Gift Giving Guy

Dining in the restaurant from our first date, I excuse myself, claiming that I need to take two cold tablets. Fifteen minutes later and I’m back — dressed in a black tuxedo with two dozen roses and an engagement ring. Now I am down on one knee. She did not see it coming. Great gifts are surprising.

How do you discreetly plan your surprise? First, present gifts in unexpected ways. Use a ribbon to tie the gift around the car steering wheel before he or she leaves for the day. Ask for help folding the laundry; the top towel in the basket hides the present. Have the gift delivered at work (keep it safe for the office, of course). I’ve even done the cliché of giving my wife the practical blender — which she really did want for Christmas — with a Tiffany’s blue box tucked into the blender’s glass container.

Second, you can give gifts spontaneously. Figure out your giftee’s half birthday with the Half-Birthday Calculator and offer a surprise gift. Send flowers just because. Buy her preferred perfume or his favorite cologne, placing it next to the near-empty bottle.

Third, make your gift choice unexpected. If you can, avoid asking what the giftee wants. Pay attention to clues and write down this reconnaissance in a gift dossier. If your giftee does offer direct suggestions, upgrade the gift idea by buying the higher-end version (if appropriate and within your means) or provide an additional gift that could go along with the suggestion.