Are you familiar with the following situation? Mary, one of your friends, has her birthday the next week – and you don’t know what to buy. Because Mary (or whatever she’s called) really has everything. A nice house, a loyal husband, two lovely kids, expensive clothes, jewelry, a nice car (type BMW and the likes), a fully-equipped kitchen (which she doesn’t use, as she has a housekeeper), imported furniture. What more should such a woman want?
Well, you’d be surprised. Even Mary who has everything likes to receive a present every now and then. So just don’t think: I should not buy anything, but find a present, however cheap it may be.
It may help if you know what Mary likes and doesn’t like. If she loves flowers, you can always surprise her with a nice bouquet or a flower arrangement that will certainly appeal to her. Important here is just to know what kind of flowers she prefers, or what color. Don’t buy red roses if the lady only likes white lilies.
Another thing that pleases almost every woman, is a box of fine chocolates. Recommended here is Belgian chocolate, which is the best in the world. Bonbons from Guylian, Leonidas or Neuhauss are pearls in themselves. Also here it is good to know what type of chocolate Mary enjoys to nibble. Dark, light brown or white?
A woman may have a liking for jewelry. If Mary loves to wear earrings, it doesn’t matter that she already has one hundred pair of them. She won’t mind receiving another pair, as long as they are pretty!
Books are another great present – of course, if our Mary likes to read. You can surprise her with the latest bestseller from Dan Brown, or make her swoon over the newest Danielle Steel. If the birthday girl has a favorite author, you can always buy one of his or her newest novels. Most likely, Mary won’t have bought it yet (and you can always check when contacting the husband, or the kids).
If you are at a complete loss of what to buy because you don’t know the person properly, but still need to buy a present because it’s expected of you, you can try giving a gift certificate. Most big stores (multi-media, books, Macy’s, etc.) will give out certificates, and then the receiver can turn it in for something she likes.
There also exist companies on the net, that make surprise boxes. The customer pays for let’s say a box of perfume, and then the receiver gets a box with different perfumes in it. Very popular nowadays are the box sets with a wellness arrangement or a visit to the beauty parlor.
Or a table for two at a renowned restaurant.
If Mary is very close to you, you can also surprise her with a weekend away from home. Just you and her taking a mini cruise, or a mini ski trip. The kids taken care of by the grandparents or good friends. Enjoy!
