Needing Help with Unique Ideas for Hard to Buy for Husband

A massage? or tickets to a ballgame or concert? or a day test-driving a nice fast car? if he's a wine or coffee drinker, I think there is a website out there where you can order a year-supply of home-delivered coffee, tea or wine (one time per month)... Good luck

Hey from a woman who was married for 20 years, the best gift is one that will ease his working body. For a hard working man who is on his feet so much you might think in terms of a foot massage soaker. Might not sound great but when a man uses something and it makes him feel better he will know that you care enough about his comfort to have thought in those terms.

How about a photo of yourself with the three kids? You could have one done pretty inexpensively at Wal-mart or JCPenney. If he has a desk or office, you could give him a framed 5x7, or if he doesn't have a place for a framed photo, you could give him wallets of each of the three kids, or you with all the kids.
L.

I am buying my "hard-to-buy-for" husband the book "Quiet Strength" by Coach Tony Dungy. There is also a journal. I think he would like it (Super Bowl winning football coach) and it would probably be an 'easy read.' Also, I think it will be inspiring for dads. Good Luck!

Don't know your price range but how about a plane ticket to go see his best friend, brother, etc.? A nice little weekend getaway with just the boys or whatever...Just a thought - good luck!

How about a gift certificate for a massage from a spa? I know that it is mostly women who have massages, but my husband loves them! They are so relaxing. On the day he makes the appointment, send the kids to Grandmas and the two of you make a day of it! Be sure to take him and pick him up from the spa, because if it's a good massage, he'll feel like jelly when he leaves! Go out to a nice lunch or just go home to a nice quiet house for the afternoon!

This won't help you this year, but I collected my husbands pocket change for a year, and gave it to him for Xmas last year as a prepaid date night. Depending on how much your hubby uses cash to pay for things, you could end up with a dinner-movie-babysitter combo, a weekend getaway, or just the value menu at McD's, heh.
You could do a gift card for a "man-spa" day. Or season tickets to his fave local team, if he likes sports. If he eats out for lunch at work, gift cards to his fave restaurant. Good luck!

ok this may sound a little immature...but...my husband got a Wii a few weeks ago and loves it. actually we all love it. it is a video game that our whole family can play, even my 5 year old and 3 year old can play it. i even like it and i hate regular wideo games like on the playstation. the Wii is totally different.

I don't know if someone has suggested this or not, but for someone on a budget, this is an AWESOME gift! It comes from the heart, and not from the pocketbook. Make him a card, that says he has won a special weekend with you. Let him help set the date, but the details are all up to you.

Send the munchkins to grandmas/whoever for the weekend.

Make him a special dinner, spend time together and get to know each other again. Men don't admit it, but they DO enjoy this sort of thing, if it's in the right place and the right time. So I guess what I'm saying is, don't plan this weekend during a big game or on "poker night".

You can buy some massage supplies or some naughty games or whatever floats your (and his) boat, and just reconnect with each other. Children, especially small ones make it difficult to have that kind of time together. It's a good, inexpensive gift that he'll really enjoy. Just try to keep your plans flexible--there is nothing less sexy than "OK, 10 minutes are up, massage over!" :-) Good luck!!

Hi J.,

My husband is the same way, he enjoys doing windsurf and ski and scuba diving....so it is very difficult for me to buy any of those things since I have no clue about mast sizes or sails shapes or neoprene widths, etc....He loves electronics too but he likes to pick them himself so he left me with nothing! (Nothing he likes that is)
I found out, that sometimes, the things that you had never imagine will work, here are a few things....a laser light to play? a remote contolled plane, helicopter or motorcicle? (yes! a toy! They like it!) A head light to fix things without using a flashlight? A pair of cozzy slippers or warm gloves? A new thing to try like a snow bord or a couple of passes to Snow Creek for both of you? A digital picture frame with some beautiful pics of the kids and you? A digital key chain with pictures?
It can be something that you know that he already likes or something new to try and will surprise him! Like an easel and paints if he likes art or a scuba diving lesson...

Let us know what you decide, it's fun! And we can get ideas too!:)

Good Luck,

Mariana Abadie
www.MyKidsFirst.com

J.,

I feel your pain. My hubby is just the same, hard to buy for and never has any suggestions. Here are a few ideas that were a hit with him in the past. Last year it was an ipod Nano and a hose real for the garage to go with his industrial size air compressor. Girot's Carage has lots of neat stocking stuffers like tweezers, telescoping magnets and mirrors (for finding lost nuts/screws and seeing in hard to reach places). My biggest blow out gift was an overhead lift for his project car. The guys in his car club were jealous for a year after that present.

My better half loves to cook pancakes for the family on the weekend, so I got him a solid aluminum griddle and all the pancake tools to go with it at Crate and Barrel. He can also use it on the grill in the summer for kabobs. He loves it so much I have to plan at least one meal a week he can use it for.

The trick is to think of all the things he does around the house and on the job then find something that he would never buy himself. Men tend to by the basics and make do with the tools they have. Women will buy specialty items that make the job easier or faster. A simple thing like extra rechargable batteries for a favorite tool or a padded creaper are thoughtful surprize gifts for the tool junkie.

Good luck, I'm off to find a wet/dry shop vac this year!

J.

I always have the same issue. This year my husband is receiving a nice universal remote. I got it on sale on black Friday. But in the past i have also got him things like a nice watch, or a new everyday watch, a new record player (a digital one), a new wallet, he likes star wars junk so there are some games and "toys" pictures, etc that I have found over the years. an engraved pocketknife (he likes pocketknives) keyring, sometimes I will have him make a list for me and the kids, i am usually surprised. There are things on there that I didn't think of. He isn't a video game person in general, but did want a Wii for Father's day. I also have 4 kids, we all "try" to be funny" So I will have the kids wrap up weird things for him like one shoe,an action figure or a pink ballerina, just for fun. Because he doesn't usually have a lot of gifts to open. He usually has one real gift. Because of the cost of the one gift he doesn't get anything else. So I want him to open more things, otherwise he is just sitting there and the kids think it is so funny.He like to play Statego, so I will buy different versions of that for a little "collection". Since your hubby has a lot of tools, does he have all the organizational stuff to store them? Could he use an addition. My husband occasionally grows out of the cabinets and drawers and spaces that he has for his tools. He/Me likes to keep all that stuff in one place.
i am sure there is more ideas I am forgetting, I hope maybe something here sparked an idea for you. Have a great holiday season.

S.
ps please excuse all typos and misspellings=)

This is one of the things that I am getting my husband that might be kinda of cool for yours.

http://shopping.discovery.com/product-65763.html?hp=HPA_R...

I have the same problem each year, and this year decided on a personalized jersey from his favorite team. It wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be ($60 including shipping). I think he will really like this,too.

My neighbor is getting her hubby lawn service for over the summer (it was only about $50 per month for the summer & spring). This might be worth it to some.

Hope this helps!
J.

This is too cool. Not as expensive as I'd think either. I absolutely LOVE the one that was given to me as a gift! You should check it out!

http://www.starregistry.com/?engine=adwords!6097&keyw...=

Good luck and happy holidays!

C.
www.EnhanceYourWayOfLife.com

Ok, I have the same issue every year for my husband. This year I got him a new radio for his car, I got it at a really good deal on amazon.com with free shipping too! Also movies are always a safe bet or a gift card to his favorite place to shop or to a place with stuff for his favorite hobby. I actually made it through my shopping this year without buying anyone clothes which is totally amazing for me. Maybe a weather radio that cranks and has a flashlight or something on it, or a book you know he would love to read or a magazine subscription. I hope some of this helps.
Merry Christmas!
H.

What about picture of you and the children in black and white or better yet. what about a night out at a hotel just the two of you with a nice dinner and movie.

I don't know what your budget is for this.
I have given my dh coupons for different things that I can do for him.
A date night.
A back rub.
A favorite desert.
A favorite meal.
Then I buy the things that go with the coupons that I made.
Some massage tool, with massage oil.
You can even buy the massage tables to go with it all now.
There are lots of things you can buy to go along with that.
You could also get him accessories to go with the tools that he has, but my dh tends to like the personal stuff more than he does the tool stuff. It seems to mean more to him.

My husband's birthday is right after Christmas so he really gets short-changed in the gift department if I'm not careful. Last year I took him to Chateau Avalon for an overnight in a theme room. We had fun in the big fancy jacuzzi tub for two (that ends up a crazy bubble factory if you use the liquid soap they provide). I ordered half a dozen chocolate dipped strawberries and we watched a fun DVD (Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe). We had a wonderful time and the room was half price because that is their slowest time of the year. That enabled me to buy him a gift card for The Legends Village West center and he was able to shop for things he wanted (mostly in the electronics section at Nebraska Furniture Mart and sporting goods at Cabela's). He was VERY happy! :-)

If he uses his tools a lot then a gift card to Home Depot or Lowes sounds good.
Good Luck
M.

I don't know about you, but my husband always goes for electronics. He loves gameboys, music CDs, DVD's of his favorite T.V. shows, etc.

When all else fails, get him a gift card to his favorite restarant. :-)

well, i usually have little or no idea what to get my hubby, but he's always asking me to rub his back (because it hurts) so this year i'm buying him a hand-held massager with 3 attachments at walmart. i hope it will be a good gift! if you have a walmart nearby, you could check them out. they have $5 and up massagers.

How about dinner out at your favorite restaurant? Sometimes time away from kids/work is the best gift you can give your spouse!