I’m so excited that people have actually been sending in questions, but I’ve been so incredibly busy lately that I’ve neglected this section a little. I apologize for that.  For those of you who don’t know what Men’s Corner is, check out the previous posts. Here’s the question:

Matt from California writes:

What’s up Kristy? I wanted to see if you could give ideas for Christmas gifts for girlfriends or something. I’ve been with my girl for about half a year, and I’ve never really gotten her a present before so I have no idea what to get. Thanks.

Well Matt, that’s a GREAT question! And perfect timing too. I wish I knew more details about her so that I could give you a more specific answer, but I’ll do my best to give you ideas for something that will work. Now, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or absolutely nothing, chances are you are still going to partake in the gift giving festivities this December, especially if you’ve got a girlfriend. SO, just like in poker, it all depends on the situation…I’m going to suggest a few different presents, and almost all of them I own or have friends who approve. I wouldn’t want to suggest anything to you lost souls  if I don’t personally know it’s AWESOME! Also, for most of the ideas, if you click on the picture (the ones with prices), it sends you to a link on Amazon where you can buy it. Yes, I’m an affiliate– but seriously, if you haven’t used Amazon before, it’s effing amazing. Also, if you sign up for the free trial for Prime, you can get shipping on all the items I listed for free. Just don’t forget to cancel! Anyway, here we go!

The following two gifts go together… This is for a semi-serious girlfriend who is creative and sentimental. Don’t get this for a girl who doesn’t like to do artsy stuff, otherwise it will sit in her room and collect dust. Unfortunately, that’s what mine has been doing for the past six months! Still, it’s a GREAT gift. I wouldn’t suggest getting this for anyone you have been dating for less than three months though– it might give off the creepy, “OMG I’m obsessed, let’s get married, and have five kids right now” vibe.

Embroidered Black Leatherette Scrapbook -- $18.28

Scrapbook Page Maps: Sketches For Creative Layouts -- $16.49

This is an obvious one, and most gals have a digital camera, but if she doesn’t, it’d be a perfect present. I have this one, and it’s GREAT! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped this baby in the club, and so far so good. It takes great pics for the price. There are lots of different colors.

Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD -- $149.00

The following present idea is for a more serious girlfriend, mostly because of the price tag. It just depends on how comfortable your girl will be with you spending this much money on them. The Kindle would be perfect for a gal who reads novels… and honestly, if you even have an inkling that she’d like this, and you don’t mind spending the money, BUY IT! It’s amazing. Sorry, I guess I should explain what it is for those who don’t know. The Kindle is an electronic book powered by Amazon. It can hold up to 1,000 books (you can also subscribe to newspapers and mags as well)  which are all accessible just by turning it on. It has wireless, so anywhere a Sprint phone would get service, the Kindle can connect to the Kindle store. You have to set up an account with Amazon.com and have a credit card registered, but once that’s done, you can buy books on the go, right from the Kindle. The thing I like about it the most is that there is a Kindle app for the iPhone which syncs with the Kindle. So basically, I can read the book from my phone, then when I turn on the Kindle, and let it connect to the wireless, it asks if I want to sync to the last page read. AWESOME! It’s also cool that the screen is not back lit, so it’s not like staring at a computer screen. It actually looks like a page in a book.

Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation) -- $259

The next idea is a fun one, and my favorite to suggest because it’s pretty unique. My best friend, Nicole, did this for me for Christmas a couple years ago, and I LOVED IT! This is for a girlfriend who wears makeup… Ok, so here’s what you do. Go to www.maccosmetics.com and find a location near you (bottom left hand corner of the webpage). Call, and make an appointment for your girl. Just say you want to schedule a time for a consultant to do her make up so that she can decide what she’d like to purchase. Give your girl a Christmas card that says she’s got an appointment for XX (You can always reschedule too). When the time comes, accompany her to the appt. The consultant will ask her what kind of make up she  likes and then do her best to make her look awesome! Then, at the end, tell your girl to pick out $75-worth of make up… Or $50 or $100– whatever you want. I’d suggest $75 though. Most pieces of product cost around $15-$25 so she should be able to get 3 or 4 things with that. Tell her not to be shy and that it’s ok if it’s close, like a few dollars over.

You could always pamper her- send her to get massage (be careful though if you’re in Vegas, just FYI, all massage parlors aren’t actually legit ) I go to Massage Envy, and if you have one where you live, I definitely suggest it. For a first time massage goer, the price for an hour is only $39 (+tip). Ahhh I want one right meow… Spas are good too.

Also, as a general tip, I’d stay away from Gift Cards UNLESS, it is to a very specific store that has some special meaning and/or it is accompanied by something else that is thoughtful or another small gift. Also, don’t forget the card– for some reason, cards are very important to most girls. And don’t just sign it either! Say something sweet!!!!

A very popular gift for girls on Christmas is jewelry… This is an awesome idea, but sometimes it can go very wrong. The following suggestions or totally my opinion, but I’m pretty confident that most girls my age feel the same way…

1) Find out how she feels about GOLD. If you’ve never seen her wear it, don’t think she’s going to start. STAY AWAY! Stick with white gold and silver.

2) It’s probably not a good idea to get a clumsy/forgetful girl expensive earrings. Pshh, if it were me, I’d be too scared to wear them. However, a necklace/bracelet/ring is more manageable.

3) Necklaces are tougher to pick out for a girl than bracelets are. It’s hard to go wrong with a shiny, silver bangle.

Sterling Silver Solid Bangle Bracelet -- $65

Bad

4) Speaking of necklaces, some make me wanna barf– especially the stupid effing ones on the Jared commercials!!! Don’t say it… Don’t say it. AHhhhh I can’t help it, “HE WENT TO JARED!!!” The Jane Seymour (reminds me of Seymour Butts HAHAHA) has a necklace called the “Open Heart” design. In the

Worse

commercial, she says something like, “My hope is that the open heart will remind the world to keep an open heart” or something cheesy. I’m like, “Hoe, your dream is to make da monieeees with this dumb boobs booty lookin thing!” Ahhh I’m kidding, kind of. I don’t know her, maybe she really thinks that, or maybe I’m too cynical.

Ohhh this one really irks me too… It’s the commercial when they are in a log cabin, and this guy comes up and gives her this “Loves Embrace” designed necklace, and then, you guessed it, they embrace. Ugh puke. I feel like if you buy this necklace, she’s going to run into another gal who’s boyfriend was also the dude who fell for the commercial!

Wow, so long story short on my last point– I’d suggest staying away from the commercially looking ones.

5) Rings are tough for the obvious reasons, but if she’s a gal who likes to wear a rings,  you can get a fun one with maybe some gemstones on it. That way, it won’t seem so “serious.” I feel like “promise rings” are either out of style or just not for people 24 and older. Just put a “real” ring on it in that case, you know what I’m sayin? Here’s one I found. It’s super inexpensive and has great reviews. Haha, I’m probably going to buy it for myself as a Christmas present… to me .

Marvelous 14 MM Marcasite Band .925 Sterling Silver Ring -- $29.99

Of course, you can always buy the expensive stuff at Kay’s, Jared’s, and so on. I wouldn’t make big purchases online unless it’s at those stores’ website because  it’s sometimes sketchy. Although, I do like Ice.com.

Wow, that was tough. Matt, I hope this helps. I could go on forever, but I’m getting tired and I also promised myself to do some grinding online tonight… We’ll see. Anyway, if you are reading this, and want more specific advice, e-mail me at snaptress@gmail.com Let me know some details on the person you are buying for, and I’ll do my best to help you come up with something. Also, if anyone has any other questions, you can also e-mail it there too. Pass this along!

Goodnight to all! Happy shopping!

<3 Kris