When a man goes to a shopping mall they get all freaked out. Women get all hot and bothered by the shopping experience. Men on the other hand would rather walk in with a specific store list, map, and the nearest escape route (preferably to a bar). They feel like they’ve been kicked in the huevos. It’s just too much to look through so much stuff.

Men, I know your brain feels cloudy merely thinking about shopping for your lady. Just brew up some gourmet coffee and let me do all the work.

A little hint to you girls, if you have something in mind write it down and paste it to your man’s forehead! Keep it simple! Make sure to list the price and places to buy the stuff. Make it abundantly clear to your man where the list is. Make it easy on your dude. Tell him your special colors and dress size.

Make the list guys!, but, I know you’re guys, so here’s some guidelines. Listen up here dudes! Don’t buy us ladies gift cards! Also, clothing is completely off limits unless we have sent you in for a specific item, in a specific color and specific size. We have to try on an item and see how it, and the two sizes above and below, fit. Trust me, you don’t know us that well.

Personally, I like to receive flowers with a romantic note promising dinner at a fine restaurant. An extravagant meal at a fine restaurant will get you major brownie points. Make sure you think through every detail. You may want to consider reserving a room at a fancy hotel.

The next super great gift is several spa items. Bath salts, scented (or unscented if she has allergies) candles, and a warm soft robe are all items that say, “I want to take care of you.” They are all going to be well received and can be tailored to fit any women’s tastes and interests. For example, there is organic cotton, all the way to fine Egyptian cotton robes. Find the one that best fits your budget.

Still thinking, not quite what you had in mind. You may want to consider candy and coffee. Nearly any woman will melt at the mention of gourmet chocolate and coffee. For a twist you may want to consider Fair Trade chocolates and Fair Trade coffee. Better yet, give her the gift of a coffee club membership to treat her for a full year. Most on-line gourmet coffee retailers offer this option. If you don’t know what she likes, then purchase a few different coffees to let her try. Stick with the finest gourmet coffees and chocolates. Don’t get canned coffee and think you’ll receive kudos.

Another option is an expensive pen and leather bound planner or journal. Most women know the frustration of not being able to find a functioning pen. Even more frustrating is to hunt for a pen, then find one that doesn’t work. If you want to go for the cheap pens good choices are Pentel R.S.V.P, and Pilot G-2. They are relatively inexpensive and work until the ink is gone. All planners serve the same purpose, so get one that fits her schedule and interests (you can find everything from pretty pink leather to all recycled components and every thing in between).

For the green thumb gal, then a potted plant is a nice choice. Potted flowers are an attractive alternative to cut flowers. Every time she looks at the plant she will think of you!

If you really want to make things easy on yourself, why don’t you just ask your girl what she wants? Who would know better than her? We just need to know how much you are willing to spend. My previous suggestions can be tweaked to apply to nearly any woman. Women want to be pampered and adored. We want gifts that reflect our style, and not yours. If all else fails, then a framed picture of the two of you will be enough to get you through this holiday.

Here is the easiest fix for your gift buying dilemma, get your girl a gourmet gift basket from Nectar of Life Coffee.

In this day and age we’re lucky if we get a fruit cake, don’t count on getting gift baskets.  I will give you some ideas of what to do with those unwanted gifts.

Everyone has been given a gift that is not the most desired gift.  You can give it to charity, or post it on www.freecycle.com where everything donated is free to users.  You might bury the unwanted gift in a box where you will hopefully never run into it again.  Whatever you do please do not throw the gift away.

We all know about re-gifting, a risky and often unpleasant practice.  Regifting is not usually a approved of practice.  Most importantly if the person that gave you the gift finds out.  There are numerous ways to make use of your gift, without the awkward and blatant re-wrapping and passing along.

1.  Make a “Gift Box.”  Make sure that you put a post-it note on the item, and secure it with tape telling whom the item is from.

2. Items that you cannot use, or you have duplicates of, all get put together in the same box.

3. It is wise to categorize all the items and place them together.

4. Group together items for your re-gift.  Let’s say movies.  Take the movies, wrap them individually, and put them in a large popcorn bowl. Purchase two boxes of gourmet popcorn, popcorn flavorings (often available at Ross stores, TJ Maxx and Target) and some hot chocolate.  If you are giving the movies to an adult or family, put in a homemade gift certificate for one night of free babysitting (if they have kids).  Regifting, if done properly, can be personal and inexpensive.  Make sure that you are not giving the gift back to the person you originally received it from.

Now those not so zesty or duplicategifts you have accumulated don’t need to go to waste.

We all want to make our gift giving a little easier, so might I suggest you head on over to Nectar of Life’s Coffee Gift Baskets page and have a look around?  There’s no better place to find a gift basket than at Nectar of Life Organic Coffee Company.