Looking for a Secret Santa gift? Or an idea for what to get your boss?
The secretaries who make up the Just A Sec volunteer army have stepped up to give their recommendations for this season's best gift ideas.
UNDER $10
Got a Desk? Got Your Gift!
Paper Trackers
$4.95 -- $8.95
"These are the kind of things you wish you had on your desk every day, and they would be so simple to make, and you wonder why nobody's made them yet. Well somebody has!"
So said our friend Gabriella, a secretary at a local university, after setting up her desk with Paper Trackers.
Paper Trackers are a series of elegantly simple organizing gadgets that get papers off the surface of your desk, but keep them handy where you need them.
Gabriella liked the Paper Trackers' versatility. "What's great about the Paper Trackers is, you can use them any way that works for you. It doesn't matter what your desk set-up is. You can attach them almost anywhere."
Paper Trackers are like slender, transparent pockets where you can stow flat items you need to see quickly -- notes, photos, business cards. They attach with adhesive strips, magnets, or adjustable clips, depending on where you need to keep your Paper Tracker. For example, you can keep notes on the top and sides of your computer monitor by using adhesive Paper Tracker 11" Bars; or clip phone numbers and business cards to your phone with a 5.5" Paper Tracker Bar with Double Swivel Clip.
"They're very easy to assemble," Gabriella told us. "It's just a matter of slipping the plastic sleeves into the bar, then either sticking on your magnets or adhesive pads, or attaching a clip."
We love the Paper Tracker products as a less bulky alternative to bulletin boards and pushpins, clunky standing files, etc. And at under $10, anyone can get their own. They're a can't-go-wrong gift for anybody with a desk -- your co-workers will dig them!
Take a minute today to order up a bunch at www.papertracker.net.
$20 AND UNDER
Cocktails, Anyone?
The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Martinis
by James O. Fraioli
$12.95
"I wanted to catch up with my friends," said Reena, a legal secretary in midtown. "Most of them know how to make mixed drinks, but I never knew."
Then she read The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Martinis.
"This book was great!" Reena raved. "I knew nothing. Less than nothing, and I was able to make martinis for myself and my friends this past weekend."
"It's a small book, written in simple language. You won't get overwhelmed. There's really just some basic information you need to know what you're doing, and this book gives it to you without a lot of extra stuff you don't care about it."
"I definitely liked the opening chapter that tells you what all those bar tools do, what they're called, what's the difference between 'neat' and 'on the rocks'. I never knew what a cocktail shaker was for before. It was those little things that made me feel like, oh, OK, I know this. I know as much as everybody else now!"
The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Martinis breaks up its recipes into six categories: Classic Martinis, Flavorful Fruit Martinis, Aromatic Herb and Vegetable Martinis, Exotic Martinis, Festive Holiday Martinis and Decadent Dessert Martinis.
"I chose two martinis from the book to master and then serve up to my friends: the Kamikaze Martini and the Marilyn Monroe Martini. They were easy to make, they turned out great, and now everybody thinks I'm the drink master!" Reena admitted, though -- she hid the book from her friends!
Don't hide it from your friends -- get them each a copy at your favorite bookseller, or from Amazon.
Cheerful Umbrellas: The No-Brainer Gift
Totes Jingle 'brella and Santa 'brella
$14.99
"As far as I'm concerned, if you need to get a gift for a co-worker, this is it," said Linda, a legal secretary in lower Manhattan. "Just buy one of these for every gal you work with and you'll be set. I mean, who doesn't need an umbrella? Even if you've got one, who needs just one? You're always losing an umbrella. And these are really, really cute. Nobody who gets one of these from you is going to say, 'Ew, I got such a boring gift!' These Jingle 'brellas are just too adorable."
Everyone at Just A Sec agreed -- this year, Totes has a winner with its Jingle 'brella and Santa 'brella. They come in a variety of happy-go-lucky prints like retro-dots, houndstooth and animal prints, and chic solids too.
Linda noted, "They're nice and compact too, but you get good coverage when you open them up." Too true. The 'brella folds up to 6" in length but opens to a 38" canopy arc.
"Plus, you don't even have to wrap these," said Linda. "I wouldn't. Look -- they come with either a little Santa hat on top or a bow and bells! How CUTE! I'd just put a gift tag on and give it." You can't beat a gift that doesn't need wrapping!
Quick! Order a Totes Jingle 'brella or Santa 'brella for everyone you know at www.totes-isotoner.com.
Rock that New Year's Resolution!
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Changing Old Habits for Good
By G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D. and Deborah S. Romaine
$16.95
"I think this book is the perfect universal gift," says Charlotte, a downtown secretary in real estate. "When you think about it, you're supporting everyone's New Year's resolution, no matter what it is. Everyone wants to start the new year with a change. This book makes a big impact for a little money, in my opinion."
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Changing Old Habits for Good was co-written by the director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington, so he should know what he's talking about when it comes to successfully breaking free from those monkeys on our backs. But, as with all books in the Complete Idiot's series, the advice is presented in a clearly-organized, easy-to-understand way.
"I'm completely engrossed in it," Charlotte said of Changing Old Habits. "Honestly, I'm not someone who reads a lot of self-help books, but this one is so easy to read. And it's making a lot of sense." She added, "I'm looking ahead and it looks like the authors have really covered the subject from beginning to end. I see chapters here that address your state of mind even after you've changed your habit. How to keep your good habits going long-term. I know that's what I'm going to need, so I feel better knowing those chapters are ahead."
You can purchase The Complete Idiot's Guide to Changing Old Habits for Good from your favorite bookseller, or at Amazon.com.
Goodbye, Hat-Hair and Sweaty Necks!
Trailheads Goodbye Girl Ponytail Headband
$20.00
"Oh my god, I hate wearing hats in winter. I will, like, not put a hat on my head, no matter how cold it is. First of all, I cannot have anything pressing down the top of my hair. My top-hair just doesn't fluff back up like my side hair does. And secondly, I get so sweaty under my hair, right at the back of my neck if I wear a little knit hat. It doesn't matter if it's minus twenty outside. My neck sweats, and it's gross."
That's what one Tribeca secretary told us.
"I tried wearing earmuffs, the kind that wrap around the back of your head. But for some reason, they really hurt my ears, like they pressed on them or something and gave me a headache."
Then Lisa tried the Goodbye Girl Ponytail Headband by Trailheads.
"OK, I think I found my answer! I love this thing. It kept my ears nice and toasty warm, but I didn't sweat on my neck! And I didn't have to smush down the top of my hair, either!"
The cozy fleece Goodbye Girl Ponytail Headband wraps around your head, covering your ears. But a clever opening in the back allows you to push your hair through, pony-tail style, getting it off your neck. No more sweaty hair sticking to the nape of your neck while the rest of your head gets frostbite!
The Trailheads Goodbye Girl is also moisture-repellant, so it dries quickly after a walk from the subway in sleet or snow. Headbands are black with cheerful contrasting colored piping, your choice of pink, blue, green or red.
Get yours at Trailheads.
UNDER $40
Decisions, Decisions
The Decision Kit by Knock Knock
$21.00
Who doesn't have to make decisions? We face them every day. Admittedly, some are bigger than others -- so why not do a friend a favor and give them The Decision Kit this Christmas?
Sandra and Kellie are friends who work together at a corporation in midtown. They played with The Decision Kit and gave it a big two-thumbs-up.
"I want to get this for Christmas!" Kellie laughed. "This was a lot of fun," Sandra agreed. "We went into it just looking at it like a game, but then it got kind of heavy. In a good way!" "Yeah, here we are having a laugh and then it's two hours later and we've had twenty epiphanies each and felt like we'd been to therapy," said Kellie.
The Decision Kit definitely has a sense of humor (it even includes an "I Decided Today!" jacket pin), but the tools inside the pretty Decision Kit box can actually help you work through a dilemma. There are three notepads that urge you to examine the pros & cons of a situation, identify your gut feelings, and list your next steps. To inspire you, there's a tiny booklet of quotations about decision making. And after all this, if you still can't decide, they've given you a coin to flip!
We loved The Decision Kit, and everything else we found at Knock Knock. You'll find a treasure trove of witty co-worker and boss gifts on their web site. Hurry! Go now!
Book Worship
The Peeramid Bookrest
$32.95
Nicole, an executive assistant, reads in bed every night. But after years of doing it, she's still not thrilled with having to hold the book up to her face. Here's what she told us:
"I know, it seems like a stupid thing to complain about, doesn't it? But if you read a lot, especially in bed, after a while you get tired holding up your arms. You want to keep reading but your arms get sore. Sometimes I wish someone would just hold the book in front of my face for me."
After she tried to Peearmid Bookrest, she was overjoyed.
"This is the best thing I could've hoped for. It totally takes the pressure off my arms, and it holds the book at the perfect height and angle."
The Peeramid is, well, a pyramid -- stuffed and sewn with a "ledge" for placing your book. It sits on your lap, giving you a place to rest your book as you read.
"They stuffed it the perfect amount," Nicole noted. "If they'd made it softer, it wouldn't support a book. It's just firm enough, but still nice and lightweight on my lap. And I love that they included a bookmarker!" That's right, a pretty cord attached to the peak of the Peeramid drapes down and serves to hold your place. You can leave your favorite paperback right on the Peeramid when you've finished reading for the night, and pick it up again the next night. Sit it on your nightstand or on the floor beside your bed. It's attractive and comes in a wide variety of lovely fabrics for any guy or gal reader you know.
For that reader in your life, order up a Peermid at Hog Wild Toys today.
Foodies, Vegetarians and Wannabes
The Vegetable Box by Keda Black
$34.99
"I can think of three types of people who would love this gift," said Tracy, a downtown insurance company employee. "Foodies, vegetarians, and people who want to get more veggies in their diets."
The Vegetable Box is a whimsical alternative to the commonplace cookbook. Recipes are printed inside one of 14 mini-cookbooks which come nestled inside a wooden crate -- a great gift presentation! Each booklet covers two different vegetables, and they're divided into sections inside the crate.
"I really liked how the dividers list all the recipes that are inside the book in that section," Nicole told us. "It made it easy to see what I wanted to make, instead of having to flip through each book one at a time. I could choose a couple of things that sounded interesting, check out the recipes, and narrow down what I wanted to try from there."
And how were the recipes, Nicole?
"I'm sort of a mid-range cook, a little adventurous but not a total gourmet, and I thought there was something here for everybody. The recipes are not all so far-out that nobody but a professional chef could have success with them, but there are enough interesting ingredients to satisfy people like me who really like to explore the local gourmet shop and try something new."
Everybody knows somebody who'd love The Vegetable Box -- and will love you for giving it to them. Get yours at your favorite bookseller or visit Amazon.
