Gift Ideas for the Man in Your Life

Gift ideas for the man in your life

Gifts ideas for the boyfriend

Whether you’re in the beautiful blossoming stages of a new romance or you’ve been in a committed relationship for several years, giving gifts is unavoidable. It’s also a potential minefield. If your lover boy’s birthday falls just a few weeks in to your fledgling relationship you might not know him well enough to instantly know exactly what he’ll want. On the flipside, if you’ve been with your beau for a lifetime you’ve likely already bought him absolutely everything he could possibly desire and are now seriously scraping the barrel.

Birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day; going in search of yet another ground-breaking present for these momentous days can be stressful enough as it is, let alone when you don’t even know what you’re looking for. It doesn’t have to feel like a chore though! See it as a chance to show how much you really care about him and know about the things he likes. (It might be worth keeping a note of off-the-cuff comments he makes throughout the year to remind yourself later on!) With that in mind, here are a few gift ideas to get you inspired.

Posters and memorabilia

Think about all those evenings you’ve spent cosied up in front of the TV together. Which films or TV shows does he automatically try to click on Netflix before you get there and quickly click on Clueless? Search for unique artwork or action figures from the film. It might seem a little pointless to you, but if he’s a Lord of the Rings fanatic you won’t be able to comprehend the excitement he’ll feel unwrapping a 10-inch high, sword wielding figurine of Aragorn. He’ll love that you took the initiative to indulge his geeky movie side for once!

Alternative poster designs are starting to catch on in the mainstream; artists are creating their own versions of the standard movie poster shown in theatres across the world. In fact, they often create art that’s far more attractive and interesting than the official print, so you might be happier to have it on display in your shared apartment! InPrnt have some great alternative designs, such as this one of the hugely popular Batman film The Dark Knight.

Adventure day out

It’s good to keep in mind that not all gifts have to be a tangible, physical thing. Although they do offer a cute collection of small, fun items, sites such as Gifts.co.uk are providing thrilling (well, for him at least!) and audacious activities that will make your man’s jaw drop. Speeding across a racetrack in a Ferrari, battling a hoard of zombies, or taking on a mighty river with white water rafting, are just some the adventure activities available. By all means indulge in the adventure yourself too – make the whole experience a fun date idea! Fast cars and his favourite girl? You’ve just made him the happiest man in the world.

Create a homemade BBQ!

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so bake up his favourite treat and wrap it up. If you enjoy baking, there are an endless number of gifts you can make. Try Banana Bread in a Jar or Glazed Apple Spice Cake. If you want to try something different, why not create a homemade BBQ?

Skincare

Although not quite as fun as a poster or exhilarating as a supercar, skincare might be a good call because you know what you’re doing with this one! If he’s a little lazy with skincare this is an excellent way to send a subtle hint under the guise of being a generous girlfriend. Bulldog’s travel kit for example, contains smaller tubes of moisturiser, face wash and shaving gel that will serve as a good starting point if he’s new to the world of skincare. Alternatively, if he spends more time in the bathroom than you do he’ll appreciate you stocking up on his favourite skincare products – we all know how pricey our beauty regimes can get!

Anouszka Tate

Anouszka is a print journalist and radio & TV presenter with a penchant for sarcasm and tongue in cheek wit. Most importantly she’s YCB’s Features Editor. When she's not busy being all career driven she'll be baking, working out or making lists. Sometimes she wishes she had been born a decade earlier, and male, so that she could have been in a 90s boy band. Follow her on twitter and instagram @anouszkatate for vital updates on the above things summarised in 140 characters / in photo form.