I received an e-mail the other day. Who or where it came from, I’m not sure…..usually I just delete most of my e-mails unless it’s from somebody I know, but this one caught my eye…or should I say the headline caught my eye.
25 amazing gifts that women actually want
Yes, it’s that time of year when people make lists. Some lists are the wonderful, sweet lists…think kids writing to Santa Claus. Other lists are the spouse type lists where neither spouse wants to deal with the disappointment or hassle of returning a gift so they play it safe and get suggestions of sure-fire gifts that will not disappoint. I used to be that husband that would ask for suggestions, but I always made sure to get at least 1 or 2 gifts that were a surprise.
Unfortunately it was these “surprise” gifts that were usually being returned, and since I was the one doing the returning, I’ve long ago given up on the idea of surprise Christmas gifts for my spouse. Which brings me back to this e-mail….I love these gift lists that come out every year that supposedly know what women really want. I’m betting an article like this has been written every year since the beginning of Christmas, even back in pre-historic cave man times someone was making a list that said what a cave woman really wants…..
back then it was probably stuff like:
a bigger fire ( after all the neighbors fire burns all day)
a sharper stone for cutting
a bear skin rug for the cave and so on….
Well dear reader I have taken the time to actually read the list so you don’t have to and I will summarize the findings so if you need something that a women actually wants then keep reading.
Number 1 on the list: pajamas…hmm, I must say I’m very impressed with this first item because that’s actually a really good gift, although they say that pajamas are always a great gift because people rarely buy them for themselves….I’m not too sure about that, but ok. The problem with guys buying pajamas is that we have an entirely different idea of what pajamas to buy. Most guys, me included, think of women’s pajamas as silky and see through with strategically placed snaps for easy access, but most women want big, flannel or fleece pajamas that are warm and comfy. Younger me would have bought the silky ones, but with age comes a little bit of wisdom….guys, if you’re buying pajamas buy the flannel or fleece ones that are warm and comfy…that’s what she wants.
Item 2: and we have the first totally awful gift idea that no women actually wants….
a one-step hair dryer and volumizer
I’m not even sure what this is or does, I mean I get the hair dryer, part but the volumizer….huh? All I can picture is the poor guy who actually buys this and says proudly on Christmas morning…
“hey babe, I got you a hair dryer AND volumizer, because I noticed the hair dryer you have, is you know just a hair dryer.”…….hard pass on this guys. Part of the joy of receiving a gift is telling other people about the gift and no lady is going to brag to her friends about the one-step hair dryer and volumizer.
Item 3 and we have are first kitchen gadget…something called
The Always Pan…..and according to this list, this might be the hottest gift of 2020. It says it’s influencer approved….well duh, of course it is. Again according to the article, it’s stylish and does the work of eight pieces of cookware. It’s a fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, non-stick pan, spatula, and spoon rest. How a pan is a spatula and spoon rest, I’m not sure but it checks in at $145 so I suppose it might be all this and more…..but let’s be real, if I’m going to pay $145 for a single pan, then I want a pan that puts itself in the dishwasher and then remembers to start the dishwasher, which can be a problem in our household and yes I might be the source of that problem.
The next couple of items would seem to go together:
Yoga mat and yoga pants….
My wife and I occasionally do yoga, no not together, good lord we’re not one of those couples. I just checked our basement and for some reason we have 5 yoga mats. I have no idea how we accumulated 5 yoga mats since only 1 mat is used during yoga. Therefore I will not be buying another one, in fact I’m looking to get rid of a couple, so if you need one, let me know.
And do I even need to say why buying pants for a woman is a bad idea? Just no….don’t do it….. just pass…. it’s an argument waiting to happen and if you don’t know why, then there’s really no hope for you and your gift buying.
The next item:
A Cozy Throw Blanket
This always seems like a good idea, I mean who amongst could resist a cozy throw blanket. The problem is we have many cozy throw blankets scattered throughout the house. We have more throw blankets than people, but each of us has our favorite, so all the other ones are rarely used. So before you buy this, count how many people you have in your house and if you already have more cozy throws than people, then you don’t need a new one.
Cozy Chic Cardigan
Notice how blankets, pajamas and sweaters are described as cozy……at this point you need to determine if the person you’re buying this for is a sweater person or a sweatshirt person….and whether this person is a cardigan sweater person. Could be the perfect gift or the gift you’re standing in a return line trying to get store credit for….or as stated earlier with pants…just avoid buying clothes for women.
This next one might be my personal favorite…..in fact it’s described as being for the person who likes to “instagram” their food:
The Cheese Board
But get this, it’s not just a board to place cheese on and take pictures of ….no, it’s also a cutting board and lazy Susan and “people love the rustic look” …….I suppose if your totally clueless about what to purchase, than a cheese board, cutting board, lazy Susan combo might just be the perfect gift….and you’ll soon find out on Christmas morning from the expression on your wife/girlfriends face when she opens it.
At this point I think you get the gist of this list…..there’s more kitchen appliances, another hair dryer, 2 vacuums, something called a volcano jar candle….huh?…..another blanket, some slippers, an oil diffuser, and a goose down jacket.
Yes all these gifts are probably items that somebody wants, but are they really Christmas gifts? Are they really gifts that are going to be remembered with fondness and love months from now or even years from now, or are they gifts that will be in the next garage sale, soon to be replaced by another kitchen gadget or cozy throw.
I’ve discovered it’s not how much you spend, or if the gift is the latest and greatest or if it’s “influencer approved”…..the best gifts come from the heart and it doesn’t matter how much it costs, but if it has a personal connection then it’ll probably be cherished for years to come and not end up in the next garage sale.
Be kind, enjoy the Holidays and Peace
John
John's Blog 