Insider secrets for your man’s Christmas wish list

I remember as a kid thinking Christmas would take like a million years to get here. These days It’s like we’re having back-to-back festive seasons every weekend. I must be getting old.

With the impending threat of another Christmas hanging over us like a cliff on a fault line, so the dread of buying worthwhile presents looms even higher. We men are always worrying about what to get our woman. Women are so hard to buy for. And I’m sure women feel the same about us.

To clear up any doubt, Mrs Romance will be publishing her top tips for buying presents for women tomorrow.

Well, here’s a list of Christmas gifts that I – a man – would very much appreciate anything from. Hope it helps!

Drink

If your man like a a bit of a drink over Christmas, here are some ideas he might like:

Scotch – this can be a very nice present. I’ve had my eye on a bottle of 16-year-old Lagavulin for a while now. Otherwise the Johnny Walker green label is a bit more accessible – but strangely more expensive!

Beer – why not get him a mixed six of exotic or craft beers. It’s a pretty cheap but fun gift but he’ll love it!

Cognac – this is a classic tipple, and a delicious one at that. My favourite is Hennessy VSOP (XO is the next level up from that and comes at a price). Dimple is a good brandy that comes in a nice-looking bottle and is good quality too.

Cocktail kit – the basic cocktail kit doesn’t have to be too over-complicated but will still make a good gift – especially if you include a couple of bottles of hooch to go with it. Here’s our post on the essentials of a cocktail bar.

Red wine aerator – this is a great little gadget that allows you to pour red wine directly into the glass without having to let it breathe. Oxygenating red wine – even a cheap bottle – will improve its flavour ten-fold.

The greatest cocktail book we’ve ever written – our ebook How to Host the Perfect Cocktail Party (click for more details) is a compendium of our top 35 or so cocktails with heaps of hints and tips for creating beautiful, delicious drinks. It also details what you need to do for a cocktail party. Mrs Romance’s beautiful photography makes this ebook very printable.

Bind it, wrap it, pop it under the tree and make him smile!

Cigars/accessories

Cigars – if your man likes a cigar, why not spoil him? PuroExpress is international and is very good.

Please don’t just buy him a Romeo y Julieta in a white metal tube. They’re horrible.

For more information on buying cigars, here’s our post on 9 tips on how to choose a cigar.

Cigar accessories – proper cigar ashtrays, lighters, cutters and punches are also great gifts to give.

Clothes

Clothes are always a good option, but forget about buying trousers or shoes. They’re so hard to judge size and comfort. Here are some other ideas:

T-shirts – pick out a few Ts from his favourite shop (or yours!). Us men never have enough tops! Alternatively, check out this brilliant site that has T-shirts with references from classic movies on them.

LastExitToNowhere.com

But instead of a picture of Jaws on it, the T has the Amity Police Department logo instead. Very cool.

Work shirts – we men hate work, but we like to look smart! I know. Confusing aren’t we? I love Van Heusen European Cut shirts. They’re not too expensive but look great and have lots of variety. Available from Myer or DJs. You’ll just need his collar size.

Ties and cufflinks – along the same lines as work shirts, pick out a couple of designer ties for him. Even if he doesn’t wear one to work, there’ll be a wedding or something sooner or later, and that woollen horror show you can’t make him throw away will rear its shapeless head once again.

Cufflinks are great but make sure he has French cuff sleeved shirts – otherwise cufflinks are useless!

Watch – watches don’t have to cost the earth to become good presents. I love some of the things Fossil are doing at the moment and Storm always have interesting designs.

I also love my Skagen watch because it’s so thin. It fits under my shirt sleeves but is still masculine.

Belts – men hate buying stuff like this. We only need a couple but there’s no way we’re spending our hard-earned money on a belt. It makes no sense to us. This makes a belt a perfect gift. Keep your eye open for belts that go with jeans as much as ones for trousers.

Wallets – again, another item we men find it very difficult to rationalise paying for. I like ones that are thin enough to fit in my pocket – this means no central flap thing and no coin pocket. Men’s clothes all have pockets for change already.

Experiences

There are lots of websites that have different experiences to choose from. MrArostotle.com is a really good one. Here’s a quick list of experiences that might appeal:

Scuba dive – maybe a morning dive in Hawaii? Or this Australian dive experience. Or try a scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef.

Driving experiences – race track, off-road or rally driving experiences.

Flight simulator – fly planes from the safety of the ground!

Paintballing day – you could organise this to be a group present with some of his mates. Talk to their significant others and conspire!

Travel

Luggage – luggage is another thing that has to be falling apart before we men feel the need to buy more.

Noise-reducing headphones – I first experienced the silent luxury of plane travel with my new Sony noise reducing headphones.

They’re expensive but if your man travels a bit, these will change his life. Don’t buy the cheapest ones – they won’t be much good – but there’s no need to buy the most expensive ones either.

Replacement stuff

Don’t be afraid to buy replacement stuff for your man. We don’t mind getting an identical but new one of something we really love or need. For example:

Guitar strings – I always love restringing my guitars – even if I don’t have time to play them much anymore. Martin strings are beautiful but D’Addario is also a great brand. Get the fine or medium grade metal strings.

If all else fails, socks are always well-received… just don’t make them a major present!

Books

The fiction market for men aged between 25-40 is very slim pickings. It seems we prefer non-fiction to novels. Having said that, if your man has a favourite book, don’t be afraid to buy him the latest edition – or an old or rare edition for that matter. He’ll love it.

For non-fiction, yes, autobiographies of our sporting heroes and heroines are great, but there are other options.

We like stories about local villains, about our country’s history – especially if there’s some fighting in it! We like stuff about naval history, war history, the growth of mankind… for an all-encompassing book, you can’t go past A Very Short History of the World by Geoffrey Blaney. It’s the rewrite of his original book A Short History of the World.

For a fun read, he might even like the Dangerous Book for Boys by the Iggulden brothers.

Gadgets

Three words: We. Love. Gadgets!

Death Star ice cube mould – keep drinks cool with an icecube capable of destroying planets! I wouldn’t mind one or two of these myself, Mrs Romance! Ahem!

Fisheye lens for your phone camera – gives camera phone pictures a fisheye look.

Whisky advent calendar – count down to Christmas in the best possible way!

Razorpit – keeps razors sharp and makes them last a hundred times longer. Here’s our review of the Razorpit.

Potty Putter – practise your short game in the smallest room.

3D printer – state of the art tech that prints objects.

BBQ Bear Paws – makes cutting meat, shredding slow-cooked beef joints and making pulled pork a sinch.

As you may have noticed from most of the links above, I love Firebox.com. It has the funniest reviews of (most of the time) the best products. If you’re still not sure what to get your man, just browse Firebox for a while. I’m pretty sure you’ll find inspiration there.

Good hunting!

Have any tips for what to buy your guy? Tell us your plans.

Are you a man? Tell us what you’re hoping Santa will leave you this Yuletide.

Collages compiled by Mr Romance.