I've got a question for all you ladies out there.
Do you "help" Santa?
As in...how much help do you give your husband when it comes to Christmas presents?
Lists? Subtle and not so subtle hints? Or do you actually buy the present, wrap it and then act surprised?
This year I'm falling into the last catergory.
Somehow I knew even though I'd mentioned this to Sean that it wasn't going to make it under my tree unless I gave him a little help.
Ahem... cough cough...a lot of help.
I admit I get a little irritated that "Santa" needs so much help. I don't have any problems whatsoever shopping for Sean.
Is it just a man thing? Or do I have a crummy present picker?
I'm curious to know how your husband/fiancee/boyfriend does in the present department.
Lay it on me!
Oh yeah...
15 Days Until Christmas!
28 comments:
Well, normally I make a list for him and send him photos and website links. I'll also drop hints to my mom and she knows to pass that info on, so I'll have a few surprises. This year though, since he's won't be getting home for leave until Dec. 23 and he has shady internet access, I bought my own gifts and had them shipped to my mom's house, so she can pass them on to Stonewall when he gets home. I told him though that next year, he better work his tush off to surprise me.
He asks me what I want. I will give him general ideas like
1. I'd love some new board games
2. I need new sweaters (he's remarkably good with picking out clothes)
3. I like things that are sparkly
This year he bought the plane tickets to Vermont so I really didn't want anything else but when he pressed I told him I wanted him to write me a letter. And I'm actually dead serious about it... so we'll see.
For birthdays and such he's much better with the thoughtful, planning a date type things... but with gifts specifically, he's just a very practical gift giver.
last year for Christmas he got me one of those digital photo frames. I really like it, never asked for it... but I kept asking him for pictures so he figured it would be a good gift. And it was, like I said, I really like it, but you can see how he was thinking practically... "Instead of pictures I'll just give her something to put them in!"
I'm convinced it's a guy thing.
Well, usually Beowulf does all right on his own, but we're trying to keep really close track of our money this year, so neither of us is getting a present for the other this year. Nothing exciting anyway. We're counting the Washer/Dryer set (2 weeks ago) and the Wii (October), and the laptop we'll get him before his deployment (probably February or March) as our "Christmas Presents" this year.
Eh, mine is good. Better than I am most years. It is ridiculous and slightly unfair, even though I totally enjoy it! Last year, he found a gorgeous pink coat that I had drooled over three months before, went into my closet to figure out my coat size, and then ordered it for me.
I felt like a jerk when I got him a wireless mouse for his laptop, a couple of movies, and a video game haha!!!
I get flowers.
Thats it.
So if I want a present, I have to get it myself.
Otherwise I get whatever little gift pack FTD has thrown together for birthdays and holidays.
I'm convinced I'm living with the world's worst gift giver, but he did surprise me this year. He actually remembered me drooling over a pearl bracelet, and then snuck back and bought it for me the next day and surprised me with it at Thanksgiving! Ummm...it actually was a Christmas present but he can't keep a secret to save his life. I also mentioned wanting a Wii, and he took me with him to buy it! :) In years past though, I didn't get anything. Birthdays, I get e-cards. This year I mentioned flowers, so I got an e-card with flowers in it. HAHA... I've learned to love his quirkiness. And at least he's showing signs of improvement.
If there was something I really, really wanted, I would buy it for myself and tell him to wrap it for me! :) This year, I've been VERY specific what I want. He doesn't pick up on hints very well at all.
OH yeah...but because he gets all excited about gifts, we know will have nothing under our tree on Christmas day, as he's already given me my gifts and I felt so guilty at having mine that I went ahead and gave him his! :) We're lame.
I love when I don't have to say a thing and he buys the perfect present. However, because that doesn't happen, I try to give hints.
If it makes you feel any better, I heard somewhere a long time ago that the more a man loves you the worse he is at picking out presents. So if that's the case, congrats!
I give broad hints ("I need a watch") and hope for the best! Last year was amazing--I think the 2nd consecutive Christmas in Iraq got to his brain--we had a Tiffany's blowout!
This year my present is him--no gifts this year, so he's off the hook. :)
Hubby is pretty good with presents! Sometimes, he will ask for a couple of ideas, but mostly he can remember stuff I say from a long time ago. On the other hand, I suck at finding Hubby presents!
I make a list for him. But my mom does the "buy and wrap her gifts and pretends to be surprised." The older I get, the more I realize that maybe it's not such a bad idea ;)
Sometimes he is really good at picking up hints. Other times, he is unbelievably dense. My 21st birthday/Christmas, he kept asking me what I wanted. I kept sheepishly saying "nothing." So, I got nothing... not even a birthday card. I don't make that mistake anymore. When he asks what I want, I find links online and send them to him. He pretty much does the same thing for me. He can be very picky, so I like to make sure he is getting exactly what he wants and/or needs. I am pretty good at picking at clothes for him, but I still get nervous at times.
When he surprises me with things, he usually gets the practical. He knows I'm always cold so for my first birthday/Christmas he sent me this huge and incredibly warm blanket from South Korea... along with a very unique lamp/nightlight thing from S. Korea. So, basically, he is ok at picking things out, but if it is something I really want... I either need to be very obvious about it or trust someone else with that information! :)
Hey girl. I drop subtle hints throughout the months leading up to Christmas, and he always listens. I am so hard to please and buy for so he usually follows what I say. But I am always surprised because I say things I want all the time :)
Let's see - my hubby is pretty good. I give him hints and he listens pretty well throughout the year about stuff I say I would like. He always picks presents out on his own though (unless it is something that my opinion matters on - like when we got a new bed). He loves to surprise and has done a pretty amazing job over the last few years. I think both of my sisters have to tell their husbands what to get them though :)
When we were dating we would just surprise each other and he would do a really great job with gifts!
Now that we're married we set a budget and wrote out a "want" list because I ended up asking for things we both needed around the house. Now I hope he sticks with the list, ha!
For my first birthday together, he got me two books (well be it both were thoughtful and had to do with my interests). Since then, he has been a lot better. In the months leading up to present time, he just listens to whatever I say in passing to pick up ideas. The presents are still a little weird, but definitely useful and thoughtful. I'm still hoping for jewelery one day though!
Haha. Guys are horrible shoppers...that's just the way they are.
Thankfully, my best friend and my boyfriend are friends...therefore I tell best friend, she tells boyfriend, and he thinks I don't know what he's getting me ;D
It's a pretty sweet system, to say the least.
=) Normally he asks me what I want. Then sometimes he surprises me. Like one year he sold one of his guns and bought me some diamond earrings!!!
He is pretty good in the gift department normally, but then, he is different from most husbands that way.
Rob is actually amazing at getting gifts. I am usually totally surprised...even if I drop hints I usually don't get what I hinted for. I think there are other things he can't take a hint on though, haha!
i throw out ideas from about mid november until a week or so ago... i try to be subtle but sometimes when he's really not getting it i help him out. I guess i throw out a lot of things because then if he does pick something from my list it's a surprise! :)
However, if there is something i really specific (this year there is), i'll send him the link. I, on the other hand, am an incredible present picker :oP
We go from exchanging to not exchanging...year to year.
We really don't need anything, but Santa's been good at my house this year already!
Um... I can never think of anything I want! I'm going to have to start making lists throughout the year... My husband does pretty well in that area :)
I don't have someone buying for me this year, but I work retail so I see a lot of confused men walking around. :) I end up trying on a lot of jackets, sweaters, and telling people what size pants I wear.
I had a woman tell me a story today that takes the cake-- her birthday and Mother's Day are within a few days. She bought herself her present, handed it to her husband, and he DIDN'T give it to her!!
Good luck with the hints!
i made an amazon wish list, complete with sizes and links. it works well all year, and whenever he's getting something for himself, i usually get an 'everyday' present too. for big presents, my husband usually buys me electronics because that's what he's comfortable with. i'll get him trained eventually. but if there's anything girly or specific i want, i ask my mom for it, or buy it for myself as an 'everyday' present.
I make a list with links or photos... Mark needs help. Sometimes he has moments of pure genius but that ipod I got? Yeah told him everything down to the color :-)
I make lists or drag him to the mall, point, and say "I want that." If I don't tell him what I want, he buys very odd random things.
He likes to buy and wrap himself, so i usually email him links to several thinks I want - exact size color style... ect. It works!
Is that from Vera? That is sooo cute. I was thinking of getting that or the coach one. I desperately need a new one!
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