Seriously. I know you're thinking, "I need a gift that sweeps my honey off her feet, so I'll get her that electronic broom," but when she opens that wrapped gift to find an appliance inside, she's going to be thinking, "He's saying I don't clean the steps enough, isn't he? And he didn't even get me anything personal. Oh, no! He's saying he wants to sweep me out of his life!" As she bursts into tears and rush from the room, you are now wishing you bought something a bit different. (Not a sweater that ends up being a size too large, either. Been there, done that!)

No matter what your wife, your mom, your girlfriend, or your daughter says about wanting to be practical this year, you should never, ever buy her an appliance as a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas gift unless she specifically asks for a specific gadget and specifies that she'd like it to be a gift. To her, getting an appliance as a gift means that you want her to do some work around the house.

If you feel that you absolutely must give her a new vacuum cleaner or a new washing machine, at least make sure it is not the only gift. A romantic, thoughtful gift, even if it is small, will take away some of the "Does he think of me as a housekeeper instead of his sweetie now?" sting.

If you love that skimpy sheer red negligee, go ahead and buy it. Just don't wrap it as a gift for the woman in your life. That slinky nightwear is not a personal, thoughtful gift for her. Giving someone something that you want them to wear...well, it is kind of like opening a package of new underwear. Yeah, maybe your comfy old ones are holey, but new underwear for a birthday? Reminds you of Aunt Bee's care packages, doesn't it?

Here's how to buy clothing for a woman:

Start by making sure you know her size. Don't guess. Pick up a few things she wears all the time and look at the tags. Write down the information so you don't forget. Pay attention to things like PM on the tags. (PM means Petite Medium. If you ignore the P, everything you buy will be too long for her.)

Then, watch her for a few days to see what colors and styles she wears. You may even want to develop a sudden interest in photography and snap a few photos of her wearing outfits she likes so you can show actual clothes to a salesperson so she or he can help you make the right choices.

Next, shop for things that match her size and preference. Ask for gift receipts as you buy. Women's clothing is weird and doesn't always fit right even if we buy the right size and style, so even if she loves it, she may need to exchange it for something that fits.

Finally, wrap the gift beautifully, complete with a nice bow. (If you aren't a wrapper, get the store to wrap it for you.) Handing her a store bag with a sweater stuffed inside just is not the same!