How Does One Find The PERFECT Gift?

[MickeyP]

I decided I was done with giving generic gifts. I am stressing over what to give, and am baffled with my friends. We live in a time that when you even remotely want something, ya go buy it. This doesn't leave a whole lotta room for being able to buy them a gift that is meaningful and one they would gennerally be surprised by, or excited with.

HELP ME DISboard!!! NGCP (no gift cards please)

male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics.

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes

male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff.

One more thing, I know not budget related, but $ is no object.

 

[snowwhite84]

Some ideas...

For the electronics fans: iPad/iPhone/iPod; a Flip video camera and tripod; a portable laser printer that prints photos from a digital camera; a docking station that allows you to charge all of your electronics in one space. Also, at Best Buy you can buy a card that will let you download the entire collection of Beatles songs from iTunes onto your mp3 player.

For the cooks: Le Creuset cookery, a Kitchen Aid mixer, crystal wine or champagne glasses, anything from Pottery Barn/Crate and Barrel/William Sonoma. I was in WS yesterday and they had all sorts of unique, quirky things. I got my stepfather a Darth Vader spatula!

 

[Kate and Pete]

For the professor - what about an ereader? I suspect she does a monumental amount of reading as a prof.!

 

[gracie1]

I decided I was done with giving generic gifts. I am stressing over what to give, and am baffled with my friends. We live in a time that when you even remotely want something, ya go buy it. This doesn't leave a whole lotta room for being able to buy them a gift that is meaningful and one they would gennerally be surprised by, or excited with.

HELP ME DISboard!!! NGCP (no gift cards please)

male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics.

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes

male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff.

One more thing, I know not budget related, but $ is no object.

For the movie freak - maybe do a movie gift basket with the popcorn, some movies, candy (and beer if he likes beer), some trivia games that can be played with friends if he likes to entertain, and maybe some upscale cooking gadgets, like kitchenaid appliances or something. Or maybe reserve him a spotin a cooking class for upscale cooking.
For the computer freak/professor, an e-reader,
For the one who likes electronics, maybe a digital camera, or if they already have a good one maybe lenses (if its that kind). You can do a food basket with pasta, sauces, cheese and wine.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I decided I was done with giving generic gifts. I am stressing over what to give, and am baffled with my friends. We live in a time that when you even remotely want something, ya go buy it. This doesn't leave a whole lotta room for being able to buy them a gift that is meaningful and one they would gennerally be surprised by, or excited with.

HELP ME DISboard!!! NGCP (no gift cards please)

male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics.

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes

male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff.

One more thing, I know not budget related, but $ is no object.

First one--I would find either a home brewing kit, or a very cooly presented variety of beers with the coolest beer "cup" (serving vessel) you could find. For the electronics geek in him...well, we buy my husband toys. My mom got my husband a remote control boat. No idea where we will use it--but still neat.

Female--kindle/nook?

Last guy--have some fun at Williams Sonoma, get him a good cook book, whatever.

This year--though I planned for it last year but was too sick to track things down, I got my mom the Julie & Julia Movie and a cookbook from Julia Child's series. While she is a trained chef and "knows" how to cook, she is always seeking inspiration and new things to try. She LOVES French cooking and Julia Child was well known for bringing authentic French cooking to America. It did not cost much money, but I put great thought into it. I had planned on Julia's original cookbook and discovered it was sold in a hefty two volume series.

When I choose to add to her kitchen, I look for items that would facilitate prepping the style of cooking she loves to do.

The cook is the easiest one of your list so long as you know them well enough that what you buy will work for them.

 

[MickeyP]

How does one find out where they offer cooking classes? Maybe a college?

 

[Karalea]

How does one find out where they offer cooking classes? Maybe a college?

Several high end restaurants here over cooking classes. They are advertised in our local lifestyle section of the paper. Also, little gourmet foods and kitchen shops may be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[klacey1]

I decided I was done with giving generic gifts. I am stressing over what to give, and am baffled with my friends. We live in a time that when you even remotely want something, ya go buy it. This doesn't leave a whole lotta room for being able to buy them a gift that is meaningful and one they would gennerally be surprised by, or excited with.

HELP ME DISboard!!! NGCP (no gift cards please)

male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics.

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes

male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff.

One more thing, I know not budget related, but $ is no object.

Hmm, maybe for the first one some really good beer and even sign him up for a wine/beer tasting class somewhere? I'm not super up on gadgets, but maybe an iPad, super fancy GPS. . .?
For the girl-- external hard drive, fun USB drive (they make really cute ones!), fancy headphones, e-reader + e-reader sleeve
For the second guy-- cooking class at William and Sonoma? If he loves movies and trivia, how about one of the Scene It games. Those are great for parties, as well.

 

[mjantz]

For the movie guy, 'Metropolis' has just been released on Blu-Ray with over 30 minutes of footage that was discovered a few years ago. This movie is high on my wishlist & I'd be thrilled if I got a copy.

 

[Tanbellisima]

I decided I was done with giving generic gifts. I am stressing over what to give, and am baffled with my friends. We live in a time that when you even remotely want something, ya go buy it. This doesn't leave a whole lotta room for being able to buy them a gift that is meaningful and one they would gennerally be surprised by, or excited with.

HELP ME DISboard!!! NGCP (no gift cards please)

male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics.

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes

male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff.

One more thing, I know not budget related, but $ is no object.

You are a very loving friend to want to give something genuinely liked to your friends and family. It makes me think of reading Little House on the Prairie books when everyone made sure that they gave gifts people liked, needed, wanted. What my family does is we make forms with questions and fill it out every year. It always surprises us to discover how we all change in just 365 days. We use questions like: Fav color, food, movie, book, authors, what do you hate as a gift(very enlightening). Come to find the men often love bath products like cologne, body wash, and electric razors but the girls this year did not want bubble baths or fruity lotions. Hahhaaaha!
An example is I love new socks and under garments but my best friend thinks those things and pj are the worst goft ever. She loves pots and pie pans.

I also have found that people are often afraid to ask for or buy themselves things that they really really want. It is an intimate, kind gesture that you want to give them what they want. I bet for the professor who never wears jewelry and doesnt dress upscale would actually like a piece of jewelry and for you to see her as feminine and pretty. It is just like that sometimes. Someone who cares about us gives is things that helps us express our true desires and emotions.




male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics.

I think a subscription to steak and beer of the month club.
New beer every month. Omaha steaks, lobster, crabcakes, and desserts. Harry and David gift baskets. Since money is no object I would buy all three things. Probably even throw in a Godiva tower.
Wrap up pictures of each subscription pretty with a big bow. He will love it since he is an eater and he will keep the pics to look at until his food arrives. His Harry and David gift basket (the big one with nuts fruits and meats/cheeses) and the Godiva Tower will give him a tangible until the clubs kick in.

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes

Buy her a sweater nice cashmere in her favorite color. Flat out ask her her favorite color. Give her a nice piece of gold jewelery probably a solid 14k herring bone and matching bracelet. Or even a diamond pendant. Buy her a large Godiva Tower as well. Make sure to include the Godiva cookie and cocoa assortment with the chocolate candies. Will make her feel like you think of her as sweet which is important. She seems very reserved. Most people who feel this way want attention but are afraid to draw it to themselves.


male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff.

He sounds like a good time guy who loves to be jolly and relax and have fun. Find out what the newest cooking gadget is he has his eye on. It could be the new gas bbq grill or the new electric fry daddy. Whatever it is he will tell you. You can even go out to Costco or Macys and just look around with him casual. See if he eyes that new food processor. Alot of people don't buy themselves these things because they are 400-500 dollars but they love them. He might want the whole turker fryer. You can also get him the same thing you get the other male. You can also find authentic posters of some of his favorite movies autographed and have it framed.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I decided I was done with giving generic gifts. I am stressing over what to give, and am baffled with my friends. We live in a time that when you even remotely want something, ya go buy it. This doesn't leave a whole lotta room for being able to buy them a gift that is meaningful and one they would gennerally be surprised by, or excited with.

HELP ME DISboard!!! NGCP (no gift cards please)

male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics. Wine tasting tour or class, itouch, iPad, netbook

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes. Nook Color with case & light, same with iTouch, iPad or netbook

male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff. Roku Streaming Player and netflix subscription, cooking class, celebrity chef cookbook and some specialty ingredients

One more thing, I know not budget related, but $ is no object.

This sight has some cool things to do if your area is listed.
http://www.xperiencedays.com/City_Gifts.html

 

[Tanbellisima]

Some ideas...

For the electronics fans: iPad/iPhone/iPod; a Flip video camera and tripod; a portable laser printer that prints photos from a digital camera; a docking station that allows you to charge all of your electronics in one space. Also, at Best Buy you can buy a card that will let you download the entire collection of Beatles songs from iTunes onto your mp3 player.

For the cooks: Le Creuset cookery, a Kitchen Aid mixer, crystal wine or champagne glasses, anything from Pottery Barn/Crate and Barrel/William Sonoma. I was in WS yesterday and they had all sorts of unique, quirky things. I got my stepfather a Darth Vader spatula!

Good choices! I love Le Creuset!

 

[DisneyScraps]

We are cooking, wine drinking geeks that love electronic gadgets.

Williams Sonoma has amazing items for anyone that likes to cook...high end knives that make my life easier. Oh there is a hot new Cuisinart they took everything that could be improved about the old one and made it better. For anyone that cooks that is an amazing gift.

For a wine drinker, they have a variety of acessories. I have a rechargeable wine opener that is a coopl gadget. There are rechargeable wine and pepper grinders. They are fun.

Totally awesome is the smoker they have. It's a gun with a hose and you can import smokiness into a dish using it. I took a class and they did it to cheese.

We are people that like to find the perfect gift without being told. These are things that we really enjoy in our house.

Lisa

 

[olwyngdh]

male-30-loves to eat, drink, and be merry. Very into electronics.

http://www.beermonthclub.com/

female-34-computer freak, professor, doesn't wear jewelry or up-scale clothes

http://www.thinkgeek.com/

male-34-loves to cook and entertain-movie freak, and trivia buff.

http://www.club-offers.com/food/

[/QUOTE]

Anything you give, given from the heart, will be the perfect gift.

 

[Iwant2BAprincess]

too little too late to do this year but...for the guys if they are into baseball hats-get them one customized at lids-When I first saw this I thought "why???" Then I started playing around and it hit me-make a hat for my DH's fantasy football team-he uses his own made up team each season so this year he is getting his own team hat! cost was only around 30.00 and it turned out really well.

 

[mrsklamc]

Darn. Someone beat me to thinkgeek.com

So my other suggestion is uncommongoods.com