Lifestyle

Great Gifts for the Admin Professional or Teleworker

by LifeByWyetha

Hello friends, and welcome back to the blog.

I am in charge of how I feel and choose to feel happy. — The Good Trade

What’s up, beautiful people, and how are you? Are you staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, giving your body good food, taking your greens, and giving yourself grace?

Administrative professionals day is sometime towards the end of April, and my job has gone from lunches at B Smiths to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme,” to a basket of bread and sweets that were moldy upon arrival, to crappy pens and pads, with plastic mugs and cups. This junk ends up sitting in a corner and eventually being thrown away or donated. My motto is, “You could have just given us a gift card for Amazon or, better yet, THE DAY OFF!!!” There are only five of us at my organization, so ….why?

The folks who organize these things try their best but work with a limited budget, so it’s not 100% their fault. There is (however) one person who always gets me the “best-est” gifts and knocks them out of the park every year. Who is this? …my daughter. OK, so yes, she knows me, and she knows what I like, but so does an organization I’ve been working at for 24 years.  I say it’s not hard, but you do need to spend something because we, as admins, are worth every penny and then some.

We always get these speeches or notes during this time that go a little something like this…🎶🎶

“We can never repay you for ALL that you do, but here’s a little something (and I do mean little) to show our appreciation.”

No, I’m not being ungrateful, but when you see your organization’s budget, you know they can do more, but for some reason, it’s an afterthought. So, with that, I’ve curated this shortlist of a few AMAZING gift ideas for that Teleworker or Administrative professional staffer.

 

Walking Pad ($$$)
Walk it out!  You would probably only give This pricier gift to a family member or spouse. It’s perfect for someone working from home.  I got mine a few days after my vein procedure because I needed to walk to avoid a blood clot, and I’ve been using mine ever since.  It’s small, can fit under your standing desk or in a corner, and I can walk for about an hour a day in intervals.

Ember Mug ($$$)
Where has this been all my life?  This WAS an administrative gift from my daughter, and I love it.  You charge your mug, but it doesn’t have to stay on the charger to keep your beverages hot.  You download the app and sync it with your phone, and you can control the temperature, so there is no more heating up coffee three times to finish it.  You can enjoy a nice hot cup at any time of the day.  This makes a great Christmas or birthday gift for someone going to the office or someone working from home.

J Lab Ear Bud (low $$)
Yes, I want to drown out the world.  This is a great, cost-effective option for earbuds.  I’ve had mine for two years, and they are still going strong.  Perfect for travel, Teams and Zoom meetings, or just listening to music while you work.

Audible Subscription ($$-$$$)
This is life-changing.  I love listening to books when I commute or have busy work tasks.  My subscription is for the year, but there are 3-month and 1-month subscriptions available, plus you can download hundreds of Audible exclusive content.

CalPak Laptop Tote ($$-$$$)
Laptop bags aren’t boring. I love a stylish bag, and I had a hard time finding something that would work with my laptop without making it so heavy that it’s unbearable. It comes in several colors, and yes, they are having a sale. This is also a great gift for someone who’s going into the office or likes to work at the library or coffee shop.

Paperage Notebooks (low $$)
The art of writing is not dead. I have four of these, and they are all being used.  Ok, I take that back; three are being used.  There’s nothing like a notebook (lined or unlined) to take notes at work, write down tasks, or create a project list.  You can do these online in Notion or OneNote, but I love a journal.  I use one for work notes, my A1C journal, and another for writing my book reviews.  I still have one I haven’t opened, so I’m saving it for something special.  These are also priced so you don’t break the bank.

Some other great ideas:

I’m at a place where there are absolutely no take-backs or excuses for celebrating and honoring people who work hard. It’s the least someone can do because, trust me, work isn’t always fun, meetings are boring, and sometimes it’s hard to get up in the AM and deal with personalities that are on the fringe of stupid. So we deserve all the things and all the kudos.

I hope I’ve given you some alternative gifts at different prices to give something special to that coworker, family member, or friend working from home.  Thanks so much for hanging with me today.  I hope you’ll consider subscribing, and I’ll see you back here soon.  — Peace.