It's that time of year again! Late November and early December are when you're bound to get roped into a Secret Santa exchange with your coworkers, your friends, extended family, etc. It's all fun and games until you draw the name of a person you hardly know. We've all been there before and its kind of scary! Here are some tips to help you out this Christmas season.

1) Follow the wish-list!

Some Secret Santa exchange groups are nice enough to include space for a wish-list for each person in the drawing. Usually the person will write their name down on a piece of paper along with 3-5 things they would like within the price range for the exchange. You don't have to get too creative if this is the case. Unless you know the person super well, it's okay to stick to the wish-list!

2) Christmas Ornaments/Decorations

When in doubt, go along with the theme! Most of the time a Secret Santa exchange happens before Christmas day. This means that its the perfect time to get someone a cute ornament to add to their tree before the big day! Craft stores have a huge variety of fun Christmas ornaments and small decorations!

3) You can't go wrong with food!

Who doesn't like Christmas snacks and candy? After you get the person a small gift (or Christmas ornament?) you can load up the gift bag with chocolate, peppermint bark, or their favorite candy. You can even find little hot cocoa kits that are great for gifts. *Just be mindful of food allergies!*

4) Get the Person something you would want.

If you're really not sure what type of gift to get someone, just go shopping and look for things that catch your own eye. This is especially easy if you had the chance of drawing someone of the same gender as you. Now I'm not trying to be politically specific here, but if you're a girl buying gifts for another girl, chances are you probably have a lot of the same interests. You can literally just go shopping and generally think to yourself, "What would I like to receive from my Secret Santa?". Some basic staples for me are: fuzzy socks, chapsticks, scented lotion / hand sanitizers, ear-buds, and candles.

5) You CAN work with the spending limit.

Most of the time there is a spending limit for Secret Santa. Stores like Five Below and Dollar general are perfect if you want to fill a gift bag with a variety of small items. I usually start at Dollar General for the giftbags, wrapping paper, and candy. After that, I like to head to Five Below for a few small gifts. Their products are fun, inexpensive, and they have something for just about every type of person!

6) Coffe Cups and Water Bottles.

If you want to get creative, you can throw out the gift bags and fill up a nice coffe cup or water bottle with small gifts and candy. Just about everybody carries around re-usable bottles nowadays, so why not get them something they'll use?

7) Get to know the person (secretly).

Now we don't have to be stalkers for this step, but by talking either directly to the person - or talking to their friends - you can find out what their basic interests are. Does the person have a favorite animal? Do they like a certain sport or sports team? Do they have a favorite band or singer? A favorite food or candy? These are general personality questions that you can usually figure out without giving the secret of Secret Santa away.

8) Don't wait until the last minute.

We all know things get extra stressful and difficult when we are on a time crunch. Start thinking about gift ideas as soon as you draw a name for Secret Santa. If you give yourself enough time, you will be able to find the perfect gift without all of the stress!

9) Don't give the secret away!

It takes all the fun out of the game when people start to find out who their Secret Santa is. Follow the wish-lists, use your own judgement, or try to get information about people without ruining the surprise!

Best Wishes for Secret Santa Shopping this year!