If you have a Christmas party coming up, and you have to bring a gift, you may be stuck for ideas. To make things easier, some companies have a specific party and each person brings only one gift.

You never know what you will get, and you never know who you are buying for. In that case, you have to find a gift for Christmas party idea that will work for either sex, and that will be appreciated by just about anyone. That’s not quite as hard as it sounds.

It would be hard to go wrong with a gift basket when you are buying a gift for Christmas party. You can put anything inside, but try to keep in gender-neutral. You don’t want to give a set of lush body lotions and creams to a man, though that might be something he can take home for his wife. Instead, think about things that both sexes might use. Things like wines and cheeses, or even fruit baskets are great ideas. Everyone has to eat, and that means that food baskets are often okay no matter who will be getting your gift.

If you want to shy away from the food gift baskets when you buy a gift for Christmas party, you can always think about things most people like to do. You can usually assume most like to go see a movie once in a while, so tickets for theater admission are always great. You can also get passes for free DVD rentals, and even add popcorn and a few other goodies in to make a basket. You might also get something like a gift certificate to a store that you know most people shop in, though this works best in a smaller town.

You can also find some really great novelty items when buying a gift for Christmas party. There are some great mind bender games out there, and most end up loving them. Novelty stores both online and in your local mall might have many great ideas, but don’t get too naughty or outrageous when you buy.

Keep the personality of your office in mind, and that will help you choose among the great items you can find in such stores. Sometimes, the off-the-wall gifts are the best ones, but don’t get something that might offend. You will probably do just fine, but just remember to put some thought into it so everyone has a great time.

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reprinted from christmastips.net

Join us for a Holiday Open House at the Historic Belle Boyd House in Martinsburg WV. Pictures with Santa!

The legislation also will extend the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. The controversial credit, which many say has boosted home sales in recent months, was set to expire after Nov. 30.

The bill also creates a $6,500 credit for those who buy a home after living in their current house at least five years. That measure will apply to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. The current credit defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not owned a residence within the past three years.

The credit will be available only for the purchase of principal residences priced at $800,000 or less.

The bill will raise the adjusted gross income cap to $125,000 for single filers and $225,000 for joint filers. The amount of the credit currently begins to phase out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000, or $150,000 for joint filers.

"It's gonna put people back to work, the home builders, put people in the real estate business," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. "The kind of jobs that can make a difference."

The extension will cost $10.8 billion over 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Through mid-September, 1.4 million tax returns had qualified for the credit, according to the IRS. Some portion of those returns, which the IRS couldn't specify, represents buyers who took advantage of an earlier version of the tax credit, which was only worth $7,500 and has to be repaid over time.

By the end of November, the credit will have been used by 1.8 million homebuyers, at least 355,000 of whom would not have bought a house without the tax break, according to estimates by the National Association of Realtors.

"The data on the present home buyer tax credit show that the credit has had its intended impact -- sales have jumped in recent months to a projected 5.1 million for the year and housing inventory has been trimmed, thus stabilizing home prices noticeably," said Ron Phipps, the association's first vice president, in Senate testimony last month.

The credit, however, has also posed many problems. Critics say it's a waste of money because most of those claiming the credit would have bought homes anyway.

It's also been the target of fraud. Some 74,000 people claimed more than $500 million in credits even though they may not be first-time homeowners, according to Treasury officials. And more than 580 children, including some as young as 4-years-old, have claimed the credit.

"Some key controls were missing to prevent an individual from erroneously or fraudulently claiming the credit and receiving an erroneous refund of up to $8,000," said J. Russell George, Treasury inspector general for tax administration, before a House subcommittee last month.

(See how the legislation also offers a big tax break for business.)

CNN Radio Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins and CNNMoney.com staff reporter Hibah Yousuf contributed to this report. 

Prosperity Mortgage Announces the Latest Rate Drops!!

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Office: 304-263-7800

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Cindy Smith
Senior Loan Officer
cell: 304-702-0955
Efax: 866-418-0726
cynthia.smith@prosperitymortgage.com