Oh, the delicious, distracting challenges of the holiday season! Now more than ever, you need cheering up, and what could be more diverting than shopping for your baby sister, your glamorous auntie, your best friends? (Okay, so you hate your aunt and never could stand your sister—you still have to buy them gifts—might as well make it as fun as possible.)

Surely there is at least one fearless female on your list who would squeal with delightful for an And Mary ceramic bulldog ring (yes, I want this) or a SoundsuitShop inflatable punching bag (okay, so maybe not for me, but I have a colleague who would sigh and die for this item). Let’s celebrate our infinite variety! Don’t you know at least one giftee who would swoon for a Sonia Rykiel sequined cropped top? Not even one? Then I guess your pals, unlike mine, only want things like a Tangram Smart Rope?

All of which brings up another delightful conundrum: Even more difficult than finding the right thing for someone else is indicating to your partner, your parents, your beloved comrades—exactly what it is you yourself want.

We say—don’t be subtle! Moan, groan, point, whine, beg! Yes, you will lose your dignity, but what is personal honor compared with a pair of scarlet satin crystal-bedecked Roger Vivier evening slides?

Above, our suggestions for feminine, feminist giving.