Since the beginning of December, my blogroll has been literally cluttered with all kinds of gift guides - the good thing is that I will never be stuck with finding a good gift idea. The "Golden Rule" with giving a present to someone is really one and only: for an extraordinary good present, you have to know the person well. If you've payed attention in the conversations, there have been some hints for sure and that's usually how I do when it comes to my closest friends and family.
However, every year we get stuck in the same place because we are not 100% sure about a certain person's preferences and therefore it's rather easy to ruin the surprise. What to do? Go for it and risk with huge disappointment? Or just know what to avoid? If you know the basic items that have the biggest risk-factor as a successful present, you can count those out and go for the rest!
Here are 5 biggest mistakes that you can make when buying a present.
1. Hygiene products
It might seem like a good idea to give someone a shower gel with nice scent or a shampoo but it gives only one message - go and wash yourself! I love bath-stuff as much as any other girl but giving someone those items as a present cannot give the receiver a nice feeling. The same goes with everything considering cleaning your home. No one - and even not your grandma - appreciates if you give her a new mop.
2. Gifts with sexual reference
When I asked my friends about what's the worst Christmas present in their opinion, almost all of them gave this answer. Wonder why? Well, firstly - for most of us, this subject is embarrassing even for disgussing it.
For giving a present related to it? If so, you could send the person an official "I hate you" letter already! Pills, toys and assisting measurements, everything that can come from the store with a blinking naked girl on it, is BAD. Very bad.
3. Dieting equipment
No matter how old, young, skinny or chubby someone is .. one simply does NOT give anyone ANYTHING reminding weight issues. If they have issues, you can say you really screwed up. If they don't have issues .. well after your gift, they probably will have some. Scales, special-diet cookbooks or DVD's considering the subject are all items you should stay away from if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with the person. Bye-bye diet-book section!
4. Animals
That's a very hard spot in gifting theme but it is widely appreciated fact that you should never ever give anyone an animal as a gift. Even if you know the person and their wish to have a puppy, present will be too much of a surprise and the person a) might not have a "connection" with the animal, b) is simply not prepared for taking care of an animal and has to neglect the poor thing. Having a new member of family is an extremely personal desicion and everybody should have the freedom to make that choice by themselves.
5. Clothes
Clothes are not that much of "inappropriate" , but simply boring as hell. Besides being an everyday item we all get ourselves regularly, you can never be sure if the person actually even likes the clothing item! As long as it's not something you know for sure the person loves, it's an area to avoid and better go for something bit more unique.
No comments:
Post a Comment