Great gifts for your significant other
December 5, 2012
It’s that time again. Time to pull your hair out trying to find the perfect gift for your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or fiance. Gift-giving for your significant other can be challenging. That other person means so much to you so you want to give him or her a gift that will express that.
Have no fear. Here are some great gift ideas for the special person in your life.
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For the tech-crazy
If your guy loves technology and owning the latest and most advanced gadgets, you can’t go wrong with these gifts.
The Powermat Phone Charger is great for someone who owns multiple electronic devices. For the gadget geek used to wires cluttered around him, this gift will seem like the best thing since sliced bread. Just set it up and install it with your device. After that you charge the device by just placing it on top of the power mat.
$99.99 for home or base station
$29.99 for Blackberry, Nintendo DS receiver
$39.99 for iPod/iPhone receiver
www.powermat.com/us/home
For the adventurous
If your guy is an outdoors lover and enjoys being spontaneous and adventurous, tap into his wild side with a camping gift set. Northface’s Men’s Vortex Triclimate Jacket is perfect for any weather he will face. It’s a three-in-one sportsjacket that will keep him warm in the coldest winter weather and dry in the spring.
$290
If that’s a little too pricey for your college budget, try a Coleman grill. The PerfectFlow InstaStart Portable Grill is a great choice. It starts with just a push of a button and is completely matchless. This grill will keep you and your guy from ever being hungry on a camping adventure.
$99.99
For the music lover
If your guy is constantly jamming out with his headphones on or telling you to check out his latest new favorite tune, here are some gifts that will really get him singing.
The NBA skullcandy headphones will keep him humming to any song while supporting his team at the same time. The headphones come for teams such as the Lakers, Bulls, Heat and just about any other NBA team your guy might be a fan of.
Prices vary.
If your boyfriend or significant other isn’t an NBA fan, have no fear. Beats by Dre are the coolest headphones to have right now. They come in a variety of styles and colors.
www.beatsbydre.com
Prices vary.
To top off your gift, throw in an Apple iTunes gift card for any price to keep him buying all his favorite albums.
For the sports fan
With the bowl game just around the corner, it’s easy to purchase a gift for your sports-fanatic significant other. The Cyclones recently got a bid for the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Why not score a few tickets for you and your guy? Get ready to spend New Year’s Eve cheering on the Cyclones in Tennessee.
Don’t forget to throw in some new ISU gear for your guy to rock at the game. The ISU Book Store in the Memorial Union has plenty of T-shirts, sweatshirts and anything else you might need.
If, for some odd reason, your guy isn’t a Cyclone fan, the DirectTV sports pack will give him the opportunity to cheer on whichever team he likes.
With the DirectTV Sports Pack, your guy can get more than 35 channels, featuring sports 24-7. Just some of the channels available: ESPN Classic, Fox Soccer Channel and the Outdoor Channel.
$12.99 per month
For the gamer
If your guy loves games of any kind, be it video games or a friendly game of pool, these gifts will quench his thirst for a little friendly competition.
How about a mini foosball table? This mini foosball table will fit in any apartment easily. Actually, it will even fit in your guy’s dorm room.
$36
A ton of awesome new games just came out in the past month or so. If your guy hasn’t snagged these up yet, he’ll be pretty happy when he sees you’ve bought it for him.
“NBA 2k13” is the great game for your Xbox lover. For an even better gift, why not spend the day playing it with him, rather than making him watch sappy Christmas movies on television all afternoon?
Other great games include the new “Halo” and the new “Call of Duty” games.
Approximately $60 each
WOMEN
For the fashionista
What girl doesn’t love to accessorize? Give her a statement piece of jewelry that she’ll be proud to wear, and even prouder to say that it came from her boyfriend.
Forever 21 has a lot of options for inexpensive jewelry. Get her a few pieces to go along with a few other little things. Etsy also has a ton of different jewelry options. Most are handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces. Get her something unique.
There’s nothing that’s more fashionable right now than leggings and boots. College girls everywhere are rocking the trend: black leggings paired with brown boots and an oversized sweater.
For the romantic
If your girl loves all the hearts and flowers and embellishments that come with a relationship, here are some gift ideas that will really get her heart beating.
What says romance more than something personalized? Etsy has tons of jewelry for sale. Are you married or engaged? Why not a necklace that says “Mrs.” and her future last initial? The future Mrs. will love the chance to sport her new last initial.
$24
Etsy.com
For another unique gift, try putting a little extra effort into your night. Think a bottle of wine, roses, and a candlelit dinner. Even if you can only make a dish of spaghetti, the thought will bring out the romance in any relationship.
For the movie fanatic
If your girl loves cuddling up on the couch and watching movies all day, get her a gift that keeps on giving. If she doesn’t have a Netflix subscription yet, she’ll love this thoughtful gift.
If she already has Netflix, you can purchase a subscription to Apple TV or Hulu Plus as well.
Otherwise, give her a few movies and promise to watch them with her. Add a pair of comfy Victoria’s Secret pajamas, and the two of you can stay cozy all day.
Netflix: $7.99 per month
Movies: approximately $15-$20
Victoria’s Secret Pajamas
www.victoriassecret.com $49.50
For the tech-girl
Is your girl always on her cell phone? Get her a new iPhone case to spruce up the old phone she’s seen too much. Victoria’s Secret has begun selling iPhone cases that are sure to be a hit with any girl.
For a gift she’ll remember forever, you can’t go wrong with an iPad. She will be able to use the iPad for anything she needs: social media, email, taking photos, playing games and reading books. Any technology lover would be happy to add the tablet to her collection.
If she’s touch-screen crazy, she might need a stylus to make texting a little easier. Things Remembered sells a personalized stylus that will remind her of you every time she uses it. Personalize the stylus with anything you’d like, and keep your girl thinking less about that text she’s sending and more about you.
For the health-fanatic
If your girl is mindful of her fitness, get her a gift that will get her heart pumping even before she’s begun exercising.
Ames has several places that offer unique workout experience. CrossFit in West Ames offers a unique strength and conditioning program where you have a trainer for each work out.
Kosama Ames is another gym that combines muscle confusion, nutrition and consultation for a high intensity workout for any fitness guru.
Another gym in Ames, SureFire Fitness, provides a unique training environment that your girl is sure to love.
If she already has a gym membership, or uses Iowa State’s recreation centers, give her a cookbook so she can eat healthy too. You can find a variety of different versions at any bookstore or online.
Crossfit: $100 per month for a student
Kosama Ames: $199 for the first month and $79 for each month after that
SureFire Fitness: full-time membership $119 per month
Any of these gifts, or a combination of a few, are sure to surprise your significant other and make for the best Christmas you two have spent together yet.
