Guest Written by Christine Sain
Women can seem complicated and high maintenance at times; always changing our minds. Really, we are simple creatures, just wanting to be understood. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I’m sure most of you men out there are racking your brains about what to get the lady in your life. I mean, it seems like Christmas was just yesterday and now you have to come up with another meaningful gift. Maybe you feel like you do the same thing every Valentine’s Day. You want to change things up this year, but you don’t really know how. Let me give you my two cents about what women want.
First, decide what a meaningful gift really is. Is it a dozen roses delivered to her office where five other ladies got the same thing? Is it that heart shaped piece of jewelry, or chocolates in a heart shaped box? There is nothing wrong with any of those gifts, but how about being creative. If you choose flowers, go to a local florist. One your wife frequents when buying for others. If you are not sure what your wife or girlfriend’s favorite flower or arrangement is, ask the staff. If you want to purchase jewelry, go to her regular jeweler and they can help you choose a timeless piece that reflects her taste and personality. Purchasing candy or any other sweet treat during this time can be a bit tricky. If your love has committed to lose weight as one of her New Year’s resolutions then you may want to be very specific and purchase just a few pieces of her favorite indulgence. Several places in town serve candy by the piece.
Pool your ideas into a thoughtful, creative and loved gift. This will not only make the love of your life happy, but earn brownie points for you as well.
Think outside the box. What about a journal, and on the pages of the journal you write a word or phrase describing why you love her or what makes her the apple of your eye? What about a photo album or book of your favorite moments together?
What about a day at the spa, a massage, how about a mani/pedi? How would she react if you offered to “chauffeur” her to the spa or salon?
Maybe you are thinking about a romantic dinner at her favorite restaurant. One of my fondest moments was an evening my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary (yes these tips will work wonderfully for your anniversary as well). We made arrangements to be kid free and planned to have dinner then a movie. After a long day at work, we were too tired to get dressed up for a night on the town. So we called in our order to the restaurant, picked out a movie we would both enjoy and went back home. Presto! A romantic dinner in front of the TV in our comfy clothes. My memories of that night are just as special as if we had gone through with our original plans.
Gentlemen, if your lady adores receiving a dozen roses at work on Valentine’s Day, go for it. Think about adding one of the suggestions mentioned above. You can create many combinations and change things up every year. You can keep the traditional but add a twist. The main thing to remember is it’s not about the gift as much as the thought and effort put into it. Try it once and notice the response you get and the many rewards you reap from your efforts. You might actually start to enjoy shopping for Valentine’s Day.
Ladies, whatever you do, NEVER, and I mean NEVER EVER let your man know that you are disappointed in his efforts. At least he tried and you don’t want to risk hurting his feelings and causing him to stop trying. Take it from someone that knows, but that is another story. And remember, you can use the spirit behind these ideas for the man in your life.
The moral of the story is this: A woman wants to feel special and know that you really get her, that you really know her. She will take pleasure in knowing that you went the extra mile and sincerely thought about her and the things that make her who she is. Because that is truly what a woman wants.
What a Woman Wants
