5 Employee Gift Ideas For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the time of year when we reflect on things and people we are thankful for. It’s a perfect time to show appreciation for the hard work your employees put in throughout the year. Below are five gift ideas to acknowledge the value of your employees during Thanksgiving.

Have a Great Thanksgiving Card
Have a Great Thanksgiving Card – Design 74WCX

 

1. Thanksgiving Cards – Greeting cards are an inexpensive, but thoughtful way to show thanks. Personalize the cards with their names and a message wishing them and their families a Happy Thanksgiving. If you have the time, hand deliver the cards to each employee – it’s a nice way to personally communicate that you value them as individuals and opens the door to learn a little about them.

2. Wine – Depending on the nature of your business, a small bottle of wine may be appropriate. If you’re looking to go the extra mile, decorate the top of the bottle with some festive string! Whether your employees choose to enjoy it with their family or give as a gift to someone else, it is a great way to spread seasonal joy.

3. Pie – If your business is a bit too conservative for wine, perhaps you could spread thanks with holiday pies. Apple, pumpkin, pecan, blueberry – choose one, or let your employees choose! They’ll appreciate the thought and be relieved to have something to bring to their relative’s Thanksgiving dinner.

4. Gift Card – Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general tend to become expensive. A generic or supermarket gift card is a considerate gesture for an employee Thanksgiving gift. The flexibility of a gift card allows them to spend it on whatever will make their holiday more special.

5. Potluck/Banquet – Whether you choose to rent a space or coordinate employees to bring their own dishes, a spread of food is always a well-received gesture. Let employees sit, relax and socialize with one another over a good meal. Don’t be shy to have a seat yourself and join in!

Whether it’s giving a gift or sharing some words, the saying “it’s the thought that counts” carries more weight than you may think. Regardless of your budget there is always a way to show appreciation for the people who help run your business. This season, take the time to thank them.

Who Should Sign the Company Christmas Cards?

When it comes to signing your company Christmas cards, there are a number of factors to consider.

Happy Holiday Trees Christmas Card
Happy Holiday Trees Christmas Card – Design H1RCX

 

First off, decide whether the cards will be imprinted with a person or person’s name or just the company name. If you are printing the company name inside the Christmas card without any personal names, then here are some options for both small and larger businesses.

Smaller Businesses
• Have the entire staff sign the cards. Keep in mind, this can take awhile and usually only recommended with a staff of 6 or less.
• Owner signs each of the cards – possibly writing a little extra note to the most valued clients.
• Owner has someone else sign the cards on behalf of him or her.

Mid to Large Size Businesses
It is generally not practical to ask an entire staff or department with more than 6 people to individual hand sign cards and, typically, the result is not aesthetically pleasing either. Here are some alternatives to consider:

• Imprinting the executives’ names inside the card and having them (or designates) to hand sign above the imprinted names on smaller quantities.
• On larger quantities it is generally recommended to have a signature plate made for the order. Doing so enables each executive or department staff, to sign only once and having that signed paper turn into a special plate to reproduce the signatures on each of the cards.
• When larger groups of people are signing, the results are often best when the signatures are offset by a graphic, such as the company logo, to provide a focal point.

Remember, whomever signs the company Christmas cards, be sure they do so with a good quality pen for best results.

What To Serve At An Office Christmas Party

For the first time, I have been put in charge of this year’s holiday festivities. So the big question is – What to serve at an office Christmas party? I’ve honestly not given it much thought before. I usually just show up and the food is there. Isn’t it funny how we think that this just magically happens?

Serve_Office_Christmas_Party

As I started my planning, I was thinking that I want it to be fun and festive. However, I don’t want it to become overly complicated. With that in mind, I began to research my options. I came up with the following ideas:

  1. Foods that can be kept warm in chafing dishes. Baked ziti, chicken marsala, sausage with peppers, etc.
  2. Tossed salad (I would only offer a few different dressing types)
  3. Rolls (splurge for the individual butter portions, if budget allows)
  4. Easy to eat treats for dessert, such as cookies and brownies.
  5. Bottled water, coffee & tea

You can also go potluck, and ask your fellow employees if they would like to contribute. Post a sign up sheet so people can sign up and enter what they would like to bring. Otherwise you may wind up with multiples of the same thing. This will allow your fellow employees the chance to participate while showing of their favorite holiday specialty!

Popular Christmas Card Sayings to Share

Ordering Christmas cards is probably not one of the most difficult things you will do. However, there are many decisions to be made. The Gallery Collection has hundreds of gorgeous designs to choose from. Then, there are many Christmas card sayings to choose from.

Christmas_Cards_Sayings

Depending on who you are sending your cards to, the Christmas cards can be saying ‘Thank You’, as to business associates. For example:

  • In the true spirit of the Holiday Season, we extend to you Our Sincerest Appreciation for Your Business

Perhaps you want to wish your recipients and their families peaceful holiday greetings. Here are some popular sayings in this category:

  • May Peace, Joy, Hope and Happiness be yours during this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year
  • Sincerest wishes for hope, happiness and peace during this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year

For a true religious Christmas saying, there is the following option:

  • May you have the gift of Faith, the blessing of Hope, and the peace of His Love at Christmas and always

It may be hard to choose from all of the great Christmas card sayings available, but once your choice is made, the words you have thoughtfully chosen will surely echo your Christmas wishes to all who receive them!

Greeting Cards Highlight – Photo Mount Cards

I absolutely love what Gallery Collection is doing with photos; how do they come up with all of these ideas? Photo mount cards are actual photos mounted on card stock with the photo framed in foil. I am totally going this way for my holiday cards this year but I have to narrow down from these:

Holiday Hearth Card
Holiday Hearth Card – Design 86GCW

 

Holiday Hearth (86GCW) – This photo card is so cozy looking it is a definite contender for this year’s card. Love the black stock; very dramatic.

Miami Skyline (76CCW) – I run a business out of Miami so this would be great to send because the sky really does look like this. Wonder if it would make my Northern client jealous! I could use it as a Thank You card instead.

Glowing Holiday Pines (73MCS) – Ideal is the thought that comes to mind when I look at this card, talk about Silent Night, you can almost hear the hush of the snowflakes falling.

Autumn Vignette (73SCX) – Maybe a Thanksgiving photo card instead of a Holiday photo card? A Thanksgiving card will hang much longer than a Christmas card and will be the first to arrive!

Holiday Penguin Trio (76SCX) – I have never done cute before so maybe this year I can break the ice with these adorable penguins.

Well I narrowed down to four holiday and I definitely want the Miami scene for an All Occasion card, I just won’t put a greeting on the inside so I can use for any thing I like. I want to hurry and make my decision while I can still get great discounts!

 

Warrior Canine Connection – Gallery Collection Charitable Donations

The Gallery Collection is thrilled to have the opportunity to make a donation to Warrior Canine Connection. We created and donated 500 Thank You cards to be used to give thanks to Veterans for everything they have done for our country. Using images supplied to us by Warrior Canine Connection, we’ve created a card that speaks to both the work that the organization does, and the grateful thanks they wish to share with Veterans.

Warrior_Canine_Connection

Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes clinically based Canine Connection Therapy to help wounded Warriors reconnect with life, their families, their communities, and each other. By interacting with the dogs as they move from puppyhood to training to adult service dogs, Warrior Trainers benefit from a physiological and psychological animal-human connection. As a result of their efforts, Veterans with disabilities receive the finest in trained service dogs.

If you’d like more information on Warrior Canine Connection, or if you’d like to make a donation, please visit their website: http://warriorcanineconnection.org/

Greeting Cards Highlight – Thanksgiving Cards

I love autumn and the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s my favorite time of the year, the crisp air and the colorful turning of the leaves, the pumpkins and gourds – all so bright. What better way for us to celebrate this time of the year then by sending out a beautiful card to commemorate this All-American holiday! It was hard, but I have selected 5 of my favorite Thanksgiving cards that I feel best represent this time of year.

Harvest Bounty Thanksgiving Card
Harvest Bounty Thanksgiving Card – Design 576CW

 

Harvest Bounty Thanksgiving Card (576CW) – This card truly incorporates all that is Thanksgiving with the earth tones of the gourds & pumpkin of orange, green, gold and cream.
Shimmering Autumn Splendor Holiday Card (712CW) – A tranquil country road scattered with beautiful autumn leaves that crackle under your feet when you walk on them.
Thanksgiving Day Card (76KCX) – A Thanksgiving cornucopia overflowing with fruit and gourds nestled on a bed of colorful autumn leaves and flowers.
Thanksgiving Glow Greeting Card (577CW) – Imagine sitting under an autumn tree in the middle of a meadow surrounded by the quiet of beautiful colors.
Thanksgiving Golden Snowscape Holiday Card (018CW) – The early morning tranquility as the sun rises and reflects it warm autumn glow on the snow covered banks of the lake.

Some of Our Favorite Company Christmas Party Ideas

Ugly Sweater Parties. Secret Santa. Grab Bags. Non-Denominational Holiday Brunches. After Hours Eggnog-and-Mulled-Wine Shindigs.

At least one of those things is made-up, but the others are some of my favorite company Christmas party ideas.

Company Christmas Party Ideas

Well, I say favorite but I might be fibbing just a little bit. I’m not a big believer in mandatory gift-giving in one’s place of business, unless the spending limit is hilariously low and people know to have fun with it (i.e., everybody buys a joke gift from the dollar store). Because, hey, we’ve all been in that awkward situation where there’s an office Secret Santa and it’s “To Be Taken Seriously”, but you don’t know the person you got all that well and everybody walks away disappointed.

I feel it’s best to avoid that situation altogether.

My absolute favorite kind of office party is one where there’s decent food (catered or informal pot luck, it doesn’t matter), but not a lot of formal structure. It’s supposed to be a party; let the people unwind and make their own fun. By all means, encourage silly outfits. But don’t go so far as to make anything Mandatory™.

Really, the best Christmas party idea anyone can give you is to not over-plan your company party. Just toss up some decorations, put out some food, and see what happens.

Gallery Collection Scholarship Contest – Fifth Round Winners

5372815ec653d-scholarship_entry11

Congratulations to the winners from the fifth round of voting in the Gallery Collection Scholarship Contest!

10 Designs moved on to the finalist round as a result of them finishing in the top 10 in voting, plus, our scholarship team also used our 1 save available to us on the design submitted by Anatoliy Dzhuga. A simply stunning design full of intricate holiday detail.

Check out the top 10 vote getters and the saved design that are moving onto the finalist round in the gallery below.