December: month of presents, holidays and food. And principally a good occasion to spend some relaxed days with family and friends. Playing cards next to your fireplace or shopping around the city center for a last minute struggle to find the perfect present. Or the first that suits, does not matter really, the task is make anybody happy with a good present (not so expensive but effective; new and original but at the same time useful).

Your children, your wife, your parents; your friends, their children; the gramma, grampa and the neighbor. Although the standard recipe is book and perfume, or simply the latest digital device, making of a simple present an original and creative one, it’s a hard mission.

So, think of the presents you are going to buy, then ask yourself: “how much creativity is in my presents”?

Really, here does not matter to be creative. If you think you aren’t, don’t wander around like a headless chicken trying to buy something to please others. Unless you can afford buying something really expensive and impressive, try with standard present, like a bottle of wine, a typical cheese or a bottle of whisky. These are very good ideas, indeed. The don’t pile up among unused things, and disappear as soon as they get consumed.

Listen and pay attention to your family the whole year, sooner or later they will express an unconscious desire or a necessity: this is your moment to demonstrate you’re a careful person and not an improvised Santa Claus.

That’s wonderful! You don’t need to recycle presents and dissimulate the origin of them, and you won’t fill your friends’ houses with unwanted objects. Unless you can buy a Rolex or diamonds, keep the profile low and simple.

Remember, often the most important secret is “give people gifts you would like to receive” (ok, no, your wife won’t probably like a Playstation).

You won’t commit the error of spending on:

• Blackboard for the kitchen (the black one, of course)
• Obscure and ugly painting
• Ceramic stuff for the living room (like a doll or a horse)
• The typical Christmas socks with some elks printed
• Whatever “Made in China” useless ugly stuff. So uncool

That said, I have one line left for wishing you a Merry Christmas and good luck with your presents!