Socks, shirts and sweaters -- they do make useful gifts, but they're boring.
Here are some GREAT gift ideas...
Gifts
(In other words... How to make your girlfriend/boyfriend love you forever.)
GIFTS FOR HER
You can't go far wrong with chocolates and flowers, but you can find gifts which are even better.
The trick to thoughtful, considerate, MEMORABLE gift giving is to give a gift which involves a little bit of work on your part. When she sees your gift and realizes the trouble you went to just for her, she'll be impressed. Let's face it -- she may actually be amazed to discover that you're not the inconsiderate slob she thought you were.
Here are some ideas for memorable gifts...
1. This is SO simple, but she'll love it -- and you, for being so thoughtful.
Give her a digital photo frame. But wait! That's NOT the gift. Gather together a collection of your best pics of the two of you together (nice romantic ones) and load them into the photo frame. For years to come, every time she looks at those photos, she'll love you a little bit more. You'll keep winning points every day!
(An attractive photo album will make a good gift, too. Remember to fill it with pictures of the two of you together.)
What's so convenient about this gift is that it doesn't matter if she already has half a dozen digital photo frames or photo albums. It's adding your own personal touch that makes YOUR gift so memorable.
She'll love the fact that you went to a little bit of trouble to make this gift so special.
2. Give a promise. For this thoughtful gift idea, you're limited only by your imagination -- and by how well you know her.
Give her a nice card saying: "The owner of this card is entitled to a full body massage by..." and YOU be the one who gives her the full body massage. That's a gift for two, right?
You could promise "an afternoon of pampering at XYZ Beauty Salon".
Or your card could promise a romantic night in. Candles, a setting for two, and a meal cooked by you.
3. What if you don't trust your own cooking? That's OK. In the U.S., you can get delicious gourmet meals delivered to your door by GourmetStation.com. You can choose from various styles -- Parisian, Cajun, Fusion, etc., and even get special Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. What a fabulous gift.
4. Perfume is not very original, but think of the benefits... It's a wonderfully effective gift because (a) women love perfume and (b) she'll think of you every time the scent you gave her wafts into her nostrils. Think how often that is! So make sure to be VERY careful to buy her favorite brand or one very similar. Have a little chat with her best friend or sister and ask for tips.
5. Gift certificates. OK, I'll admit this is a little bit boring, but a Gift Certificate is a very useful gift because you can 100% guarantee that she's going to receive a gift she WANTS -- because she'll choose it. And it will fit.
6. Wine is a lovely gift. Think about it. What goes WITH a nice bottle of wine? Answer: A cozy, memorable meal for two while you sample your gift. And afterwards...? Well, that's up to you. If you're feeling specially generous, give her a Wine of the Month Club membership. Remember, gifts that keep on giving, keep her thinking of you. (A wine club membership can be a perfect gift for a man, too, for all the same reasons.)
Want to know what other gifts your girlfriend may like to receive? You can listen to hints she drops as her birthday or Christmas approaches, but it will probably be much more useful if you have a little chat with her best friend.
GIFTS FOR HIM
Men are basically simple. They like gifts they can eat or drink. Here are some ideas...
1. A Micro Beer of the Month Club membership. How could you possibly go wrong with a gift like this? He'll think of you fondly every month when a new beer arrives to sample.
2. Most men love gadgets, too. Hugely popular right now is the Flip Mino HD camcorder/video camera. This tiny camcorder is super slim, super sleek, weighs only 3.3 ounces and yet it will take one hour of high-quality video. He can use the USB to plug it into his computer to recharge it, and connect it by cable to the TV to watch the videos on TV. Even if he hasn't mentioned the Flip Mino, he WANTS this! You can have fun together using it.
3. A Cloud 9 Experience. Here's something he'll remember for the rest of his life -- and remember the thoughtful person who gave it to him. It's an extraordinary, special experience from Cloud9Living.com. Experiences range from ballooning, car racing, dune buggy rides and bungee jumping to more sedate but still memorable experiences such as wine tasting or a gondola cruise, and a whole lot of other adventure experiences. You can also choose a Cloud 9 experience you share together. Check it out. He'll love this.
4. Times are tougher, now, right? But you don't want to hand over money. Giving money is thoughtful but somehow misses the spot, doesn't it? Here's something better... Give him an investment in one of America's big businesses. Think you can't afford that? Don't worry -- OneShare.com specializes in selling ONE SHARE in each of a lot of large companies. This gift will remain a talking point for years to come -- and he'll think of you every time that big company is in the news. If it makes him think of you, it's got to be a useful gift!
5. Steak. A man who doesn't drool over a luscious, tender steak is rare indeed. Make his favorite dinner and turn it into a special occasion by candlelight. Sound too simple? Don't be fooled. He'll LOVE this!
6. Lobsters delivered. Show him how much you love him by ordering something really special. With any luck, you'll get to share the delicious meal. You can order gourmet meals from GourmetStation.com -- you job is to provide the candlelight and the romance. Enjoy!
Gifts They'll Love - 12 Thoughtful, Memorable, Useful Gifts
Trish Donella is Chief Gift Finder at Useful Gifts Useless Gifts. For a wide selection of thoughtful, memorable gift ideas visit http://www.UsefulGiftsUselessGifts.com