Searching for the perfect gift for your boyfriend, dad, or brother? Look no further than PopSugar editors' picks for the best presents this season for the lucky man – or men! — in your life. Featuring David Beckham’s briefs, the Lost Encyclopedia, and other fit and fab finds, watch our video for great gift ideas for everyone on your list. Stay tuned for other guides in our series including gifts for women, do it yourself gifts, and stocking stuffers.
The new boyfriend — let's say less than a year — may be the hardest to buy for. What to get the man who has, well, you may not be sure yet. We've kept this list budget-friendly, around $100 or less, if all you're ready to say is "I'm in like with you."
An adult board game, like The Settlers of Catan ($34), a fancy flask ($54), or a vintage pool ball bottle stopper ($30) will please the party boy in any man. Take good times to the top shelf by buying a pricier version of his favorite liquor, like this Glenrothes Single-Malt Scotch ($70) or a wine accessory set ($20).
Have an experience together, whether it's making dinner reservations at a new or favorite restaurant, buying tickets to a live show, or reading a book together like Jonathan Franzen's much-anticipated Freedom ($14).
If you get stumped, consider what he needs but won't buy himself. Everyone over 25 should own a good knife, and this Normann Copenhagen ($81) should be sharp enough. Most guys are lacking in the art department, so let him mark his territory with a painted wooden block of his home state ($25), available for every state in several colors.
If all else fails, think entertainment. Send him packing (or hint for a trip) with a travel journal ($9), or let him rest up with an iTunes subscription to the latest season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ($25) or whatever his favorite show is.
Add your suggestions below!
This question is an excerpt from Group Therapy in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!
I recently started dating this guy who I’ve had a crush on for months now. He’s intelligent, funny and interesting and I enjoy being around him but he is also loud, annoying and kind of rude when we are in social environments. And when he’s drunk it's so bad that even I can’t stand to be around him. I honestly think he doesn’t realize his behavior because when it’s just me and him, he’s much more chill and easy to talk to.
My friends tolerate him because of me, but none of them care for him too much and prefer for him not to be around. I don’t hold that against them because they are right, he just doesn’t have good social skills. I want to talk to him about how he is when he’s drunk and maybe ask to tone it down a couple of notches when we go out, but he’s also very defensive. I’m worried that if I don’t come at him in the right way then he will take it as me being picky about him or trying to change who he is, but I feel that if he is really serious about giving us a chance then he could make some adjusts to his attitude for me and my friends.
If anyone out there has advice on how to get my guy to calm down, or on how I should talk to him about this, it would be greatly appreciated.
Have a dilemma of your own? Post it, anonymously, to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.
This week's confession comes from our anonymous Confession Booth group in the TrèsSugar Community. Weigh in with your advice below.
My boyfriend is exactly the sort of guy I don't want to end up with. But we've just celebrated our one year anniversary. . . . The truth is, I can't imagine not having a boyfriend; what I would do in the evenings all by myself, how I'd spend my time without planning things for us to do, what my incentive would be for dressing up and making an effort, how I'd feel without the frequent physical reassurance of a partner's attention. So I won't break it off, and if he continues not to want to . . . looks like it'll be the second year anniversary before we know it.
Read the whole confession here, and check out what else is going on in our community. Join it, share your posts or advice, and maybe we'll feature it here on Très!
Recently you were asked out on a date by a guy who works in your building. For your first date, he takes you on a fun factory tour of a local brewery, and you guys grab slices of pizza afterward. On the next date he takes you to his favorite burrito place and then an art gallery. Most recently you guys hit up a dive bar. You love that he’s zany, and you really connect with him in a way you haven't with a guy in a long time.
But when you ask if he'll come with you to a friend's birthday party at a sit-down restaurant, he says yes but only if you pay, since he’s broke. You don't mind paying, but since you know he has a job, you can't help but wonder if he's really broke or just cheap. How would you handle this?
For me, humor isn’t just an important aspect of a significant other; it’s an absolute must. I need to be around someone who can make me laugh, both in the best of times, and also during the worst. I’ve come to realize though that not everyone shares my sentiments. So does your boyfriend’s sense of humor make you giggle?
The economy is terrible and your company’s taken a hit, so when you lose your job you’re devastated, but not shocked. The problem is you don’t have any prospects, no one’s hiring, and your rent is due. Your parents have deep financial woes of their own, so you can't turn to them. Your boyfriend is by no means well-off, but he currently is in a better situation than you. He’s offering to loan you money until you get a job, but you know money and romance don't mix. So how do you handle this?
Admittedly, I haven’t always been the biggest fan of all my friends’ boyfriends, but even when I think they’re especially great guys, I still love spending time with just my friend. Of course, I’m happy to oblige a couple hangouts now and then, but in the end, I prefer time with my friends alone. I suppose it’s all about a healthy balance, but where do you stand in terms of spending time with your friends’ significant others? Are you just as happy to be with her and her boyfriend as you are to be with just her?
I’ve always found that a relationship is most convenient if each person gets along well with the other’s friends. A more communal social life seems to create harmony and minimizes chances for conflict. But even when friends are shared, there’s often a distinct difference between his friends and hers. Of course it depends entirely on the type of friendships you’ve created, but do you ever spend time with his friends when he's not around?
Dear Sugar,
Four months ago when my live-in boyfriend was out of town, I discovered that he had downloaded multiple videos of porn and has received numerous pictures of naked women from his male friends via email. I confronted him about it, and he sees nothing wrong with it. He said that he'd stop looking at them, but I know for a fact he's lying.
I have serious issues with pornography as an industry, and on principle alone I find porn disgusting. A person looking at videos of people having sex is something that is not acceptable to me. I am so upset that I'm ready to walk away. Am I completely wrong?
— Disgusted Deb
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