Just because you are married to someone doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to be good at everything. One of the real pains for married guys is finding just the right present for his wife. Whether this is birthdays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or maybe the big one, the end of year holiday bliss, shopping for Christmas gifts is tough work. Lucky for us, there are some general rules to follow so that you and your wife will have a wonderful Christmas and so that she is not disappointed.
Begin with What She Likes
Begin at the Beginning: Maybe the first thing you should do for your wife’s Christmas shopping list is begin where you always should, at the beginning. In this case that means start your wife’s Christmas shopping with the lady in question. What is it that she really loves? Does she have Kenny G posters up around the house and a blaring alto sax playing through the hi-fi in her car every time you get in? Why not get her some Kenny G memorabilia that she doesn’t have? Or tickets to a show featuring the guy?
Is your wife an avid John Grisham lover who has read his whole catalog? Why not float some ideas for authors you found who are similar to Grisham so that she’s got a new favorite author? Does your wife have tarot cards and candles everywhere? Is she always reading people’s palms and doing strange ouija board stuff around the house? Even if you don’t know the first thing about this stuff that doesn’t mean you can’t find out what she wants, find out what she doesn’t have and then get that for her. Begin your gift search at the beginning and you will have a much smoother time.
Think About Her Aspirations
What Would She Become: Another way to look at your gift giving exercise is by looking at what she years to become. Is your wife always doodling really good artwork but she just never puts herself first? Why not enroll her in a creative artwork class at the college or in an art studio? It could be just the thing she needs to pursue her dreams. Maybe your wife is always bemoaning the political climate in your local area or in our nation! Why not get her involved with a local area political action group? This could spurn her on to make changes and take the world by storm. If you look at where you think your wife wants to be headed that can be a great inspiration for her to go where she wants to.
What Hobbies Does She Enjoy?
Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker: If none of these women are your wife and you’re still left scratching your head, why not try and get her gifts for what you think she would enjoy? If you go back to high school or middle school you will remember that boys got the woodshop class while girls got the home economics class. Does your wife enjoy cooking? Knitting? Crocheting? Baking? Does she just not do it for reasons you can’t understand? Getting her the tools at her disposal to do the things you think she might like to do could spurn on a whole other side for your wife that you have never seen before. All you need to do is light the fuse.
Fitness Gifts
Fitness for Life: Another thing which every person should try and get under wraps is fitness. If we are not fit earlier in life we are going to have problems later on. So encouraging your wife to get up and get active is a great way to be. Maybe you buy her a bicycle (and helmet!) so that she can take rides around your home. Maybe you buy her a yoga mat and some DVD’s if you think that would be more her speed.
Maybe you get her some classes at the local fitness studio to see what she gravitates towards. Maybe you just get her and yourself a gym membership so that you both can go tougher and get on a fitness path together. Fitness is one of those things that we all think we don’t have enough time for. But imagine what your life would be like in 20 or 30 years when you are no longer working and are ailing and unable to enjoy retirement because you didn’t do what you needed to do when you still could. On the flip side, if your wife will just interpret a fitness gift as a way for you to tell her she is fat – don’t do it. Make sure this is something she will appreciate.
Go with Tradition
Traditions: A final angle to go for your wife’s Christmas gifts is to stick with traditions. What is it that your wife’s family did for Christmas ever year? What was it that you and your family partook in? What are some things that you and your wife used to do that you no longer do? How can you rekindle some of that holiday magic? Making your Christmas gifts about Christmas traditions that you both would enjoy is great. Turning it around to something that you have never really enjoyed before and maybe your wife has shied away from as a result really shows her how much you car. Do the right thing by your wife and really make an effort to expand your horizons this Christmas.
Still Stuck…Here are More Ideas
Simple Jewelry Ideas
Jewelry is a wonderful Christmas gift and if you are doing last minute shopping, you can still get something beautiful. Just purchase a new pair of earrings for her, rings or pearls or something else that looks beautiful and goes with her style. Why don’t you make it more unique by getting her a locket and putting a special picture in it or by getting her a charm that is personalized?
Get a Subscription
If you have no chance to go to a store, then the only way to get a gift to her on time is to send an electronically-delivered holiday present. Magazine subscriptions are a wonderful idea and you can choose magazines about fashion, cooking, or whatever topic she likes. Also you can purchase a voucher from iTunes if she enjoys downloading music, films or TV programs. That way, she can pick her own gift, but it is somewhat less personal.
Clothing & Accessories
This is something that will require you visit a store, but you will be able to find a gift, even if it’s Christmas Eve. Take your time – and be certain that you get something that will look good on her in the correct size. If it’s becoming increasingly difficult finding clothing that would suit her, another option is to pick an accessory such as a good quality scarf. She’ll be completely unaware that you bought it at the last minute!
A Special Trip or Guide
If you haven’t bought a gift from a store here is an idea for you. Currently the Internet is great for purchasing travel vouchers, day trips, or even scheduling a romantic vacation. Do you know of a better surprise than taking her to a unique place on Christmas? You could just wait until Christmas morning and give her travel guide books. You will both have a lot of fun deciding where to take a trip!
Gift giving is tough and finding the right gift for the right person is not something that is all that easy. However if you feel as though you haven’t made much of an effort before or if your fickle wife never seems satisfied with what you give her, this year, redouble your efforts and really try and show her what a great guy you are.
The amazing thing about choosing these holidays gifts is the she won’t notice this was done at the last minute. If you don’t have a lot of time for buying a gift, you can still be thoughtful. She will be very grateful for it! Buying your wife just the right Christmas present this year can have lasting effects and really change the direction your wife’s life has been going on to this point. Aren’t hope and change what the spirit of the season are really all about?
