While I have no special credentials in the gift giving department, as a giver and receiver of holiday presents, I offer the following pointers:

1. For everyone but your true love, cash is king. Although it might be viewed as impersonal, everyone is happy to receive money to spend as they please.

2. Gift cards are second best. Try and pick a store that the recipient enjoys shopping in and watch out for hidden charges and expiration dates. The Simon gift card at Town Center at Boca Raton costs $2.00 to purchase and if the recipient has not used it up at the end of 12 months, there is a $2.50 service charge per month.

3. Food and drink gifts are okay if done tastefully. Bringing a salami from Publix doesn't cut it, but a nice thoughtfully put together gift basket is always appreciated.

4. Unless you are 100% certain that you really know the recipient, do not give a gift that can not be returned. Be especially careful of holiday boutiques. Although you might love that unique one of a kind item, it could end up sitting unused in a drawer or closet.

5. Always ask for and place a gift receipt in your present. By the time the receiver goes to exchange the item, it will probably be on sale. Unless you want to charitably support your local department store, a gift receipt assures that you get full credit for the item.

6. The best gift that you receive may actually be one that you give. Instead of giving presents to each other, the employees of the Florida Institute for Periodontics and Dental Implants in Boca Raton each purchased a gift for a child for $25. The gifts were donated to the children in the oncology and cystic fibrosis wards at St. Mary's Medical Center. The children loved the gifts and the joy of making them happy was much more meaningful than the receipt of a $25 present.

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