Gift giving is something I love to do and I like to think I’m pretty good at it. I spend a lot of time throughout the year paying attention to what people say, hint at, etc.; and it’s no different for my husband. I pay attention to what he mentions in passing that he would like, things he tags me in on Facebook, and I take notice when we are at the store and he’s looking at something in particular. I take those hints, tags, and mentions and give them for birthdays and Christmas. One year, it was the Apple TV. He had been mentioning for a while about how neat it would be to have his phone on the big screen. I was so excited for him to open it! In an ironic twist of fate, that same Christmas, we noticed something as we both handed each other our presents. I looked at his gift to me, he looked at mine, and we noticed they were the same size box. Sure enough, they were the same present – an Apple TV. Ha!
Fast forward a year or two after that, we realized that it was getting harder and harder to buy presents for each other and was becoming more of a chore. Now that we have kids, it was also getting harder and harder to have time for just the two of us. So last year we decided that instead of purchasing a material item for each other for Christmas, we would do something together; like a more extravagant date night. We’ve only done one so far, but it was magical. We did a dinner train ride in Cincinnati on New Year’s Eve. It was so much fun getting all dressed up and experiencing something new and different with each other. This year, we are going to see Trans Siberian Orchestra when they are in town.
We also have ideas stored away for future years.
- To spend a night away in a local bed and breakfast or hotel
- Attend more concerts
- See a play
- Have a fancy dinner together
- Visit a winery or beer tasting event
It takes a lot of pressure off of us to get the “perfect” gift and we get a romantic night away to reconnect. It’s a new tradition we have started and are thoroughly enjoying. What traditions do you have for your gift to your husband/wife?