Nothing can strike fear in to the heart of a man more than knowing that Christmas is just around the corner and he has to get his partner a gift that she’ll love and cherish. Even when it comes to kitting ourselves out with clothes, fashion accessories and other personal items we often go for the same things over and over again. When it comes to women there are just a mind-boggling array of options available that it’s hard to even know where to begin.

First things first though, for the vast majority of women the value of the gift is in the thought, not the price tag. She will be more thrilled with an item which costs $20 but has a deep personal connection or meaning to her than you will be with your $500 Playstation 3.

Next, when it comes to gifts many women prefer something emotive over something functional (of course exceptions do apply!) so while she may need a new ironing board, it’s not going to be cherished or appreciated quite as much the unique cat sculptures she’s been staring at every time she goes to the mall.

Just to drive home the point of how simple, inexpensive gifts can often be far more appreciated than something more functional and practical think about flowers and how many women you know who love to receive them – and I’m not talking about buying flowers just to say sorry! More than anything it’s the fact that you showed that you were thinking about them and you know they liked flowers.

So now you know that your partner really isn’t hanging on tenterhooks to get the latest blockbuster movie on DVD or can live without the new Apple iPad and has shown no interest in a 4GB USB memory stick, how do you go about finding the perfect gift?

In the run up to Christmas you should start paying attention to conversations and actions. There are signs everywhere, for example if a song comes on the radio and she mentions that it’s one of her favorites, find out if she likes other songs by the artist, but don’t be boring, anyone can buy the CD, instead find out when the artist is next performing and book concert tickets and arrange the entire trip.

Similarly, if you know your wife has a favorite author, don’t just buy the book, find out if the author is doing any book signings and get it signed with a short personal message. Again, the value is not in the book, the value is in the time, effort and thought you had to put in to getting the book signed.

To really find some great gift ideas, accompany your partner on a trip to the mall a few times – just make sure you don’t complain! The idea here is to let her take the lead and watch which items she picks up and lingers over. Yes, it might mean going in to all those gift shops and fashion accessories shops but if you pay attention you should have a list as long as your arm by the end of the trip.

There are of course some pitfalls that you need to be aware of when buying Christmas gifts for your wife. Items such as clothing, shoes, handbags and expensive jewelry are very personal and you need to tread carefully before deciding to buy any of these things, it’s usually best to let your partner buy these things for herself unless you know exactly what she likes. Another danger area is lingerie, some women love it, some hate it, it’s probably best to find out before you are made to sleep on the couch on Christmas Day!

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