Spoken not just in my voice, but the collective voice of women everywhere. (Yes, for this occasion, I nominated myself as the spokesperson for all women. Just this one time!)
Christmas is two weeks away. This advice likely comes 12 days to early for most men, but hey... I've got a lot to do in the next 2 weeks. Saving your ass at the last minute isn't on my to-do list this year.
So, men... listen up. (You can thank me later.)
1. Don't buy lingerie for us. We know what you want. Lingerie will not help your cause. Vacuuming the living room and taking the kids out while we try to wrap gifts... that MIGHT help. But seriously, you don't know what size we are, and no teenager working at the lingerie store is going to save the day. Non refundable. Just don't. Seriously.
2. Don't buy a cookbook or frying pan, or humidifier or tool set. Basically...anything that comes from Canadian Tire or Home Dept (except for a new fancy kitchen) is going to fail your attempt as a Christmas gift. Seriously.
3. Don't buy anything that you can fetch from Wal-Mart at 5AM to avoid the Christmas shopping rush. Seriously.
4. Don't buy your wife the same box of Pot of Gold chocolates that you gave your secretary, the bus driver, your kid's teacher, or your ex-wife. Buying in bulk might save you time, but won't save your ass. Seriously.
5. Don't buy the generic $10 bath set or moisturizer set. OMG, don't you know we spend hundreds of dollars on eye creams, and wrinkle fillers and miracle creams to avoid aging, wrinkling and sagging? If it's not guaranteed, proven to work or on Dr. Oz or Oprah, we don't want it. And even if we want it.... we DO NOT want you to buy it for us. That would just acknowledge you know about the aging, wrinkling and sagging, and you DO NOT want to acknowledge that. Seriously.
6. (Yes, I know it says 5, but I'm on a roll.) Do not buy my Christmas gift at the liquor store. Yes, I know this is the one shopping trip you look forward to and it's the once-a-year event when you willingly push a cart.... but no. You and your buddies cannot go shopping together and just grab tequila. Even if it IS Patron. We see that as an attempt to get us back to the lingerie store. Seriously.
Disclaimer: This list applies to husbands. Newlyweds and boyfriends might have some luck with #1, 5 or 6. However, #3 & 4 are bad news regardless. Actually, with the right card, a boyfriend might be able to make a tool belt and cheap slippers into a romantic gift... but husbands should know better. Don't you remember the year you bought the frying pan? Nobody wants to relive THAT again.
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Fast Five: Gift ideas
Gift giving can have its challenges whether it's a birthday, anniversary or Christmas. The gift recipient is obviously a special person to you, so a special, thoughtful gift is obviously what you're after. I have a couple generic suggestions.
1. Support their hobby or sporting interests. New tools, certificates or even a class. If he's into photography, what about a Blacks.ca certificate for prints or frames? If the recipient is a baker, what about some new silicone tools or commercial cookie sheets. Restaurant supply stores have some really cool stuff for the home chef too.
2. Does she have a coffee habit? Ground coffee to use at home, a stack of t-discs for the tassimo or gift cards for tim hortons/starbucks/local shop. If you're making up a gift basket (amazing idea for office gift exchanges) make sure to add some syrup or liqueurs as appropriate. Cookies & chocolates too.
3. Restaurant gift cards. Everyone has to eat. Eating out is a treat some folks don't normally have money in the budget for. This is one time I recommend chain/franchises. Your recipient can use it on the road too.
4. I rarely suggest clothes or perfume or makeup as gifts. Those thing are very hard to get right. The wrong scent can be a throw away gift. Again.... gift card for that kind of thing.
5. Make it personal. Did you share a concert or a game that was amazing? Save the ticket stub? Scrapbook it or frame it or even just return the ticket stub with a personal note sharing your memories.
I've written letters as gifts when $$ was tight. Home-made coupons are great too. Wouldn't your mom love help with the laundry or help with organizing the christmas ornaments after the holiday? Nothing more precious than the gifts of time & love.
1. Support their hobby or sporting interests. New tools, certificates or even a class. If he's into photography, what about a Blacks.ca certificate for prints or frames? If the recipient is a baker, what about some new silicone tools or commercial cookie sheets. Restaurant supply stores have some really cool stuff for the home chef too.
2. Does she have a coffee habit? Ground coffee to use at home, a stack of t-discs for the tassimo or gift cards for tim hortons/starbucks/local shop. If you're making up a gift basket (amazing idea for office gift exchanges) make sure to add some syrup or liqueurs as appropriate. Cookies & chocolates too.
3. Restaurant gift cards. Everyone has to eat. Eating out is a treat some folks don't normally have money in the budget for. This is one time I recommend chain/franchises. Your recipient can use it on the road too.
4. I rarely suggest clothes or perfume or makeup as gifts. Those thing are very hard to get right. The wrong scent can be a throw away gift. Again.... gift card for that kind of thing.
5. Make it personal. Did you share a concert or a game that was amazing? Save the ticket stub? Scrapbook it or frame it or even just return the ticket stub with a personal note sharing your memories.
I've written letters as gifts when $$ was tight. Home-made coupons are great too. Wouldn't your mom love help with the laundry or help with organizing the christmas ornaments after the holiday? Nothing more precious than the gifts of time & love.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Cleaning therapy
Today I tackled the all-purpose closet... aka, the giant junk drawer behind a door. In this hiding place I've accumulated a couple yeas worth of partially used craft supplies, or unused craft supplies with the best intentions. There's also some wrapping paper, some photos, some colouring books, some shipping stuff, and all the birthday cards I bought for people but never sent because I couldn't find them. (If that was an olympic sport, I'd be on that podium.)
So, I spread everything out in the living room with a garbage can, a recycling bag and a few clear boxes for keep items. The puppy was thrilled with the "buffet of toys" and things to taste that I put before her. LOL. She's a little goof but she did help me decide on a few things that should go into the garbage can immediately. Or immediately after she had them in her mouth!
All in all, I feel good about the project. I managed to release myself from the guilt of having unused craft supplies with no purpose. As a hockey mom, with barely enough time to make meals and clean jerseys, crafts are not really realistic for me at this stage.
Once I conceded I would never tackle that project that a starry-eyed me once envisioned, I lumped them all in a box labelled "Kindergarten/School." Surely, the classes at my kids' school will know what to do with these goodies. Perhaps they will even consider them a gift, and not the burden they have become in my junk closet.
It feels good to tackle that one. Where to next?
So, I spread everything out in the living room with a garbage can, a recycling bag and a few clear boxes for keep items. The puppy was thrilled with the "buffet of toys" and things to taste that I put before her. LOL. She's a little goof but she did help me decide on a few things that should go into the garbage can immediately. Or immediately after she had them in her mouth!
All in all, I feel good about the project. I managed to release myself from the guilt of having unused craft supplies with no purpose. As a hockey mom, with barely enough time to make meals and clean jerseys, crafts are not really realistic for me at this stage.
Once I conceded I would never tackle that project that a starry-eyed me once envisioned, I lumped them all in a box labelled "Kindergarten/School." Surely, the classes at my kids' school will know what to do with these goodies. Perhaps they will even consider them a gift, and not the burden they have become in my junk closet.
It feels good to tackle that one. Where to next?
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