Thoughtful Wife Gift Formula

Have you ever wondered how to “add” thoughtfulness to your gifts toyour wife? This seemingly elusive property can be added to just about any gift with two simple steps.

Most guys think that once the gift has been identified and acquired that the process stops there, however they are missing out on a huge opportunity to take their gift to the next level.

Just a Second, What’s The Point?

Take a second to think about the end objective. The aim of giving a gift in the first place is not just because it’s tradition or because the occasion calls for it, the real aim is making your wife feel special. If you give a thoughtful present that demonstrates that you put some care and attention into the choosing of it then it will make a much better present because it will make her feel cared for and special.

Step 1. Presentation

Many guys have a bind spot when it comes to wrapping gifts. They either don’t wrap it or they just use whatever comes to hand to shield it from view until the last minute. Perhaps they think that it’s just a total waste of money or is a ridiculous embellishment. There is no need to go to extreme lengths, but if you are going to go to the bother of buying a gift then you should wrap it.

A wrapped-up present has something exciting about it, when you unwrap it, it’s a bit like being a child again. There are plenty of hassle-free gift wrap options like boxes, or bags with tissue paper.

By giving a gift a fancy exterior you are transforming it into something much more exciting. Not only do you give her the pleasure of unwrapping an “exciting parcel” but you get to watch her do it.

Step 2. Presentation

There is another level of presentation that most guys miss out on, it’s the words that accompany the gift. Some men just thrust their gift away hurriedly and silently, or with a few short words, or worse, with an apology.

Never, ever apologise for a gift as you are just robbing your wife of the pleasure of receiving your gift.

When a gift is given, it has maximum thoughtfulness impact if there are a few accompanying words. All that is required is a little something about why you choose that gift for her.

Even if it’s one of those “old faithful” gifts that you get her every year, you can still say something like “I chose this because I know you love it”. Contrast that with “Sorry love, it’s all they had!”.

Same gift but the words that you use along with it can either raise it up to new heights or drop it down a level.

By making sure that you pay attention to the two types of presentation- the gift wrap and the accompanying words, you can be sure of maximizing the positive impact that your gift will have on your wife.

You can make your gift seem more special to her which it turn will make her feel more special to you, which is the whole point of a gift in the first place!

How To Show Your Wife You Love Her

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…”
–by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

OK it’s time to get back to basics.

Why Buy Any Gift?

We all know that the reason why buy gifts in the first place is a way of showing our love- that’s the aim to keep in mind. However, just like there are different learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) so there are corresponding ways for feeling loved.

Visual Gift Ideas

The visual learner absorbs information best by looking at pictures, graphs, diagrams, and illustrations. To communicate love, the visual person needs to see it. The best gifts are tangible things that can be seen:

• visually interesting or colourful gifts
• flowers
• photographic gifts that show you both together

When speaking to your wife, if she’s a visually oriented person, look her directly in the eye and be aware of your body language and facial expressions, as they’ll all be providing subconscious visual clues to her.

Auditory Gift Ideas

The auditory oriented person needs to hear it in order to “get it”. Love is communicated by telling her that you love her and also by the tone of the voice- these all “say” that you care about her. The best gifts for the auditory oriented wife are:

• Music and audio books
• Concerts
• Opportunities to talk and discuss e.g. a dinner or date in place where you can talk and listen to each other

An auditory-oriented partner needs to hear the words “I love you” frequently.

Kinesthetic Gift Ideas
In a relationship with a kinesthetic oriented woman, if you don’t touch her often, she may not feel loved by you or may even feel rejected.

Snuggles on the couch, big bear hugs, holding hands or massages are all happily received by kinesthetics. The best gifts for the auditory oriented wife are:

• massages or pampering at a spa
• dancing together
• soft, warm, tactile fabrics and goods like snuggly sweaters, scarves, pashminas

How to tell which type your wife is

By knowing which type your wife is, you can tailor-make the gift to suit her and know that it will be communicating the real purpose of the gift more powerfully.

If you have read this article and still have no idea which type or types your wife fits in to then I offer two strategies:

1. Cover all your bases with all three!

Most people have a bit of each in their make-up so by choosing gifts and activities that cover the auditory, visual and kinesthetic you are making sure that your message will be delivered in the gift.

2. Ask her.

With questions like “Do you know that I love you?” and then “How do you know?” she will reveal the ways that she currently associates with your showing her how you love her. Listen carefully and then try to figure out which category it is. Or you can just do more of the same, but better and use your imagination to expand on it.

I hope this has offered you an insight into more effective ways of coming up with wife gift ideas!

Perfect Presents For Getting Out Of Bed In The Morning in Winter

One aspect of modern life that many people have difficulty with is getting out of bed on a cold, dark winter’s morning. Does your wife have a tendency to want to hide under the duvet once the dark evenings and mornings draw in?
If so, one of these gift ideas might just be the thing to coax your hibernating partner out that slumber!

1. Light Therapy Alarm Clock

These alarm clocks are integrated with a lamp whose light gradually increases for a period of time before the wake up time. This gently prepares the body to wake up and feel more energetic. These alarms can have a radio included, an iPod docking station or sounds of nature to let you choose the best sound to wake up to.

2. Coffee Maker with Timer

Do you remember the “tea’s made” machines of a few years ago? Well now you can have your coffee maker with a timer built-in so that a freshly brewed cup of coffee can tempt your wife out of bed.
All too often with rising in the morning it’s the “stick” that makes us move with thoughts like “I’m going to be late”. Well if that’s not working for your wife then perhaps it’s time to try the “carrot“?
The aroma of coffee wafting though to the bedroom might just be the thing to propel your hibernating loved one out of her slumber.

3. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Light

One of the things that could be causing the extra sleepiness in bed and also during the daytime is SAD. Many people suffer from this condition which can leave sufferers feeling depressed and sluggish.
Studies have shown that these therapy lamps can balance the body clock, leaving you feeling rested and refreshed.
Such a lamp could be used at home or to bring a ray of light to an office desk, especially one that is not beside a window.

4. White Noise Machine or Sound Conditioner

These device generate a low level “white noise” sound or sounds from nature which masks unwanted noises and creates a sense of calm, making it easier to concentrate, relax and/or sleep.
If your partner can’t get out of bed because they are not getting to sleep at night due to distractions by annoying noises, then this might be the perfect present.

5. Gift Basket of Herbal Remedies

If gadgets and/or drugs don’t fit the bill for getting a good night’s sleep then perhaps a gentler, more natural solution is called for. There are herbs and essential oils with soothing properties that can help a restless sleeper get a good night’s sleep. Here are some ideas:

• Lavender Essential Oil- a few drops on the pillow
• Chamomile tea- drink it in the evening before bed
• Relaxing bubble bath with lavender and/or chamomile
• Eye mask for sleeping
• Massage oil

OK, So What is the Point of Buying Your Wife a Gift?

So ask yourself, what is it you are trying to achieve when you give a gift? Of course, it’s to make the other person happy. We want to show them that we care and that we understand, at least a little, about them.

Mind-reading not required

Very often when coming up with wife gift ideas it can feel like we need to be a mind-reader in order to figure out what the perfect present would be! The real secret of getting it right every time for your wife is understanding what she values. Given that you already live together it should be relatively easy to find out in detail what that is, what she likes and dislikes!
I write relatively, because there is some work to be done, but the upside is that the very nature of this “work” to discover more about your wife will actually improve your relationship!

Perfect present stealth techniques

You must start asking questions, when she least expects them. Quiz her about gifts in general:

• the best present she ever received
• the worst present she ever received.

Ask why, what was it that made it the best or the worst. To stay safe here, you might want to ask about gifts that you did not give! Instead ask about gifts that your wife received from other people, and listen to her stories. Listen carefully for clues you can use. Are there any recurring themes? Things that are sure-fire winners (or losers)?
Does she have a special interest in collecting? What are all her hobbies and interests? Ask her to tell you why she enjoys a certain a thing.

Gift giving is a science

Remember that gift giving is a science. People who are amazing at giving gifts may make it look like a talent or an art, and in many ways it is, but it can be learned. By far the best way of coming of with great wife gift ideas is to know your wife’s likes and dislikes, in detail. It can take a bit of work, plenty of little conversations and digging up of memories from her past, but if you’re committed to being the best gift-giver that you can be then it’s worth the effort!

Just when you thought you knew about photo books, up pops something like this!
This would make such a great personliased gift for your wife.  This is a completely unique gift that has the WOW factor because it’s just so different and has the high quality finish that customers expecrt from PhotoBox.

All you need is:

• a few recipes,
• some photos of her,
• photos of the two of you together,
• a few of her favourite recipes,
• or perhaps your special “signature” dishes that you swept her off her feet with!

Then all you have to do is click on the image above to go to the page withinh PhotoBox and start creating a gift to remember!

I’m always going on about personalising gifts, well with photos it doesn’t really get more personal!

I recently printed off a load of photos with extra copies and made up little gift parcels for various people in my family. It was a huge hit- people love photos and if you take a little bit of time to work with the digital images then you can get even more stunning results.

Perhaps even good enough to be put on the wall. Canvas prints are pricey, but definitely worth it as they just look fantastic. So when an offer like this one comes along then it’s time to look though your stash of photo and immortalise one of them- it can be something as simple as a family photo from the beach, or a photo of you and your wife together.

60 free prints to all new customers

For a limited period, PhotoBox are offering 60 free prints to all new customers. This is an increase of 20 free prints as the usual free prints offer is 40 free prints per new customer.

This offer is valid until midnight on 31/03/10.

Canvas Prints Offer

In addition to the free prints offer, PhotoBox are offering up to 41% off their range of canvas prints.

The joy of chocaholism can be a guilty pleasure, so why not make the pleasure of chocolate even better and get her a gift that you can share!

Green & Black’s chocolate sharing hamper is a perfect way of saying Happy Christmas.

A luxurious selection of Green & Black’s intense chocolate products ranging from The Assortment – 20 bespoke dark, milk and white chocolates with a perfectly balanced selection of centres to our intensely flavoured Miniature Bar Collection. The sharing hamper contains our classic dark, milk and white organic Chocolate Squares box and a selection of Green & Black’s ribboned bars.
This box is the ultimate in sharing!
You can even make your own choice of 100g chocolate bars in the gift when you Checkout.

Contents:
1 x 200g Organic Assortment
1 x 200g Organic Chcolate Squares (Dark, Milk and White Chocolate)
1 x 180g Organic Miniature Bar Collection
5 x 35g Bars; White, Creamy Milk, Milk with Butterscotch, Dark 70% and Dark with Maya Gold
1 x 100g Milk Chocolate Bar
1 x 100g Dark Chocolate Bar
1 x 100g White Chocolate Bar
£30.00

Wedding Pearl Jewellery “Minnie” White Freshwater SUperlong necklace/bracelet, originally uploaded by www.virtudej.com.

Pearls are a classic gift and with good reason: no other gem has stood the test of time and style quite like them.

Right now pearls are fashionable again (and not just for brides), especially in the guide of this super-long necklace that can be worn in a huge number of different ways or even stacked as a bracelet.

Jewellery can be difficult to buy for your wife, but if you go for a classic like pearls that is also incredibly flexible, then it’s a sure winner.

PS This item has free delivery and gift packaging.

With the party season around the corner, your wife may be dreading the whole thing- not just the not-drinking but the “what shall I wear” crisis is suddenly much worse!

Help her feel her best with something form the gorgeous range at Isabella Oliver.

There are a whole range of fabulous outfits, dresses and other essentials for the stylish mum-to-be.

Isabella Oliver. Designed to make you feel fabulous throughout pregnancy,

I don’t mean to be sexist but, most guys are totally rubbish when it comes to buying gifts for their partner. Of course there are exceptions, like my husband, but those aren’t the type of guys I see every year on Christmas Eve with panic-stricken faces clutching cheap lacy thongs in one hand and a bottle of Eau-de-stinqué in the other.

Guys, don’t be this guy- instead discover how easy this stuff can be and how you can bask the glory of successful gift giving as you her melt her heart with your thoughtfulness.

As a woman with a scientific background who has spent the vast majority of her schooling and career surrounded by men, I am in the unique position to let you in on the key principles I have extracted from this complex and fuzzy domain. Armed with these simple, logical instructions you will be the undisputed king of successful gift-giving.

This article will grow as I add more chapters which describe the nuances and provide suggestions for the major gift occasions in your calendar. This intro illustrates the fundamental concepts that can be applied to any gift-giving situation where the recipient is a woman. Later I will add chapters on specific occasions like Christmas, Birthdays, Anniversaries and much more.

But first, let’s take a look at the actual meaning of that well-known phrase “It’s the thought that counts”.

It’s the thought that counts. Yeah sure you’ve heard it before; maybe you yourself uttered those words apologetically one time, suddenly convinced that your gift would be rejected. But what does it actually mean and what exactly separates the thoughtful present from the thought-less?

It does not mean that any old rubbish earns you points simply for remembering the occasion. This is like avoiding an “F” grade for not handing in an assignment by submitting a sheet of paper with only your name on it and receiving a “D”. Great, but guess what? You just failed.

Discover a better way: a very little homework will suffice and you’ll consistently score B’s and A’s!

Your aim is to earn as many points on the Thoughtfulness Score as possible by making her feel special, cared for, unique by making the gift relevant to some aspect of her life or personality.

Here are some examples gifts with your thoughtful commentary and her possible interpretation:

Gift: Soft leather gloves

You say: “I got you these gloves for driving because I know how cold your hands get in winter”

She thinks: He cares about my well-being, he notices that I often have cold hands.

Ways you can still blow it: If your wife is a vegan then a gift made of the soft hide ripped off the back of a baby cow is going to earn you nothing!

Gift: Small format books that are small enough to fit in her handbag.

You say: “I got you these smaller format books to stop you getting bored on your commute”

She thinks: He thinks about me.

Ways you cans till blow it: If your wife is into romance novels and you buy her a set of gory crime novels.

Or you say: “I got you this red Ferrari because it matches your favourite shade of lipstick!”

OK so it has a different price tag but, believe it or not, to many women (excepting those hung up on material goods) this example will get you about the same amount of points for thoughtfulness as the previous ones! Why? Because it proves that you have noticed some details about her, that you have been thinking about her and her well-being and this makes her feel special.

In the next section we’ll look at ways to increase your thoughtfulness score.

Maybe you’ve been married for decades or maybe it’s a brand new relationship, either way, how well do you know your wife/girlfriend? Do you remember that 80’s film “Green Card” where Gerard Depardieu and Andy McDowell have to answer a barrage of questions about each others preferences- just how well would you perform?

Like, on a scale of 1 to 5 how much does she like chocolate? Is it white/milk/plain? Tea or coffee person? Cats or dogs? What would she do if she won the lottery? What’s her favourite colour? Who’s her favourite writer/actors? Favourite films/TV shows? Pizza/Chinese/Indian/French? Pet-hates? What characteristics does she admire in others? Favourite season and why? Favourite childhood memory? Who is her style icon? Favourite flowers? Or maybe she prefers pot plants or seeds? Top 5 destinations in the world?

If you have the answers to question like these then you’re set for a score card of straight A’s. If you don’t then get asking and taking mental notes- and here’s a free bonus: just asking questions like these boosts your thoughtfulness score! Plus it strengthens your relationship and gets you ready for Mr and Mrs should they ever choose to broadcast that stellar 70’s show again

If you’re reading this then chances are you have access to the Internet and have at least a basic understanding of Google. Google have a bunch of tools and one that is very useful is the Calendar. If you’re the kind of guy who wanders though life blithely unaware of birthdays, anniversaries but somehow has all major sporting events for the next 12 months memorised then you need to follow these instructions:

1. Contact your loved ones by phone, email or whatever and ask them when their birthday is. If they’re married get their anniversary date. Get the birthdays of their children and anything else relevant that they make a point of celebrating every year. Do the most important ones first.
2. Collate all this info in a Google Calendar. Each time you add a date, set it to repeat annually and also set a reminder. You can have reminders sent to you by email or SMS on the day and a week before the event (or however long you think you need to sort it out). Note there’s an alternative service called Plaxo that lets you mail a bunch of people and have them fill in their details for you, you can also set up email reminders.

So you’re confident (based on your interviewing above) that you have a winner, and you even have a small back-up gift just in case. However, that paper you bought shredded like toilet paper and the tape kept sticking to your fingers…now it looks less than inspiring, do women notice stuff like that?

Actually, it depends.

Some women love the sloppy look because it proves that her fella took the time to wrap it himself, thereby actually earning you more thoughtfulness points.

Others however might give you a “look what the cat’s dragged in” derisory glare, especially if the gift is presented in front of other people at some posh event. So basically you have to figure this one out for yourself, and who knows maybe you’re famous for your neat and precise gift-wrapping but I can tell you that the easiest method is the gift bag with tissue paper option. They usually even come with a tag on the bag which can be helpful in case you don’t have a separate greetings card.

No matter how much you want to spend or in which shop, it pays to do a bit of research with your wife/girlfriend beforehand to maximise your Thoughtfulness Score and the likelihood that she will be delighted, feeling loved and special. No more going to pieces at the last-minute and/or thought-less gifts, you’re the considerate husband she’s always dreamed of and you’re going from strength to strength.

Coming Soon Part II: Christmas.