text: The annual office holiday party season is among us, bringing with it the dreaded office gift exchange. Gifts for co-workers are some of the most difficult and hair-pulling to plan since you must to balance the wire-thin line between too personal and too generic.
  
  There are plenty of rules to follow when it comes to office gift-giving. Since you might not know everyone's religious affiliation, it's better to stick to seasonal or un-holiday related gifts as opposed to accidentally getting a "Merry Christmas" sweater for your Jewish cubicle-mate. And try to learn a little something about them before splurging on their gift. For instance, even though a personalized coffee mug works well as a holiday present, if they don't drink coffee, you won't come out looking too great.
  
  It's also important to keep presents at work lighthearted and whimsical, but stay within the NSFW bounds (pajamas come to mind). And though everyone loves chocolate, it's probably not the most memorable choice for a gift.
  
  And the most important thing to remember when it comes to office gift-giving is to not to spend an extravagant amount of money -- getting a colleague an MP3 player when they get you a stack of pencils is bound to make the workday awkward for everyone.
  
  The best rule of thumb for office presents is to get your colleague something to use at work since that's where you see them and know them the best. Places like ThinkGeek and the MoMAStore offer lots of creative and innovative desk accessories. And Etsy is a great place to start for unique and personalized items that won't break the bank.
  
  So before you draw names for this year's office Secret Santa, take a look through these 20 gift ideas for some holiday inspiration. What ideas do you have this year for co-worker gifts? Share them in the comments below.
summary: Don't let the office gift exchange get you down this holiday. Use these creative and whimsical gift ideas that won't break the bank and get a few laughs.