When a commitment-phobe I had been dating for two months excitedly told me he had a present for me—“you’ll love it,” he assured me—I prepared myself for a thoughtful, romantic gesture of his relationship readiness. But when I walked into his bedroom, he instead pointed at a Starbucks iced coffee on his desk that I had left there after our third date. He thought he was being cute, but our relationship curdled shortly after. Whether intentional or not, your man’s gifts send a message. So what did his holiday gift say this year? Find out after the jump…



Usually, when someone gives me a gift card or money, I feel like they couldn’t think of anything better or ran out of time to find a more personal gift. But last-minute presents don’t having to be as generic as $25 to Best Buy. After the jump, read our ideas for what to get when you’re out of time…

You don’t have to be especially skilled to make presents for your pals. Case in point: button earrings. I found a pair in my mom’s jewelry box from the ‘70s and just had to fashion my own. Unless you decide to go all extravagant and buy expensive buttons, making these costs next to nothing.

Are you out of ideas for what to get your friends for Christmas? Are you out of money? Why don’t you make something! Our talented Emily stitched this adorable lovebird notebook in a couple days while riding the train to and from work. We recommend that you make a quick trip to the craft store, then put in a favorite holiday movie and get down to business. You’ll be finished by the time the credits roll.

There are only four days left before the start of Hanukkah and only eight days left before Christmas. And we bet you could use a little extra cash to buy gifts. Our list will get you some money with little effort. Most of the things on the list will only take you a day to complete. So stop being lazy so you don’t have to be cheap, ya hear?

Our pets can be rather intuitive, but we doubt they know when it’s the holiday season. All they know is that you’re excited about something and, therefore, they feed off your energy. So this is still the perfect time to get your cat or dog something special or something they need. Your pet is your best friend through and through, after all.

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh pine this time of year, but having a real Christmas tree comes with some downsides: those freaking needles get everywhere, the thing needs to be watered even though it’s dead, and none of us have the space for a 9” beauty. The fake options below will make your apartment festive this December without the drawbacks. Just make sure to buy a pine-scented candle so you don’t miss out on the smell of Douglas Fir.

‘Tis the season to shower the people you love – and, of course, get a little soaked yourself—with pretty wrapped packages. While giving and receiving can be oh so joyful, it can also create a serious amount of stress and anxiety. Puzzled about who on your list actually deserves a present - and who’s better left off? Concerned about whether you should be honest with your Mom about the horrendous handbag she gave you? Unsure as to what kind of gift is appropriate to give your brand-new girlfriend of six weeks? As you prepare to play Santa or Hanukkah Harry this holiday season, consider the advice of Dallas Teague Snider, founder of Make Your Best Impression, a business protocol and etiquette consulting firm, and Diane Gottsman, Director of The Protocol School of Texas. After the jump, find their guidelines for grateful holiday gift-giving – and receiving…

The holidays are a great time to buy the people in your life items that add to their homes’ ambiance and convenience. For example, my mom came over for Thanksgiving and brought her turkey baster, and it was so busted that I am totally buying her a new one for Christmas. Likewise, I hope she buys me a new comfy, cozy throw for my couch, because I am cold. Right now. And don’t forget to check out everything else in our amazing Gift Guide 2008!

We’re self-proclaimed beauty junkies, so one of our favorite gifts to receive and give is a Sephora gift card. But since there’s no joy in unwrapping a gift card, we put together this list of beauty products we’re just dying to receive…Oh, and give. Plus there are some great ideas for your guy, so he’ll start caring for his lovable mug.

Just as most women have a list of celebrities they dream about sleeping with, we all lust after a few items that we almost certainly won’t receive, even if we weren’t the least bit naughty this year. Read The Frisky staff’s wishes below, then tell us what you’re dreaming of in the comments ...

Sometimes, we think we have the best gift ideas for boys, but then realize we bought what we would have wanted, not what they would actually like to get. Since we’re not guys, we asked a few of our friends what they were hoping and praying for this year, in a dream world. Crib one of their wishes for your lover/boyfriend/husband…

Just because your pockets are hurting doesn’t mean you have to give crappy gifts. After the jump, 25 totally sweet gifts for $25 and under. We might just buy them for ourselves. For fun.

It’s always tricky when the holidays arrive and you’re in a relatively new relationship. What do you get your boy or girlfriend after just a month? Or what about that odd three-month mark? You don’t want to go overboard, but you don’t want to under-buy and look like the thoughtless cheapo. Well, we’re here to help – we’ve compiled a list of holiday gift ideas for guys and girls at each of the pivotal relationship points.

What would you do without your girl friends and sisters? If it weren’t for them, you probably wouldn’t know about threading as a form of hair removal, would never have received an invitation to Gilt Groupe, and would have to watch “The Notebook” DVD alone every time. You better get your girls some good stuff this year…

What do you get for the gal that has everything?  Something to protect her most prized possessions!  Safe sex presents are the best way to show someone you care—whether or not you want to go there. After the jump, our playful picks for gifts that get dirty and keep it clean…

You cannot go wrong buying someone a book as a gift—um, unless they’re illiterate of course. After the jump, 15 books we totally fell for, that would make just about anyone with a shelf happy.

You probably have lots of men in your life, even if you’re boyfriend-less. So, if you have a brother, or a boy friend (I have started referring to my male friends as “boy-space-friends” so they aren’t confused with boyfriends, one word), then he might like one of the items after the jump. Or he might prefer a six-pack of beer.

Dads are hard to buy presents for, mostly because they either have everything they want or have the ability to buy anything they want. That’s why you need to find something that he didn’t even know he wanted.

Every year we mean to send out holiday cards, and every year we get so sidetracked by all the pretty lights and mistletoe and marshmallow snowmen that we never get around to it. And after the holidays we even go so far as to stock up on holiday cards that are 75% off at all the stores so we can save money and have cards when the next holiday season rolls around. But by then, we have no idea what has happened to those cards and once again, we get sidetracked by the prettiness of the holidays and we never get around to buying new ones. WELL NO MORE! This year we will start early, we will get cards before we are sidetracked. We will buy pretty cards, like these, and we will write in them and address them and mail them off in record time and everyone will love them! Only, it will have been so long since they’ve heard from us they won’t remember who we are. [Box of 12 for $18, Shop Red Bean]