Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, a gift can convey what the giver is unable to say. But what happens when you don’t know what gift to give and you’re not sure whether it will be to their liking?

I’ve no idea what to get them this year! Does that mean I don’t know my partner well enough?

Actually, it’s the other way round. You can’t choose a gift because you’re too preoccupied with choosing that one special thing for them. Did you know that in England they’re studying the psychology behind gift-giving? The more you care about someone, the more you want that gift to truly express your feelings for them. So don’t worry! That said, think of a practical gift that can’t go wrong, such as personalised mugs. They’re practical, and the personalisation can elicit the most heartfelt reactions or a veeeery big smile.

I’ve received a present from my best friend and I don’t like it! Don’t my friends know me as well as I think they do?

We find ourselves in a situation where our best friend gives us a gift that makes no sense at all. Is something going wrong? Perhaps there’s a mismatch in how each of us views the relationship. The way we think someone sees us might not actually be the case in reality. This is reflected even in the presents we receive. Yes, it can be a surprise – or perhaps not a very pleasant one.

Of course, it could also mean that your friend is a bit selfish; perhaps they’ve given you what they’d have liked to receive themselves. Sometimes, people choose gifts they’d like to receive themselves, thinking that if they like them, others will too. It’s not quite like that.

To be on the safe side, go on the assumption that a mobile phone case never goes amiss, or that a small accessories bag always comes in handy for those little bits and bobs, whether for women or men.

Every year, I spend ages looking for presents for my family. They always seem disappointed. What does that say about our relationship?

Your intentions are good, but something isn’t quite right – you’re not getting it quite right. If your dad likes cooking and going fishing, he might not appreciate you getting him a T-shirt with a fisherman on a barbecue on it. You’d be better off just getting him a personalised apron – that’ll really impress him.

My boyfriend never gives me nice presents. Does that mean he doesn’t care?

We have to admit that there are men (just as there are women, for that matter) who simply aren’t very good at choosing gifts. Choosing the right gift is a difficult task, because it means you need to know the recipient well, to sense what their preferences are and what exactly would make them happy. We’re not sure what advice to give you in this case, but we’d recommend giving him a personalised beer or a set of six lager beers – you can’t go wrong with those.

What matters is the gesture of giving a gift; it means that person has been thinking of you and wants to bring you joy. As we’re all different, tastes vary too, but what counts is that they intended to express themselves through the gift. For more ideas, we recommend you visit our website and check out the ‘ready-to-buy gifts’ section – we’re sure you’ll find something suitable. Would you have imagined just how important gifts are in human relationships? :)