Gift giving: Secret Santa edition

December 2, 2014 2:31 PM

I have been paired up with a co-worker to be a Secret Santa. Caveat, she is my boss. And she is pregnant. Everyone on my immediate team are public health nerds and/or general data geeks with a sense of humor, so any ideas for a quirky, funny, yet work and situation appropriate gifts are most welcome! Thank you in advance.
posted by mooselini to Grab Bag (17 answers total)

Giant microbes or I Heart Guts would fit the bill.
posted by Requiax at 2:47 PM on December 2, 2014 [3 favorites]

A health nerd with a baby on the way needs a plushie microbe. She can either keep it for herself, or gift it to sprog when sprog is age-appropriate for it.

For a public health type person I might specifically recommend Chicken Pox or Flu.
posted by sparklemotion at 2:49 PM on December 2, 2014 [3 favorites]

and what's what I get for not previewing.
posted by sparklemotion at 2:50 PM on December 2, 2014

Just don't give her The Clap. A friend gifted that one to me in front of my parents one Christmas. So awkward.
posted by MsMolly at 2:54 PM on December 2, 2014 [3 favorites]

Vintage health and safety posters!

(I suspect public health people might actually be drowning in those plush microbes by now, it sort of seems like giving a teacher something apple-shaped)
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:54 PM on December 2, 2014 [7 favorites]

Yeah I also was going to suggest something from think geek. I personally like this pi throw blanket.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:55 PM on December 2, 2014

There is nothing like an adorable baby shirt. I'd suggest something with a tiny little picture of hands being washed or some similar benign public health image.
posted by bearwife at 3:04 PM on December 2, 2014

You might peruse the Nausicaa Distribution Etsy shop for both general data-geek-y things and some baby-specific ones.
posted by Stacey at 3:12 PM on December 2, 2014 [2 favorites]

I liked this Periodic Table for a nursery.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:21 PM on December 2, 2014

Get her a hemorrhoid pillow for the office. Extra points if you can have the cover monogrammed.
If you don't want to get that silly then a pregnancy massage would be the best thing ever. She will love you forever.
posted by myselfasme at 3:22 PM on December 2, 2014

Speaking of monogrammed items -- how about a rice bag with a removable monogrammed/funny sentiment cover? (I swear, my microwavable rice bag was the BEST thing when I was recovering from a C-section. Very gentle on the aches and pains, practical, small, and thoughtful.) Putting "heat therapy rice bag" in on Etsy's search should turn up a bunch of them.
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:53 PM on December 2, 2014

Depending on how far along she is, this might be more appropriate for a baby shower but the "Hug Me, I'm Vaccinated!" onsie is pretty great.

Or maybe Pandemic?

You might also peruse this Pinterest page with some geeky gift ideas. I particularly like this Pasteur, Fleming, Salk, Leeuwenhoek print.

wow, those folks were very concerned about syphillis, weren't they?
posted by Beti at 4:41 PM on December 2, 2014 [2 favorites]

Here ya go: statistically significantly cute onesie
posted by k96sc01 at 4:45 PM on December 2, 2014 [2 favorites]

Geeky maternity shirt
posted by anotherthink at 5:30 PM on December 2, 2014 [2 favorites]

Maybe one of the petri dish ornaments from Artologica?
posted by Lexica at 6:19 PM on December 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

Bronzed baby shoes. "We're ahead of schedule for a change!"
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:13 PM on December 2, 2014

What is your price range?

The Improbable Research (IgNoble) books are very funny. Here's a sample (on "Comparing Apples and Oranges").
posted by anaelith at 5:12 AM on December 4, 2014