Guys, it isn’t as hard to shop for the special woman in your life as you may think. Women aren’t really the complicated creatures many men think they are. As long as you show a little effort, your girl should be happy. Before I get into my tips for finding the perfect Christmas present for your wife or girlfriend, I’d like to point out that these tips aren’t for every girl. If you’re in a relationship with someone that’s all about money, you can’t go wrong with an expensive gift. For the rest of us, these tips should help you find a present your girl will love.
10: Do a little online research.
This is the age of the internet. Most popular shopping websites allow users to create wish lists that anyone can access as long as you have the user’s e-mail address. I’ll admit, this one is a bit of a long shot but you may be surprised. If you have no idea what your girl wants, checking online to see if she has a wish list is a great place to start. If nothing else, you might get a few ideas and that certainly helps in and of itself.
09: Avoid clothes unless you know a specific size or clothing item.
It’s never a good idea to guess at clothing sizes for anyone on your Christmas list so this is really an all purpose tip. Your girl might not be hung up on her weight or body shape but that doesn’t mean she’s going to want to have to go through all the hassle of exchanging an ill fitting sweater, dress or pair of pants. Beyond that, women’s clothing sizes can be complicated depending on the designer or brand. It’s best to stick to something you know.
Buying cloths for the woman in your life can also be a bit tricky because it can be pretty hard to know what she likes to wear. Just because you can imagine her wearing something doesn’t mean she’ll be able to see her wearing it. I’ve received clothes in the past that I would only wear if someone were paying me to do so. The gifts were always given with good intentions but usually ended up being returned or given to the Salvation Army. If your girl is all about clothes and you feel the need to give her something new to wear, buy her a gift certificate to her favorite clothing store. Gift certificates are incredibly impersonal though so make sure you have something else to go with it, even if it’s just something small. She’ll appreciate it a lot more.
Exceptions: If you know that your girl has been eyeing up a specific dress, jacket, etc you can take a chance on it. She won’t mind waiting in line if you get the wrong size If it’s something she’s had her eye on for a while.
08: Don’t assume a relationship is there if it hasn’t been defined.
You might think you have a girlfriend but if she doesn’t call herself your girlfriend, you really need to ask yourself if that relationship exists. I speak from personal experience on this one. A few years back, I worked in a music store. This gentleman used to come in to buy CDs every Friday night. Since I’m pretty good with music, I’d recommend new music to him and we’d always talk when he stopped by the store. To me, he was an acquaintance – maybe a casual friend. To him, despite the fact that we didn’t speak outside of the store unless we happened to run into each other somewhere, we were more than that. I only clued into this when, one year for Christmas, he gave me a beautiful pair of gold earrings.
Did we fall in love and get married? No. Truth be told, while I appreciated the gesture, I was also a bit freaked out by it. The lesson here is pretty simple. Give gifts that are appropriate to the relationship you have with the woman. If you have a crush on someone and are hoping to make your intentions known, try just asking her out. If you talk to her on a regular basis (outside of a work environment) stick with something simple – a gift card to her favorite restaurant or store, a little trinket that makes you think of her or a book by an author you know she likes. This lets you know you actually pay attention to what she’s saying and can be a great way to turn a friendship into something more without overstepping the bounds and chasing her away.
07: Don’t worry about how much you spend.
If your girl is really into you, she isn’t going to care how much money you spend on her present. Don’t stress yourself out trying to find her an expensive present, especially if you can’t afford it. There are many great gifts out there that will cost you an arm and a leg but there are just as many great gifts that should fall within your budget. Something you’ve put a lot of thought into, even if it doesn’t cost a lot of money, will mean a lot more to your girl than an expensive piece of jewelry that you just bought because of the price tag. Christmas isn’t the time to impress her with your bank account. Put more thought into your gift than that.
06: Lingerie isn’t the terrific gift you may think it is.
Every year, at least one of my friends gets a new piece of lingerie from her man and every year whichever friend happens to receive that gift complains about it endlessly. Lingerie is a gift for you not for her. This one is a bit tricky though. There are girls out there that really do like getting lingerie but it really depends on the girl. Sometimes it’s better to play it safe and stick with someone a little less presumptuous, especially if the relationship is a new one. If you haven’t even seen her underwear yet, the relationship isn’t yet to the point where lingerie is an appropriate gift choice. If you are going to give lingerie, give something else with it as well.
05: DVDs or box sets make excellent gifts.
Not only does buying your girl a few DVDs or a box set of her favorite show give her a great gift but it gives you the chance to do something fun with her. Instead of just giving her the actual gift, have popcorn ready to be popped or her favorite movie snack and settle in to spend a little quality time with her as you enjoy the gift you gave her together. It not only shows her you listen to her when she talks but are willing to take an interest in what she’s interested it. You’re not just giving her something that’s going to sit on a shelf and collect dust. You’re having her a pleasant evening with the guy in her life and something that she can enjoy time and time again.
04: Pets are a great gift if you’re sure she wants one.
The best gift my husband has ever given me is my bunny, Commander Bun Bun. Bun Bun was a great gift for one reason. He knewI wanted a bunny. If your girl is an animal lover a new pet can seem like the ideal gift but only if she wants a new pet. Giving someone a pet is also giving someone the responsibility of caring for that pet. Make sure the girl in your life actually wants that. Otherwise, consider giving her a gift adoption from the World Wildlife Fund. Gift adoptions are a great idea. You’ll receive a picture of the animal you’ve adopted for her, a fact card about the animal and if you go for one of the more expensive adoption packages, you’ll even get a plush animal. It’s the perfect gift for the girl in your life that is a real animal lover.
03: Consider a few smaller gifts over one larger one.
A few small but well thought out gifts can help stretch your budget a little further and can often be more well received than one larger, more expensive gift. Instead of breaking the bank to buy your girl one pair of expensive earrings, consider a pair of less expensive earrings with a matching necklace and a bottle of nice perfume or a gift set of hair, body or makeup products. If your girl isn’t really into the typical girly stuff, get her merchandise that relates to her favorite musician or her favorite movie. The internet is a great resource for all sorts of cool gift ideas when it comes to music and movies. Buttons, stickers, posters, t-shirts and related merchandise will be much appreciated by any music or movie fanatic.
02: Girls like gifts they can use too.
If your girl has been talking about something she needs for her house, her car, her job or her hobby, she’s probably trying to let you know what she wants for Christmas. While jewelry is great for some girls, most of us are just as happy to receive something we’ll actually get a little use out of. If your girl has a hobby that involves crafting in any way, find out what materials she needs for her crafts and give her a basket filled with supplies. This shows her that you pay attention to what she enjoys. For example, if your girl likes painting, buy her different kinds of paints (acrylic paints, oil based paints, water based paints, pastels, charcoal etc) and paint brushes. Put them in a nice basket and tie a bow around it. If you feel like spending a little extra money, pick up a few canvases and perhaps even a new easel. You can take this basic idea and bend it to fit whatever hobby your girl is interested in. She’ll be absolutely thrilled.
01: If you just don’t know what to get, ask her!
Listen, sometimes girls can be complicated. We know we aren’t always easy to understand. If you’ve gone over this list and still have no idea what to get her, just bite the bullet and ask her. Let her know you’ve put tons of thought into it and you really just want to get her something she’ll love. If you’ve come up with any ideas, share them with her. She might not be thrilled you couldn’t come up with something on your own but she will appreciate you admitting it and asking for help instead of going out and buying something you aren’t convinced she’ll like. It saves her the trouble of having to pretend she likes something she doesn’t as well which is always a plus. This should always be a last resort though. Try to come up with something on your own first and remember, your girl probably isn’t going to send you off into the cold with a broken heart if you didn’t get her exactly what she wanted. Don’t stress it too much. Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy. Remember that.
