Archive for September, 2008

Dan: I had an umbrella but I lost it over a year ago.  Today it was raining and I was sitting in class feeling like I just took a swim in the ocean.  If anyone has been in class soaking wet before because they had to walk in the rain, than you know how I feel.  I have a raincoat but it just does not quite do the job like a trusty umbrella would.  A great gift someone could give to me…cough cough…just kidding…would be an umbrella.

Some people may be thinking that an umbrella would not make a great gift.  However, if you know someone that really needs one or has one that does not work very well an umbrella would be a great gift idea.  Not all umbrellas are made equally and the quality range is quite drastic.  Many umbrellas under the $40 limit can be quite flimsy and have too small a diameter.  Therefore, spending a good amount of money on an umbrella is definitely worth the effort.  Not only will you or someone else be drier in the end, but that umbrella will not have to be replaced anytime soon.

Grace: I absolutely hate getting rained on, so having an umbrella is an absolute necessity for me.  There are a lot of really cute umbrellas these days to choose from too.  I definitely agree with Dan on spending a little bit of money on an umbrella because I have had multiple cheap umbrellas that either fall apart, or during heavy rains, the umbrella fails completely and the water drips through.  I really enjoy this gift idea!

Grace: I’ve always found that shopping for gifts for my mother is incredibly difficult.  She’s a very independent woman who knows exactly what she likes and doesn’t like, so she’d rather receive no gift at all than a gift that she can’t use.  However, I always feel silly if I don’t get her something, so instead of buying her a physical gift I’ve found that it’s easier to buy her gift passes and give her time off from the rest of us instead.

My mother loves to have days off to herself, so giving her time off from the rest of the family is really the best gift she could ask for.  For her, a spa gift certificate is the perfect gift; she would love a day of complete relaxation by herself.  I’m sure the rest of my family stresses her out, so it’s nice for her to have a day to reset so that she can handle all our antics full-force the next day.

For someone who is perhaps more adventurous but still wants a day off, a great outdoor gift would be an adventure pass.  With over 80 activities to choose from, something like this is sure to hit the mark.  Either way, sometimes just giving someone the day off is really the best gift.

Dan: There is definitely no better gift than a day of peace.  Today, we all live in a more stressful environment no matter what stage of our lives we are in.  Anything from work to school and family can cause a great amount of stress and frustration in one’s life.  New research has shed light on how tolling stress can be to your physical and mental health.  People who live stressful lives typically have shorter life spans and stress can even be labeled as a auto-immune disease trigger.  Reducing stress and staying relaxed is extremely important.  That is why this gift is not just a great idea, but really important.

Grace: If there is one thing I love to do, it’s bake.  I’m not an expert, but it’s fun to play around in the kitchen and experiment a little with my friends.  However, I get really bored of making the usual chocolate chip cookies, cake-from-a-box, etc.  I would like to be able to bake something more interesting, but I don’t have the time or expertise to try something like that.

I found these cute bug cake pans on the William Sonoma website the other day, and these would make a great gift for anyone.  Instead of just baking a plain, round cake, now you can bake one in a fun shape and just go to town decorating it.  I’ve given and received countless recipe books from my friends because we all enjoy baking (and eating), but in the end, we bake the same things over and over again.  At least with this gift we can continue to bake our usual things but this time in a fun shape.  I, personally, would rather receive baking paraphanelia than baking books, although I did find this book to be a great complimentary gift.  Plus, with this gift there is a good chance you could receive a delicious cake as a thank you gift in return!

Dan: I have absolutely nothing against baking!  I cannot cook or bake if my life depended on it but I can eat baked goods with great speed and skill.  I am sure that if I loved to bake these would make a great gift for me, instead I will just recognize that this is a great gift recommendation.  My family and friends love to bake and they would truly appreciate a gift like this.  Thanks for the gift recommendation Grace!

Dan: I used to always be told to shave all the time.  As a guy, shaving your face every single day can become extremely tedious, and frankly, annoying.  Therefore, in order to avoid having to lather everyday and waste a lot of money on razors and replacement blades, my mom gave me an electric shaver as a gift.  I have a Braun, and it was pretty expensive, around $100, but it is worth the money.  No lathering, no water from the sink, no dulling blades.  All you have to do with the electric shaver is make sure it’s charged, turn it on, and shave off any unwanted facial (or other) hair.

You do have to be very careful as to which electric shaver you have.  My father had one that only lasted a month and it too was $100.  Convenience comes at a cost so make sure that you make a wise choice.  I have noticed though that many electric shavers do not do a very good job at shaving the neck.  For whatever the reason it cannot reach that far, so keeping an extra blade on hand is a good thing, or just simply making sure you have a great electric shaver.  Save yourself time and long term expenses with an electric shaver!

Grace: Although I am not very experienced on this subject matter, I do think that an expensive electric shaver is a good gift idea because it’s something that almost every man uses on a daily basis but may not want to splurge on.  Keeping a good, clean personal apperance is important in many different ways, and an electric shaver helps with this.

Grace: My parents, like many people, enjoy a nice glass of wine during dinner, but it of course has to be properly chilled beforehand. Unfortunately, our fridge isn’t able to comfortably fit a bottle of wine without some clever maneuvering, and I always manage to knock something over trying to get to things around the wine.

However, I found this really practical gift that I think my parents would enjoy. This electronic wine cooler takes the hassle out of trying to get wine to the correct temperature. Instead of constantly leaving the table to go to the fridge, you can relax and actually enjoy a meal and good conversation. This gift is perfect for people, like my parents, who appreciate nice wine but aren’t experts on the subject.

Dan: The wine cooler is a wonderful gift recommendation for those who enjoy wine for the most simple reasons or for the really educated wine enthusiast.  At my own home my parents too have a difficult time fitting a bottle of wine into the normal old refigerator.  It usually ends up right next to the ketchup on the inside of the door.  Another wine recommendation is a wine rack.  My parents needed one desperately as the wine bottles started to make a pile on one of the kitchen counters.  What a great gift recommendation!

Dan: There is a stigma out there that guys do not really care about what kind of shoes they wear. That is somewhat true for me because I wear a pair of sneakers until they fall apart on my feet, but I love getting shoes. Part of the reason is because I wait so long to get a new pair, but shoes are great! Anything from sandals to sneakers and dress shoes; they really make me feel good. Shoes make a great gift!

My mom just bought me a new pair of sneakers and a new pair of dress shoes. My dress shoes are from a company called Mephisto from Europe, and they are really comfortable men’s dress shoes. They require a lot of care but they are extremely comfortable. Most dress shoes are rock hard and leave your feet looking like swiss cheese at the end of the day, but these are different. The exact dress shoe that I received as a gift from my parents are the Lorenzo line. They are sleek, simple and black. I needed a great pair of dress shoes because before that I only had clog-like brown shoes. I am set up now. Mephisto does not only make dress shoes but offers a wider array of walking type shoes. They are all really fashionable and feel great on your feet which is the most important part of a shoe, right? If you are looking for comfort and great style go with Mephisto for either yourself or someone you’re close to

Grace: I never really thought about giving men shoes as gifts, but now that i think of it, it makes sense!  As a woman, of course I love shoes, but I’m always really picky about them.  If they don’t fit perfectly, I don’t bother buying them.  This is something I would keep in mind when buying shoes as a gift; just because the shoe is the correct size doesn’t mean it will necessarily fit comfortably.  However, every man does need a good pair of dress shoes!