We already have the office party on our calendar for December, how about you? Sometimes this event is a potluck, sometimes there’s a ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchange involved, sometimes there are cocktails involved.

How do you navigate this road full of potential etiquette potholes? I’ll share a few mistakes I don’t want to make again:

Don’t miss the office party. I know many folks that don’t do parties well, and simply prefer to avoid the experience. The holiday party should never be required attendance, but I definitely believe that if at all possible, you should make an appearance at the holiday party. It shows that you are a team player, and that you are trying to fit in with the team you work with during the day. One of the important reasons for the holiday party is to celebrate and strengthen team cohesion, and missing out on that puts you a step behind.

Don’t try a new recipe for the potluck.I’m no Martha Stewart – if you are, the rules are different. If it’s a potluck and you’re not a chef, get to the to-do list early! Volunteer to bring a dessert you can pick up from a local bakery or see if you can bring soda or the paper plates and napkins.

Secret Santa should not be extravagant nor too personal. Fast Company suggests that meaningful gifts are the best way to go for the office gift exchange. I often look around the counters at the bookstore and the Container Store.

Don’t talk too much about yourself. The most important phrase for you to remember might be “How about you?” If you find yourself stumbling for a way to explain how you are related to a certain cousin, you have said too much.

Don’t drink too much! Keep it to a minimum. Remember this is an opportunity to make a good impression, to learn more about your colleagues. Don’t drink so much that you will have trouble remembering what you talk about with your coworkers.

Spread some good cheer when given the chance, and you may find it catches on.

Happy holidays, and a prosperous new year to you!

I have had so much fun writing for you this year, I wanted to get you a little something. It’s not much. Just a couple of podcasts I think you’ll really like. (It’s hard to send anything really big through the Internet.) So here you go, I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.

• The Bugle – a satirical news show featuring John Oliver of the Daily Show with his friend Andy Zaltzman. Andy operates from the U.K., which adds a nice international flair to the weekly podcast. They have me in stitches on a regular basis. I hope you’ll join us. There’s also a blog.
• Risk! – a collection of truth-telling that will make you laugh, snort, gasp and/or cry, depending on the people you know and how you normally spend your time. Kevin Allison, who I know of from The State, is in charge of this operation and narrates the podcast. I became a fan quickly.

That’s it! They are both free (at this time) on iTunes, so download to your heart’s content and donate to the creators if you love them. I hope they make you smile. Happy holidays!

Three cheers to the three gals at TMI Weekly for a great redux on what to do with unwanted holiday gifts.

• FIRST – write a lovely thank you note about how thoughtful it was for your Aunt Flo to send you that fabulous sweater.
• SECOND – listen to Meghan and her friends run down all the ways you can find a way to find a happy home for the hideous thing.
• THIRD – give the sweater to someone who will wear it, and maybe you’ll end up with the video game you really wanted!

Check out this adorable episode and learn a thing or two about bartering!

TMI Weekly: Barter This

Back in college, I would rush to the bank at Dupont Circle to cash out my last paycheck before Christmas, then take the Metro to the Pentagon City Mall just outside of Washington, D.C.

I did no shopping before or after. If what my family/friends wanted for Christmas wasn’t at that mall, they didn’t get it. I left the mall in a cab piled high with shopping bags, feeling like a queen for a day, and wrapped presents like Mrs. Claus all night long. It was majestic, spendiferous, luxurious and FUN!

Now, I start shopping around January. I stash presents away, hoping I’ll be able to find them at Christmas time. There is little of the merry hustle and bustle that was found at the mall in those last days before Christmas. It’s more of a mad panic in my basement, or tracking packages online, or yelling at the UPS operator on my phone.

I have to say I do miss the mad dash at the last minute. I had less to spend, and my presents weren’t always spot-on or even appropriate. But I definitely had a lot more fun shopping back in those days. And I felt a big rush of the Christmas spirit.

Maybe I won’t start shopping until at least Halloween next year. That’s when the X-mas decorations start going up, right?

Footnote: http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/2008/12/have-you-ever-gotten-your-paycheck-in.html

Not too psyched on re-using last year’s wrapping paper, or wrapping your gifts in the Comics?

The Japanese tradition of Furoshiki lets you make a gift out of your gift wrap, by wrapping your gift in a decorative scarf or other material. It sounds as tricky as Origami, but just as beautiful.

Plus, your recipient can re-gift the wrap as a scarf or wrap when they’re done unwrapping.

See some basic wrap techniques here:
Furoshiki.com

I’ve been talking to friends about going green. Some things seem too overwhelming: the supplies are hard to find, there’s no use converting my rental unit, or why sell a perfectly good car that I never drive anyway – plus, it’s paid for! Other ideas are simple to adopt, and we adopt them.

My point is, not every green idea is going to be the one for you. But if you are inclined to think green, start whenever you get the urge, and keep looking for more ideas. Don’t stop with the squiggly light bulbs and recycling. It’s much easier to be green than you think.

And remember, a little green is better than not green at all. You don’t have to go all the way to do some good.

Start here – when you go shopping this Christmas, think about what your presents are made of. And the wrapping, too. Use reusable gift bags, or wrap your gifts in old-fashioned comics pages. (It’s fun to find especially appropriate cartoons for your friends and family.)

I’ve put together an earth-friendly shopping guide on Squidoo if you need some help. Spend greenly!

http://www.squidoo.com/earthshop/

There’s a new film out about Wal-Mart – I am waiting for my copy to come in the mail, but I’ve heard about it from trusted resources (my parents). From what I’ve heard and read, it seems to confirm all the reasons I’ve boycotted it for years. The corporation is low-paying, anti-union, and anti-worker in general. As a matter of fact, it’s even sounding anti-American. To buy from China – no, wait – to manufacture in China, then put American Main Street and smaller chains out of business… is that the patriotic image we all had of Sam Walton? Wal-Mart has chosen this route on a grand scale in order to keep their prices lower than any other store can compete with. Stories about their full-time workers needing food stamps, about required overtime, and about muscling out union organizers are downright disgusting.

OK, I’ll get off my soapbox. If you’re pinching your pennies this holiday season, look to alternative options to spend your celebratory cash, like:

• artfortheanimals.org
• www.heifer.org
• www.puravidacoffee.com

For more info on WalMart: WalMart Watch