Every Christmas, I find adorable, practical, or yummy little surprises to stuff into Lila’s and my husband’s stockings. And every Christmas, my stocking is empty. Don’t get me wrong, my husband is a great gift-giver, but he’s not into the extra niceties that I take pride in. I’ve learned not to expect a card and I know that my gift may or may not be wrapped, (it might still be in the bag from the store) but it is always very much appreciated— like the Keurig I use on a daily basis or my Uggs that I practically live in. My husband’s good like that. He pays attention. He usually knows just what would be the perfect gift.
One exception was this past Christmas when we decided instead of exchanging big gifts we would ONLY do stocking stuffers. Lila, of course, had a room full of presents and, the sweetheart that she is, noticed that none were labeled for mommy or daddy.
Mid-paper-tearing, she paused and began to worry—“Didn’t Santa bring you anything?”
“Of course! Santa put our gifts in our stocking this year!”
For Lila’s enjoyment, I exaggerated my excitement as I pulled my “surprise” out of my stocking from my thoughtful husband. It was lacy and red-- Victoria’s Secret?!
Lila was confused. “Mama! Santa brought you… underwear!?!?!”
Nice. A little warning would have been appreciated.
So, now that another gift-giving holiday is just days away, I thought I would share the Top 10 Gifts that moms (or at least this mom) would really want for Valentine’s Day.
10) Nothing. A whole day of nothing! No cleaning, cooking, prepping, packing, wiping up, picking up, loading/unloading… you get the picture. I would love a little time totally by myself.
9) Pampering. A mani and pedi, massage, facial... any spa service is a wonderful, relaxing indulgence! (Well, not any spa service—a Brazilian wax or anything of the sort? Not a good suggestion.)
8) A yummy meal at home. There’s nothing sweeter than a guy who cooks. Breakfast or dinner, even if it’s something simple, sitting down at a nicely set table and being served (and not having to clean up afterwards) scores major brownie points.
7) Something sweet, but special. Chocolate? Yes, please; but preferably not from the local drug store. How about a specialty chocolate shop or a fancy bakery? If you are going to give a box of chocolates or another sweet treat, it should be something irresistible and worth the calories.
6) A custom photo anything. Maybe because I am still a fairly new mom, I love a cute photo of my ‘lil family on a mug, key chain, mouse pad, whatever. Corny as it is, who doesn't like a picture of their sweeties?
5) Something delivered. When the flower delivery guy enters the room, guaranteed every gal in the office perks up and wonders “Are those for me?” This is an easy one and a bit cliché, but it’s sort of charming and reminiscent of the wooing before marriage.
4) A carefully selected card. Trying to find the perfect card takes time. Since we know this, opening a card that expresses the right thing at the right moment in the best way is like gold. Funny or mushy, flowery or short and sweet, it must be sincere and sound like “you.”
3) Something from the little one. I love it when Lila and my husband secretly go out and get mommy a surprise. Something that Lila picked out or something handmade, I just adore the idea that my husband helped her to find a special gift. This is definitely a way to evoke happy tears and to win big hugs and kisses.
2) A real date. My husband pretty much sees me in three types of clothing—work attire, yoga pants, and PJs. It’s nice to dress up once in a while and go out like adults do. A real date, like before we were married, at a restaurant that doesn’t have a kids menu and coloring pages, is so appreciated.
1) A weekend away. I’m a sucker for cute little B&B’s and in New England we don’t have to go far to enjoy a romantic getaway that doesn’t cost much. When I’m home there is always something that needs to be done, cleaned, put away—the only way I can truly relax and spend some QT with the hubby is to just get away for a night!
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