Begin With A Gift

Everyone would agree that giving should not be done only at specific times of the year. In relationships giving is something to be done as often as possible. It is what keeps that sparks alive in the relationship. It’s the new year, so many people are concerned with what to achieve in their lives and how to accomplish same. A good guess would be that giving is somewhere for the list of a lot of people. As I would say, the Naija syndrome can be selfish based when it comes to relationships.

The ladies just want to take all they can and the same thing goes for the guys. Chioma , a friend of mine, would strongly agree with me. She has already specified the gifts she is expecting from her man. God help him if he does not live up to it. So it turns out that only those who are truly in love get to give to each other and they are quite few.

A lot of new year resolutions are flying around now and I guess some serious minded people would have their relationship in the first three positions on their priority list. This is the very first day of the new year, so if you have not gotten a new year gift for your beau, it’s not too late. Any gift given within this first week is not late. As work schedule will soon become tedious as usual, this break within the first few days of the year is the perfect time for giving each other the much needed attention you deserve. It is true that true love is not materialistic but any relationship without supporting materials is pitiable. How else do you show your loved one that you care for him or her.

One way of spicing up your time together is to buy a thoughtful gift for your partner. Something a little different from the usual jewelry please. Although I know some ladies that will not mind adding more jewelry to their collection, diamonds are after all a girl’s best friend. In case you are not buying any gift for your girl or your man, you better have a strong reason why not. It is regarded as a sin in Nigeria to forget to buy a gift.  A gift at this time would prove just how much you think of that special someone. In a country like Nigeria, buying a car is simply herculean but there are other ways to show your partner that you care.

Here are some tips on what you can give to make a good impression;
A) E –card : every one is online now but people no longer believe in cards as they used to, this is why it would be out of the ordinary if you send her an E- card to his or her mail box stating all those nice things you are shy to tell your honey in person. This can be done when you visit such E-card sites as 123greeting.com, passionup.com and many others. You cannot only send as much as you like but you do not spend a dime!

B) Homemade gifts; this is for those of us that are gifted. Now if you are a fashion designer, you could make your man or lady a really cute outfit and make it a surprise. Ladies that are good in knitting could make a nice hand band with his initials on it, or my favorite, you could cook a really delicious meal at home and set it in a well scented and candlelit room on a cool evening. This candlelit dinner gives room for all the personal talk you both want to have away from the chaotic restaurant, plus you do not have to bother about the trip home to get in between the sheets.

C) Gift basket; depending on the taste and preferences of your partner, you can always pack a nice little gift basket for your partner. For a lady, you could pack perfumes, her favourite cream, candies and biscuits, hair packs and maybe a set of new underwear (they always want those). For the man you can pack in an aftershave with shaving kits, a game box, a bottle of soft wine, wristwatch and do not forget the underwear. This is nice because it is creative and involves planning but it does not have to be too big.

D) Plan a two-day getaway: two days away from the usual for you and your beau would be perfect at this time, especially if  there has been a strain in the relationship for a while or if you both have not seen each other in a while. It would make all the difference if you can sort out your differences and then plan for the year ahead. It could be a outside or within the country depending on your cash balance

E) Take him out: this is for the ladies that have not spent much on their man lately. It would be a nice change to bring out your money to pay for the evening expenses because you do not get to do it often. Take him out to watch a movie of his choice. Pay for it as well as the popcorn and drinks. It will show the man that you are not as stingy as he thought and it will help you appreciate his having to pay the bills most of the time. At the end of the day you can both take a nice stroll under the starlit sky. How romantic!
Now just in case the economic crunch is getting to you,you  can be allowed to go and get the usual items for your partner, and always afford a new year’s cake. This is a wonderful idea
When you consider geting to eat out of it as well! Have a great new year.