PRESENTS Gifts for those who make life livable

Finding the right gift requires a little more thought.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
MIAMI -- Once a year, a quandary arises over what to give to the people who make your life livable -- your housekeeper, baby-sitter, doorman, manicurist, secretary, piano instructor.
Some believe it's important to buy a gift that has nothing to do with the service that person provides as an acknowledgment that she's more than her work. Others think the holidays are a chance to enhance job performance with special accouterments.
But if you're buying something for Keith Ayotte, creative director of Vidal Sassoon in South Beach, Fla., nix anything in the hair department.
"Me, I prefer gifts that do not pertain to the trade," Ayotte says. He likes it when clients bring in homemade food -- a cake maybe. Wine, too. Or two tickets to an event, "to a concert, the ballet, the theatre."
Laurence Pagan, director of the Fifth Avenue Club at Saks Fifth Avenue in Miami's Dadeland Mall, whose clients often ask her to shop for their hired help, advocates spending the most on people whose services make the most difference. "If I could afford it, I would give the maid a mink coat," she says.
When it comes to hygiene, there are barbers, pedicurists, facialists and the poor souls who wax away back hair. Since these are the people who work hard to make you look good, why not turn the table? Consider buying trendy items they can wear, anything from brooches for women to belts and patterned socks for men.
Kids' stuff
Children have their own team of service providers, including teachers, tutors and art instructors. Stationery stores stock desktop items, like leather boxes and chrome folder-holders that might be apropos.
Those who educate children might also enjoy an hour of relaxation or pampering -- something decidedly unintellectual. Consider buying them a manicure or body cream.
For those in their 30s or older, gifts for the kitchen are also a good choice and don't require intimate knowledge of one's tastes.
Finding the right gift for the doorman requires a little more thought. After all, this is the guy who welcomes you home daily. The Windbrella, an umbrella whose double canopies defy strong wind gusts, might be just the thing.
The umbrella, made by a Boynton Beach company, costs $29.95 at www.windbrella.net. But if that seems a little self-serving, try Brookstone's indoor/outdoor suede slippers for $75 to suggest he get out of the rain and kick back.
Irene Pariserband, director of personal shopping for Neiman Marcus at Merrick Park in Coral Gables, Fla., has this bit of advice when buying for a workplace assistant: "Stay away from something for the desk."
Alternatives
Instead, she said, try an evening compact "since that's not something you usually buy yourself." For secretaries, Pagan of Saks Fifth Avenue suggests a blouse or pearl necklace. For bankers, she often picks out "a great cologne or tie."
And if all else fails, remember that (other than for office employees) you can always quadruple a typical tip. Just use the nice envelopes.