Disclaimer: To all men, this article is not meant to put you down but to draw a perspective on your way of gift-giving.

Research has shown that in the overall gift-giving parlance, over 65% of the gifts that men give to women end up in any of the following states: returned, never used, or stored away in an obscure place. Mind you, this holds true for groomsmen gift ideas, anniversaries and birthday efforts, and even Valentine’s Day and other holidays generosity spurts.

Such a sad reality right? The money and effort used in coming up with these gift ideas are shamelessly put to waste – more so, the extra effort that men put into it. Why is this so? Men and women alike may ask. Well, the explanation can be simplified into one thing: men and women differ on their views about gift-giving.

For the most part, men think that it is not the gift per se that matters, it’s the "thought" that counts. True. But thought for them means "the thought of remembering to give a present". Women’s definition of thought on the other hand is "the thought of finding the perfect gift ." Now, these perspectives are truly a hundred miles away – as far apart as the Earth and the moon. No wonder books titled, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus are always so popular!

A liquor flask is certainly not a good idea as a gift for women. Even if the woman is a known social drinker, giving her this kind of gift would have the ulterior message of: you are an alcoholic, let me make your life less miserable by providing you with a "mobile alcohol container." Unless you are trying to drive her away from your life, then this wonderful gift idea would work. Otherwise, a lot of polishing of your gift-giving skills is needed.

Another bad gift idea, for a woman at least, is anything that involves electricity (read: anything that has a cord and a plug). Unlike men who love gadgets, women, despite being in an "information and electronic age" still prefer the more traditional gifts. You may have spent hundreds of dollars for those DVD players and gaming consoles and truly, these presents are enough to make a woman’s mouth water. At the end of the day though, she will still be looking for the thoughtfulness of the gift.

Letting a woman decide on what kind of gift she would like to receive is a slap on her face. True, you may argue that you are simply trying to ensure that you give her what she truly wants. Know however, that a woman’s brain reads this as: I’m too tired to think of something for you. Take care of the thinking and I’ll be on top of the money." This is tantamount to saying, "you’re not that important to me."

The worst gift-giving gesture from men: giving the woman the money for her gift and saying, "buy want you want, this is my budget for you!" This is the most thoughtless act that any man on this planet can do. Giving her useless engraved cufflinks is way better than simply handing her the money.  This act simply tells the woman: I can’t allocate time to think of and buy a gift for you.

Yes, men would argue that it’s not their intention to give this kind of message with their less-thoughtful gift-giving gestures. Again, you must remember that women are wired differently – wired TO THINK in a different way. So, just to make sure that you gift-giving endeavors are not put to waste, add a little more thought. It wouldn’t cost you much to ensure that your gift also says: I do care for you.

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Interestingly, travel experts believe that travelling light is a state of mind. This might be true. However, there are a number of tips that will make any travelling PHYSICALLY light.

The Bags

Of course, it’s always better to use a small bag when travelling so you don’t have to look like Atlas carrying the whole world upon your shoulders. Make sure though to choose a small bag that also light. There are travelling bags that are already heavy even if it’s still empty. Stay away from them. Moreover, choose bags that have a number of small compartments so you can stuff your important documents and articles, such as your magic wallet, there. Additionally, compartments help keep the contents of your bag organized and easy to find.

The Clothes

As you plan for the trip, make sure that you’ve checked the weather of your destination. This will enable you to bring appropriate clothes and to do away with the useless ones. After all, you want to be travelling light so the last thing that you’ll need are sweaters and jackets that cannot be used in a tropical country.

Plan your wardrobe in advance so everything matches with anything else. Aside from saving luggage space, this also saves you from contemplating on which blouse will match with the shorts available. Better yet, if you are into mix-and matching, bring your neutral-styled and neutral-colored clothes. This will certainly give you peace of mind knowing that there’s no danger of style and color clash.

When possible, don’t bring another pair of footwear – just use the one you’re wearing. If you’ll have varied activities, however, then you can bring at most two pairs of comfortable shoes. You don’t need to stuff your leather shoes in your luggage just because you want to match them with your leather wallets.

The Other Essentials

There’s also a technique in arranging your stuff inside your bag. Roll your clothes into small rolls. This not only saves space, this also helps reduce the wrinkling of your clothes. When possible, place items inside other article. Think Russian nesting dolls. Use the same concept in arranging your stuff.

Also, pack your toiletries in the same pouch and put them on top of your clothes so you can easily access them. Separating the liquids in another bag is also a great idea especially if you’ll be flying. It’s also wise to put your lotions, shampoos or body wash in small containers so you don’t take up all the space. When possible, use sachets and travel sizes.

Of course, don’t forget your airline tickets, your money, your identification cards and your itinerary. If you’re travelling international, make sure that you have your passport wallet with you – containing your passport of course! These items should also be accessible so you don’t have to rummage your bags during check in or security checks.

When you’ve adopted these travel light tips, you can surely enjoy your trip knowing that you don’t have to rely on your friends and travel buddies to help you carry your bags. By making your travel physically light, you are allowing yourself to travel with a light heart and mind as well. With this, you can then truly say that travelling light is indeed a state of mind!

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