Let Her Pick Out Her Own Present:
Some people strongly dislike giving gift cards as a present because they see it as boring and unoriginal. But I strongly disagree! When done with thought, a nice collection of gift cards to all her favorite stores can be an “experience” – a one-way ticket inviting her to go have a carefree day of shopping all to herself.
Store Gift Cards. To do this right, make sure you pick out ones to her absolute favorite stores. My wife simply loves gift cards to her favorite clothing stores like Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, and NY & Co. She also loves to buy junk for the house at TJ Maxx. You could buy these gift cards directly or get them for free if you’re signed up with a great credit card rewards program. In fact, many issuers are offering great credit cards for Christmas in the lead up to the festive season.
Plus, have you ever tried to buy clothes or stuff for the house for your wife? It usually isn’t what SHE would have picked out. So by letting her find the things she wants herself not only gives her something fun to do, but it also guarantees that what get’s bought will be the thing she actually wants to wear or decorate the house with.
Coffee Gift Card. My wife loves a good cup of coffee, especially if it comes from one of her favorite places like Tim Horton’s, Coffee Beanery, or Starbucks. Along the same lines as the other gift card suggestion, this gives her the opportunity to treat herself to a nice deluxe drink without the guilt of spending $3 to $4. It’s a good stocking-stuffer idea!
Spa Gift Card. What girl doesn’t like to be pampered? Most spas have some pretty decent packages you can purchase in advance that will give her a day of spoils. You could treat her to a new haircut and color, a manicure, a pedicure, or the ultimate gift – a nice relaxing hour long massage! For anyone who’s never had a professional massage, it is money well spent!
Project around the house. If your wife is stuck on home improvement shows (like mine is) and really wants new flooring or cabinets, etc. then why not be grown-ups and agree that that will be your gift to each other that year. In years past my wife and I have done new ceiling fans, light fixtures, a back splash, hardwood floors, and a few other home improvements. And believe me – once the project is done and the house is looking fresh, you’ll both agree that it was money well spent.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Her That She Can Open Christmas Morning:
Okay, so I realize that opening a gift card, despite the best of intentions, may not go over as the greatest thing in the world … even if it will be really fun to get out there and spend them all. If you’re really itching to buy her something physical that she can actually use, then consider these:
Tablet Computer. This thing has become literally glued to my wife. It is much, much, much more convenient to simply grab your tablet and quickly check your email or Facebook on the living room couch than it is to wait for your big clunky laptop to load up or formally sit down at the desktop PC. Tablets are way more fun than just being eReaders. My wife plays Words with Friends, checks Facebook, reads emails, searches the Internet, and does a done more with it. Plus our kids really enjoy using it too.
In terms of price, the Kindle Fire HD line has been getting some pretty positive reviews. They have both small and larger versions of this device now. If you really must go with the market leader, the iPad line is also an undeniably good purchase as well.
Jewelry. As cliché as some people think buying jewelry is, I really have never met a girl that didn’t like getting something small and sparkly for a gift. The main thing to keep in mind here is that you need to know what she likes! Do this wrong, and you’ll end up buying something that sits in her dresser and never gets worn. To guarantee your success, playfully take her into a number of jewelry stores the next time you’re at the mall, and see what she likes. Gold or silver? Round or square? Large or dainty? Let her point out (or try on) the ones that catch her eye, and take notes! A lot of stores have some pretty fantastic jewelry sales around Christmas, so don’t feel like you need to spend a fortune to get something that is nice and high quality.
The Get-Away:
If you’re low on ideas for physical gifts, then don’t bother! Give her the gift of escaping from everyday life by showing her a good time:
Date Night. How about planning out a night at a local fine restaurant and then going to see a show? Check Restaurant.com
to find some good deals on local, non-chain restaurants in your town. More savings means ordering some of delicious and exotic dishes that wouldn’t normally buy. Follow that up with going beyond the movies and going to see a live show someplace. Most towns have a local comedy club which can be a really good time – everyone likes a good laugh! Want something more serious? Spring for tickets to a local play or show. Just make sure it’s something she’d be interested in seeing!
Overnight vacation. Take the date night up one level by finding a babysitter (Grandma, Grandpa?) and planning a swanky overnight vacation somewhere. My wife and I did this last summer with Niagara Falls, and we found some very affordable packages that were stacked full of things to do like riding a ferry down in the Falls, wine tasting, etc. Make sure you have an itinerary full of things to do (and they don’t necessarily need to be expensive activities) so that the fun doesn’t stop!
Weapon X:
Okay, if you’ve been on the edge about each of these gift ideas and still need one more suggestion, here it is.
A cleaning lady. Yes, I said it. A cleaning lady. Have a person come to your house every two weeks and do your cleaning. I got this for my wife a few years back and it goes down in history as the greatest gift she has ever received. And let’s face it – between the stress of a full time job, raising two kids, a husband who gets home around 7 every night, and everything else that comes with having a family and house, she loves being able to look forward to a little extra help every so often.
Plus it’s really not as expensive as you’d think. The person we use is just an individual (not with a company) who is looking for side money, so her hours are flexible and her wage is very reasonable.
One caveat to this gift – if you get it, be prepared to be in for the long haul! Three years later we still use our cleaning lady. But I will admit – Seeing the amount of stress it has shaved off my wife is 100% worth it! If you don’t want to miss the opportunity to give her something tangible, look for a relatable off-the-wall gift to make her laugh a bit.
Readers – What good Christmas gift ideas for her do you have?
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Great tips MMD! Gift cards can be good, especially if it’s to somewhere they love. My wife also loves coffee gift cards, they’re like Gold for her so I always get points for that. Sometimes I’ll combine a date night with taking her out shopping to pick out something she wants. That way I get to watch her have the fun to shop and also she gets to do it kid free, which is HUGE in her book.
John, you and I do the same exact thing! As much as we love our kids, setting the stage for a work/kid stress free day is one of the best presents you can give.
These are all great ideas. This year we decided that instead of getting each other gifts we would get a dog. I like getting gifts for my wife for Christmas, but it just made sense this year since we have had a lost of expenses related to our new house.
A dog!? That’s a pretty awesome gift to give each other. What kind? My wife keeps trying to get me to do this also. She wants a little small dog. But I keep reminding her that we already have an extra large Beagle, and he would probably eat the little dog. 🙂
I bought my mom a Roomba one year (a la your cleaning lady suggestion) and her reaction was “Is that all I am to you – a maid!?” So that idea kind of fell flat on its face.
Reading this list made me realize how difficult I am to shop for, as I honestly wouldn’t want anything on it (except the get-aways). But that’s why my husband and I don’t give each other gifts and save our money for experiences together!
Well, I knew this list wouldn’t satisfy everyone. Glad to see the get-away caught your attention. Even though they are short, they can be a lot of fun; especially for busy couples. I’ve started to look forward to places my wife and I can escape to over getting physical gifts.
I got my girlfriend a data plan for a year for her cell phone. She couldn’t afford it this year but wanted one bad so I paid this for her in advance!
Nice gift! Like my cleaning lady, that’s one that you’ll keep paying for even after it leaves the “present” phase. But who cares – treating our wives / girlfriends right is kind of what this is all about.
I’ve been bouncing back and forth between a few things this year: I’d really like to get her some warm clothes (especially college/team-related ones), but I’ve also been considering the spa stuff. We just bought new phones and I think we’ll be using the Christmas cash we get to buy an iPad, so both of those options are out.
You’re going to love the iPad!
These are all good ideas!
I know I am nearly impossible to buy for. I have everything I want and need and am pretty resentful of “stuff” in general! It makes it hard. Poor Greg.
Finally – my list is girl approved! Don’t make it hard on Greg! Go on a small getaway – all couples could use these more often!
I think those are all great suggestion. I think a general gift card is probably not a good idea because most women like to feel that their guy really put some thought into what they are buying. But as spa gift card? Now we’re talking. One thing I would say to NEVER buy your lady (unless she asks) is anything related to fitness. You’re in for some deep trouble and a major cold shoulder if you do that. 🙂
I once bought her workout pants and they just went right back to the store. Good point – don’t even come close to anything fitness related.
I’ve been doing big cook lately, so that I’ll have a dinner vacation for a few weeks afterwards. My husband is doing a big cook this weekend with some of his guy friends. Us ladies are all getting a dinner vacation. SUCH a wonderful gift! I can hardly wait.
Is there anything better then when someone else cooks you good food?
These are all great tips! My usual strategy is just to ask my wife what she’d like and then buy it, lol. It’s not the most thoughtful, but it works like a charm and she gets exactly what she wants.
That used to work for me too, but we’ve both gotten progressively harder to buy for. I’m glad she makes it easy on you – keep that up for as long as you can!
Cleaning lady is definitely a great idea for a gift. I know my wife would love it. Personally, I have always used the “SPA Gift cards” and you can never go wrong there!
You can’t go wrong with the Spa gift cards. If you can find someone you trust, the cleaning lady is pretty incredible.
I’ve got to agree that gift cards are great, especially when you don’t know what to get someone. My BF got me a GC for a spa and it was a fantastic gift.
Another vote for the spa gift card! Girls are loving these!
The present doesn’t matter too much to me, as long as I feel like the person giving has put thought and effort into it I would be happy.
You are right about that. Presents are fun, but its more about having someone who understands you that matters.
Loosk like since you’ve already used up all of your best ideas….the granite countertops are all that’s left 🙂 You are a great gift giver! Gift cards and all!
Diamonds. Granite. You’ve really got a thing for pretty rocks …
I am thinking about giving my sister a few hours of cleaning lady for Christmas. She and her husband moved into a big house and it has taken a toll on their relationship. It is a great gift, and partly tax deductible in France. Otherwise I like the experiences, ticket for a show, a musical, a concert, of your other half´s taste is a great way to share a good time together.
You touch on an interesting topic – I think cleaning and household chores can be a big wedge in relationships. So even though the cleaning lady idea may seem extreme, there might be some merit to how it will appeal to your relationship. Tax deductible doesn’t sound too bad either!
Buying clothes for your wife can be very dangerous. If you buy the wrong size…well it’s just not a good idea.
I usually look for stuff that she likes. Right now she’s interested in this Asylum that they renovated in Traverse City, a resort town in north Michigan. I’m thinking about buying her this really nice photo book of the hospital. She’s big on photos and this hospital. It might seem like a lame gift to most people, but I almost guarantee that she’ll love it.
Now that will be a great gift! My parents and sister vacation there every Summer. I’ll have to look that place up and see if they’ve ever visited it. It sounds really cool!
A cleaning lady?! Okay, you win. Best. gift. ever.
That was a pretty over the top gift. I’m glad its Mommy approved!
I would do back flips for a cleaning lady, but the practical side of me probably couldn’t go for it until we are debt free. I actually love gift cards for just about anything. This year we got a tablet for the family and are not really doing individual gifts. We decided to give our daughter $20 each to buy something for mom and dad and let her pick it out. My husband just might might get Hello Kitty socks, but it should be really fun.
Ha, there’s nothing better than seeing what the kids pick out for you when you set them free on their own with some cash. Sometimes they surprise with their rationale!
What would make my wife the happiest, without a doubt, is a date night.. If only I could line up a babysitter, then we could make that happen.. 🙂
At today’s rates, the Babysitter may eat up your entire gift budget. Hopefully you can make this happen (and soon)!
I wouldn’t mind a spa gift card! *hint hint to bf if he reads this*
Another vote for the Spa GC. Men, pay attention!