Office Gift Giving Guide
The holidays can be a tricky time in the office, especially when it comes to gift giving. But according to Leah Ingram, author of You Shouldn't Have! How to Give Gifts They'll Never Forget, it is something employees should consider doing.

"It's important to give gifts at the holidays," Ingram said to Ladies Home Journal. "It's how you say 'thank you' to people who support you throughout the year, and how you show appreciation to your professional mentors."

Giving that perfect, office-appropriate gift can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be a hassle. To make sure no one feels left out and at the same time ensure that no one feels obligated to bring gifts, the Washington Post advises having a gift swap where employees have the option to participate or not, and setting a limit on the gift's cost. The Washington Post suggests a gift budget of $5 to $10.

For people in offices without gift exchanges who want to give gifts, here are a few guidelines for picking and giving an office-appropriate gift:

• Consider what the person values — pets, children, family or staying healthy;
• Stay away from giving lingerie, alcohol, perfume/cologne or anything too personal; and
• Spend no more than $25, which is the tax deduction for each professional gift the Internal Revenue Service allows.

If you've got one or two close friends at the office you want to give bigger gifts to, do it outside the office. As for giving your boss a gift, the Boston Globe recommends against it. If you feel you must, do it as a group, ABC News advises.

Gadgety Gifts
If you're trying to avoid the hordes of people filling up shops this time of year but are looking to snap up cool gadgets to give as gifts, don't fret. Instead, make the gadgets yourself. There are a multitude of Do-it-Yourself resources to help you create high-tech gifts.

Does your kid want the latest Sesame Street toy? You can build him or her an autonomous Cookie Monster. Buy a Cookie Monster plush toy, remove the stuffing and wrap the fur around the legs and torso of a walking robot toy. Along with some servo motors and wheels, this toy will be able to move its arms, head and legs. Add an ultrasonic distance detector and Cookie Monster will be able to avoid obstacles, too.

With a bit of elbow grease, you can make own digital photo frame, Nintendo Wii balance board and iPod speakers. For a listing of other gadget projects to try, check out New Scientist.

But if you're running out of time to create a gift, ABC News lists 10 high-tech holiday treats that are under $150. You can get a Sansa Mp3 player for $19.99 or a digital photo frame for $99. (For other gift ideas for the gadget lover and/or cubicle dweller, check out our earlier Holiday Gift Guide.)

And as an extra surprise, you can package these gifts in fake gift boxes.

Holiday Decorating on a Budget
Want to spruce up your cube but don't want to spend much cash? Why not use the USB Decoration Kit shown here via Usb.brando.com.hk. For $18, the kit comes with a string of LED lights that you plug into your computer via the USB port, plus a decorative party hat and mouse.

Don't want to lug a small tree into your workspace? Use a Christmas tree projector, instead. MAKE magazine's blog provides step-by-step instructions for how to create this projector using three light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a Picaxe 08M micro, a 9V battery, plastic tube and a bit of plywood.

Celebrating Hanukkah? Evil Mad Science sells $10 kits to make your own LED mini-menorahs. They come with 3mm or 5mm superbright LEDs in white, blue, yellow or green. (Yellow and green come only in the 3mm size.)

For more holiday decorating tips that keep your wallet in mind, check out Gizmodo.com.

Christmas Songs for Sharks
Sharks and rays at the Loch Lomond Sea Life Center in Scotland will be hearing a lot about Christmas this holiday season as scientists try to figure out whether sharks enjoy listening to Christmas pop songs. The festive hits will be played to the sharks and rays to determine not only if they like the songs, but which type of Christmas song.

Do they prefer the softer White Christmas to the lively Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, or does Wham's Last Christmas get them swimming? Experts will monitor the sharks' reactions to different songs such as them lowering their fin tips, swimming faster or making sudden tight turns, which indicate excitement or aggression.

The tests were devised after U.S. researchers found that fish recognized melody.

Happy weekend! We'll see (some of) you on Monday.