Every Friday, I will be talking about ways to take care of your relationship, wether it’s focusing on you, your fiancé or your relationship.
Below is an article I found on AskMen.com that talks about gifts you can give to your man, along with my $.02.
While it’s fun to be on the receiving end of gift-giving, we can’t always be selfish.
Ladies, read up -
Top 10 Man-GIfts
There are many things men will instinctively purchase on their own, such as beer, ale, suds, and alcoholic amber fluid (just to name a few). Unfortunately, upon leaving the confines of childhood — where mothers and fathers are legally bound to provide us with the products, goods and surgeries needed to survive — many adult men tend to forgo purchases that could turn them into fully-rounded, happy individuals.
On the bright side, while your parents have moved out of this pampering role, girlfriends (hopefully more than one) have moved in. So whether you’re a girl reading this list on your boyfriend’s behalf or you’re a guy planning to print this out and leave it on your girlfriend’s face while she sleeps, take note of the products below and make sure they reach the top of your current squeeze’s shopping list.
Upgrading current pleasures
If there is one thing men have an inherent skill for, it’s finding something they love and then buying its cheap, half-ass equivalent. This is why one of the best gifts a man can receive is the first-class version of a product he usually doles out pocket change for.
My husband is a huge video-gamer. He had one of the older PlayStations and during our engagement, I upgraded that version for him and bought a few games that he had been looking at. Yes, my 30+ husband still plays video games. With our neighbors. Online.
Premium liquor
When it comes to alcohol, a lot of men are willing to forego taste and purity if it means they can get four gallons of it for $5. This is why splurging on a premium bottle of liquor remains, to this date, one of the most refreshing gifts a man can receive.
For example, if your fiance loves tequila, perhaps you upgrade and buy a bottle of Patron Silver.
Collector’s items
When it comes to entertainment and hobbies, men and women tend to be polar opposites. After all, no woman has ever celebrated Easter morning by watching The Lord of the Rings, Scarface and an Iron Maiden DVD back-to-back. That’s why when a woman overcomes her own disgust and purchases her boyfriend something rare and expensive concerning his non female love, such as Tony Montana’s belt or Gandolf’s toothpick, it’s like his Christmas, birthday and Jessica Alba’s birthday rolled into one.
My husband is from Ohio, and LOVES the Ohio State Buckeyes (Go Bucks!). As an engagement gift, I gave him an old school pennant from the school.
Magazine subscriptions
Okay, so buying a man a magazine subscription isn’t really an upgrade, as these tend to be cheaper than buying individual copies of the publications. But the real treat here is that boyfriends will never have to go to the magazine stand in the middle of winter to find out why Tara Reid thinks brown hair is “so sexy.”
My husband is also into cars. Like it’s a crazy obsession and he’s a walking encyclopedia of useless car knowledge. So, I found a few car-related magazines and I ordered a few subscriptions. Every month, he’s reminded of how much I love him. All together now, “Awwwww”
Great grooming gifts
When it comes to personal grooming, many men simply don’t possess the skills, know-how or bathroom mirror needed to properly turn themselves from a stinky anthropoid to a fragrant Adonis — making this the perfect area for a girlfriend to take control.
The hubs is one of those manly guys who takes forever to get ready. True story. So any type of grooming gift would be perfect for him.
Axe Lab: Fragrances for men
Across the country, there are numerous men who equate “not being smelly” with “smelling good.” In times like these, it’s the sworn duty of girlfriends to teach their men about the advances made in fragrance technology and why their misunderstanding of “eau de toilette” has made them both stinky and unhygienic.
Ditto.
Shaving kit
Unless a man is part of a militia or an English department, his head is the location of a perpetual war between facial hair and a society that deems it unacceptable. That’s why equipping her man with the weapons needed to make the war as painless as possible — specifically, a top-of-the-line shaving kit — is the best thing she can do to support the troops, uh… trooper.
Great towels
As most of America is accustomed to showering at least once a day, a lot of the problems that have to do with men’s hygiene don’t relate to getting clean, they stem from staying clean when using decrepit, old rags to dry themselves. That’s why girlfriends should take note and invest in their man’s health (and by association, their own) by purchasing them a great set of plush towels.
Need I say more? Muah!
Top-notch textiles
Though men as a whole have taken leaps and bounds when it comes to their personal style, there are still crucial holes in their wardrobes that will go unplugged without the help of a loving female.
Some men have it; some men don’t.
Silk sheets
Newsflash! Everyone, regardless of their gender, thinks that silk feels good. That’s why girlfriends need to do their boyfriend’s a favor and rid them of their hand-me-down sheets and show them just how luxurious lying around unconscious can be.
This is a bonus two-for-one gift. He’s happy and you’re happy.
Winter accessories
For some unknown reason most, if not all, men come to the realization that they must, on occasion, trade their puffy “NY Jets” jacket for something more “adult.” Unfortunately, when it comes to gloves, scarves and hats, a lot of men seem to be stuck on their childhood playgrounds. So what do they need? A girlfriend to come in and stylize their heads and their hands so that they won’t die of cold or bad taste.
Underwear and socks
In general, men buy houses more frequently than they do underwear or socks. In these cases, the perfect action of an adoring girlfriend (or simply, a woman that doesn’t enjoy pulling 10-year-old boxers off the person they are about to sleep with) is to invest in their man with sexy-yet-functional underwear and socks, by association.
Bathrobes and pyjamas
Though most women are well-versed in achieving comfort via comfortable clothes, most men are not. That’s why it’s time for women to show their boyfriends their “lounging-as-lifestyle” secrets and surprise them with a comfortable uniform for relaxation comprised of a bathrobe and pajamas.
give the gift of gendered giving
Often, the greatest gift is to give someone something they need. But when an entire gender is in need of something, shopping becomes much easier. So listen up females: Follow the list above to achieve success any time you decide to shower your boyfriend with tangible praise. Just remember not to regift. Not only is it in poor taste, but it could defeat the hygienic goals of many of the presents listed here.
