My dad is not a shopper. For him, Christmas shopping is always a last-minute and dreaded chore. I remember when I was seven I was so worried he wouldn’t go shopping for my mom that I wrapped up items from around the house and put them under the tree with her name on them. Of course he went out and got my mom gifts, but his last-minute procrastination had my seven-year-old mind worried!
I think my dad’s dread of Christmas shopping is a universal feeling among men. Get something too general and his gift could be considered thoughtless. Get something too expensive and “What were you thinking!” ensues. Get the wrong size and….boy you’d better watch out! So moms, I come to you today with some tips on how to craft your Christmas list — I assure you it will greatly help your man out!
- My first tip is easy: make a list! As a mom your focus is on little ones during the holidays, but I promise you the man in your life will greatly appreciate some guidance as he does his Christmas shopping. Discreetly put your list on the refrigerator or on his nightstand for inconspicuous hint dropping. If he’s an online shopper, send him an email with links to products you like.
- Don’t leave your man size guessing. For men, women’s sizes are a cryptic code. Don’t expect your man to understand that your size fluctuates four sizes, depending on the store. Instead, choose clothing items that don’t require a size. Pick out a cozy winter scarf that you love. Or, ponchos and capes are a hot clothing trend right now. Most of these come as “one size fits most” — so he can’t mess that up! A pair of trendy reading glasses also makes a great gift for moms — conveniently drop your prescription into conversation so it’s fresh in his mind :)
- Make it easy for him to be sentimental. Thank goodness for trendy birthstone jewelry! Stackable rings are in — so ask your hubby for a stack of birthstone rings that showcase your kids’ birthdays. Etsy is a goldmine for sentimental gifts. Make an account on the site and build up a list of “favorites” — and conveniently leave this list up on the computer for him to see ;)
- Be thankful. No matter what your man gets you, be thankful! Chances are he put a lot of thought and effort into your gift.
As a mom do you usually make a Christmas list?
Author bio: Sarah Heckle is an editor at Affordable Style where she writes about celebrity style and fashion trends.
Wow just realized this is a guest post. Was hard to see her bio the first time I looked. Great post – I don’t get anything for Christmas except stocking stuffers. Stocking is my fave part of Christmas. I make a list for my mom because she asks me to but usually she gets me a fleece blanket every year no matter what my list says lol I am always thankful for anything I get because it’s rare that I do and I think Christmas is for the kids.
I can relate to this topic, but dad always had nice things for mom. When we were teenagers, we asked dad to buy us kids something for Christmas, instead of having mom do all the shopping. He gave us all a set of combs, funniest thing, we all laughed. (Dad was a barber and he had a great sense of humor)We never asked dad to shop again…lol..I think that was his goal in the first place.