I usually dread Secret Santa, but these fun gift ideas have swayed me…

“With a flavour reminiscent of an Aperol Spritz, these non-alcoholic jellies from Daylesford make a perfect gift for someone with a sweet tooth – that is if you can resist eating them yourself!” says our senior food & drink writer, Mel Giandzi.

Fashion director Amanda Marcantonio says: “I really love Anna + Nina products – super-stylish but with a little quirk. If you have a slightly bigger budget (around £15-£20), her candles and candle holders, Christmas decorations and napkins are just exquisite – think of Anna + Nina like an upmarket Oliver Bonas.”

Our cookery editor Emma Franklin says that her go-to is a suitably fabulous yet tacky bauble, preferably food-related. “Over the years, I’ve received – and given – a fair few of these, and since the point is that they’re so-awful-they’re-good, it works really well,” she says. “Diet Cokes, hot dogs, soy sauce bottles and even a limited-edition chicken nugget all now hang from my tree, looking garish among the otherwise carefully themed blue-and-white baubles. We often make ‘tacky bauble’ (you can call them kitsch, but we all know what they really are) our team gifting theme for Christmas and compete for who can find the best/worst one.”

Fashion director Amanda Marcantonio says: “OMG, this is literally hands down the best product I’ve ever used on my dry, frizzy hair (I’ve tried hundreds of products over the years). Award-winning hairdresser Edward James recommended it to me when I spoke to him at GH Live about the state of my hair. He said it’s the best product he’s ever used.”

“You absolutely can’t go wrong with an edible gift and this solid chocolate and hazelnut truffle bar from Venchi is cleverly shaped and wrapped like a cigar. We want one in every flavour,” says our senior food & drink writer, Mel Giandzi.

Our deputy chief sub-editor Elaine Robb says: “These multicoloured glass straws are the perfect eco gift that everyone can use, whether for kids’ drinks or cocktails.”

Our senior food & drink writer Mel Giandzi says: “You should never underestimate how a pot of sea salt flakes can transform your food and drinks, particularly this one – as it’s infused with cold smoke from cherry and apple wood, giving it a wonderful rich umami taste that can take bland soups, risottos, pastas, potatoes and grilled meats to a whole new level. Plus, it tastes incredible when you add a tiny pinch to an old-fashioned cocktail or use on the rim of a glass for a margarita or paloma cocktail.” Who are we to argue with that?

“There’s something extremely satisfying about keeping unruly (and ugly) cords organised and mostly out of sight, so this gift would appeal to anyone you know that likes to stay organised (or needs a hint…),” says our content strategy director, Simon Swift.

Fashion director Amanda Marcantonio says: “A few years ago, someone in the office bought me this gift and I loved it. Not tacky, not naff, it was such a lovely secret Santa to receive. After the office party and a few too many Proseccos, I polished them all off on the train home. I wished I’d saved them, so I could fully appreciate the quality!”

Our senior recipe writer Grace Evans says she “can never have too many scrunchies! Be gone, boring black hair ties, you can bring a bit of flair with ease with a statement scrunchie.”

The best Secret Santa gift our social media manager, Bobbie Edsor, ever received was a nourishing Lip Oil. “As handy as a lip balm, but with an added element of luxury, it became a staple in my handbag and always felt so luxurious and nourishing through the winter months. I’ve since run out, but I’m genuinely considering repurchasing one to see me through this winter.”

This one takes a tiny bit of planning, but our senior beauty editor, Lynne Hyland, can thoroughly recommend ordering some personalised photo socks. “You can make this cutesy and sentimental with a snap of kids, pets or partners – or better still, use it for some gentle mickey-taking. I know MY Secret Santa was trolling me with a pic of Michael Bublé, but I’d say he’s a 100% legit crush, especially at Christmas.”

“Functional and fun is always a must for me when it comes to Secret Santa gifts and these bag clips in the shape of actual crisps make me smile and make me hungry at the exact same time. Just don’t accidentally try to eat one if you do end up serving a bag of crisps!” says our senior food & drink writer, Mel Giandzi.

Features editor Bethan-Rose Jenkins says: “I’d been in my very first job as a magazine intern for just a week when I drew the editor-in-chief’s name in the office Secret Santa – and had a total panic about what to buy her. A beautifully packaged panettone was my saviour and now I always recommend it as a Christmas gift that will suit just about everyone. Add a little pizazz to the classic panettone with this Limoncello Fizz version from Waitrose & Partners, which was awarded ‘Best Flavoured Panettone’ in our GHI taste test.”

Is there anything more thoughtful than a hand-embroided napkin with your Secret Santa’s favourite cocktail on it? We didn’t think so, and our content strategy director Simon Swift says he’ll be gifting this exact negroni napkin for his Secret Santa this Christmas.

News and features director Hattie Garlick says: “If you’re on the hunt for the perfect gift for a good egg, or for a friend who really cracks you up, the boiled egg topper (otherwise known, in our family, as The Egg Clanger) is the gift I’d dearly love to receive. My brother-in-law was given one a few years ago and I have coveted it ever since. I’ll admit that it does look like one of those awful modern answers to problems you never had, until you see it in action. Sit it on top of your soft boiled egg, release the marble and watch it drop like a mini guillotine, slicing off its top.”

Learning your A-Z as an adult means knowing your Amaretto Sour from your Zombie, and our senior food & drink writer Mel Giandzi says that “this cocktail bible book will quickly become a go-to when it comes to entertaining, or just those Friday nights at home when you feel like mixing up a storm. There are also tips and techniques to master so you’ll really earn the mixologist title”.

Mel Giandzi, our senior food & drink writer, said she first bought one of these watering globes from H&M a few years ago and has been patiently waiting for them to return in stock. So, now that it’s back, she’ll be stocking up for herself and grabbing one or two extra for a Secret Santa gift this year. “As someone who typically spends a few weeks away from home on holiday over Christmas, this has been a saviour to those tricky plants that needed watering while I was away. Not only that, but they also look beautiful when the light reflects off it.”