Best and Worst Gifts for the Holidays

by ALLISON LECAIN
The holidays can be a stressful time of year.
It doesn’t help that there is a lot pressure being held on gift choices. Here is a list of the best and worst gift ideas to help ease the stress of shopping.
BEST
• Check their Wish List
When in doubt, there is no harm in checking up on someone’s Amazon wish list. This allows the person to post whatever it is they may want for anyone else to buy for them. While it may not be creative, people always enjoy getting exactly what they asked for.
 
• Love Coupons
During the holidays many people are often looking for something adorable to give to their significant other. My suggestion is a handmade coupon booklet. This can be filled with coupons that are good for one hug, massage, dinner out or anything else your sweetheart may desire.
 
• Electronics 
These are one of the best presents a person can receive. Most people do not buy them on a regular basis because of the price, so the holidays are a great time to give someone that something special they wouldn’t be able to afford themselves. Plus, electronics are usually on sale this time of year.
 
• Money
It’s always appreciated – plain and simple. Everyone loves cash. No one every thinks, “Oh gosh I really hope I don’t get more money for Christmas.” While it may be impersonal, gifting money never goes out of style.
 
• A Night Out
Silver and gold may be pricy and shiny, but experiences and memories are priceless. Take your significant other out for a night on the town. Pick exciting, romantic activities – maybe a carriage ride in Old Town or dessert at The Chocolate Café. Look at Christmas lights around town and enjoy each other’s company. There is nothing better on the holidays than sharing it with the ones you love.
 
WORST
• Exercise Equipment
With all the turkey dinner and holiday cookies, people tend to put on some weight during this time of year. The last thing a friend or relative wants is for someone to remind them of this weight. Giving a person some sort of exercise equipment is never a good idea, unless it was specifically asked for by the person.
 
•Re-Gifting
Never re-gift or give something used, unless you severely dislike the person your gifting it to. These types of gifts are rarely appreciated unless there is some kind of sentimental value to them.
 
• Man Sweaters
To all the women out shopping for their men, no matter how good you think that sweater might look on your man, he will not appreciate it as a gift. Guys don’t like clothes. That’s all there is to it. They would be more likely to appreciate something like a video game, although when buying your man a video game, do take into account that this game will preoccupy his time, which means he will be spending less time with you.
 
• Lingerie
For men, although your woman may put on some sexy lingerie to please you, most women do not appreciate receiving it as a gift. When giving lingerie, questions come up in a woman’s mind, like “why does he want me to wear this?” and “is he trying to tell me that he wants me to be sexier?” Also, unless a man knows exactly what a woman’s preferred lingerie style is, they could end up getting something she really dislikes or thinks is inappropriate. When this happens, you’ll probably be in for more arguing than actually making use of the lingerie.
 
• Gifts that require work 
While these could be ideally thoughtful in the long run, they are generally unappreciated at the sight of giving. Examples of these include vacuums, lawn mowers, and razors. Again, these are OK if the person asked for such a gift, but that is the only exception.