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Copyright Enforcement & Reprint Check Tool: Article Reprints In Google Article Reprints In MSN Article Reprints In Yahoo! Article Reprints In WindSeek Article Reprints In AllTheWeb Article Reprints In AltaVista Article Reprints In Lycos Original Distribution Date: 2008-05-08 11:24:00 Word Count: 685 Times Viewed: 21 Article Rating: 0.00 Votes Cast: 0 Google PageRank: 0 PR Last Checked: 2008-05-08 Author Overall Stats: Times Viewed Overall: 71 Author Overall Rating: 0.00 Votes Cast Overall: 0 More Articles By This Author: Sophie Baxter's Website Articles On This Website Make Money Online FREE Getting Started Package Available Would You Like To Own Your Own Article Directory? We Recommend Article Friendly. Save Money on Auto Parts Sign up to sell more than a dozen top-selling products Download the Niche-Browser for FREE! Mobile Phone Review http://thephantomwriters.com/free_content/db/b/choose-a-gift.shtml Ten Hints on How Not To Choose a Gift That Will Be Treasured Forever Copyright © 2008 Sophie Baxter Whether it’s special birthday, get well or leaving do, choosing the right gift is not always an easy task. If you really want to make someone's day more special, but don't know where to start, why not check out our list of 10 gifts to avoid? 1. Stay clear of appliances Unless you are certain that she dreams to own a deluxe mixer because cooking is her passion, or he’s actually asked, in writing, for that state of the art car dust buster - stay clear. Especially avoid vacuum cleaners, washing machines or any other device that might be used to clean up after you. 2. “Helpful” gifts Never give an overweight friend fitness equipment or diet books. You might think you are doing them a favour but they may be offended. Think about what your gifts are saying before you buy them... your partner may buy herself anti-wrinkle cream but might not be so happy if you start giving it to her. 3. Charity Donations Okay, it’s not PC to admit it, but not everyone wants to read those words “A charitable donation has been made in your name” in lieu of unwrapping something shiny with a little bow on top. Unless you’re pretty sure that it will be well received, or has been specifically requested, avoid. 4. Something You’ve Always Wanted Unless you are truly buying a gift for someone with similar taste to yours... don’t buy something you actually want for your self. Just because you want a Playstation, it does not mean your mum or girlfriend will appreciate it, especially when you ask to borrow it before she's even got it out of the box. 5. Generic or cheap Gifts Mugs, toiletries and lottery tickets might be suitable as 'stocking fillers' or for people you don't know very well, but beware when buying these for close friends and family. This kind of gift just says: "I really had no idea... so here you are ". 6. Gifts that Don’t Match the Occasion I once spoke to man who could years later still vividly recall his disappointment when receiving a shirt from his girlfriend on his 40th Birthday... He was expecting a more memorable - and more personal gift for that special occasion (he now has a new girlfriend). 7. Pets "Live" presents are usually best avoided, unless you are 110% sure that the recipient wants a pet or you are buying for your child. Dogs and cats are a big responsibility and it is best not to push anyone into that situation without warning... and there might be a reason why they don't already have a cat or a dog. 8. Clothes Clothes aren’t a good idea, unless you have seen the recipient try it on and put it back because they could not afford it. Chances are that you will get the style, size or colour wrong and the recipient will feel forced to wear it at least once in front of you. Men, consider this doubly true when buying underwear for your partner. 9. Vouchers These can be a great gift for posting to people who live far away. However make sure that you buy the right type of voucher - Mothercare vouchers for new parents or book tokens for students are great but Marks and Spencer vouchers for teenagers might not be so useful! 10. Dumb awards "Best Mum" mug, and World’s Best coffee makers T-shirts are out. Consider them only if you are under 12 years old or if you want to make a cheesy statement. So what should you do to choose a great gift? Here are a few pointers: Listening and looking out for phrases such as “I’d love that but I couldn’t afford it” Thinking about their own particular hobbies and interests. Asking others - siblings, family and friends - what they think they might like. Keep your eyes open for great gifts all year around so you’ll never be stuck when you suddenly remember you’re seeing a friend and it’s her birthday. It also takes a lot of the stress out of Christmas. About The Author: Sophie Baxter is the Managing Director of http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk a company devoted to selling balloons, teddy bears, chocolates and cheerful gifts with the 'wow-factor'. On the birth of her baby, Sophie was given an helium filled balloon in a gift box, that made her go 'WOW' and kept both baby and Dad entertained. A few months later, she organised a helium balloon delivery for a friend's 50th birthday which went down so well that Sophie realised that she had stumbled across an idea that made giving and receiving gifts easy, enjoyable and great fun. BlinkBits Blinklist BlogMarks Co.mments Connotea Delicious Delirious Digg it Fark it Furl This Link A GoGo Magnolia Netvouz Raw Sugar Reddit Scuttle Seed This Shadows Simpy Smarking Spurl This TailRank Wists Feed Me Links Technorati Cosmos YahooMyWeb VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE Needs Work >> 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 << Excellent Article Tell our authors what you think about their article. Automatically Post This Article To Your Blog by inserting your Email-To-Blog Address, as can be set up in your Blogging software: "Link Back To This Article" Copy-And-Paste Are You Using This Article? We want to know about it. HTML Article Copy-And-Paste <font size=+2>Ten Hints on How Not To Choose a Gift That Will Be Treasured Forever</font><BR> Copyright © 2008 Sophie Baxter<BR><BR><BR> Whether it’s special birthday, get well or leaving do, choosing the right gift is not always an easy task. If you really want to make someone's day more special, but don't know where to start, why not check out our list of 10 gifts to avoid?<BR><BR> <b>1. Stay clear of appliances</b><BR><BR> Unless you are certain that she dreams to own a deluxe mixer because cooking is her passion, or he’s actually asked, in writing, for that state of the art car dust buster - stay clear. Especially avoid vacuum cleaners, washing machines or any other device that might be used to clean up after you.<BR><BR> <b>2. “Helpful” gifts </b><BR><BR> Never give an overweight friend fitness equipment or diet books. You might think you are doing them a favour but they may be offended. Think about what your gifts are saying before you buy them... your partner may buy herself anti-wrinkle cream but might not be so happy if you start giving it to her.<BR><BR> <b>3. Charity Donations</b><BR><BR> Okay, it’s not PC to admit it, but not everyone wants to read those words “A charitable donation has been made in your name” in lieu of unwrapping something shiny with a little bow on top. Unless you’re pretty sure that it will be well received, or has been specifically requested, avoid.<BR><BR> <b>4. Something You’ve Always Wanted</b><BR><BR> Unless you are truly buying a gift for someone with similar taste to yours... don’t buy something you actually want for your self. Just because you want a Playstation, it does not mean your mum or girlfriend will appreciate it, especially when you ask to borrow it before she's even got it out of the box.<BR><BR> <b>5. Generic or cheap Gifts </b><BR><BR> Mugs, toiletries and lottery tickets might be suitable as 'stocking fillers' or for people you don't know very well, but beware when buying these for close friends and family. This kind of gift just says: "I really had no idea... so here you are ".<BR><BR> <b>6. Gifts that Don’t Match the Occasion</b><BR><BR> I once spoke to man who could years later still vividly recall his disappointment when receiving a shirt from his girlfriend on his 40th Birthday... He was expecting a more memorable - and more personal gift for that special occasion (he now has a new girlfriend).<BR><BR> <b>7. Pets </b><BR><BR> "Live" presents are usually best avoided, unless you are 110% sure that the recipient wants a pet or you are buying for your child. Dogs and cats are a big responsibility and it is best not to push anyone into that situation without warning... and there might be a reason why they don't already have a cat or a dog.<BR><BR> <b>8. Clothes </b><BR><BR> Clothes aren’t a good idea, unless you have seen the recipient try it on and put it back because they could not afford it. Chances are that you will get the style, size or colour wrong and the recipient will feel forced to wear it at least once in front of you. Men, consider this doubly true when buying underwear for your partner.<BR><BR> <b>9. Vouchers </b><BR><BR> These can be a great gift for posting to people who live far away. However make sure that you buy the right type of voucher - Mothercare vouchers for new parents or book tokens for students are great but Marks and Spencer vouchers for teenagers might not be so useful!<BR><BR> <b>10. Dumb awards </b><BR><BR> "Best Mum" mug, and World’s Best coffee makers T-shirts are out. Consider them only if you are under 12 years old or if you want to make a cheesy statement.<BR><BR> So what should you do to choose a great gift? Here are a few pointers:<BR><BR> <LI>Listening and looking out for phrases such as “I’d love that but I couldn’t afford it”<LI>Thinking about their own particular hobbies and interests.<LI>Asking others - siblings, family and friends - what they think they might like.<LI>Keep your eyes open for great gifts all year around so you’ll never be stuck when you suddenly remember you’re seeing a friend and it’s her birthday. It also takes a lot of the stress out of Christmas.</LI><BR> <BR><BR> <B><I>About The Author:</I></B><BR> <table border=1 cellpadding=4><tr><td><font size=2 face=verdana> Sophie Baxter is the Managing Director of <a href=http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk target=_blank>http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk</a> a company devoted to selling <a href=http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk/helium-balloon-delivery.php target=_blank>balloons</a>, <a href=http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk/teddy-bears-soft-toys.php target=_blank>teddy bears</a>, <a href=http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk/cat.php?cPath=51 target=_blank>chocolates</a> and cheerful gifts with the 'wow-factor'. On the birth of her baby, Sophie was given an helium filled balloon in a gift box, that made her go 'WOW' and kept both baby and Dad entertained. A few months later, she organised a helium balloon delivery for a friend's 50th birthday which went down so well that Sophie realised that she had stumbled across an idea that made giving and receiving gifts easy, enjoyable and great fun. </font></td></tr></table> <BR><BR>Read More Articles from Sophie Baxter:<BR><font size=1 face=verdana><a href=http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk/pages.php?page=giftschool target=_blank>Sophie Baxter's Articles on Big Fat Balloons</a><BR>Article Source: <a href=http://thePhantomWriters.com/ target=_blank>thePhantomWriters Article Submission Service</a></font><BR><BR> TEXT Article Copy-And-Paste Ten Hints on How Not To Choose a Gift That Will Be Treasured Forever Copyright © 2008 Sophie Baxter Whether it’s special birthday, get well or leaving do, choosing the right gift is not always an easy task. If you really want to make someone's day more special, but don't know where to start, why not check out our list of 10 gifts to avoid? 1. Stay clear of appliances Unless you are certain that she dreams to own a deluxe mixer because cooking is her passion, or he’s actually asked, in writing, for that state of the art car dust buster - stay clear. Especially avoid vacuum cleaners, washing machines or any other device that might be used to clean up after you. 2. “Helpful” gifts Never give an overweight friend fitness equipment or diet books. You might think you are doing them a favour but they may be offended. Think about what your gifts are saying before you buy them... your partner may buy herself anti-wrinkle cream but might not be so happy if you start giving it to her. 3. Charity Donations Okay, it’s not PC to admit it, but not everyone wants to read those words “A charitable donation has been made in your name” in lieu of unwrapping something shiny with a little bow on top. Unless you’re pretty sure that it will be well received, or has been specifically requested, avoid. 4. Something You’ve Always Wanted Unless you are truly buying a gift for someone with similar taste to yours... don’t buy something you actually want for your self. Just because you want a Playstation, it does not mean your mum or girlfriend will appreciate it, especially when you ask to borrow it before she's even got it out of the box. 5. Generic or cheap Gifts Mugs, toiletries and lottery tickets might be suitable as 'stocking fillers' or for people you don't know very well, but beware when buying these for close friends and family. This kind of gift just says: "I really had no idea... so here you are ". 6. Gifts that Don’t Match the Occasion I once spoke to man who could years later still vividly recall his disappointment when receiving a shirt from his girlfriend on his 40th Birthday... He was expecting a more memorable - and more personal gift for that special occasion (he now has a new girlfriend). 7. Pets "Live" presents are usually best avoided, unless you are 110% sure that the recipient wants a pet or you are buying for your child. Dogs and cats are a big responsibility and it is best not to push anyone into that situation without warning... and there might be a reason why they don't already have a cat or a dog. 8. Clothes Clothes aren’t a good idea, unless you have seen the recipient try it on and put it back because they could not afford it. Chances are that you will get the style, size or colour wrong and the recipient will feel forced to wear it at least once in front of you. Men, consider this doubly true when buying underwear for your partner. 9. Vouchers These can be a great gift for posting to people who live far away. However make sure that you buy the right type of voucher - Mothercare vouchers for new parents or book tokens for students are great but Marks and Spencer vouchers for teenagers might not be so useful! 10. Dumb awards "Best Mum" mug, and World’s Best coffee makers T-shirts are out. Consider them only if you are under 12 years old or if you want to make a cheesy statement. So what should you do to choose a great gift? Here are a few pointers: * Listening and looking out for phrases such as “I’d love that but I couldn’t afford it” * Thinking about their own particular hobbies and interests. * Asking others - siblings, family and friends - what they think they might like. * Keep your eyes open for great gifts all year around so you’ll never be stuck when you suddenly remember you’re seeing a friend and it’s her birthday. It also takes a lot of the stress out of Christmas. ============================================================ Sophie Baxter is the Managing Director of http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk a company devoted to selling balloons, teddy bears, chocolates and cheerful gifts with the 'wow-factor'. On the birth of her baby, Sophie was given an helium filled balloon in a gift box, that made her go 'WOW' and kept both baby and Dad entertained. A few months later, she organised a helium balloon delivery for a friend's 50th birthday which went down so well that Sophie realised that she had stumbled across an idea that made giving and receiving gifts easy, enjoyable and great fun. ============================================================ Read More Articles From Sophie Baxter: http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk/pages.php?page=giftschool http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Sophie_Baxter Article Description Copy-And-Paste Whether it's special birthday, get well or leaving do, choosing the right gift is not always an easy task. If you really want to make someone's day more special, but don't know where to start, why not check out our list of 10 gifts to avoid? Article Keywords Copy-And-Paste *** Digital Reprint Rights *** If you publish this article in a website/forum/blog, You Must Set All URL's or Mailto Addresses in the body of the article AND in the Author's Resource Box as Hyperlinks (clickable links). Links must remain in the form that we published them. Clean links should point to the Author's links without redirects having been inserted into the copy. You are not allowed to Change or Delete any Words or Links in the Article or Resource Box. Paragraph breaks must be retained with articles. You can change where the paragraph breaks fall, but you cannot eliminate all paragraph breaks as some have chosen to do. Email Distribution of this article Must be done through Opt-in Email Only. No Unsolicited Commercial Email. You Are Allowed to format the layout of the article for proper display of the article in your website or in your ezine, so long as you can maintain the author's interests within the article. 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