Just before Thanksgiving I started asking my co-workers what they have done in the past for Christmas around the office. I got a couple of grunts, a few moans of "ugh...Christmas already", and a few people could not remember what they usually do. Well, this was not going to fly. I wanted to be festive and liven these scrooges up a little. I talked to one of our outside sales guys, who is usually enthusiastic about this cheesy stuff and he was on board with the tree and decor. His sister use to work at a Christmas decor shop so he had stockpiled ornaments from his bachelor days. There were fishing lures, lanterns, strands of Santa lights, and anything "manly" you could think of in this ornament collection. At first, BD (another female co-worker), and I turned our noses up at this since there is already so much testosterone in the office. Then, we figured a fancy and feminine tree probably wouldn't go over well with all of the male customers and contractors that come in. So, we made it a definite conversation piece. I could tell right away that the decorating of the tree was starting to instill some Christmas spirit in our scrooges. It actually looked pretty good when we were finished.
I really liked the idea of everyone wearing an ugly sweater. It breaks the ice, it is fun, and it helps add a little jazz to an office for the holidays. Next thing I knew, I was in charge of planning a Christmas party! Since the company usually does not fit this into our budget, I figured I would keep it simple. I was happy to hear that everyone in the office seemed to like the ugly sweater idea since it was a free added bonus. Once everyone heard that we were having this, the suggestions started to flow. A $5 gag gift exchange, a pitch in of everyone's signature dishes, and silly games were on the itinerary. Since we were having a pitch in instead of the company bringing in lunch (which I finally found out that this is what they do for the holiday), I asked if the company could supply gift cards for prizes to the winners of the games we would be playing. Speedway gas station is nearby and frequented by most of our employees, so I decided this would be the best choice for gift cards...everyone could use a gas card! I posted an invitation flyer and a pitch-in sign up sheet in the lunch room and started planning the day.
The hardest part of all of it was planning the timeline since nobody could make a decision on whether we were leaving early on that Friday before Christmas. Since we would be closed on the following Monday, it was rumored that we might not leave early but then some people said that they usually ran out right after lunch. So, I decided to just spread out the Christmas activities throughout the day.
Well, the day came and it was a hit! I have to say I have not seen some of my co-workers laugh or smile that much since I started working here almost a year ago. We had some heavy hitting team players! The sweaters had us doubled over in laughter as each person entered the showroom. The person who didn't show up in a ugly sweater was our president so I gave him a "Bah Humbug!" Santa hat to wear.
I actually came in second for the ugliest sweater. I'm not sure how that happened...
We have bags that can hold two tons of stone for deliveries. Instead of an over sized stocking or Santa bag for the gag gift grab, this was a little more cost effective (free) and a cheesy touch! These are the only other females that I work with...no we do not weigh two tons!
Our business didn't actually close that day but we didn't have much going on, obviously!
The gag gift grab was a nice touch. Some of the gifts were hilarious!
Mouthwash, peppermints, and whiskey from an inside joke got lots of laughs!
They all talked me into playing musical chairs with them. I didn't know going in that I would end up on the floor! Here you can see them picking me up.
I work with a great group of people. Everyone was very thankful and had a great time! One co-worker said, "this was the most fun we have had since I've worked here." I even got hugs of appreciation!
I was wanting to add a little cheer to our office that literally has stone walls. Apparently it was a little more than that! It was a nice way to start everyone's Christmas weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear from you!