By DYLAN McKENZIE

Staff Writer

With the holiday season fast approaching, many people already are searching for the perfect gifts to give to their loved ones. For many people, no gift is more special than the one they give to their significant other.

Selecting a gift for a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife can be a difficult task for some, and easy for others. The process is based on how well you know your partner. While some people might like fancy jewelry or expensive clothes, others might appreciate a more personal gift, such as a personalized coffee mug or other item. It all comes down to knowing what your partner would enjoy.

Some gifts stand out this holiday season. At Sears, popular gifts for the men in your life include a variety of tools. One of the hot new items for the handyman in your house is the Craftsman Flex Claw hammer. This hammer has the feature of an adjustable claw, allowing the user to set it in the best position for the job at hand. The claw can be locked into four different positions, allowing the user to get the proper leverage for the job at hand, and also includes a magnetic point just under the hammer head, allowing for perfect and easy positioning of the nail before driving it home.

Another popular item in the hardware department is another Craftsman product, the heated jacket. This black winter jacket features five heating zones inside the jacket to keep the wearer warm and tasty when working outdoors in the cold of winter. With a pricetag of $179, salesman Nick Nonanck said that the jackets are a consistently popular item.

“We usually sell a ton of the jackets,” Nonack said, adding that they are a popular gift for both men and women.

According to Lisa Kindler, regional manager of public relations and special events for Boscov’s department store at the Ohio Valley Mall, the must-have items her store is selling this year are mainly clothes. Kindler said the most popular items for women include flannel shirts with leggings, open front cardigans, ponchos and capes, and A-line skirts with boots, booties or “shootie” (boots with their heels or toes cut out.) For men, jeans and flannels are popular gifts, as well as sweaters. Kindler added that “ugly” Christmas sweaters “are HUGE this year.”

Some gifts aren’t exclusively for men or women, but can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their gender. For many, a good book can make a very satisfying gift, and the Books-a-Million bookstore at the Ohio Valley Mall is ready to satisfy all of your literature needs.

According to BAM employee Val Zaminksi, some of the popular books that are out for the Christmas season include the new novel by Nicholas Sparks, “Two By Two.” Sparks is a popular author, whose latest book sees a man whose life is suddenly turned upside down, struggling to adjust to becoming a single parent. For those looking for a more historically-inclined read, Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan” might be a good selection. And for those shopping for the music lover in their life, the autobiography of American rock star Bruce Springsteen, “Born to Run,” could be the perfect gift. No matter who you are shopping for, there is certain to be a book for the bibliophile in your life.

With so many options to choose from, from the many local and department stores, shopping for the perfect gift for your partner may seem like a daunting challenge. The key is really knowing your significant other, because what some people may like just isn’t for others. Once you have an idea of what your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend may be interested in, options suddenly open up for you, and finding that perfect gift for him or her isn’t that much of a problem at all.