Charli
cool little "title"
The truth is most guys are ricidulously LOST when it comes to buying something for the wife/girl friend/daughter so I hope this will clear things up for you guys.
***
Clothing: Unless you have been specifically shown exactly what to buy, NO! NO! NO! do not buy your wife/girlfriend/daughter clothes unless you are a fashion guru. A girl may like a particular brand, I like Ed Hardy, but she may not like everything within that brand, I don’t like skull & crossbones.
T-shirts, jackets, pants – each brand may size differently to where she may be a small in one brand but a medium in another. My advice is to buy a store gift card like from “Macy’s” or “Gap” from a store she shops the most or a prepaid Visa card so that she can shop at any store she wants. With the card buy a small box of chocolates: Sees Candy (inexpensive) or Godiva (pricier) and place the gift card on top of the box inside a card.
I’ve done this for years to all my girlfriends and they love the personal touch with the ‘CHOCOLATES’ and still get exactly what they want. It’s not impersonal it’s smart.
Accessories: You think you can get away and buy gloves, scarves, umbrellas, hats, belts or socks? NO! NO! NO! These are “stocking stuffers” at best.
Gloves – unless she has specifically asked for a certain color/size don’t get this, it’s as impersonal as they come.
Umbrellas – it better be special and expensive if this is a gift.
Scarf – color, print, material and length are a lot to consider. A practical girl will take a cotton/yard scarf but a material girl may only go with “Burberry” and you can get a legit “Burberry Scarf” on Ebay, just look into the seller and make sure it’s not a knock-off.
Hats – if she wears baseball hats and you know what she likes, great, but tread careful here because the one thing a girl does not want to mess up? HER HAIR!
Belts – men’s belts are simple but women, it’s like finding the right tree in a rain forest. UNLESS she has specified the shape/style/brand/size stay far away from belts as you can get because it will be returned in January.
Socks – stocking stuffers yes but come on now, if you are going to buy socks for someone, they must be one of two things: ADORABLE in print or COZY SOFT in material, otherwise don’t bother.
Practical Household Items: So your wife/girl friend wants a blender, pans, pots that cost a bit or are nice, fine, get that BUT please oh please get her a box of CHOCOLATES – yes, anytime you give a “practical” gift it must be accompanied by something sweet in intent and nothing says, “I love you” more than diamonds is a box of chocolates. Be sure you get the RIGHT brand because not all blenders blend well, so don’t be afraid to ask, we WILL tell you.
Jewelry: Rings are nearly impossible to buy because we as a species are soooo darn picky. Bracelets and necklaces also are difficult. I love chokers but dislike long dangling necklaces. I “recommend” EARRINGS. They make the perfect stocking stuffer and expensive gift. You cannot go wrong with a studded diamond earring, we will take whatever carat we can get or a “dangling” earring – this will work for daughters as well.
Silver is the best choice over gold. Something intricate which droops/hangs or Hoop earrings even better, you will find a wide variety of drooping or hoop earrings at every Macy’s or department store and as long as it dangles and looks cool – which means doesn’t look like a fake diamond or fake gems, then you can’t miss. I’ve given many earrings as gifts for girls and never gone wrong.
Books: Non-fiction books make a great stocking stuffer and it’s easy to find what your girl likes by seeing what she is currently reading and then heading over to a best-seller’s list. Be sure to casually mention a book you have in mind during a conversation and she’ll let you know if she’s into it or not.
Electronics: If your wife/girl friend/daughter is not savvy then you can buy the lowest denominator of digital camera, ipods, computers, laptops, etc., but NOT cell-phones. Phones to a girl is her best friend and you better make sure she likes the look/model/size because she will NOT be happy to have something that just doesn’t fit her – a phone is like clothing so you better get it right.
DVD’s: of a girl’s favorite movie is appropriate for a stocking stuffer.
CD’s: It’s all about downloads today so if you are going to buy your contemporary girl music it would be better to give her a I-Tunes gift card.
Playful Gift: yes you heard me, something really stupid or fun to put in her stocking. Plastic toy you get at the grocery store gumball type machines, anything that REMINDS HER of not forgetting to be a kid. You will be surprised how surprised and how fun this can be to find something stupid fun in your stocking.
Personalized: I had a t-shirt/tattoo LOGO personalized for my son last year by having a designer create something ORIGINAL! You can get someone to make you a logo (for free if you ask nicely) or do it yourself and put it on a t-shirt, apron, kitchen towels/mittens, mouse-pad, bath towels, etc. It's a one-of-a-kind gift that cannot be bought in stores.
Pampering Gifts: one of our all time favorites, a basket of body baths, lotions, exfoliating sponges or gloves, scented candles – makes us feel like we had just gone to the spa. “Body & Bath” is a perfect place and be sure to first ASK your wife/girl friend/daughter what her favorite scent is and you can then go buy lavender, rose, tangerine, etc. Know first and you can’t go wrong! Create your own basket would be even better that she knows you hand picked these products.
Hair Products: this is tricky unless it’s expensive and cannot be bought in stores. Son gave me “Frederick Fekkai” shampoo and conditioner and put it in my stockings. At that time it was not sold in stores and he had heard me mention it once. Getting something from the store is non-eventful, buying a brand sold only online is a whole lot different.
Perfumes: oh my buddies, UNLESS you know exactly the scent - NO! NO! NO! Buying perfume is like a guy having his steak done exactly how he likes or the meal will suck. Strong perfumes, cheap perfumes, trust me, better to KNOW before you buy and you can always casually ask her.
Too Poor For Cool Stuff: You guys are filmmakers, create a DVD short film of how much you love her, make it stupid, funny, silly and most loving along with a Christmas card.
Unable to make your own dvd, then make a CD of songs that make you think of her so that she can listen to it in the car or at home.
Unable to make a dvd or cd – learn to COOK a dish and SERVE HER. Make her feel like a “Queen for a Day” and that in itself will go far!
When all else fails: a prepaid “Visa” gift card with a box of chocolates and a “date night” at a nice place to eat – specify the date on the Christmas Card.
SMARTEST THING YOU CAN DO - ASK - do not worry, we as women will not in any way shape or form be afraid to tell you what we want. For those who play hard-to-ask there's a trick, go into her closet and things and you will find a 'pattern' of colors, brands, sizes, and such. Look at the details carefully and you WILL see a trend.
If you have any questions about what to buy your wife/girl friend/daughter, don’t hesitate to pm me, I’ve been all three at one time or another.
***
Good luck you poor saps.
***
Clothing: Unless you have been specifically shown exactly what to buy, NO! NO! NO! do not buy your wife/girlfriend/daughter clothes unless you are a fashion guru. A girl may like a particular brand, I like Ed Hardy, but she may not like everything within that brand, I don’t like skull & crossbones.
T-shirts, jackets, pants – each brand may size differently to where she may be a small in one brand but a medium in another. My advice is to buy a store gift card like from “Macy’s” or “Gap” from a store she shops the most or a prepaid Visa card so that she can shop at any store she wants. With the card buy a small box of chocolates: Sees Candy (inexpensive) or Godiva (pricier) and place the gift card on top of the box inside a card.
I’ve done this for years to all my girlfriends and they love the personal touch with the ‘CHOCOLATES’ and still get exactly what they want. It’s not impersonal it’s smart.
Accessories: You think you can get away and buy gloves, scarves, umbrellas, hats, belts or socks? NO! NO! NO! These are “stocking stuffers” at best.
Gloves – unless she has specifically asked for a certain color/size don’t get this, it’s as impersonal as they come.
Umbrellas – it better be special and expensive if this is a gift.
Scarf – color, print, material and length are a lot to consider. A practical girl will take a cotton/yard scarf but a material girl may only go with “Burberry” and you can get a legit “Burberry Scarf” on Ebay, just look into the seller and make sure it’s not a knock-off.
Hats – if she wears baseball hats and you know what she likes, great, but tread careful here because the one thing a girl does not want to mess up? HER HAIR!
Belts – men’s belts are simple but women, it’s like finding the right tree in a rain forest. UNLESS she has specified the shape/style/brand/size stay far away from belts as you can get because it will be returned in January.
Socks – stocking stuffers yes but come on now, if you are going to buy socks for someone, they must be one of two things: ADORABLE in print or COZY SOFT in material, otherwise don’t bother.
Practical Household Items: So your wife/girl friend wants a blender, pans, pots that cost a bit or are nice, fine, get that BUT please oh please get her a box of CHOCOLATES – yes, anytime you give a “practical” gift it must be accompanied by something sweet in intent and nothing says, “I love you” more than diamonds is a box of chocolates. Be sure you get the RIGHT brand because not all blenders blend well, so don’t be afraid to ask, we WILL tell you.
Jewelry: Rings are nearly impossible to buy because we as a species are soooo darn picky. Bracelets and necklaces also are difficult. I love chokers but dislike long dangling necklaces. I “recommend” EARRINGS. They make the perfect stocking stuffer and expensive gift. You cannot go wrong with a studded diamond earring, we will take whatever carat we can get or a “dangling” earring – this will work for daughters as well.
Silver is the best choice over gold. Something intricate which droops/hangs or Hoop earrings even better, you will find a wide variety of drooping or hoop earrings at every Macy’s or department store and as long as it dangles and looks cool – which means doesn’t look like a fake diamond or fake gems, then you can’t miss. I’ve given many earrings as gifts for girls and never gone wrong.
Books: Non-fiction books make a great stocking stuffer and it’s easy to find what your girl likes by seeing what she is currently reading and then heading over to a best-seller’s list. Be sure to casually mention a book you have in mind during a conversation and she’ll let you know if she’s into it or not.
Electronics: If your wife/girl friend/daughter is not savvy then you can buy the lowest denominator of digital camera, ipods, computers, laptops, etc., but NOT cell-phones. Phones to a girl is her best friend and you better make sure she likes the look/model/size because she will NOT be happy to have something that just doesn’t fit her – a phone is like clothing so you better get it right.
DVD’s: of a girl’s favorite movie is appropriate for a stocking stuffer.
CD’s: It’s all about downloads today so if you are going to buy your contemporary girl music it would be better to give her a I-Tunes gift card.
Playful Gift: yes you heard me, something really stupid or fun to put in her stocking. Plastic toy you get at the grocery store gumball type machines, anything that REMINDS HER of not forgetting to be a kid. You will be surprised how surprised and how fun this can be to find something stupid fun in your stocking.
Personalized: I had a t-shirt/tattoo LOGO personalized for my son last year by having a designer create something ORIGINAL! You can get someone to make you a logo (for free if you ask nicely) or do it yourself and put it on a t-shirt, apron, kitchen towels/mittens, mouse-pad, bath towels, etc. It's a one-of-a-kind gift that cannot be bought in stores.
Pampering Gifts: one of our all time favorites, a basket of body baths, lotions, exfoliating sponges or gloves, scented candles – makes us feel like we had just gone to the spa. “Body & Bath” is a perfect place and be sure to first ASK your wife/girl friend/daughter what her favorite scent is and you can then go buy lavender, rose, tangerine, etc. Know first and you can’t go wrong! Create your own basket would be even better that she knows you hand picked these products.
Hair Products: this is tricky unless it’s expensive and cannot be bought in stores. Son gave me “Frederick Fekkai” shampoo and conditioner and put it in my stockings. At that time it was not sold in stores and he had heard me mention it once. Getting something from the store is non-eventful, buying a brand sold only online is a whole lot different.
Perfumes: oh my buddies, UNLESS you know exactly the scent - NO! NO! NO! Buying perfume is like a guy having his steak done exactly how he likes or the meal will suck. Strong perfumes, cheap perfumes, trust me, better to KNOW before you buy and you can always casually ask her.
Too Poor For Cool Stuff: You guys are filmmakers, create a DVD short film of how much you love her, make it stupid, funny, silly and most loving along with a Christmas card.
Unable to make your own dvd, then make a CD of songs that make you think of her so that she can listen to it in the car or at home.
Unable to make a dvd or cd – learn to COOK a dish and SERVE HER. Make her feel like a “Queen for a Day” and that in itself will go far!
When all else fails: a prepaid “Visa” gift card with a box of chocolates and a “date night” at a nice place to eat – specify the date on the Christmas Card.
SMARTEST THING YOU CAN DO - ASK - do not worry, we as women will not in any way shape or form be afraid to tell you what we want. For those who play hard-to-ask there's a trick, go into her closet and things and you will find a 'pattern' of colors, brands, sizes, and such. Look at the details carefully and you WILL see a trend.
If you have any questions about what to buy your wife/girl friend/daughter, don’t hesitate to pm me, I’ve been all three at one time or another.
***
Good luck you poor saps.