thePULSEHOLIDAY GIFT NIGHTMARES AND DREAMS
By Nicole Steina
Over the years we have all received a few gifts that we’d rather forget, like the blender your boyfriend gave you, or the scarf your girlfriend knitted you that would barely keep your pinkie warm. You’d thought you were so careful and smart, hinting all year long about the Ipod you were dying for, yet you got stuck with…that???
I have to say that the worst gift I ever got was a mix CD. I’d spent a boatload of money on my boyfriend, carefully picking out Abercrombie clothes, cologne, the works, and he made me a mix CD of my favorite songs. I mean he was broke as a joke but come on now! He knew the holidays were coming, so at least he could have stepped up and started saving the beer cans (and maybe donating blood…or something else, if you catch my drift!) to score some holiday cash. Mix tapes are only cute if you’re in junior high and still on an allowance.
Anyway, I asked a couple of friends to weigh in on their best and worst gifts ever were, and here’s what they had to say:
“Well, my worst holiday gift ever. That’s not an easy one to answer ‘cause I’ve never really had a bad gift, but every year I know there is one gift that I always get from my great aunt, and I’m probably not the only one who has a crazy aunt or relative. We all joke about it because she tries so hard to be hip, though she always falls short or a few years behind the times. I sit here and talk about it as if I dread getting a gift from her each year, but it’s still the thought that counts and if I didn’t get that brown Charlie Brown sweater, or those puppy slippers or that knitted hat that covers every bit of your face and is rainbow colored ‘cause that color was on sale at Walmart, I would wonder if she still cared. So in closing, I can’t wait to see what’s in store this year, but one thing I do know, that is that my aunt still thinks about me every year and that gift is priceless ~ Mark L.
“Oh Gosh, I have to try to remember one bad gift…there are so many. The worst gift that I ever received was from my ex boyfriend’s mom. She was a bit of a raging alcoholic, and would often do her holiday shopping around the house. She would wrap random things in the house up and give them to everyone ~ from her parents to her own children. Boy were we surprised when she started passing out presents. My boyfriend got several boxes of used Christmas lights wrapped up in extension cord boxes and I got a series of free gifts that credit card companies give you when you sign up. I was with him for several years, so let’s just say I could start selling credit cards on my own and have more than enough Visa calculators and Mastercard Tshirts to last me a lifetime!” ~ Jen K.
The trick to gift giving and receiving is to be smart and thoughtful. You don’t have to have a million dollars to give someone a gift that they will never forget! Just remember to choose something the recipient will like, not something that you’d necessarily want for yourself. Here are some ideas for all different kind of people on your holiday gift list:
The High Maintenance Woman
Manicure and pedicure gift certificate
Massage gift certificate
Unlimited tanning package
Day of Beauty spa package
The Health Nut Woman
A gift certificate to The Living Earth
Yoga Membership/Package
A gift certificate to Foot Locker for a new pair of sneakers
The Shoe Obsessed Woman
Gift Certificate to DSW in Greendale Mall
Gift Certificate to Aldo
Gift Certificate to Steve Madden
A shopping spree at a local boutique
The Music Loving Woman
Gift card for Itunes for her Ipod
Gift card to FYE in the Auburn or Greendale Mall
Accessories for her walkman or Ipod
Newbury Comics Gift Certificate for the eclectic music lover
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The Vain Man
Tanning package
Membership to the gym
Gift certificate for a massage (there are a ton of great places right here in Worcester County)
His favorite hair care product ~ gel, wax, mousse, or all of the above
The Sporty Man
Tickets to a game….football…baseball…etc. Buy two and let him take one of his buddies for a guys’ night
His favorite team member’s jersey
Video or DVD of highlights from last year’s Super Bowl
A mini TV with headphones so he can watch the game and you don’t have to listen to it!
The Picky Man
Gift Certificate to your (yours and his) favorite restaurant…
Gift Certificate to his cell phone carrier’s store….help him pay his bill or upgrade his phone
Gift Certificate to the car accessory store…he can always pimp his ride a little more!
The Blue Collar Man
New pair of work boots….steel toed
A few pairs of insulated Dickies work pants
Thick socks and insulated gloves for the cold days
A certificate for full body massage by you for all of those tired and sore muscles
In closing, as we head into the holiday season, be thoughtful, be sweet and for the love of all things sacred stay away from the blenders and slippers…Nobody wants ‘em and we are just gonna return ‘em or re-gift ‘em!
