It's always been a secret hope of mine that my best friends' husbands will ask my advice about gifts for their wives. Occasionally, I make mental notes about potential gifts... just in case.
But I've never been asked.
Until last week.
I was given a mission from a friend's husband to find out if she wanted the Item That Shall Not Be Named.
I was pumped. I loved the idea of going under cover, so I started contemplating how I could work the Item That Shall Not Be Named into conversation in such a way that would indicate whether she would like The Item.
Sadly, I failed.
I only saw my friend in short spurts over the past week, and we didn't have time for any real conversation. I thought about working it into a text message, but I wasn't sure I could pull it off without her getting suspicious. Face-to-face I could have done with no problem, but it just didn't work out. Technically I still have a week left, but the Item is something that wouldn't be obtainable by Christmas.
Anyway, all of that is leading up to this: I mentioned on Facebook that I had this secret hope, and that I had finally been asked to help, and I had failed. A few minutes after I posted that status, someone texted me for help! He gave me a chance to redeem myself. I gave him a few ideas, and then I got really excited and decided to make a list of ideas here.*
I definitely can't speak for all wives. I know women who hate gifts from their husbands that I would love. We are all different, so hopefully you know enough about your wife to read this list and know if it's a good idea or not. If your wife hates it, please don't hate me. If she loves it, though, feel free to take full credit. You don't even have to tell her if you got the idea here. I've got your back!
Some of these things might be too late to acquire in time, but most of them you can get this week in time for Christmas!
Here are a few ideas:
For the LDS mom who likes to document by hand:
The Mormon Mom Planner
(Locals can buy them at the Quilted Bear)
(Want something similar without the religious theme? Try an Erin Condren planner).
DO NOT BUY THIS FOR: The wife who already has a really good calendaring/planning system in place. You don't want to mess with something that is already working for her.
For the overwhelmed mom who needs a break:
Book a hotel room for her and some friends to have a night away
For the LDS wife who needs a break or needs spiritual nourishment:
Two tickets to a Time Out For Women in your area - she can take her mom, her best friend, or her sister and enjoy a weekend of uplifting messages
For the wife who needs some time with YOU:
Tickets to "Date Nights With Dr. Matt" (hopefully she takes YOU!)
Plan a day date where you take off work and spend the day together - just make sure this doesn't end up being a lot of work for her. Make babysitting arrangements, if necessary, so she doesn't have to worry about the kids.
A copy of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman - which you will then read together (and therein lies the catch!) Set aside one night a week to read a chapter and complete the exercises
For the pregnant wife:
A grabber tool (they have them lots of places - mine is from Harbor Freight and is about $10)
A long handle dustpan
DO NOT BY THIS FOR: A wife who might think you are implying that she is fat or incapable (I happen to not be like that - I love these things, but I think there are some women that would be offended. Use caution).
For the wife who likes make-up and/or beauty products (or the wife who would like make-up and/or beauty products but doesn't like to spend money on herself:
A subscription for Ipsy or Birchbox - for $10 a month, your wife can get a sampler bag of beauty products in the mail each month. You can cancel any time. She will need to fill out her beauty profile for her subscription, so perhaps you can present her with a homemade certificate and then have her fill out her profile to get things started. As with all recommendations, just make sure the work on her part is minimal
A sampler box from Ulta - the selection for these changes all the time, but Ulta has boxes for around $10 that have some several sample-sized beauty products (I love the hair product sampler boxes but also wouldn't mind a skincare box). Just walk into an Ulta and ask an employee if they have any sampler boxes that your wife might like.
DO NOT BUY THESE FOR: Women who have sensitivity or allergies to beauty products. She probably won't appreciate a stockpile of things she can't use.
For the wife who's always cold:
A heated blanket
Warm slippers or fuzzy socks
A plush robe
A long coat that covers her bum (The Sam's Club on 300 W. has some right now for $45)
A space heater
A THOUGHT: If your wife is always cold, there's a good chance she already has some of these things. Avoid duplication unless you know she loves having multiples. For example, if she can never get enough fuzzy socks, you're good to go, but if she has ten pairs, she might be set already.
For the wife who loves to cook and/or entertain:
Any of the Pioneer Woman products from Walmart - I have my eye on some of the serving bowls and casserole dishes
For the mom who loves to display her children's artwork:
Front opening picture frames from IKEA - these frames fit a standard sized piece of paper and open from the front, so Mom can swap out artwork daily if needed
For the woman who loves to write:
Adhesive pen loops
Other ideas:
Gift certificate for family photos (locals might want to check out Fotofly or Camera Shy. They are not the highest quality, but they are convenient and affordable. For around $100, you can get photos taken of your entire family, plus individuals of all the kids, and you can get them on a flash drive THAT SAME DAY, and have them printed wherever you want. Just keep in mind that your wife might want to buy clothes for everyone for the photos, so that will add to the expense.
Hair wrap towels - somebody gave me these for my birthday a few years ago, and I thought they were ridiculous until I tried them. Now it's all I use! If your wife has longer hair and walks around the house with her head wrapped in a towel every morning, these are a great idea. If she has short hair, she probably won't use them.
Terry cloth robe - this is a towel-like robe. I use mine right out of the shower (with my hair wraps, of course). I don't use bath towels. A plush robe is comfortable but doesn't absorb water well. Terry cloth can sometimes be hard to fine. Amazon has them for around $30, and right now, our local IKEA has a nice white one for $19.99.
Custom jewelry from Emily J Design on etsy.com. You're too late to have it in time for this year, but just in case you need something in the future, this Etsy shop makes jewelry with custom engravings. You can have your wife's favorite saying or a short inspiring message engraved on a ring. You can even have it done in your own handwriting! Another idea is to have your children's drawings made into a pendant (necklace). The ideas are endless! If you order the wrong ring size, they will adjust it for you for free! I ordered something from this shop this year, but I haven't received it yet. I'll update this post with more information after I have seen the product. Normally I wouldn't recommend jewelry, but customized jewelry that is meaningful is different.
*I am not affiliated with any of these companies or products and am not being compensated for sharing them.
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