This post is for all the confused men out there! The men who are paralyzed with terror as they wander aimlessly down the aisle having absolutely no idea what to buy for their women (whether that woman be your wife, mom, or daughter). Yes, you. And please know that you are not alone.

Early in our marriage, my husband bought me a bra for my birthday (because he knew I needed one, good idea…right?). No. Not exactly my idea of a romantic gift! Let your woman buy her own undergarments. He has come a long way since then. Nowadays, my husband is good at giving gifts. The reason he’s good is because he learned the secret. Are you ready? And here it is…

Women want to feel special, loved, and appreciated. If you put thought and effort into a gift, you are communicating that she is worth your time and effort.

You are communicating that she is loved and appreciated.

And that’s all we really want.

Hints:

• Write something in the card!
• Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes carry lovely flowers if you can’t afford the flower shop!
• Listen! did she mention her nails looking awful? buy her a gift certificate for a mani and pedi. her back’s hurting? make a coupon book with massages and/or a gift certificate to the spa. Did she mention liking something at the store, catalogue, commerical? go back and get it (within reason and your budget, of course!)
• Ask her close friends or family for help or advice.
• Surprise her by taking a day off unexpectedly and plan a date doing something she likes.
• Breakfast in bed is an oldie, but a goodie.
• Make a photo album. This one is especially good for moms! Shutterfly has great personalized gifts that you can make and order online.

Examples:

• My friend Lynn got a lovely gift for her birthday from her husband, Mark. Now Mark (who has never baked a day in his life!) managed to bake a cake, conceal it, and bring it to their small group and surprise her with a song and cake for everyone. This gift was special because he put effort, time, and thought into making Lynn feel important and special on her birthday! See? You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your wife feel loved!
• And now for my chance to brag on my husband, Josh. For our 4 year wedding anniversary, he bought me a lovely eternal ribbon cross from James Avery. Not only is it beautiful, but I mentioned liking the cross a while ago when we received a catalogue in the mail. Now, that’s listening! And I felt very special.
  

  eternal ribbon cross ring

  

  James Avery has many meaningful pieces, I highly recommend them!