The Liquid Muse

Fellas: Bushmills Has Got Your Back for Holiday Shopping!

Giving men a fun Black Friday event of their own (while their wives and girlfriends hit the stores) Bushmills Irish Whiskey hosted “Shop on the Rocks” at bars in Boston, Chicago and NYC. The event offered men a place where they could watch sports and participate in bar games with buddies, while shopping online and sampling Bushmills. Representatives from DETAILS were also on-hand to offer tips on shopping and holiday gifts.

The hosts of this event were kind enough to compile the Bushmills Top 10 “Do’s and Don’ts” tip sheet for a fellow to use when buying holiday gifts for his wife or girlfriend, ensuring a positive reaction and the appreciation he deserves! (by the way, the only one I don't agree with is #7 - I love when my husband buys me perfume... as long as it is one of the few brands I actually wear...!)

1. If your gift idea makes cleaning, cooking or any household chores easier, kill it. Even better, get her a maid.

2. When buying clothing for your girl, don’t trust your own fashion sense. It’s not that good. Ask your little sister for help.

3. If you’re unsure what size to get her, always assume the low-end of the scale. Remember: she never looks fat.

4. Never buy jewelry from a store located in a strip mall or whose advertisement you heard on sports radio on the drive into work. Get a reference from a good female friend.

5. Keep sports, fishing and video games out of the shopping equation: she’s not interested … she’ll never be interested.

6. Don’t bust the bank for her gift; it makes you look desperate and weak for affection. Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts don’t cost a penny—think scrapbooks, CD song compilations of music that makes you think of her, giving her (rather than the NFL) your Sunday afternoons for an entire season.

7. Never give her perfume: it’s very high school.

8. Anything tied to her hobbies and passions. It shows that you’re actually paying attention to what she is saying over dinner. (She thinks you’re ignoring her, by the way.)

9. If you order something online, take it out of the Amazon.com box. She doesn’t need to know that you were watching TV while surfing for her gifts online.

10. When in doubt: ask mom.