Gift Giving Guy

Sometimes the best gift is one you wouldn’t ordinarily give yourself. It’s so indulgent, evoking “You really shouldn’t have!” — which clearly translates to “Thank God, you did!” The gift feeds your inner child or ignites your wild side. Sure, it can mean giving the luxury your giftee craves, like…

• A Seabourne luxury cruise to the tropics
• Burberry cashmere sweaters from Nordstrom
• Platinum jewelry from Tiffany & Co.
• Big Bertha graphite drivers from Callaway Golf
• Pampering spas, courtesy of SpaFinder.com
• 60-inch Plasma HDTVs from Pioneer
• Just about anything in the Neiman Marcus Indulge Them! gift collection

Or it can be less costly, but still decadent, including…

• Chocolates from Godiva or La Maison du Chocolat
• Old-school men’s shaving from ClassicShaving.com: a Merkur Classic 1904 safety razor, Vulfix badger hair shaving brush and Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream
• Lobel’s dry-aged steaks in “black-tie” gift boxes with a personalized steak branding iron from SteakBrands.com
• Stonewall Kitchen’s “Best of the Best” gift basket for gourmet jams, mustards, cookie and brownie mixes
• Cozy Ugg slippers for men or women from Zappos.com
• Home-cooked surprise dinners featuring comfort foods like meatloaf wrapped in bacon and garlic mashed potatoes.

You might call these gifts “acceptable” indulgences. But there are also the guilty pleasures, where joy and shame meet, that can be riskier to give. If you venture into these indulgences, make sure to give that Pauly Shore Bio-Dome DVD in private and with gift receipt.