Sometimes I run out of ideas for my entries. If you've ever tried to write daily, you understand that once in awhile the well starts getting a bit dry. I can only write about missing my husband, being exhausted caring for a baby and school stuff so many times before I am just recycling all the things I've already said.
Sometimes I like to go back and look at what people were searching for when they came across my blog. Yesterday someone was looking for gift ideas for a wife during a deployment. My husband and I aren't so super mushy, but he has made some good moves over the deployments.
Our first Valentine's Day on deployment he sent a gigantic bouquet of two dozen long stem roses to my work. This was a good gift (as long as it isn't overdone) because it was showy and romantic. He understood that a big showy gift that first year was just the right thing to let me know he loved me and was thinking of me in a way that also let everyone around me know my guy thought I was pretty special.
Flowers are great from overseas but try to be a little creative with flower choice or arrangements, etc. Sending things to her at work is also a nice touch because it adds an element of surprise and mushiness most women appreciate but wouldn't ask for. Edible arrangements, gift baskets are similar ideas. Don't overdo any one idea over a deployment. It is only special once in awhile.
Another great gift my husband has sent me a few times, is a gift certificate to a nearby spa. If you save up and spend a few hundred dollars, you can generally buy a spa day. Mine was 5 hours of pampering plus lunch and wine. I got a full body massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, and a paraffin treatment. He has bought me various spa certificates over the years, but always at least try to do a manicure and pedicure or full body massage. If you can work it into several hours that she can schedule at her leisure, all the better. Very few women would not be excited about a day of being pampered. I would recommend though that you try to choose a spa that lets you pick an amount and lets her choose her services. Sometimes we can be a bit picky about having a Swedish or hot stone massage. I prefer deep tissue myself.
One of the best gifts was really very simple. He sent me a gift card for Barnes and Noble. But he found a way to have his picture and a personal message put on the card. So the gift card to my favorite store ever was awesome, but being able to keep a sweet keepsake from Iraq made it a sweet, romantic gesture for a gift card.
Another thing he did was listen to me. My favorite candy maker is from the Chicago area/Midwest. I can't buy it here. He ordered me a box of my favorite mint meltaways for Christmas. I savored each piece for a month. This gift can be especially sweet for a military wife you've dragged away from home courtesy of the army. Think of some of her favorite food places from back home and find a few that deliver. Pick once or twice during the year to have some of her favorites show up on her doorstep.
I am still hoping that my hubby gets the hint about Giordano's Pizza. I sent some to my mom for Mother's Day but the shipping was $30 for two pizzas. It cost me nearly $100 to send my mom pizza, so I won't ever do it for myself. But doing it for my mom was awesome. She was so surprised. I could hear in her voice how touched she was to get a surprising gift, something she wouldn't have gotten herself. She hadn't had the pizza for so long. If you've never had real Chicago pizza, you might not understand, but there just isn't anything like it.
My Mother's Day gift was a Kindle from Amazon. I haven't used it much yet since I am trying to finish three other books at the same time, but I am super excited about it. I love to read and this lets me have thousands of books without needing extra shelf space. Especially with all the moving we do, being able to downsize my bookshelves is not only nice, but really is a must! Before we got married, I had to sell about ten boxes worth of books just so I could fit my stuff in the giant U-Haul van. A Kindle is nice or an iPad or Nook.
Just think about the things your girlfriend or wife likes. What are the things she's been talking about. If she's complaining about the washer and dryer. Save up your money and buy a Lowe's gift card so she can pick out the washer and dryer of her dreams. I would advise you to let her chose this one. If she is a typical wife, laundry is a big part of her life and she has probably spent a lot of time thinking about what features she wants, what color, top loader or steam settings, etc. Big purchases like that always let her make the decision, just give her the budget to do it. A good washer/dryer will cost around $2000. You can go more expensive for the top of the line, but if you save up $2000 that would buy her a darn good set.
Heck, my favorite gifts this year were my Dyson vacuum and Hoover floor mate. Anything that makes life easier would be greatly appreciated. I know these are not super romantic gifts, but when your wife has spent months taking on all the responsibilities of the household, the most romantic gift is one that shows that you're paying attention to her needs. I would have several times this year appreciated a gift certificate for maid service. I have needed some help a few times before company was coming or after cold/flu season, but am too cheap to spring for maid service since it is something I could do on my own.
Try to think about what seems to be her biggest concern right now. Does she need a lawn service? a Geek squad visit for the ailing PC? A new digital camera to catch all the cute pics of the new baby? A thoughtful gift is always special.
But it doesn't always have to be expensive. Try to vary simple gifts like flowers and chocolate with more expensive gifts. Send her a Christmas ornament, personalized if possible, so she can be reminded of you during the holidays. The best gifts come from the heart. In our cyber world, sometimes we forget the power of the written word. Make a point to send her handwritten letters. Buy a bunch of romantic cards before deploying and mail one every so often.
The truth is, during deployment, the best gifts remind her you care and love her. She wants to feel more connected to you, needed and appreciated. If you can put aside the military mindset and get in touch with your feelings for her, she will love anything you give her.
Sometimes I like to go back and look at what people were searching for when they came across my blog. Yesterday someone was looking for gift ideas for a wife during a deployment. My husband and I aren't so super mushy, but he has made some good moves over the deployments.
Our first Valentine's Day on deployment he sent a gigantic bouquet of two dozen long stem roses to my work. This was a good gift (as long as it isn't overdone) because it was showy and romantic. He understood that a big showy gift that first year was just the right thing to let me know he loved me and was thinking of me in a way that also let everyone around me know my guy thought I was pretty special.
Flowers are great from overseas but try to be a little creative with flower choice or arrangements, etc. Sending things to her at work is also a nice touch because it adds an element of surprise and mushiness most women appreciate but wouldn't ask for. Edible arrangements, gift baskets are similar ideas. Don't overdo any one idea over a deployment. It is only special once in awhile.
Another great gift my husband has sent me a few times, is a gift certificate to a nearby spa. If you save up and spend a few hundred dollars, you can generally buy a spa day. Mine was 5 hours of pampering plus lunch and wine. I got a full body massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, and a paraffin treatment. He has bought me various spa certificates over the years, but always at least try to do a manicure and pedicure or full body massage. If you can work it into several hours that she can schedule at her leisure, all the better. Very few women would not be excited about a day of being pampered. I would recommend though that you try to choose a spa that lets you pick an amount and lets her choose her services. Sometimes we can be a bit picky about having a Swedish or hot stone massage. I prefer deep tissue myself.
One of the best gifts was really very simple. He sent me a gift card for Barnes and Noble. But he found a way to have his picture and a personal message put on the card. So the gift card to my favorite store ever was awesome, but being able to keep a sweet keepsake from Iraq made it a sweet, romantic gesture for a gift card.
Another thing he did was listen to me. My favorite candy maker is from the Chicago area/Midwest. I can't buy it here. He ordered me a box of my favorite mint meltaways for Christmas. I savored each piece for a month. This gift can be especially sweet for a military wife you've dragged away from home courtesy of the army. Think of some of her favorite food places from back home and find a few that deliver. Pick once or twice during the year to have some of her favorites show up on her doorstep.
I am still hoping that my hubby gets the hint about Giordano's Pizza. I sent some to my mom for Mother's Day but the shipping was $30 for two pizzas. It cost me nearly $100 to send my mom pizza, so I won't ever do it for myself. But doing it for my mom was awesome. She was so surprised. I could hear in her voice how touched she was to get a surprising gift, something she wouldn't have gotten herself. She hadn't had the pizza for so long. If you've never had real Chicago pizza, you might not understand, but there just isn't anything like it.
My Mother's Day gift was a Kindle from Amazon. I haven't used it much yet since I am trying to finish three other books at the same time, but I am super excited about it. I love to read and this lets me have thousands of books without needing extra shelf space. Especially with all the moving we do, being able to downsize my bookshelves is not only nice, but really is a must! Before we got married, I had to sell about ten boxes worth of books just so I could fit my stuff in the giant U-Haul van. A Kindle is nice or an iPad or Nook.
Just think about the things your girlfriend or wife likes. What are the things she's been talking about. If she's complaining about the washer and dryer. Save up your money and buy a Lowe's gift card so she can pick out the washer and dryer of her dreams. I would advise you to let her chose this one. If she is a typical wife, laundry is a big part of her life and she has probably spent a lot of time thinking about what features she wants, what color, top loader or steam settings, etc. Big purchases like that always let her make the decision, just give her the budget to do it. A good washer/dryer will cost around $2000. You can go more expensive for the top of the line, but if you save up $2000 that would buy her a darn good set.
Heck, my favorite gifts this year were my Dyson vacuum and Hoover floor mate. Anything that makes life easier would be greatly appreciated. I know these are not super romantic gifts, but when your wife has spent months taking on all the responsibilities of the household, the most romantic gift is one that shows that you're paying attention to her needs. I would have several times this year appreciated a gift certificate for maid service. I have needed some help a few times before company was coming or after cold/flu season, but am too cheap to spring for maid service since it is something I could do on my own.
Try to think about what seems to be her biggest concern right now. Does she need a lawn service? a Geek squad visit for the ailing PC? A new digital camera to catch all the cute pics of the new baby? A thoughtful gift is always special.
But it doesn't always have to be expensive. Try to vary simple gifts like flowers and chocolate with more expensive gifts. Send her a Christmas ornament, personalized if possible, so she can be reminded of you during the holidays. The best gifts come from the heart. In our cyber world, sometimes we forget the power of the written word. Make a point to send her handwritten letters. Buy a bunch of romantic cards before deploying and mail one every so often.
The truth is, during deployment, the best gifts remind her you care and love her. She wants to feel more connected to you, needed and appreciated. If you can put aside the military mindset and get in touch with your feelings for her, she will love anything you give her.
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