« September 2006 | Main | January 2007 »

Giving The Perfect Gift...

Since there are fewer than 20 days left in the holiday shopping season I thought I’d lend some words of wisdom about couple gift giving. Although I’m sure most of you have already bought your special someone their Christmas gift, when you’re in a newer relationship you tend to procrastinate a little more. Not because you don’t care or you’re just busy, but usually because you’re just not sure of the “perfect” gift for your situation.

Whether you realize it or not, what you give your partner really says a lot about your feelings for them and the relationship you have. When you’re in a new relationship it can be especially hard. You don’t want it to say too much or too little and you don’t want it to send off signals you aren’t prepared for. So with this thinking I’ve created a little guide to help newer couples with their holiday shopping.

Dating A Few Weeks—If you’ve only been dating a few weeks something small will be just perfect. You’re not that serious so the gift doesn’t need to be that serious. It can even be, dare I say it, something practical. Think about things they use in everyday life, like a smaller bottle of their favorite perfume/cologne. Another great idea is a CD they love or maybe a movie you saw together. You don’t want to get too sentimental, but you want to show that you put thought in to the gift and didn’t just pick up the first thing you saw.

Dating A Few Months—When you’ve been dating more than say two months you’ve definitely started to form some sentimental memories, so use those as your gift stepping stone. This is also a really great time for homemade gifts: photo collages, mix-CDs (as corny as they may be haha), things like that. You’re also still in that “one gift only” stage, so don’t break the rule. If you do want to get your partner more than one thing, talk to them about it first. Set a gift limit and possibly a spending limit so that no one feels uncomfortable when you switch.

Dating At Least Nine Months—Relationships move fast nowadays and so in my eyes, nine months is a pretty serious relationship. You figure, chances are you’ve spent at least three minor holidays together, one of your birthdays, and probably met friends of the other partner and possibly some family. And if you’re at the right age, you may have actually discussed marriage already. This always seems to be the hardest to buy for though. Sentimental things are great, but should not be the bulk of your gift. I always like to give one sentimental thing to show that I really put thought in to his gifts. Last year for example, I made a video on the computer of pictures of us that went to two songs that made me think of him. It’s something they can keep forever and like I said, it shows you really really care. And something sentimental can be bought too. My boyfriend has started making me a collection of every DVD we’ve ever seen together so that we’ll always be able to watch them and think back to that time. Every “present-giving-day” he gives me another and I immediately think of that day, which always makes me smile. Sentimental gifts can’t be everything at this stage of a relationship though. You need to have some store bought things. Depending on the type of person they are, this can either be really easy or really hard. No matter what though it’s important to first set some ground rules. Either set a spending limit or a number of gift limit. You don’t want anyone feeling uncomfortable Christmas day. When it comes to actually buying the gifts, ask them if there is something maybe they need or they’d like. It may be obvious, but hey it works. Also look around their house to see what kind of stuff they like. Ask their friends. Think of things they’ve mentioned in the last few months. And just think about them as a person. What do they like, what do they have a passion for, what’s important to them. This should not be stressful. It should actually be fun.

In the end, I’m sure whatever you give your partner they’ll love. There are a few things to think about though. Stay away from gifts like socks, gift cards (they’re really impersonal), and fruit baskets. And whatever you do, do not go overboard. Spending an extreme amount of money on someone only makes them feel less and upset, not special and like you love them. Also make sure you gear your gift toward the seriousness of your relationship. If you’re really serious even though you’ve only been together three months, a nose hair trimmer might not be the best gift to get him. All in all, shopping should be fun and icing on the cake to the holiday season. Hope everyone has a great shopping experience and gets/gives great gifts. Happy Holidays!

Posted by Manda at 02:17 PM | Comments (0)