I've Been Jingled at the Office!

So, it has been a long weekend full of Christmas shopping, visiting relatives, attending holiday parties, and you are ready to rest. Unfortunately, you've got to go to work on Monday. The alarm clock rings and you force yourself to get out of bed. You drag yourself to work on Monday morning. Holiday cheer is pretty much the furthest thing from your mind. When you arrive at your desk, what do you find? There are some cute holiday goodies and treats at your desk with an elf sign saying, "I've been jingled!" What on earth can this mean? Now what do you do?

A kind co-worker at your office thought to it would be nice to brighten your day by jingling you. Yes, it may sound like a silly term (and perhaps grounds for a harrassment complaint), but it is a new tradition popping up all over the place. Basically, someone decides to put a special treat on your desk sometime during the month of December to surprise you. The gift does not have to be big. What is most important is it is totally random and thoughtful. Once, you've been jingled, you hang up the elf sign so everyone knows not to jingle you again. Now, it is your turn to pick one or two people you would like to surprise with some fun holiday treats. You have to leave the same elf sign at their desk. It can be lots of fun!

There are a couple of different variations for this activity. At some offices, they use the term "being elfed" instead of "being jingled." The concept is exactly the same. Also, many neighborhoods have taken to doing this activity as well. Instead of leaving treats on a desk, treats are left on the front door step. Jingling or elfing someone is a fun way to brighten someone's day, especially if you know they can use some cheering up around the holidays.

This is the first year our office has decided to "elf" or "jingle" for the holiday season, and so far, it is working out well. We decided to change the rules a bit, and depending on your office, you may also wish to do so.

Instead of being totally random, an email was sent out asking who would like to participate. Once everyone signed up to be jingled, we then drew names. This is best done at the beginning of December or even the end of November. Once the names are drawn, the person you've picked at random is your jingle buddy. You need to surprise that person sometime during the month of December. When you leave the treat at your jingle buddy's desk, you leave an elf sign saying, "I've been jingled!" for that person to hang on their desk. There is an entire website devoted to this and you can download a sign at BeenJingled.com. The way we are playing the game, you do not have to wait to be jingled or elfed before you do it to someone else. Since names have been drawn, you can surprise your jingle buddy anytime you like in December; you can even opt to jingle or elf that person more than once if you want.

For our office, we feel this is the best way to handle jingling or elfing situation since you do not want anyone to feel forced to play the game. Every office has at least a few folks that just aren't in the spirit or do not celebrate the holidays. That is perfectly acceptable. In our office, we are also making sure to sign our names on the elf signs when leaving them at desks. We want the person finding their jingle gift to immediately know who gave it to them. Since this is the first time we've tried this, there have been a few questions along the way, but it has gone well so far.

You might be wondering what type of gifts are fun to give when you jingle someone. I will be happy to tell you some ideas! My initial suggestions at the office were low-budget items such as candy canes, baked goods, stuffed animals, candles, lip gloss, and other inexpensive items. What I was not expecting were some of the very original ideas some of my fellow co-workers have included in their jingle gifts, such as wine, flowers, potted plants, and light-up figurines.

Basically, anything you believe your co-worker might like is a great idea. I've even seen a bamboo plant given as a jingle gift. Who knew? You should be as creative as possible when gifting your jingle buddy. If this is a co-worker you know well, you can buy items you know he or she will enjoy. If this is someone you don't know that well, this is a perfect time to learn more about your new jingle buddy. The most important part of jingling anyone is having fun with it!

Jingling or elfing your office mates is a fun, simple way to enjoy the holidays. Don't let it stress you out! Go to the dollar store and spend a few bucks on your jingle buddy. This really is an activity where the thought counts more than anything else. Have fun and don't spend too much money! That is what being a jingle elf is all about!