Someone once said: "A hug is the perfect gift; one size fits all, and nobody minds if you exchange it". This may have been acceptable in a different age but in the 21st century giving a gift is a lot more complex. Try giving your loved one a hug for their special occasion and it is possible they may never turn that frown upside down!
Unique Gifts: With so many gifts and ideas available finding a unique gift is probably the most difficult. If you are very rich or talented then you will be able to buy or make a truly unique gift. However most of us will have to use a lot of our resources (time, money, effort) to do this.
A better way of thinking unique is to look for something that will be unique for the person receiving the gift. Does the person have some interest or hobby? In this instance a good option will be to get them something that is related to their hobby. The beauty of the hobby gift is that even if it is slightly wrong, it will be appreciated because of the thought that has gone in to choosing it. One thing to remember is not to act like you are now an expert on their hobby when choosing or giving the gift, you don't want them to feel belittled or disrespected because you have done a little research and act like you know everything about what they enjoy.
Gifts for Men: Probably the best presents for men are tools or gadgets. In most instances they will like them over common gifts such as work clothes or accessories!). If you aren't certain of what brands or products the person likes it might be better to stay away from male grooming presents as some men can be just as particular about grooming products as most women (no point buying a brand they will never use). On the whole men are not likely to worry too much about presents they receive but it is still a nicer feeling to know that your present has been well received and will be of some practical use or just plain fun.
Gifts for Women: When buying gifts for women your relationship to the person in question is probably the most important thing. If you are really brave try giving your wife or girlfriend a vacuum cleaner or iron for their special occasion and see what happens (NOTE: this is just a joke; at no point should you even dream of doing this unless you have some sort of death wish!). For wives or girlfriends attention to detail is probably most important. The gift has to make them feel like you have gone to great effort to choose something special for her to remember the occasion by. A good option is to stick to things she likes but get something she doesn't already have or use (you don't want to buy for her birthday the perfume she uses everyday for work and buys for herself when it runs out). The same rules apply to other women. Do some research and learn about what they like and go from there. Look for gifts that may be related to the area they are passionate about.
