off to enjoy it. Women dig this kind of thing, and she'll really know you appreciate her.
Duckie

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. I wish I could afford that much!

That would cost me an equivalent of a week's wages for her (she's part time).

Great idea, though.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

30. Damn. Here, something like that would cost $60.

Maybe just a pedicure/manicure? Those are much cheaper. Then get her a basket of nice stuff from Bath and Body Works?
Duckie

[AccessGranted]

27. Perfect Gift - Bath & Body Works

Gift her a gift certificate to Bath and Body Works. I don't know any woman of any age who doesn't like stuff from Bath and Body Works. All women like to pamper themselves sometimes!

[Maddy McCall]

28. Don't give her flowers. Give her the gift certificate.

Go to a nice restaurant in your area, and buy a gift certificate that will cover a nice meal for her and her SO.

I've worked for a florist before. You won't get much of a floral arrangement for $25.

[SOteric]

29. Time off is good.

Either all in one day, or an hour a day for a week or so.

Some quality chocolates can be had for around $25.00.

If you decide to go with the gift certificate option, you might combine it with the time off in some clever way. Like, - let her come in late every day for a week or so and give her a $25.00 gift certificate to a local coffee shop. A little constructive indulgence here and there goes a long way.

[Taxloss]

33. Original art.

Always the perfect gift. My last two leaving presents were framed political cartoons, and I love them both dearly. Find a nearby gallery - you'd be surprised at how reasonable some pieces are.

[NoPasaran]

37. I was going to suggest a Miata

But a day off with pay is nice too.

[FizzFuzz]

41. Secretary's Day always seemed like a cop out to me

"a special day.
We'll give you a bouquet
cuz you get 73 cents
to a dollar of a man's pay."

Not to rag on you, its just something I notice. Women work for peanuts xxx I mean flowers.

But props to you for caring, Rabrrrrrr. I vote for the day off.

[benny05]

42. On Administrative Sec's day

My unit used to take out the Admins for lunch at a restaurant of their choice, with cards to both. Almost everyone went, and they appreciated the time with us, as well as having a lunch. It was a shared experience, not just one boss.

[Shananigans]

43. A new title!

It's 2005! No one wants to be called a "secretary" anymore! Giving her a new title (even administrative Assistant is a step up) would improve morale and show her you really care!

[Rabrrrrrr]

49. See my other post above - I was proud to be a secretary

I like that title, better than Administrative Assistant or Executive Assistant.

I was a SECRETARY. :-)

[shanti]

44. take her to lunch

at a very nice restaurant, someplace she wouldn't normally go.

[maveric]

46. Give her the gift of carnal pleasure.

[Rabrrrrrr]

48. I gave her a day off with pay, and a bottle of champagne!

Technically, sparkling wine since it's Italian, but you know what I mean.

She loved it!

Thanks for that suggestion everyone! I never would have thought of that one.

[LibraLiz1973]

50. Good Work!!

You did EXACTLY the right thing

[Magrittes Pipe]

51. You still have time to get her a video!

[Rabrrrrrr]

52. LOL!

No, I don't think that would be appropriate.