Thoughtful (and Practical) Gift Ideas For the Man in Your Life

If you want to be dusting off the ‘best wife or girlfriend’ award this Christmas, then you need to make sure that you are getting your other half gifts that are not only thoughtful, but serve a purpose too. On the whole, men are pretty practical people. And they aren’t as likely to want a trinket or ornament like a woman would. So here are some thoughtful and practical gifts ideas for the man in your life this holiday season. Have you started your gift shopping yet?

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Watch

If you’re looking to splash out a little this winter, then a watch is a great gift for your other half. The good thing is that you can get watches to suit all styles and budgets, but it serves one of the most practical purposes ever! It could be a traditional Swiss watch with metal strap, a leather Daniel Wellington, or even a high-tech Apple watch. You know your man (and your budget), so pick accordingly and you’ll have a happy hubby on Christmas day.

Car Products

If your man loves his car, then some things to look after his car are a good idea. It shows you are taking an interest in one of his passions, and they will also serve the purpose of helping him to have a cleaner or more stylish car. Cherished license plates are a great idea for those men who are sentimental and would love a special license plate. It could be things for the interior like a dashboard camera, or something for the outside like the most recommended tire cleaners, car wax or polish. A pressure washer can also be a good thing for a car fanatic to have as it makes cleaning a car much easier. So that could be a good idea, depending on your budget.

Gym Kit

If your partner is a bit of a gym-bunny, then some kit for the gym would be much welcomed. While you might not necessarily know the style to get, you could have him choose some new workout clothes and sneakers, or surprise him with a new gym bag and accessories. Even things like a heart rate monitor or protein powders would make a good and practical gift for the right man.

Fragrance

What is better than your other half than your other half smelling great? He may have a signature scent that he needs a new bottle of, or it might be completely up to you to choose. Which, let’s face it, can be fun as you get to choose one that you love. Fragrances and aftershaves do last for quite a while, so they can be the gift that keeps on giving.

Something For the Home

If your man has been hinting at something new for the home, or has a penchant for coffee, for example, then you could look to get him a new coffee machine, for example. There are so many other gadgets that work for the home too, like speakers, and VR-headsets, for instance. The best part about getting him something for the home is that, if you live together, you get to enjoy it too.

The House Guest Handbook: Ensure They Keep Coming Back!

Having people to stay, be it friends or family is such a pleasant and worthwhile experience. Especially if you live a long distance away from them, as it may be the only time you get to see each other and really spend that quality one on one time. However, to get people to give up the comfort of their own bed and their own homes you need to get your place in order. With this in mind, read on for some advice on the key areas you need to address to ensure your house guests keep coming back.

Privacy

One of the main issues, when it comes to the comfort of your house guests, is privacy. That means providing a separate space for them to live in while they are in your home, such as a guest room.

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A single night, or possibly two may be just about doable on an airbed on the floor, but for most house guests any longer will start to feel uncomfortable. Not to mention the fact that it's likely to put your family out as well. Something that means if you want regular visitors an official guest room is a must.

Making them comfortable

Comfort is a big thing when someone is away from home, and all the little details that you can attend to really matter for your guest. That doesn't mean that you have to be like Monica from friends and have 12 sets of fancy guest towels and leave a pillow on their mint each day though!

Travel size toiletries are a great option for your guests. Image here

Instead attend to things such as providing a set of toiletries in your guest bathroom, as well as a space to hang their clothes, so they aren't living out of a suitcase. Installing radiant floor heating in the guest room, something any good heating company can do is also a great idea. Then if they like it a little warmer than you're used to, they can ensure their room is heated to the right temp, and get a great night's sleep. All without making the rest of the household sweat unnecessarily.

Compromise and scheduling

It can be easy for us to get set in our ways in our own home. We like to eat at a certain time, watch the same things on TV, and head up to bed the same time every night.

However, it can be a little different when you have folks come to stay, because their routines may not match up with yours. Some families deal with this by providing a schedule of what happens when, as this can be really useful when you can't be flexible with certain timings like who gets to use the bathroom in the morning, or if you need to feed the children at a certain time.

Although, it is worth remembering that a little comprises goes a long way when welcoming someone into your home. Something that means if you absolutely don't have to keep to an exact schedule, it's worth considering being a little flexible for the benefit of your guests.

Give Yourself A Well Deserved Treat

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Sometimes in life we just push ourselves too hard, and need a well deserved treat to bring our moods back up. Life just gets in the way so much sometimes, that your forget to think about yourself whilst you’re so busy thinking about others. This couldn’t be more true if you’re a parent. There’s more important little ones in your life to think of, couple this with work and trying to maintain some form of social life and all personal treats go out the window. Now, we’re coming up to a time where you’re supposed to be buying treats for other people, but for once, treat yourself with these ideas to make you feel a little happier.

Day Out

If you want to truly escape reality and treat yourself, you need to get yourself away from reality. The best way of doing this is by giving yourself a day out. Whether it just be with your and your partner, or maybe even friends. It’ll help take your mind off of everything that’s going on in your life. Booking a swedish massage in Elmhurst, IL or else where and making a day of it can be a great way to reduce stress, improve your mood and increase your energy.

If you’re really looking for a treat, a spa day is the perfect way to unwind and relax. It’ll be like leaving a stressful world and entering a calmer one. If you go with your friends, it’s the perfect place to laugh and relax with a bottle of champagne. A day at the spa should leave your revitalized and refreshed, ready to take on the normal world again.

Buy What You Want

Moms in particular are the worst for not buying what they want. They put everyone first, and forget to look out for number one. Moms are also the worst for wanting new things for the home rather than for themselves. Just like kids would get excited about a new phone, moms get excited about a new dishwasher or iron. There’s nothing wrong with this, treating yourself to anything is better than nothing at all. So whatever you’ve been wanting for a while, go out and get it before the Christmas rush begins. Whether it be for you or your home, it’ll leave your feeling happy and uplifted. Every girl knows that nothing beats a bit of retail therapy.

Involve The Family

Your family is your life, and whilst they might drive you crazy at some points, they’re also great for helping to give you that treat you deserve. A nice meal out can sometimes be all you need to feel that little bit more relaxed. Your usual day will most likely be this. Get the kids ready for school, get yourself ready and go to work, come home and cook the dinner, clean the house once the kids are in bed. This daily grind can really wear away at you sometimes. Just the fact of not having to cook dinner can make all the difference to your mood for the night. Make sure you go to your favourite restaurant and take the night off from what you’d usually spend the evening doing.

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