Christmas Gift Ideas to Jump Start Your Holiday Shopping for Her

The holiday shopping list for friends and family grows every year, but the possibly the hardest person to shop for is not your mother, father, best friend or neighbor. It is the person that, ironically, should be the easiest to get a gift for, seeing as you spend every day of your life with this person - your wife or girlfriend. How do you come up with the perfect Christmas gift idea? How do you get started? Let's jump feet first into ways you can be Husband or Boyfriend-of-the-Year this holiday season.

We're going to start with the basics. Not all women are the same, but many are alike and there's a good chance your wife or girlfriend will fall into this category. Believe it or not, jewelry is often one of the best gifts you can get a woman, regardless of the connotations that jewelry has become cliche'. It hasn't. But there is a trick here that only the most successful male gift-buyers know, and it is your key to a great Christmas gift idea. Pay attention to her style and what she likes. Over a few days, or even a week, take notice to the types of clothes she wears, the way she wears her hair, and other little details of her personality. You will see a trend, and this will be your greatest ally. Your wife or girlfriend may wear delicate blouses with pearl buttons and wear her hair neatly most of the time. In this case, you can safely go with a delicate gold necklace or earring set, or a tennis bracelet. With this type of woman, classic is the way to go. Other women will have more of a relaxed, "jeans and a t-shirt" style, or have a bolder mindset. You can get a watch or a chunky beaded bracelet that will go with everything. A word to the wise - pay attention to whether your wife or girlfriend wears yellow or white gold.

Women also like to feel pampered. This pretty much applies to every woman - who couldn't use a good foot rub? Get her a certificate to her favorite spa for an ultra-luxurious Christmas gift idea. Don't skimp - a 30 minute massage just won't do. Go for either the 60 or 90 minute massages. They're more expensive but absolutely worth it. Other great gift ideas include candles, incense, a fuzzy robe or slippers, a pretty flower vase or a collection of picture frames. Make the candles and incense personal by getting them in her favorite scent, or get the robe and slippers in her favorite color. There are special places that will engrave glass or metal items and you might be able to get the vase or any other glass gift engraved with her name or a special poem for the occasion. Put some of her favorite photos in the picture frames before wrapping them up in Christmas paper. If you really want to get creative, get some of them enlarged or enhanced with different colors such as sepia or black and white to update an older photo that she might already have framed.

Unfortunately, a Christmas gift idea that seems great to you will sometimes be quite the opposite for your wife or girlfriend. Things to avoid are self-help books, pets, routine toiletries (special soaps and bath beads are okay), anything for the house or kids (calendars and kitchen items are definitely out), and anything that would require her to do any type of work or have any responsibility whatsoever. The idea is to make her feel ultra-special for a day and to help her escape every day nuisances for a little while. Those items can be saved for a "just because" gift, or a routine shopping trip. Just keep in mind that a great Christmas gift idea comes from the heart - if you pay attention to her, she will tell you exactly what she wants without saying a word.