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My wife often complains that I am impossible to shop for. One reason is that I am a cheapskate who would rather have 20 bucks in the bank than a DVD of Batman Begins.  Another reason is that I am an adult, and when there is something that I want, I can buy it for myself. 

So, I already have everything I want, and don’t want what I don’t need.  What is a wife to do?  This article will attempt to give you some food for thought when you are shopping for your man.

1)      Food:  Guys love food.  Two of the gifts that I have most enthusiastically accepted were a can of cashews and a giant Snickers bar.  An upscale alternative would be a Meat-of-the-Month Club subscription (not kidding, btw), or some kind of grilling accessory that will make his meatcraft more exact.

2)      Hobby Enhancers: While each man has his own interests, one thing is the certain; someone has devised a way to make it even more awesome.  Whether it is a rumbling seat for his racing videogame, increased peripheral vision paintball goggles, a 10x zoom nature photography lens, or a simple book light, there is a gift to make his hobby experience even better.  This will also provide the secondary benefit of signaling that you support rather than resent his “man time” (whether that is true or not).

3)      Intangibles/Service:  I don’t mean coupons for sex (we know that “certain restrictions apply”).  If your man says that he doesn’t want anything, that means he doesn’t want any “thing”.  He would probably still appreciate someone else cleaning the basement, his favorite meal (back to gift idea #1), or a day to devote entirely to enjoying his gift from idea #2.  For example, when my wife gave me the final Harry Potter book, she also gave me the entire day (chore and cooking free) to read it.

4)      Make his life easier:  Similar to Hobby Enhancement, this category seeks to make his daily grind easier.  Does he have a long commute?  Maybe an MP3 player could make it seem shorter.  Maybe it could even BE shorter with a GPS.  Does the dog make messes, run away, etc… how about obedience school? Is his computer agonizingly slow?  Try a RAM upgrade.  Maybe you can give him the best gift, more time for himself and you.

5)      A Personalized Children’s Book:  No man’s library is complete without one.

…

Joe's cousin Connor's high school graduation party is next weekend, and we thought it would be fun to give him a "College Freshman Survival" kit as a figt. You know, get him one of those shower buckets everyone who lives in a dorm needs and fill it with inexpensive goodies like a mini first aid kit, microwave popcorn, and highlighters. So now I turn to you and ask: what are some of the essentials you wish someone had sent you off to college with? The key word here is "inexpensive," because as much as I'd love to be able to outfit Connor with mini-fridge, it's simply not in our budget.

Thanky!

The Enchanted Dolls' House Paper Doll: Lucinda; The Enchanted Dolls' House Paper Doll: Hattie. Five Mile Press, 2007 (1-74178-189-2; 1-74178-188-4) $7.95

Okay, I know I hate book-related gimmicks but... but... these are paper dolls! And they have really pretty clothes! The little girl in me is squealing.

Based on characters from The Enchanted Dolls' House and The Enchanted Dolls' House Wedding, about dolls who live in doll houses from different historical periods, these quality paper dolls feature elaborate period outfits: Hattie has three colorful gowns from the Late-Victorian era, and Lucinda is fantasy incarnate with three frothy wedding outfits from a variety of periods. Underwear, hats, veils, wigs and other accessories are also included. To make these really stand out in the paper doll crowd, each outfit is double-sided, showing both the front and back. (The dolls are both posed in exactly the same position, so they can share costumes if you have both sets--but since they look almost identical anyway, the point is somewhat moot.) Each set also comes with a pretty ribbon-tied storage envelope.

The outfits are press-out, so no cutting is required, and the double-sided clothes slip over the dolls' heads, so no gluing is needed either. (Unlike reproductions of authentic period double-sided paper dolls I remember with some horror from my all-thumbs childhood.) This makes them reasonably easy for young children to handle--but let's face it, you'll want to keep these for yourself. You know the kids won't enjoy them on as many levels as you will. (6 & up)