Alexandra Cohn
Giving a present to a co-worker can be fraught with peril. You don’t want to give a gift that can be misconstrued as too personal. On the other hand, you spend more time with some of your co-workers than you do members of your own family. Still, you don’t want to give your “work spouse” a gift that’s going to make your real spouse squirm...or worse. These gifts aim to strike a balance between presumptuous and the useless gag gift.
“Good morning, asshole” coffee mug
This mug illustrates that very thin line between funny and “You’re fired.” While this may seem amusing (“Well, it’s obvious I’m kidding, right? Right?”), if someone takes this the wrong way, not even putting a bird on it will save you. But there is a certain amount of workplace reward that can come from risk-taking.
Cost: $15
Where: Madison Modern Market, 310 State St.
Wisconsin guidebooks
Everyone has a co-worker who simply cannot leave the job behind. Some have never even been to Devil’s Lake! Help this soul take a rewarding vacation day with some excellent guidebooks to our (at least for now) still-beautiful state. 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Madison by Kevin Revolinski, Walking Trails of Southern Wisconsin by Bob Crawford, and Travel Wild Wisconsin: A Seasonal Guide to Wildlife Encounters in Natural Places by Constance Gaukel Andrews will pave the path. While the first two are trail-based, Andrews’ book is event-based, sending the would-be adventurer to, say, Horicon Marsh during peak goose weekends, or to Prairie du Sac to spy the bald eagles.
Cost: $14-$22
Where: Area bookstores, including the nature-centric shop at the UW-Madison Arboretum Visitor Center
Knitted touchscreen gloves
As you nudge your perennially texting co-worker into the wide world of nature, you may also need to accept partial defeat. In our world, texting can continue even at Horicon Marsh. With the cold weather coming on, give a pair of gloves that warms the hands while maintaining maximum swiping ability. The North Face’s Etip glove combines fleece for warmth and “full palm conductivity.” Glider Gloves come highly rated and take a slightly different approach: “Using special conductive microfibers woven into the liner, we are able to bridge the conductive gap your gloves create between you and your device.” Wasn’t that the plot of Tron?
Cost: $25-$45
Where: Fontana Sports, 216 N Henry St. and 231 Junction Rd.; REI, 7483 West Towne Way; The North Face at Hilldale Mall; glidergloves.com
Zen garden
Anything that increases serenity in the workplace is a good idea. The desktop “Zen Garden” — a rectangular frame filled with sand that comes with a small rake and some pebbles — also builds workplace camaraderie as co-workers drop by, rake a design, “brainstorm” and resolve conflict.
Cost: $33
Where: Mimosa Bookstore, 260 W Gilman St.
Air plant art kit
Air plants are great for the office, often a death zone for more care-intensive plants. This kit helps the recipient create a jellyfish/airplant tableau to brighten the cubicle. The company, MakersKit, gives art kits to public schools with each purchase.
Cost: $24
Where: Hatch Art House, 1248 Williamson St.
Gourmet salt blend
This comes from the imaginative well of coffee, chocolates and nuts, with a little more luxury spin on it. Salts come in varieties from Himalayan pink to chocolate, but we like Omnivore Salt, a Northern California sea salt blend with a few added spices. It’s non-GMO, organic, vegan — and, best of all, no garlic or onions in the spices. Bonus: No one ever thinks that salt is “too personal.”
Cost: $15
Where: Fromagination, 12 S. Carroll St.
We have noted throughout the gift guide where our shoppers located various items; however, they may be available at other area stores as well.
