Day 68: Christmas gift ideas for your girlfriend

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 68: Christmas gift ideas for your girlfriend

Gentlemen, have you been wandering the town or mall, wrecking your brain for the perfect Christmas gift for your girlfriend?  If your budget is limitless the choice is easy, as diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but something tell me you are not as fortunate. 

The Christmas gift you will present your girlfriend with will largely depend on the length of time you have been dating.  If you have been going out for months the type of gift you give will obviously be different than if the relationship is fairly new.

Whatever the case may be, there is no need to panic or rush to the bank for a loan, the following are Christmas gift ideas for your girlfriend that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Jewelry

If you cannot afford real diamonds consider the next best thing ... Swarovski crystals.  The Swarovski collection holds a number of jewelry items, ranging from necklaces to bracelets and rings to pretty ornamental pieces for her room.  They are not cheap, but they do fit a man on a budget.

If Swarovski crystal is still too much for you, have a look at custom jewelry in sterling silver, electroplated gold or pearls.  You may find some beautiful items for a fraction of the price.

Perfume

Unless your girlfriend suffers from asthma, consider a nice bottle of perfume or au de toilette.  The pretty bottles come in all kinds of scents and price ranges and will be welcomed with a smile.

Should perfume or au de toilette be out of your price range, have a look at body lotion, bath pearls or scented candles.  They cost next to nothing and will still make for a very nice gift.

Books

Does your girlfriend like to write?  If she does, surprise her with a laptop.  If this is a bit much, I’m sure she will be tickled pink with a beautiful journal to capture her ideas and thoughts.  Journals come in all kinds of sizes and price ranges, from expensive leather-bound books to economically priced hard cover ones.

While you’re at it, you might as wells spring for a nice pen too.

If your girlfriend loves to read, you can’t go wrong with a book. Before making a selection in the bookstore, discretely find out what she likes to read, does she like murder mysteries, biographies, vampire stories or romance novels?

Clothing

Should you wish to give your girlfriend a clothing item, stick to a warm scarf, gloves or anything else that doesn’t require knowing her size.  

Steer clear of lingerie.  Unless your relationship has reached an intimate stage and you are very sure such an item will be welcomed, give it a miss as this type of gift is presumptuous and might backfire.

If you are still at a loss as to what to get, talk to your mother, your sister or a female colleague.  Girls know what girls like.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 33: How to keep your jewelry safe

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 33: Jewelry – How to keep your jewelry safe

For today’s assignment, I’m supposed to write about keeping jewelry safe. Personally, I don’t have to worry about that because I don’t have valuable jewelry.

Well, strictly speaking, that isn’t quite true. I do have a few pieces which my mother left me. I never wear any of them though because I’m terrified of losing them.

Still, there may be others who might benefit from a few tips on how to keep jewelry safe.

Whether it is a jewelry set with precious stones, a Swarovski collection, or items you picked up here and there, we all have jewelry that is valuable to us for different reasons. If your jewelry has more sentimental value than dollar worth, how to keep your jewelry safe requires no more than common sense.  On the other hand, a more expensive collection will cost you more money to protect. 

Have your jewelry insured

Before you start thinking of where to store your jewelry, have your valuables appraised and insured. Jewelry insurance costs you only a few dollars a month but gives you peace of mind. 

Should anything get lost or stolen, you will be able to get a replacement or collect the value of the missing piece.  Read your insurance policy carefully or check with your agent for clarity. If you have an authenticity paper for precious stones, store them in a safe place.

Trust your jewelry to a safe

The safest place for you to keep your jewelry is a safe deposit box in a bank for the obvious reason that you may sleep better at night. The downside is that you have limited access to them, and you will pay an annual fee for use of the box.

If you’re staying in a hotel, ask if your jewelry can to be stored in the hotel safe rather than keeping valuables in your room. A wiser rule is to leave your valuable jewelry at home when traveling.

Consider buying a safe for your home.  Not only will a safe protect your jewelry from burglars or children who want to play dress up, many types of safes are rust and fire resistant. You can make up your own private combination that is best committed to memory.  

Remember, writing down the numbers increases the risk that your security might be breached.

If a safe is not an option, keep your jewelry safe in another type of box that can be locked, or put your jewelry in a cabinet that can be locked. You can also keep your jewelry in a not so obvious place.  For instance, in a shoebox among other shoe boxes or in a tin among other tins.

Keep your jewelry safe by being alert

When putting your jewelry on and taking it off, avoid places the items can fall into such as grates and vents. 

Take jewelry off before washing your hands.  Not only can water and soap dull semi-precious or custom jewelry, rings easily slip off soapy hands and end up in the drain pipe.

Keep curtains or blinds closed when taking jewelry pieces from their storage place. You never know who might be watching.

Be sure your jewelry fits

When in doubt about a good fit, put a ring on your finger and hold your hand upside down. If the ring glides down it needs to be taken to the jeweler for resizing.  

Rings shouldn’t pinch your fingers either. If they do, chances are at some point during the day you will take them off and might not remember where you put them. Rings should slip comfortably on and off your fingers.

Be sure that valuable bracelets and wristwatches are designed with a locking mechanism that works. If not, you can have a safety chain fitted.

Another way for how to keep your jewelry safe is to know when to wear valuables and when to leave them in their storage space. Events that attract large groups of people also attract pickpockets, who can expertly steal your handbag and jewelry without you even noticing it.

www.connymanero.weebly.com