Ideas for Christmas Gifts

Does he have a wedding ring? If not what about getting him one. Or if he does, what about getting it engraved if it's not already. That way he can take it with him when he has to leave.

Good Luck

How about a nice date night and giving him a card saying you've made a donation to a charity in his name.

can he take a 4x6 picture book with him? Calling card? Pillow case with a photo on it?

You can get him a Blanket for a Deployed Daddy. They are free of charge to deployed soldiers. Order one now and I'll send it out before Christmas. That way, he can leave a little of himself behind for you and your toddler.

My program website is at http://www.blanketsfordeployeddaddies.com and you can read about the blankets and order one from there. I am always looking for a way to share my blankets with soldiers, so if you know of other daddies in your husband's unit who will be deploying with him, please let them know about the website. We send blankets to kids up to age 6.

Get him a small prepaid cell phone and let him call you whenever he wants. Thank you for serving our country and sacrificing so much.

Can your husband take something small? If so, maybe a digital keychain that holds digital pictures. Fill it with pictures of you and the baby. Or a card that can record voice and have the baby say something and you say something. Or a small photo album?

Good luck and God bless you and your family. Thank you for your husband and his service.

A.

I think a digital pic key chain, a mp3 player with fav movies ,music and photos too . That would be good. In an envelpoe spray some of you perfume that he could have your scent with him. In that you coued have all the names phone numbers abd addresses he needs. Good luck and god bless

Hi!

When my brother was deployed he bought an MP3 player and we all gave him music gift cards. :) Or maybe an iPod shuffle? Not too expensive, in case it doesn't work so well for what he's doing, but still a cool (and small) thing to have. And you could load his favorite songs so it is all ready to go! :)

Good luck to you, and thank you for sacrificing so much on our behalf.

Tough spot for you. You want to make things wonderful for your husband before his deployment without clouding it with your concerns of being totally responsible for holding it together at home while he is gone. I would suggest getting gifts that you would purchase if he was going to be at home instead of deployed. Write him a card or just tell him that the gifts, along with your home will be in good hands and safekeeping while he is gone. All will be waiting for his return.
Make sure you prepare yourself for his absence and that for the next 6 months,he is pretty much strictly a soldier. He can't be there for you as he wants to be, and as you need him to be. If you aren't already, get involved with FRG and support groups. Let your hubby know you will be doing this so you can be ok while he is gone and prepared for what he needs upon his return. Any gal can be married to a military man, but it takes extra work, effort and guts to be a good and ok soldier's wife.
Good luck, god bless you and your family.

Could he take a web cam so that you can see each other and talk online? Or if not, phone cards are good, family pictures, new clothes or shoes appropriate for the weather were he will be stationed, or an I pod to listen to music on? Good luck, I hope that your Chirstmas together will be special.

Ok, first off...he can take stuff with him. They pack up tough boxes a month or so before deployment and all their personal stuff goes in there and is shipped off before hand. Second...my hubby is leaving again soon and i plan on getting him one of the talking photo frames that you put an sd card into and it goes through all the pics on there. You can record your kids voice and yours and leave a message that he will hear while seeing your faces. Im sure anything you plan on giving him will be great for him. And if he cant take it with him, then you can always send it over to him after he gets there. =)

Several years ago, my son went into the MTC three days before Christmas. He already had his missionary gear and could not take any additional stuff with him, so stuff was out of the question. What we did was to go out to dinner and then to the Mannheim Steamroller concert in SLC as our family Christmas present. We also bought a few CDs there which he was able to take with him. We still remember and talk about that concert. It was a great experience.

My suggestion: Don't give stuff. Give him a really special, memorable experience.

I don't know how soon in Jan. he has to leave, but if you have at least a few days, how about something like a special date with just you, no children? Something like a fancy dinner, or movie, or something fun that he'd like, like laser tag or miniature golf or...?? My husband is moving too (new job out of state, I have to stay and sell house) and he actually requested a "date night" as the gift he'd like most.

If he can take little family momentos, check ideas at Snapfish or another photo gift place. Maybe a sexy shot of you on a pillowcase? The whole family on a mousepad?

"It's the thought that counts" is so true. I am getting my hubby a case of Moon Pies... b/c he mentioned he loved them and has not had one in years. Find something that would show ou care about the details. Recreate a fun date you had early in your relationsip. Just an idea... hubby is coming GTG

how about a simple folder of photographs of all your family and friends, maybe get some scrapbooking material to spruce it up a bit. i spent two years away from my family and friends at school, and i made lots of new friends and had a family-like group of people i'd get together with for holidays an special occassions, but they just didn't replace this incredible hole that was me missing my family and friends and i just wanted to look at pic's of them all. and as he's leaving in six months, get him something he can enjoy now, but not really take with him. like....i got my hubby a dvd of his favorite team winning the superbowl. maybe get his ring engraved with something sweet, or something silly, whichever you prefer. hope this helps.

Hi, K.J.! I'm giving my husband a gift of dates: I arranged with my neighbor to babysit my kids 4 times on specific days, then I went out and bought movie tickets, a gift cert. to our favorite restaurant, and 2 other date ideas tailored to us. I wrapped each in an envelope for him to open. That would be a good way for the 2 of you to make sure you have some good time together before he has to leave. I will be thinking of him serving our country...
Merry Christmas!
S.

How about a weekend getaway for you two, or tickets to a concert or event?

Marci

ugh, I feel like I am always in this spot. trying to figure out what to do for my dh. He leaves again next year. I hate how getting stuff for winter like ski passes is a waste because he misses winter, and in the summer for his birthday he's gone for that...
anyway
I am going with a digital photo frame for him this year. My dd always makes him smile. Last time we put her pic all over on his laptop. backdrop, etc.
Other than that I send a few of his favorite games that he can have and use while he is there and then he leaves them behind and we get the ones for our home collection he wants to play when he is home.
Mine has and ipod and internet access so My sis. got him an Itunes Gift Card.
since he takes his laptop I usually get him a game he can play on his computer as well, closed circuit so no online gaming ones--
just as few ideas

You could take LOTS of pictures, and make the day a wonderful memory! Start some new traditions, make something together, play games, spend the day in Jammies! I sometimes write my husband a poem or make a collage of pictures for him!

Do you have anyone who could take your toddler over night? An over night date is a great gift, especially if you can get away. Is there any way you can go to Estes Park or someplace like that for an entire night? Wrap up a little nightie with your reservation number and some massage oil. He'll love it. Give him a night to remember!

Put together a collection of your favorite songs and put them on an ipod or a cd or something like that-something that he's already taking with him, or, buy one for him! My parents did that for our family once and I still listen to the CASSETTE tape! It was really cool. They wrote up a little discription for why they liked each song. I really treasure it.

My husband is also extremely difficult to buy for, but I have found that signing him up for fun classes seems to work. Like he likes fly fishing, so I signed him up for a one day lesson through a local fishing shop. This X-mas I signed him up for a wine tasting class through a the Boulder Valley Lifetime Learning program. If you can think of a hobby your husband is into (photography, computers, cooking) there is probably an adult class offered either through your local community college or rec center, and lots are just one or two classes in the evenings and affordable...

I got my husband a gift cert. to the indoor skydiving place in Park Meadows one year (although depending on what you husband does in the military, this might not be very exciting for him...) He took me on a hot-air balloon ride for our first anniversary and it was awesome! Or you could get a hotel room downtown and have a babysitter/friend take the kids for the night and just have a romantic night on the town. You could even do it as a surprise so he does not know where you are going, or that you are staying out... Sometimes, the gifts that create memories are the best kind! Good luck finding the right thing, and THANK YOU to you and your husband for making so many sacrifices for the rest of us!!!

One of the things I'm doing for my husband is making a spirit bowl (you can call it whatever you want). Basically, get a coconut, cut in in half and clean it out (a wooden bowl would work too) and line the inside with glue then beads (your little one can help with this). Write on little slips of paper all the reasons you love him and are committed to him. He could take the papers with him and come home to a bowl full of new thoughts!

Perhaps a gift certificate for a professional massage before he leaves?

Well I do understand the "what do I get him this time" question. I always fight to find things for my husband and he is always here. If he were able to take something with him (small) I would suggest not really and Ipod for I do not know what all they are capable of doing straight out of the box. I use a Creative Zen MP3 player. I love the new style of them they are really really small with very good picture quality and pretty good space. Plus they are sd card capable. Why I suggest this is simple.... They aren't just MP3 players. You can with a little help put movies on them music and Pictures/videos. My 8gb player was a whole 150.00 or so but is so very versatile. I would get one and load all his favorite music on it plus any pictures you have of you and the baby/videos too. With a little help you could even load on a few favorite movies. While he is gone each month you can take pictures of you and the baby and also other movies he likes and load them onto SD cards to send to him. Say 1 a month and have him swap them out send one back for you to reload he can always transfer his favorite pictures from card to player and back again. That way he can see you and the kiddo and not feel he is missing so much while he is away. They players come as small as credit cards so I can't see why he wouldn't be able to pack it even if it is in a wallet or some such. The SD cards don't cost all that much any more so wouldn't be a hard thing to supply. I hear alot about have a date night with him but... why not plan 2 events?? He isn't just leaving you he is also leaving that beautiful little kiddo too. So YEAH plan a date night and show him what all he gets to come back to but also plan a day with him and the kiddo and you just fun and play sorta thing. Give him some of that Quality daddy time too. I've heard Monkey Business is like the greatest thing since sliced bread for kids to go play at.
Good luck and Merry Christmas to all (and if you aren't into Christmas... Well have a good day anyways)

My husband was military for 14 years and they can ALWAYS take PT gear with them...good running shoes, socks and an ipod with music that YOU load for him...
good luck and god bless him as he travels.

Two ideas (one already mentioned):
1) photo keychain (the electronic ones on which you can load multiple pictures), or
2) I don't know how often he can access the internet over there (I assume it is more frequent than calling?), but if he can, what about setting up a website that you can update with photos, daily (blog) comments, etc. so he can feel like he's living each day at home with you? There are some sites that make it really easy to set up a simple site and load pictures and text. Not terribly expensive, either.

Good luck deciding on the perfect gift, and warm wishes and gratitude to you, your husband and the other deployed military.

You could see if you have an www.oplove.org photographer in your area. They will make a photo book for him and you could order some wallets for him. Wish you lived closer as I would take your pics and at least get him a wallet size to take with him. I pray for you and your family. My husband was a reservist and went on Active Duty a few years ago. It's not easy! ~Lanna

Some of the best gifts are not things. If there is a activity that your husband likes to do even if your not into it. Plan a day, to do that activity with him. Get a babysitter and give your husband your time and memories to take with him. You are one of the greatest gifts you can give.