I HATE MEN

There are only 5 days left until Christmas, and knowing how many men wait until the last minute, I thought I would give you some help in finding the right gift for your girlfriend. Here are some holiday gift ideas…an effort on my part so that your woman won’t hate you.

There is no cookie cutter approach to gift buying, and a digital camera is not always the right gift. I know it is difficult, but now more than every is the time to listen to what your woman is saying because I am sure she is dropping hints like crazy.

If you are clueless on a gift, you must ask yourself…what kind of woman is she? Is she a glamour girl, an athlete, a romantic, a movie buff, or maybe just a really hard-working woman? Does she love to cook, or does she always have a book in her hand? Do you have to drag her away from another episode of Law & Order, or Grey’s Anatomy when it is way past bedtime? Thinking about all of these things can help you clue in on what to get that special woman in your life.

Also remember to take into consideration where you both are at in the relationship…is it something new, maybe new and serious? maybe you are at the 6 months to 1 year stage, and you really like her? Or has this relationship been in the works for a very long time, and love is a word often used? You most definitely do not want to buy an inappropriate gift, such as an expensive ring for a new beau.

No matter what you decide on, make sure that the gift came from the heart and you were really thinking about the woman in your life when you picked it out, and not what the salesperson was telling you she would like. While there is a good chance the salesperson maybe be right, often they are thinking about how they can make more money on a desperate guy that doesn’t know what to buy his girlfriend or wife.

Okay so here are some ideas…

For the glamour girl a nice bottle of perfume, a gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure at her favorite salon, a NY shopping spree on you, or that piece of jewelry she’s been asking for from Tiffany’s.

Favorite fragrance picks: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, Chanel Chance, Estee Lauder Pleasures, Calvin Klein Euphoria, Paris Hilton for Woman, Clinique Happy

Lets talk jewelry, or rather let’s talk Tiffany’s…but seriously I have chosen seven pieces of jewelry that would make any woman happy. Yes, they are all from Tiffany & Co., but four of these seven items are under $200.

Favorite jewelry picks under $200: Return to Tiffany pendant, Return to Tiffany heart tag charm bracelet, Elsa Peretti open heart ring and the silver graduated bead necklace.

Here are two suggestions for those in a more serious commitment…they would make a great gift for the Tiffany & Co. lover.

Favorite jewelry picks $500-$800: Tiffany Somerset diamond ring ($475) and the Cultured fresh water pearl with silver Tiffany toggle ($795)

If you are ready to pop the big questions, and your girl is not into traditional diamonds, dazzle her with a colored stones. You can often get a much larger stone at a more reasonable price than a diamond, and they are certainly eye catching. The ring I picked is actually a diamond, but you can find many gemstones similar in size and character to this ring.

Favorite engagement ring pick: 16.16 carat Fancy Intense Yellow diamond rested in a hand crafted Tiffany setting.

For your athletic girl a rejuvenating massage, that workout outfit or sneaker she has pig-eared in her Fitness Mag (a gift card to the sporting good store is always a safe play), an iPod, or if she has one why not get her the Nike + iPod Sport Kit. If she is a real sports fanatic get tickets to one of her favorite games…an upcoming hockey, or basketball game or if you really want to splurge why not get her playoffs tickets to see her favorite football team kick some butt.

Favorite picks: Nike + iPod Sport Kit, hockey tickets Philadelphia Flyers Game, an ice wrap for muscle pain, PecheBlu sports flip flops

If you girl is the romantic type it might be as easy as a romantic night out or even a romantic night in. A romantic night out at her favorite restaurant, then tickets to something she really wants to see. If you can cook treat her to a romantic candle light dinner at home.

Favorite picks: Dinner at the Tavern On The Green, horse carriage ride through Central Park, theater tickets to Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables

Buying for the movie buff might be difficult if she owns every movie out there, but there are new movies coming out every week. Another idea is to start replacing her favorite VHS movies with their DVD counterparts. You can often find box sets of movies at a reasonable price. For the TV series addict, get her a box set or the latest season of her favorite series.

Favorite picks: The Audrey DVD Collection, The Exorcist – Complete Anthology, Bogie and Bacall – The Signature Collection, Gone with the Wind – Four Disc Collector’s Edition, Sex and the City, Grey’s Anatomy, Law and Order, CSI

If your girlfriend is a book worm, why not complete one of her collections or get her a book of interest.

Favorite picks: Good Dog. Stay. by Anna Quindlen, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie, The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia, Any thing by Nicholas Sparks or Candace Bushnell.

Now I can go on with many other gifts that you can get for your “sweet ass gal”, but you get the idea. Listen to what she has to say, ensure that it is appropriate, that it meets her needs and her interest…yes, it is that simple.

If times are hard and you don’t have the money to get her what she really wants, just give her all the love you have to give, and do what ever you can to make her holiday a great one. I am sure that she will do the same.

Happy Holidays!