Best and Worst Gifts for the Holidays

Even though we don't like to think about it, every holiday season there's the potential of receiving the worst gift ever! I have experienced this once... and I'm happy to report, it hasn't happened again. One year my husband got me a spatula. It wasn't the only thing I got that year... but it was a spatula.

I looked at it like this - "Really? A spatula? You saw that spatula in a store and it screamed AUDREY?"

He looked at it like this - "It's blue... and she's pregnant with a boy. She loves to make scrambled eggs and always uses the wrong kind of utensil to scrape the pan. Plus, she loves Martha Stewart (it was from her line)."

See the disconnect there? Something that my husband really put some time and thought into, I saw as something that was... well, a "bad" gift.

There are some easy ways to prevent "bad" gifts... today, rest assure... I'm here to show you how. (This may be a post you need to forward on to the significant other in your life!)

Here are some Bad Gift/Good Gift scenarios to put into play this Holiday season:

Bad Gift Idea - Vacuum, Dust Buster, Mop, Broom (any cleaning-type product)!
Advice... Yeah, don't even go there. **Good Gift Idea - Gift Certificate for a Housekeeper (one-time clean, monthly clean, year clean).

Bad Gift Idea - Parenting Books
Advice... Nobody wants to be given parenting books for the Holidays. Not to mention, do you want your relatives knowing you're having trouble with "the terrible twos?"

**Good Gift Idea - Gift Certificate to Amazon, Borders or Barnes & Noble.

Bad Gift Idea - Luggage.
Advice... Unless tickets for a trip are accompanying the luggage, don't event think about it. **Good Gift Idea - Gift Certificate to Macy's, Nordstrom or Louis Vuitton. Pick your own luggage out! In your style!

Bad Gift Idea - Denim
Advice... Women need to try on about 100 pairs of jeans until they find that "diamond in the rough." **Good Gift Idea - Gift Certificate to Bluefly.com.

Bad Gift Idea - Coffee Machine
Advice... Disclaimer, unless it's a Keurig.

**Good Gift Idea - Gift Certificate for a month's worth of Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.

Bad Gift Idea - Free weights.
Advice... Never get weights or exercise ANYTHING unless specifically asked for. **Good Gift Idea - Membership to a local spa/fitness center for relaxation purposes.

Bad Gift Idea - Randomly choosing a Diaper Bag or Maternity wear. Advice... Choosing the "perfect" Diaper Bag and the proper maternity attire is such a personal thing... let the "receiver" pick out her own.
**Good Gift Idea - Totsy Gift Certificate. Let her keep checking in for some amazing designer items, all at stellar prices!