My delightful sister Lola, who lives in Seattle, just e-mailed me to discuss her office's holiday party. Seems her swanky job planning parties and political campaigns has netted her an equally swanky holiday gift from her swanky bosses.

Get this: Lola and her co-workers were each handed $300 cash, and given three hours in which to spend it. The only rule, it seems, was that they each had to spend the money on themselves and then return to the office and show off their purchases...Why? Because --while they were all out with their windfall -- their bosses were creating a wine and cheese party for the show-and-tell. Oh, anything they didn't spend had to be returned.

Smart Lola bought a cute purse, some other beauty supplies and put the remainder on a gift card. I'm positively green with envy!

Employees, what are you expecting from your employers this year? Or, for you employers, what are you giving your employees? Just curious.