Christmas gift giving advice for a new couple or new relationship – if you have a boyfriend with whom you have been dating only for about a month or so then I think that there is no need to give a gift and the reason I say that is it is probably too early in a relationship to give that gift. Again if you know that your boyfriend is planning to give you a gift then of course you have no choice but to reciprocate and you can do that just buy buying something like a gift certificate for about $25-$50.

Three to six months into a relationship – If this is the case then start with something which is very common gift types and not something which smacks of a serious relationship. The amount should not be more than $150-$200. The standard stuff which can be given is Wallet, Clothes and Watches. Other regular stuff includes DVD’s, Cologne or perfumes and some season game tickets.

Six months to year into a relationship – If you are reading this means that you are seriously into relationship and that will mean that you will buy something which suggest serious relationship. Preferably something like personalized gifts for your boyfriend would do. I would suggest a personalized special edition watch or personalized special edition shirt.

More than a year into the relationship – This is serious business and if you are more than a year into a relationship I am sure you will know the likes and dislikes of the person and you will definitely would have picked up ideas about what he wants to buy next and you can gift that to him.

You can give him things like

A special homemade Christmas gift hamper

A special gourmet coffee hamper

A special experience gift like a ride in a hot air balloon or a special yacht racing experience.

Special sunglasses on Christmas is something that you can have and there are tons of brands to choose from. These can be personalized and it is one of the best personalized Christmas presents to give.

A special homemade Christmas cake is also a good idea with a nice romantic message inscribed on it.

Inexpensive Christmas gifts for boyfriends

A homemade special dinner and cake is something which you can have as the really inexpensive Christmas gift.

A bag of homemade cookies is also something that you can give as gift

Now other gifts include love coupons or a special photo gift for Christmas.

Gladiator Sandal

One of the latest and greatest shoe styles is the gladiator sandal. This trend is loved by girls and women and works so well with so many different outfits. This is a very versatile shoe style because you can wear it with everything from a maxi dress to Capri’s. Not only that, but they are also super comfortable. These are usually completely without a heel so it is just like walking in bare feet only your feet are protected.

There is no walking in a 3, 4 inch heel and worrying about toppling over. Women love to be comfortable and the gladiator sandal works with a dressy outfit at night but is also perfect for wearing on the day to day.

Sling back Sandal

There are other popular styles today as well, such as the sling back sandal with a stiletto heel. The look itself is not entirely new but the style has definitely returned. Women are all about wearing a higher heel than ever before and although it may not look the most comfortable it is definitely the “in” thing.

For the woman who is more about being fashionable than comfortable, this would be an ideal choice of shoe to get her for a gift.

Espadrilles

There are also the espadrilles, which have been around for a few seasons but are still as hot as ever. Women love them because they look great and are sexy on the legs. They tie up around the legs and scream sex appeal. At the same time however, they are super comfortable to walk in because they have a platform rather than a stiletto heel.

Geox shoes

The Geox shoes for kids are especially great. If you are looking for a pair of girl’s running shoes these should definitely be one of your top picks. One of the most perfect gift ideas for shoe lovers, these shoes actually breathe so they keep the child’s feet from getting too hot and sweaty. It is great for children who are active in sports and they make them feel like they are walking on a cloud.

The Geox collection offers not only the basic running shoes but also an entire line of shoes for kids, women and men. There is something offered for everyone and their shoes are. For those women who love to run then check this site for cross country running shoes

These are all great shoes if you are looking for a gift for any girl or woman in your life. The most important thing is you choose a shoe well suited to her personality. If she is a more fashionable, stylish girl, get her a high heel or fancier shoe whereas if she is more into being active and is super busy a comfortable sneaker or similar shoe would be better.

Games
Guys love gifts personalized to their interests, or that help them to relax in the way they are accustomed. If the guy you are shopping for winds down after a long day by playing video games, finding the hottest new games on the market and picking one is an easy task. If you are completely bewildered by video games, you can ask one of his friends with similar interests.
The key to a great gift for a man is finding something he can have fun with, for him alone. Finding something you can share together is always fun when shopping for each other, but when you are shopping just for your guy, he likes to get gifts that are just for him. Appeal to his slightly selfish side and pick from an interest that you might not share. This will also add a tremendous amount to the thought that goes into the gift, which always, always counts.

So, what is hot in guy gifts?
1. Gadgets. Guys love gadgets as new toys to play with and figure out. Even if the guy you are shopping for is not very geeky, a new iPod Touch or blackberry will appeal to his curious side. If you do not have the money to spend so much on the newest gadgets, you can update the gadgets he already has with a new pair of headphones for his mp3 player, or a carrying case for his laptop.

2. Clothes. While guys will not often be the first to admit that they put thought into their style, they do express themselves through their clothes. This is where a gift card can go along way. Instead of picking out the clothes yourself, as everyone is picky about clothing, getting him a gift card as a mini shopping spree to a clothes store he likes will give him a fun trip to the mall you can share. Make sure to let him pick out his own clothing!

              
3. Watches. Men have two passions like flowers and chocolates that are always a good standby: cars and watches. While cars are a bit expensive to gift, watches can be affordable and stylish. Watches give men a certain amount of freedom to accessorize their style. While many men do not like to admit they accessorize, thought also goes into the things they wear daily like rings or watches. If your guy wears a silver watch, try getting him a gold one similar to it, and let him match his clothing.

Another major thing to consider is the state of the relationship that is there when you are considering the cool guy gifts. When you are buying gifts for new boyfriend then the gifts will be different than the gifts when you have been with this guy for last two years.

The electronic cigarettes are in no way better or worse than the regular cigarettes The fact is that the cartridges that come with the electronic cigarettes contain nicotine of various levels beginning with zero and going for high.

It gives the same thing as the regular cigarettes and in  electronic cigarette the basic thing to be noted is that it will has three basic elements to it. One is the battery, then an atomizer and then the nicotine cartridge. When the smoker takes a drag then the atomizer is activated and it heats the air so that liquid nicotine is vaporized. It is these vapors which are then inhaled.

These ecigs come in a variety of styles and these are mini, pen style, cigar style and pipe style. So it is also a good gift for cigar lovers.

No here comes the price that you need to pay for the gift for your best friend and that will be $59.00 for a starter kit and another $25 for a 25 –pack cartridge. The ecigs come with a warranty of 1 year.

I found this as a very unique gift for all seasons be it Christmas or any other gift occasion like birthday or wedding gifts. Of course it is goes for those who smoke and not others.If you want to buy electronic cigarettes then read detailed information here.

I will follow it up with a post on unique gift ideas for the non-smokers.

So when my coworkers gifted me an used acoustic guitar on my birthday I was zapped. I did not know what to do with it. The logical thing what I did was to find out what an acoustic guitar was and how to learn to pay the guitar.

Here is what I learnt about the guitars

Used acoustic guitars are better than new ones because the wood used in acoustic guitar matures with age.

The used ones are cheaper well yes that is why I got a used one. The fact is that used ones are better so I am sure one of my coworkers is guitar knowledgeable.

The guitar brand names that now I know off are Fylde, Grammer, Springhill, Guild, Epiphone, Yamaha LL, Froggy Bottom, Lowden, Huss and Dalton

That said I searched online for the guitar lessons and quickly threw that idea out of the window as there was no way I was going to learn it online. Well that said there are several sites offering free guitar lessons online and they are not bad however the patience and the determination required to learn those all by myself is a tough task and I am sure that I am not up to it. See here the different lesssons that are available like the blues guitar lessons , classical guitar leesons or the bass guitar lessons. My head started spinning when I fopund out that there are more like the flamenco guitar lessons, lead guitar lessons and country guitar lessons.

I will need hand holding and a step by step approach with a dedicated guitar coach. So I am all set to find a good coaching center for guitar in my area. This all thanks to my office employees who gave me this $300 guitar as a birthday gift.

One thing for sure that is there for you that as guitar gift ideas these lessons will work as you can give a gift of guitar lessons to someone who would love to learn guitar as well as is musically inclined.

Another good gift is a guitar gift bag for someone who owns a guitar.

Coffee pods were great in that sense that you would never have to worry about the quantity. Each pod is just enough for one cup and also it is less messy.

I bought one for my home and we just love it. No wastage and no major hassles in terms of what to brew. Every one can get the gourmet coffee of their choice and we spend a bit less on coffee now. Another benefit is clean espresso machine.

In fact this prompted me to give the gift of coffee pod machine to my best friend Ryan as I knew how he loved our machine whenever he visited. So Ryan this cup of joe is for you.

There are a wide variety of brands available in the espresso pod machine category. The best is the Senseo coffee pod machine. It works like a charm.

I looked at the Keurig K-cups also as they also serve as the single serve coffee but the fact is that with K-cups you need to buy a Keurig coffee machine. In the case of coffee pod machine you can use any brand espresso coffee pods.

In fact I decided to make it as a gourmet coffee gift basket with the several gourmet coffee pods as well as coffee pod canister. This is needed if you need to store the coffee pods somewhere easily.

Update Feb 2010 – Coffee Lovers and people who want to give coffee gifts. This place has tons of information on coffee including K-cups, Espresso pods and types of coffee machines. So sit back relax, have a cup of coffee and then read everything you wanted to know about coffee.