Gift Idea for Spouse That Would Rather Give than Recieve

How about a gift card or membership to something you can do together or as a family. Tickets to the movies, or a sporting event, or a place the family likes to eat together. Six Flag or Sea World passes, or tickets to a show or concert?

My husband has been wanting a "Little Giant"ladder. I think you can get them at Costco. They are very versatile, very flexible ladders.
A good camera.
Ipod
GPS for car
GPS watch if he's a runner.

You have many ideas..here is the one I thought of...Name a "Star" after him...see site.

http://www.starnamer.org/index.htm

*rolls eyes* DON'T get him candles. UNLESS you are lighting candles around the bathtub. *wink* Money can't buy what time can. A trip, a nice hotel stay, a special date....If I had the money I'd take my husband to some place like The Melting Pot (a fondue restaurant) or Mucky Duck (an Irish pub/eatery that has fantastic music/concerts) or Medieval Times (a medieval themed restaurant complete with entertainment- this is in Dallas and I'm in Houston so a hotel stay would be included in that.) If one of his favorite bands from time past is coming to town in the next 6 months, tickets to the concert is a great idea.

IOW THINGS aren't usually as special as EXPERIENCES!

Another idea since he is a giver is to get him one of those charity gifts. For instance, at Christmas we get a catalog and sit down together as a family and decide how many pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens, blankets, lanterns, sewing machines ect we want to buy for the people of India. It's a ministry outreach by Gospel for Asia. http://www.gfa.org/gift/08/gifts-of-compassion/

Here's something I hear many of my "co-workers" give their husbands that already have everything: a small scrapbook (maybe desktop size) of memorable photos and thoughts. You know, like a "10 things I love about you" book. It could be from you or from you and his childrean or everyone. Definitely won't cost you $100-200 but I know that it's been well received by the men and priceless. HTH, S.

A nice watch always goes over well with men. I usually give a Jon Hart Designs shaving kit bag for my first gift. Its only about 60.00. Also if he is a handy man does he enjoy working with wood perhaps buying him some would help. My husband really wants a stero or a PSP - a play station portable device that lets him connect to the internet. Perhaps a new phone that has alot of techno stuff with it. Hope you find what your looking for.

How about a donation in his name? Habitat for Humanity sends a gift card. There's another organization that's great, but I forget their name. Their website, I think, is heifer.org. The idea is that your money buys an impoverished family animals they they can make money with - chickens for eggs, sheep for wool, goats for milk, etc. The family is trained, and they give their first female offspring to another family, so your gift really has a ripple effect.

It is a little more than your budget,but why not a Wii.
They ar fun for all ages and so many games to chose.(one game comes with it)

HI B.,
My husband is the same as yours and boy aren't we lucky. My daughter actually came up with the perfect solution a couple of years ago and my husband has used it as often as possible over and over again.
How bout a personal coupon book. You make it yourself or all of you can do it together. You make coupons on the computer and put them in a blank book or binder. Put coupons in it for dinner out with just the kids, a date nite for each kid alone, a movie nite with you, nap time undisturbed for an hour, a day out with the guys, just anything like that.
It will be a gift designed just for him. Good Luck

Hi B.,,
you might want to think about a nice watch ,,moneyclip something you could have engraved with a special message
good luck L.

Watch the show "Cool Tools" they have so many tools that amost people never heard of, that is where I get ideas. Or maybe get him one of those tool caddy on wheels,Wal-mart sells them or they did last year.
Or just walk thru Lowes, Home Depot etc and get some ideas. There is a tape measure with a tape recorded built in, so when they take a measurement and do not have a pencil and paper they just record it in the tape measure.
Also, I gave him a subscription of "Handyman" magazine and he can hardly wait until the issue comes each month. You will love it.

I don't know what all your husband is into, but my husband loves all the comic super hero's. I went on Amazon and ordered the adventures of amazing dad, you send them a photo of him and they turn him into a cartoon hero in a 20 or 39 minute cartoon, it was really cute and the kids love to watch it too.It cost about 50$ and takes about 2 weeks to get it.Hope you find what you are looking for!

I don't have any recommendations specifically but maybe you want to take advantage of one of the New Year/Holiday specials being run by the nicer hotels, like Marriott. They usually offer holiday specials, including dinner for two, champagne toast at midnight, breakfast in the morning. Just a little get away for the two of you. I know most of us would LOVE to be able to take advantage of a getaway like that, and your children aren't so young that they need babysitters.
Good luck with your search!
~J.

Hi B.,

Since you mentioned he is a handy man I was thinking that after he is done fixing something he can pamper himself with quality products for his face. Shaving foam, aftershave gel, colognes. These are things for him and only him and will be used several times a week.
Check out my website for more ideas for him or anyone on your list. www.marykay.com/annmarierosa
I can help you out with a 20% discount. Let me know if you are interested.
God Bless and Happy Holidays,
A.

Don't spend any money, figure out what would be the best act of SERVICE to him, and do it for him :) He wants to be loved the way he loves YOU and your kids :) So, serve him back.

If your husband like to make things get him a gift card from one of the builders business ex. Lowes. So he can get some things to make for the girls. Shelves, tables etc. If he does not want to make somethiing he may want some new tools that he has been dreaming about and just said anything about. Good luck have a husband just like that also.

I purchase gift certificates for my husband for things like an hour massage, or dinner for two at a nice restaurant. One year I got him a membership to Six Flags (because he still loves his roller coasters!). Basically things that he finds relaxing and fun to do but wouldn't necessarily get around to doing on his own.

You could get him a nice mp3 so he can listen to music while working with his tools sounds like he is a good handy man too. Or maybe a nice digital camera (pocket size). Digital Photo Frame for work. Maybe I am not much help but you can also make him a homemade card. Good luck. It is hard to find the special gift for someone very loving and giving and dear to your heart.

what about a digital photo frame and download all the family pictures? i have read that for good picture resolution you need to select one that has a minimum of 600 x 400 pixel resolution. These will run about $100, give or take.

Hi B.,

Wow,I know how you feel. I have a giver too! Well, I don't know if this will help you, but this is something I did. Gift cards are nice, but they never seemed enough and I didn't want to give just any gift from the store. I wanted to give one that he would remember one from the heart something meaningful. So maybe this will help you in your search. I took a box a round one and decorated it with old maps kinda of a decoupage look. But it needed to have an old look. Inside the box I placed different memorabilia, pictures of vacations, shells from the beach, wine bottle from when we got married, cards from Christmas past,even an old Christmas video and then after feeling it up with old memories. I placed a letter inside made it look kinda old, stained it with tea and then let it dry and printed on it with a really nice font. I wrote the story of Christmas day on it and ended it with a gift card to one of his favorite places. It takes sometime doing it, but it sure was worth it. No amount could ever buy the joy it gave him when he opened that gift. We still have the box to this day and every Christmas he pulls it out and tells the story of Christmas day to our children. You could have any kind of box it depends on what you want to fill it up with. Good luck!

Morning B.;

I am sure from the ages that you say the "Children" are that
more than likely you "New" husband has most of the things that
he wants!
I think I'm a little older than him but, when we guys reach a certain age we've got all the material things we need or we will just run over to Home Depot and get it!! hahahah
Sooo here's a couple of ideas>>>Gift Cards to Restaurants, like the Barn Door>>Whataberger>>Jim's or if there is a special place like the Lion & Rose that he has expressed a
liking for!!
Even gift cards to Wal-Mart are nice to have!
At my age (Older than Dirt) I like gift cards so I can get
or eat what I want!!
Merry Christmas;
B. C.

For the hard to buy for man in my family, I make a calendar, for the following year, with pictures of his grandchildren. In January, he gets to see what the boys looked like in the January before. This will be the 5th year I have made one. It is a gift that he gets to enjoy all year long. Before he had grandchildren I made the calendar with baby pictures of his wife. You don't have to spend a lot of money to be thoughtful.
Good luck.

I know it might sound silly but sometimes the simplest gifts are the greatest. I like the coffee cup with "World's greatest dad, husband, grandpa" on it. Put pictures of everyone on there and it sounds like he would love it. Since he's a handy man you could give him a new hammer engraved with this "worlds greatest" idea also. Your husband sounds like the kind of man that will appreciate sentiment over money spent so don't stress over how expensive the gift is but how special.

Good luck
Happy Holidays!
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

Fulfill a dream of his, you say he stays at home, but does he watch sports, Think about his interests, Would he like a fishing boat tour in Corpus Christi and a hotel reservation for you and him for a getaway weekend? That would run you about 200.00 (Book on the internet and save)
Oops don't know if you're in TX or not, but maybe a cozy cabin trip for the two of you at a B&B for January or February, or Tickets for several baseball games upcoming season, or basketball season where you go together. An activity to get out of the house together that gives you both some time to have fun together.
Just some ideas I'm sure he'll love anything sounds like a sweet guy.

I found that "Inviting" hobbies at Christmas and birthdays work well. 3 out of 4 of our gifts have actually developed into things he keeps on with and enjoys on his own now. It is great cause now we all have something we know he likes. I got him a 1 year (and myself) membership to a club that flies small planes... that was a flop- never even went to the intro lesson! But he did like the fish tank, with an open OK for whatever kind of fish he wanted. He choose Oscars, who quickly outgrew the 10 gallon tank. But to this day he loves doing his fish- even cleans the tank with all the gizmos we have gotten for him through time. Also, got him exotic coffee beans, and a grinder... which led to a espresso machine, then green beans for him to roast, then he made a roaster contraption for the garage and loves doing his thing out there... this led to a new "coffee center" in the house as we refurbished. It is so cool... he has a whole counter areas in the pass through area between Kit and dining, w/sink, counter, cabinets and all his coffee stuff for him to spread out however he likes! The third thing however is not so healthy but he likes a good cigar every so often. So it started with 3 "different types" and has developed into him being a connesour (spelling ?). He does not smoke often, and always outside... it is just something for just him. Now we all have 3 things that we know he will like gifts for even if we don't have a specific request from him!

I bought a beer of the month club for my husband. He gets so excited when the box comes in the mail. They also have fudge of the month if he has a sweet tooth, or even pasta or tie of the month. Getting a package every month reminds them over and over how special we think they are. Good luck!

What about a massage. So many men are embarrassed to get massages because they think pampering is a "woman thing." My hubby, dad and my sister's boyfriend are all sold on massages!

Since you've been married such a short time, you probably haven't had time for a nice family portrait, have you? What is his occupation? Does he have an office that you could decorate? Does he have a charity that he really cares about that you could make a donation in his name? Was he ever in the armed service? A box from him to a patient at the VA hospital would be meaningful. The zoo usually has collection places for donations for new exhibits with the cost listed. Look around town, there's lots of needs you could support in his name. If your yard is large enough, how about a special tree for him, or even two that would support a hammock when they get large enough.

What about a night at a great hotel w/ dinner and breakfast. Then everything will be done for him.

Hello,B.

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www.irenecandles.scent-team.com

Please tell me what you think.
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This may sound like a self-serving gift, but you could do a couples massage/spa day. That way, you are both spending time together, but he gets pampered (not to mention, you get a massage out of it too!). My husband actually did this as a gift for me several years ago and it was really fun. Pick a nice spa and both of you could get massages and pedicures, facials...whatever (he may think it's strange at first, but I guarantee if he can get relaxed, he will LOVE it and want to do it again).

You could also try planning a weekend at a B&B somewhere with some special excursions (like hiking or canoing or something). Sounds like he just likes to be with his family, so give him that time and make it extra special. Everyone loves a little vacation!

I like the idea of an overnight getaway for just the 2 of you. You don't really have to leave town. Just go to a local hotel & have dinner, etc. ;) That may be a little out of budget, but probably do-able. Or see if you can get all the kids together one afternoon & get a picture done with them & frame it. If you get a silver frame you can have it engraved. That way he can proudly display his loved one's in his office, or at home. Another idea is to get some pictures together (meaningful ones) & create a nice photo album. Either old pictures he has of his kids, new pictures of him with you & his new children or even a photo album with pictures of your 1st year of marriage. I know it can be difficult to find a gift for the man who gives so much, so I wish you luck & hope you've found some good ideas here.