Christmas Shopping Advice for Men

Nothing particularly spiritual about this blog.  And this one is mostly for guys.  There are only a few shopping days left until Christmas.  This is the time when people start to panic.  When people panic, poor gift choices are made.  When poor gift choices are made, bad things happen in relationships.  This bit of advice is for the guys out there who are in a bit of  a panic about what to get their Sweetheart for Christmas.  Do. Not. Panic.  I’m going to give you a bit of advice to keep you from really messing this up.  (Don’t ask me how I learned these lessons.)  Here are some very simple rules to keep you out of trouble and make her Christmas (and, therefore, yours) merry:

Christmas Shopping Don’ts for Men

1.  If you are going to shop for clothes for her, go through her closet and check the sizes on things she wears.  When you are standing in a store your male visual calibration of what looks like it will fit her is way off.  If you do resort to guessing, do not – I repeat – do not guess big.  That will inevitably trigger the terrifying question, “Do you think I’m this big?”  Anything you say at that point only makes it worse.  So write those sizes down, guys!

2.  Do not buy her exercise equipment.  Even if she has admired the latest exercise gizmo on TV, do not give that as a Christmas gift.  There’s no way that gift does not sound like, “You’re a little out of shape, Sweetie.”  Merry Christmas is pretty much done at that point.

3.  Here’s one my wife clued me in on when we were first married.  Thankfully, she told me this before I made the mistake of doing this.  This one is really simple:  If it has a power cord attached to it, don’t buy it as a Christmas gift.  Vacuum cleaners, mixers, etc. are all related to domestic tasks.  And while those things may make those tasks easier, they are in no way romantic.  They do not say, “Merry Christmas, Darling!”  They say, “Get to work.” 

Christmas Shopping Do’s for Men

1.  Jewelry hardly ever fails.   And before you wrap it, tuck a little note in the box with a short simple statement of why this jewelry would never really look its best until it was on her.  Explain that even jewelry deserves a shot at being close to her. 

2.  Usually gift certificates are not good choices (Walmart, Bass Pro Shops, etc.).  Gift certificates to a nice spa that she can use for whatever treatments she’d like say, “You deserve to be pampered by folks who know how to do this girlie stuff really well.”  And the truth is, she does.

3.  Want to pull out all the stops?  Get those sizes (all sizes from inside out) and buy her an entire outfit – including foundations (women sales people will know what that is even if you don’t).  Extra points of you accessorize with some “bling.”  Then take her on a surprise date to a nice restaurant.   That says, “I really thought about this and the more I thought about it the more I just wanted to be with you on a nice date.”

So there it is, guys.  Some Christmas shopping advice from a guy who’s learned a thing or two over a lot of Christmases and by a lot of mistakes.  I hope it helps.  Have a merry Christmas and make Jesus, the best gift ever given, the center of your celebration!