For a lot of guys out there, the holidays (and other events) can create a type of shopping anxiety. Shopping for most ladies is far from easy and most of us aren’t ashamed to admit that we are hard to please in the gift giving department. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
1. Give her a gift she can never claim wasn’t thoughtful: Philanthropy and Christmas go hand-in-hand, and thanks to Toms Shoes you can give your lady a little bit of each this Holiday season. Buy her a pair (all the styles/colors/patterns are cute but the cardones are my current fav) and Toms will donate a 2nd pair of shoes to a child in need.
2. Match a recent life event/new hobby with a gift: Two of you just buy a house? She’d probably adore a book on design or decorating (such as Creative Walls by Geraldine James or Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney). If a lot of painting/repainting is in her future—I’d recommend Design Seeds, which is all the inspiration she’ll need when selecting paint and color palettes. Loves cooking? Try a cutesie cookbook like this one from Anthropologie, or if she likes experimenting in the kitchen try a book where she can write down her own recipes. Want extra brownie points? Toss in a gift card that goes with the book: try a gift card to Michaels for a crafter, Home Goods for a decorator, Lowe’s or Home Depot for a girl about to embark on some home improvement projects or Williams-Sonoma for an aspiring chef!
3. Oh wait—back to that giftcard comment: Giftcards are murky water, my friend. Get her only a giftcard and you risk looking a bit flippant—but paired up correctly you can look incredibly thoughtful and clever. If you find your girl to be incredibly hard to shop for and really feel at a loss for what she might like, go with a giftcard to a store she loves. But make it an event. Surprise her by driving her to her favorite store—whip out the giftcard and help her decide what to spend it on. It’s thoughtful, fun (all girls love surprises and shopping) and most importantly—-you might learn a thing or two about her taste in gifts for future reference.
4. Allow me to introduce you to Etsy, the fastest way to score brownie points: Etsy is a site that allows artists to sell their handmade goods online. Good for you, and good for them. She’ll love the fact that you spent a bit of time thinking about her while cruising Etsy and will appreciate that your money went to a hard-working and talented artist rather than a department store. A few of my current favorites are these Chevron Monogrammed Pillows and this Gold Initial Necklace—but the possibilities are endless—type in any search term and you’ll find hundreds of potential gifts ideas.
If that fails—find her Pinterest page (not sure what it is? Well its the website that your wife/girlfriend has been cheating on you with). She might not be as obvious as I am (I totally have a Buy Me This pinboard) but I’m sure it will give you some ideas.
