Dear Mrs. G.,
What is an inventive and interesting "boss" gift? One that doesn't scream "I just popped over to the liquor store on my way to the holiday party" but that also doesn't have to be super-personal?
- Really not a drinker
It's hard to believe the onslaught of necessary giving has once again descended upon us. The boss gift can seem to be adding insult to injury (as by definition the boss earns more money than you). As a gift, it does have to do an awful lot of talking. It needs to say "Thank you" with a quiet whisper of "for continuing to employ me," without actually opening the Big Boxed Set of Brown Nosing. It needs to say "I'd like you even if you were not my boss (but I know we will not hang out after I move on to other opportunities)." It needs to say "I know your likes and dislikes" (but not alarm his or her spouse, and, barring that, your spouse).
It goes without saying that DVDs of The Office are out. Products of your own particular hobbies (your sensitive photography, your hand-whittled garden gnomes) convey the wrong sense that you have a life outside of the office. You're on the right track with liquor, but shift over to other high-end food items: Wisconsin artisanal cheese (if your boss is not vegan), Wisconsin maple syrup, or organic sausages. (Find your source via the Farm Fresh Atlas,