• Don’t buy anything last minute!  She will be pissed!
• Don’t buy something that she liked five years ago!  Buy something she likes NOW!
• Don’t forget the card!
• If you have only been dating for 1-5 months, spend $50 max!
• Go out to eat to YOUR favorite restaurant, not a trendy place you have never been to!
• Buying her a cellphone is cheese.
• Don’t buy her clothes!  She isn’t going to like them!  Sorry!
• If you want to buy her diamonds, they must be at least .5 carats! 
• Spa packages are okay- but not original!
• Make it personal!   Think of past conversations… 
• Some ideas for you…  A piece of artwork or framed photography she loves!  A book or CD she said she wanted (but doesn’t remember she wanted) plus flowers!  A classic movie DVD she loves plus flowers!
• If all else fails, just buy flowers!

So, we’ve covered the beer lover, wine lover, and music lover…who’s next?  The hard liquor lover!  Everyone’s favorite friend!   I mean, who doesn’t love inappropriate comments and the smell of alcohol on someone else’s breath?

However, drinking hard liquor can be a little pricey.  And if your BFF is drinking daily, he is probably only sipping on the finest Popov, Peppermint Schnapps, or Hot Damn the corner shop has to offer.  So, why not add a little class to your fellow hard liquor lover’s day and treat him to some top- shelf liquor?  I suggest the finely aged Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey.  This treat is not only flavorful, but allows your friend to say he is a Whiskey Aficionado!  A win-win!      

The holidays are always the best time of the year to buy liquor, too!  Why, you ask…CARDBOARD BOX LIQUOR SETS!  Lucky for you, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is available as a set…ALONG WITH 2 FANCY SPIRIT GLASSES!  Could Christmas get any better?  I think not! 

‘Tis the season for happy holiday spirits!  Cheers!

Well, they probably already have an iPod and a bunch of MP3 players.  And they probably already have every album in every music genre they ever wanted.  So, what’s left?  I suggest bringing back the mixed tape (or nowadays, the mixed CD)!  I spent thousands of hours back in the 90′s pouring my heart and soul into every masterpiece- it’s like a staple of my being!   And I can still feel the anxiety of watching the black tape increase on one side of the tape while I prayed that the whole song would fit on side one.

So, what kind of music do you put on a mixed tape for a music lover?  Songs that remind you of being with them!  It is both sweet and flattering!  And more than likely, they are songs the two of you heard while under the influence.  After all, music and alcohol go together like Sonny and Cher! 

To give you a boost of inspiration, here are some songs that remind me of some good (and sad) times spent with my friends and family (in no paticular order).  It puts a smile on my face just thinking about all the laughs, tears, and spilled beers!  Aaaawww!

1.  ‘Let’s get it on’ Marvin Gaye

2.  ‘I want to be sedated’  The Ramones

3.  ‘Got to give it up’ Marvin Gaye

4.  ‘Peace, love, and understanding’ Elvis Costello

5.  ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ Lynard Skynard

6.  ‘Friday I’m in love’ The Cure

7.  ‘Groove me’ King Floyd

8.  ‘Creep’ Radiohead

9.  ‘One’ U2

10.  ’1979′ Smashing Pumpkins

11.  ‘Come Undone’ Duran Duran

12.  ‘Killing me softly’ The Fugees

13.  ‘Quality Control’ Jurassic 5

14.  ‘Linger’ The Cranberries

15.  ‘Viva la vida’ Coldplay

16.  ‘The only living boy in New York’ Simon and Garfunkel

17.  ‘Sabotage’ Beastie Boys

18.  ‘What’s the 411?’  Mary J. Blige

19.  ‘Enjoy the silence’ Depeche Mode

20.  ‘Nite and Day’ Al. B Sure

The best part about this gift is that it is inexpensive!  Remember, it is all about seeing them smile, not spending the Benjamins!

Now, I’m not a wine connoisseur, but I know that wine lovers LIKE their wine.  And after a hard day at work, they WANT their wine!  And after a SUPER hard day at work, they NEED their wine!  So, why not just buy the wine lover in your family some wine?  Pretty simple, huh? 

But before you visit your local wine shop or gourmet market to slurge on some vintage wine, visit the Windy City Wine Guy‘s site for some suggestions on great buys for under $15!  Afterall, he is the expert on vino!

And remember, it isn’t about the amount of $$ you spend, it is about seeing them smile!

To spread the holiday cheer, I HIGHLY recommend buying him/her beer mugs!  It is the gift that keeps on giving!  Nothing makes me happier than seeing a frosted mug full of  beer!  The first sip is always so yummy and slushy!  And it is inexpensive, too!  You can get a four pack of Libbey Beer Mugs for around $15!   Pair the beer mugs with a six pack of beer and you have yourself a gift for under $30!

Remember, it is not about how much $$ you spend,  it is about seeing them smile!