After spending years with a significant other or spouse sometimes buying gifts can be daunting, especially if your husband or wife has everything they need.
Walt and I on Christmas Day, 2009. It was our first Christmas as a married couple and I was pregnant with Chloé! Ahhh, memories!
My husband Walt and I are definitely in that boat this year. This will be our 9th Christmas as a couple and our focus for this holiday season is mostly on prepping for our second child together, that’s due three weeks after Christmas!
We’ve been renovating parts of the house, moving rooms around, buying nursery furniture and will soon have medical bills to add to the list.
I know other parents feel my pain, it can definitely get crazy around the holidays, especially when you have other children.
So, instead of putting a price limit on gifts this year, (I think it’s silly to do that. And it’s not because I have oodles of money to spend), it’s because I can find an awesome gift for him for $10-20.
So, I came up with an idea of having our gifts for each other share a theme.
Something They Need:
While it may not be as surprising to get a “necessary” gift, it’s definitely helpful and you can still get creative. For example, something I ask for every year and feel that I “need” is a new pair of slippers. Walt gets me a pair EVERY year, and I wear them constantly! This kind of gift would be perfect in this category. And for him, he’s mentioned how he needs a new power tool battery. Not exactly exciting, but he’s mentioned it a few times, so that might be something I buy him.
Something They Want:
We all hope to get a little something that we want but may not get around to buying for ourselves, so this is pretty much open to anything. It could range from new makeup to an electronic device to a massage. I can probably think of a few things my husband would want without breaking the bank.
Something YOU Think They’d Like:
This is a fun category because this gift can literally be ANYTHING. I like to buy Walt a new book every year, and it’s always been a success. I usually pick out something he hasn’t heard of and he ends up loving it. This category could also be tickets to an event or a new article of clothing. Anything works.
We just thought breaking gifts down into a theme this year could jazz things up and let us get creative. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I’ve lost the creative part in the past just trying to buy gifts in time for Christmas.
One thing we didn’t give up on doing this year was stockings. We both have some fun filling up each others stockings, so we are going to keep that tradition.
How do you and your significant other exchange gifts?
This is great Court! I am definitely doing this!
Thanks Kait!!
My hubby is so hard to shop for because he likes super specific things! I end up buying him something with the knowledge that it was in the category of what he wantedand he will exchange it for the exact one he wants! lol
That just made me giggle out loud! I think I’m a bit like you’re husband…I’m kind of specific myself! haha
This is cool! I seriously never know what to get my husband. He is so hard to buy for! We haven’t exchanged gifts in a couple years though, hoping to bring that tradition back!
It’s a fun tradition even if gifts are small. 🙂 As they say, it’s the thought that counts.
The hubs and I use Elfster to create wish lists of things we would like, and I do most of my shopping from that. We don’t spend a lot on each other, but it’s a lot of fun to pore over his list! 🙂
I’ve never heard of Elfster, I’ll have to check it out, sounds cool!
We usually ask for something we would like and wouldn’t usually buy for ourself. I’m hoping Santa brings me an iMac but it’s totally doubtful 😉
Oooh an iMac would be awesome! It’s def possible Santa is making those these days, no? 🙂
I love that and it’s something I pretty much follow for my daughter too!
Thanks Sarah!
We don’t actually exchange christmas presents. Small presents for birthdays but we focus christmas on the kids, and before kids we would buy ourselves something we wanted for the house.
Christmas is definitely for the kids! With that said, my Chloé is the only I’ve bought for so far!
We haven’t exchanged gifts in a few years. We usually plan a little getaway instead after the new year. Although, now that we are buying a house that might change a bit this year. 🙂
To be completely honest, I wouldn’t mind if we didn’t exchange….but three small-ish gifts should be OK for this year. A getaway sounds nice Candice! I’ll have mine while in the hospital with new baby in January! haha
Since we had kids I’m the one who says “don’t get me anything” and then he buys stuff I don’t want or need. I think we should do something like this.
It’s so true how having kids changes everything. But in a good way, of course!
We usually do exchange gifts but this year we are not. We are doing our basement so trying to save for that. With that being said, I did ask him for a DVD case rack. I hope I get it!
Hey you might? The DVD case rack can go in your new basement and enjoyed by all. 🙂