My wife has a great idea for Christmas this year.
She is writing a list 40 things that I like and which she will do for me during the coming year. This list would essentially be a big coupon book which can be used once per week (40 is the number of weeks which do not have a holiday or other birthday in them).
For instance, I love to get my back massaged. My wife will likely write that on the list. At some point, I can cash in that coupon.
Great! A low-cost gift that gives all year long.
However…
I’m supposed to also write a list, which will include 40 things that I know she’ll like and which I will do for her during the year.
Now here’s the part that makes me a bad husband — I can’t think of 40 things my wife would like me to do!
I mean, sure, there’s the obvious things — pampering, taking over some chores, letting her sleep in on a day she normally would wake earlier, and stuff like that. But FORTY? Hell, I can’t even think of 40 things I’d like.
Furthermore, I can’t think of 40 things that she, or anyone, could do for me. I can’t wait to see her list and things she think I will like. Somehow, I doubt “Buy Dave a Playstation 3 and 39 games” is on the list.
So not only am I supposed to work on this list and come up with ideas before Christmas, but I will need to actually do the items on the list! Man, buying a gift would be a whole lot easier.
I asked her where she got this great idea. She said she just thought of it, though I suspect she may have seen it in some secret magazine that only women subscribe to. You know the kind I’m talking about, the ones that have tons of teasers on the front like:
- How to Lose 20 Pounds in 2 Weeks
- What’s Your Sex I.Q.?
- What is Your Man Really Thinking?
- And just in time for the holidays, How To Trick Your Husband Into Doing Nice Things For You All Year Long!
But her idea does make me think — I get so wrapped up in my work and my creative pursuits that I don’t make enough time for her or do lots of spontaneous things that I used to do when we were dating. And since having a child, I jealously guard my time more than ever, to try and get as much done as I can.
I know it’s not easy being married to me — especially when I’m writing a lot and throwing myself into my work.
So maybe this list is just the gift I needed, even if I didn’t realize it.
So, dear reader, what kinds of things would you put on a list for your significant other?
Coming Wed: I’ll be both reviewing and giving away one copy of a popular Children’s DVD for the first Blogger Dad Giveaway.
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lol
sounds like a Love Dare variation from Fire Proof.
The Christmas Dare, dum da dum.
It’s actually a great idea. I would probably put the following on the my list for my wife:
Foot Massage
Flowers (need to do this a couple times)
Magazine subscription to a magazine she likes
Facial at the beauty salon
A trip to the Opera (huge sacrifice for me, maybe I’ll get the ticket for her and her sister, gulp)
Sunset picnic at the beach
another foot massage
…
.-= Phillip Gibb´s last blog ..Kids are Heroes =-.
dude if you do come up with those 40 things do share them on the blog… you would be doing a great service to all the husbands out there
.-= a father’s diary´s last blog ..More Birthday Pictures =-.
I’m sure Nicholas Sparks would have 40. AT LEAST!!
How far did you get? I can only think of a few for mine. :\
.-= Eric´s last blog ..Jason Schwartzman Interview – Fantastic Mr. Fox =-.
Am I the first wife to comment? Surely that can’t be right. Ok, here are a few must-haves (other than the “pampering, housework, sleeping in” you already mentioned) to go along with what was added from the other comments (foot massage – big YAY!!!)
A dinner for two that she doesn’t have to cook (take out is great!), at home, with candles, after E goes to bed.
Bring home a small sweet – whatever her favorite dessert might be.
Fix her coffee/tea/hot chocolate in the am and bring it to her (whatever it is she likes)
Surprise her with a note somewhere, telling her how much you love/appreciate her.
Write “I love you” on the mirror of the bathroom for her to wake up to – but be sure it’s a dry-erase!
Give her a “freebie” afternoon where she can go and do whatever she wants and you stay home with E.
YOU be the one to plan a date-night and hire the babysitter and surprise her with it.
I’m sure I could come up with more, but I have to go referee a fight between the kids…
.-= Kool Aid´s last blog ..Refrigerator Friends =-.
Cook for her, do the laundry, clean the bathroom, clean the whole house, clean the garage, entertain the kids for the afternoon, clean her car… Lots of cleaning isn’t there:)
KoolAid…Did you read my list?? LOL.
I would love to sleep in! **cough, wink** (BD used to have “a.m.” duty back when he stayed up all night but now he is on a normal sleep schedule…normal..lol…I sound like I’m describing a newborn’s sleeping patterns. hehe)
Blogger Dad…I can easily post 40 ideas here, but that wouldn’t be the thoughtful gift it was intended to be.
And by the way, I can’t tell you the last time I got to sleep in. And that includes while ailing with the flu and other various illnesses which have invaded me over the past month.
Keep the great ideas coming bloggers!
Hey Blogger Mom! You’re funny
But aren’t you supposed to not read the comments? They may be part of your Christmas gift and that would spoil the surprise!
.-= Kool Aid´s last blog ..Christmas Tree Sweepstakes =-.
- Sell the kids to the salt mines, and with the money you make, the both of you fly to Hawaii.
- Always leave the toilet set down, now and forever.
- Give yourself a partial lobotomy, so you now honestly, sincerely enjoy chick-flicks.
- Get her an audience with Orpah.
- If you ever miss the kids you’ve sold and want more, next time, offer that YOU’LL be the one who gets pregnant.
Kool Aid: The thing is, I WILL be surprised IF he uses some of the ideas posted here-so no harm in reading!
Friar:Hmmm…BD nor myself like to fly so the first one is out. BD actually does leave the seat down-impressed? Don’t be jealous, ladies…it didn’t happen overnight. BD couldn’t handle pregnancy, let alone childbirth! And our little E is worth more than any amount of money or promises to me…more than even Blogger Dad…(Sorry, dear!) You don’t mess with me when it comes to my kid:) That’s just not how us moms work.
* Write “I love my wife” on your car and drive around honking the horn in Bunnell!
Just kidding:)
Hrm… Make her a nice cold glass of chocolate milk and bring it to her while she’s in her office. Warm up her socks in the dryer while she’s in the shower and have them ready for her. Better yet, warm up her towel. Take out the trash (including the cats) – you’ll both be happy! ROFL. Tell her you will drive her all the way to Alaska to visit her sister and kids
.-= Sister In Law´s last blog ..Baby News =-.
You’ve got some great ideas coming in here! And you’re too funny – love ‘secret girls magazine’ part – haha!
Friar – you’re just way too funny! Love it!
BloggerMom – Hi there!
I love the way SIL thinks – simple. That’s where guys get so choked up, it seems to me, they’re thinking too big. It doesn’t always have to be some big thing or some expensive thing or even some really time-consuming thing. I once (years ago) made a list for my hubby of all the CHEAP things that he could buy me that I would just love! I’m sure he’s lost it since then. But it had stuff on there like, a pretty new notepad. A cool pack of pens. Those $2 purse body sprays they sell at WalMart, etc.
Warming up the socks was a GREAT idea – or if you know she’s about to go take a bath, offer to go run it for her. There’s just something about a bath that someone else ran for you – much sweeter. LOL It’s true, though.
If I think of anymore – I’ll come back – teen boys about to engage in a death match! Aaaaghhh!!
.-= Lisa Marie Mary´s last blog ..Now You Can Order A Whole Year Of My Very Own Mail! =-.
I can think of at least 30 things my husband would like straight away..I guess that’s the difference, woman are more thoughtful and listen more than men!
I just thought of a couple more ideas:
burn a mix CD
draw a comic just for her (but I’m guessing you’ve done this already).
make her a DVD compilation of pics of your family and friends
write her a poem.
Ok, I’m done. The rest is up to you. Good luck!
(Yes, I am aware that was more than “a couple” of ideas. I got on a roll and didn’t edit in time)
Sister in Law…I love your ideas! Hysterical!
KoolAid…he’s done all those things believe it or not…not recently but in our early dating days.
I love warm socks!
Oh, by the way, I finished making “coupons” for every item on my list for Blogger Dad. My gift is ready.
Did I mention that each of us gets to pick the last 5 on the list we would like the other to do for us? (It’s really 46 items in all…but the last 5 are of our own choosing)
Keep those ideas coming..hehehe
Hints: I am not into jewelry, I am not a fan of tobogganing or undewater basket weaving, I have no interest in the football hall of fame or any other sport related halls of fame, and I love the smell of a brand new shower curtain (I know, it’s sick!)
But really, I don’t ask for much and I’m not hard to please. Being spoiled now and again is a lovely thought!!!
great banter going on here…
just sayin’.
are you both going to use expiry dates or valid only dates? might encourage proper cashing in … cuz it’s no good to go through this and then give up in july or worse… feb
-bake a fresh batch of muffins, could be repeated and really isnt that hard.
-water the plants, if you have them and I’m assuming you may not be the one to care for them
-make a round of icy drinks in the summer
-make a special hot drink in the cold months – oh, oh could go crazy with this theme
-is there an errand your wife ‘always’ does that you could do? perhaps taking xmas cards to the PO in Dec.
-how bout one that says something along the lines of ‘promise to not get upset at me if I forget a week – but ONLY one of those aloud
I know I would totally dig having a special coupon for each week… my hubs might be ready to pound on your virtual door DW….
Trina…
The “coupons” (one for each item on the list) are good to use once and one a week…there are enough to go until next Christmas. They are to be used Dec. 09 to Dec.10
thx for the clarification, hope you both have a boatload of fun with this….I suspect DW is secretly tickled…. I think the most fun will be in those months long past xmas, when the gift sitll keeps giving.
My husband retweeted this when it was first posted. Now, he’s not really into the whole twitter/blog w0rld (I tried to get him to start a blog but he refused. It took me an age for him to join twitter), therefore I was intrigued that he’d actually retweeted a blog post… and that he’d took the time to read it. (He said you were funny blogger dad). Since this time he has told everyone he knows about this post, and we are doing the list of 40 things. Just wanted you to know the idea is spreading across the world.
And honey, if you’re reading this, that clearly means you’re trying to steal ideas. I’ve read them all. Don’t bother.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..What. A. Day. =-.
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