Christmas shopping?

OK, I need some ideas for SWMBO for Christmas. I was told no jewelry. I'm trying to think of something more original than spa gift certificates and something less confrontational than Super-Duper Stretch Mark Reducer Cream.

What's the budget?

$250 and under.

what are her hobbies and/or interests?

Being married for 17 years I have exhausted most possibilities. A few of the more popular non jewelry related items have been...perfume, leather jacket with boots and purse to match. Sweaters, cd's, portable dvd player, mp3 player.

Some of the things like the perfume, clothes and jacket were kind of tough as a guy to get, but they meant the most as swmbo knew that I had to leave my nads at home to actually go do something like that. Major brownie points. Once you get over the fear, it's not that bad. Actually this time of year if a man goes walking into the perfume section at Dillards or the women clothing section, you have that deer in the headlights look. Some sales woman will see you and definately help you out.


good luck

loop

Great thread! Year after year shopping for swmbo sucks. We surely have some responses from some that gave <blank> and the wife was very happy. I need help too!

I'm thinking of getting her an iPod nano. She doesn't own any music, but I'm sure she'd like some when she's working out or something to listen to in her office.

I usually get her a spa certificate to Mario Tricoci's for a massage, mani and pedi and whatever else fits the budget. She LOVES it, but it is predictable in my opinion.

I've never done good buying her clothes. I can't crack the female sizing metric system and she's never happy with what I pick out.

Maybe some theater tickets? I need to see what shows are in town.

I have a friend that buys gift certificates to the full service car wash. He says his wife loves it, plus it gets him out of washing her car.

How she is about handbags, my wife loves them and some of the smaller designer ones may be in your price range. I know my wife is a big fan of Kate Spade and Dooney & Bourke (at least, those are the ones I can remember so they're the ones I always buy her).

The Mario thing is my defauly gift too.

As far as clothes, you can go with a nice jacket - the sizing on those is easy.

One thing I'm considering for my wife this year is a class of some sort that we can take together - cooking, dancing - just something to get out of the house for a bit.

As far as shows go, I know Wicked is pretty popular and most of the people I know that have seen it really liked it.

TheJadedDog said:

How she is about handbags, my wife loves them and some of the smaller designer ones may be in your price range. I know my wife is a big fan of Kate Spade and Dooney & Bourke (at least, those are the ones I can remember so they're the ones I always buy her).

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There's some sort of hand bag rental service (Yes, too surreal for words) that I've heard about. I have no other info on cost or anything else.

Cheesefood said:

I'm thinking of getting her an iPod nano. She doesn't own any music, but I'm sure she'd like some when she's working out or something to listen to in her office.

I usually get her a spa certificate to Mario Tricoci's for a massage, mani and pedi and whatever else fits the budget. She LOVES it, but it is predictable in my opinion.

I've never done good buying her clothes. I can't crack the female sizing metric system and she's never happy with what I pick out.

Maybe some theater tickets? I need to see what shows are in town.

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I tried the ipod route for my SWMBO 2 years ago--even after she asked for one, and I struck out big time. She has never used it.

She is impossible to shop for and is disappointed every year. She is one of those people that would be happier with the money still in the checking account.

I got her a digital camera last year. She has used the hell out of it. I even had to buy an external harddrive for her to keep all her pics on since she was using so much space on the computer.

This year....I dont know. I like the jacket idea though. I think she would look great in a black leather jacket

I bought my SWMBO an iPod and it took her a couple years, but she's finally using it. Strike!

I'm in the same boat, I never know what the hell to get her...

How about a bow tie on mr happy.

Cheese... play your "Miles" card. Mom's love stuff related to their kids.

Get a bunch of pictures of your wife and the boy from your stockpile and have a 2007 calendar printed up with their pictures in it. That should be cheap... you could probably even get one of those digital photo frames that does a slide show of pics from your digital camera. Load it up with more pics of Miles before you wrap it so that it's working when she opens it. She'll eat that up if she's anything like my wife.

-walker

(Chimone's post about the camera made me think of these things.)

no gifts for the adults this year in the uglygoat household...

the kid will get a few presents from us, her grandparents and uncles, but we're not exchanging gifts..

booooo commericalism...

Walker-san said:

Cheese... play your "Miles" card. Mom's love stuff related to their kids.

Get a bunch of pictures of your wife and the boy from your stockpile and have a 2007 calendar printed up with their pictures in it. That should be cheap... you could probably even get one of those digital photo frames that does a slide show of pics from your digital camera. Load it up with more pics of Miles before you wrap it so that it's working when she opens it. She'll eat that up if she's anything like my wife.

-walker

(Chimone's post about the camera made me think of these things.)

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OMFG

Brilliant!

Walker-san said:

Cheese... play your "Miles" card. Mom's love stuff related to their kids.

Get a bunch of pictures of your wife and the boy from your stockpile and have a 2007 calendar printed up with their pictures in it. That should be cheap... you could probably even get one of those digital photo frames that does a slide show of pics from your digital camera. Load it up with more pics of Miles before you wrap it so that it's working when she opens it. She'll eat that up if she's anything like my wife.

-walker

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I have an account at Snapfish. If you don't have one - I can refer you and I think everyone gets some sort of discount or something - 20 free pictures think.

Anyway, you upload your digital picture and anyone can order them. For Christmas, we always get the grandparents a calendar. They also have mugs and all sorts of other things. They're pretty reasonable and have been very well received.

Also, very nice for Christmas cards

Chairman Cheyco said:

OMFG

Brilliant!

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--walker--

Walker-san said:

--walker--

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Yup, yer pickin' up what I'm puttin' down...

:rockin:

Are you sure that Guinness is what she wants?

Re: Ipod's. If any of your wives are like mine which is probably rather common; girls don't like tech stuff usually.

I was thinking about a Roomba as one gift (anyone have pro/con's to say about these)? But that's techy and a vaccum cleaner. Where are our female homebrewers to help us Marty Maroons?
Tickets to a show is a good idea; I wrote that one down . Lets keep them coming!

rdwj said:

I have an account at Snapfish. If you don't have one - I can refer you and I think everyone gets some sort of discount or something - 20 free pictures think.

Anyway, you upload your digital picture and anyone can order them. For Christmas, we always get the grandparents a calendar. They also have mugs and all sorts of other things. They're pretty reasonable and have been very well received.

Also, very nice for Christmas cards

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Snapfish makes gifts for grandparents and uncles and whathaveyou VERY easy.

I've purchased tech for the wife the past few years, and it's been good - but it's been stuff she specifically asked for. I'm not sure how an MP3 player would have flown if she didn't already want one. I usually kick ass in the jewelry department, so I don't think I'll ever be prevented from playing that card.

I actually bought the SMWBO her Christmas present this past weekend. It's the most un-romantic thing in the world, but it's exactly what she's wanted, she has said so for years and years, and she found a great sale. Frickin' Dyson vacuum cleaner (she has bad allergies and we have lots of animals).

The kicker to me; buying her this vacuum was my requirement before I get to buy myself a motorcycle - so Chillhayze, if you're out there, I'm coming for my Rebel in the spring!

Guys.... whether she wants it (or not) or asks for it (or not)...

NEVER give a woman a washing machine, dryer, vacuum cleaner (even an automagic robotic one), or anything like that as a gift. This will come back to haunt you later.

Such gifts are not "for her". They are at best for "both of you", so.... you still haven't gotten "her" anything.

-walker

Walker-san said:

Guys.... whether she wants it (or not) or asks for it (or not)...

NEVER give a woman a washing machine, dryer, vacuum cleaner (even an automagic robotic one), or anything like that as a gift. This will come back to haunt you later.

Such gifts are not "for her". They are at best for "both of you", so.... you still haven't gotten "her" anything.

-walker

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Couldn't agree more.

I got SWMBO a quesadilla maker as a stocking stuffer type gift. We use the thing ALL THE TIME, but both SWMBO and her mother still give me grief for buying it.

Oh, she'll get something else, just not all that big. It's too early for it to REALLY be her x-mas present. But that's the biggie, she's quite stoked, to be frank. I'd tell you EXACTLY how pleased she was with me, but she occassionally reads this forum and would not be happy if I shared that level of detail

Hell, as long as it gets me closer to my bike...

EDIT: I will say, I have had a LOT of hesitation buying her tech in the past, but she's PLEADED for an MP3 player, PLEADED for a new digital camera... now, she's starting to bug me for a new TV...

Maybe y'all just married the wrong women!

Vac Cleaner (even robotic one's). Couldn't agree more and why I said one of the gifts. Probably came from Santa then if I do get a roomba mine sweeper. I tried that card last year with the food sealer. Got **** on that one as I started bagging hops... This is why I need help

desertBrew said:

I tried that card last year with the food sealer. Got **** on that one as I started bagging hops...

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Why try thinly veiled gifts for yourself? Just be overt. Get her a welder. There are some small MIG machines in your price range. If she doesn't like welding, you can keep it for brew projects.

Oh, and never take marital advice from me.

Walker-san said:

Guys.... whether she wants it (or not) or asks for it (or not)...

NEVER give a woman a washing machine, dryer, vacuum cleaner (even an automagic robotic one), or anything like that as a gift. This will come back to haunt you later.

Such gifts are not "for her". They are at best for "both of you", so.... you still haven't gotten "her" anything.

-walker

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Isn't that MAN LAW #5

Just a quick story to show that we're not all that bad...

A guy I used to work with bought his wife a Nintendo and a few games when that was the hot gaming system. This girl had NEVER played a video game in her life. Needless to say, she wasn't pleased.

I heard Homer got Marge a bowling ball and she almost had an affair with a Frenchy.

olllllo said:

I heard Homer got Marge a bowling ball and she almost had an affair with a Frenchy.

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Not just a bowling ball, but one that was fitted with his finger holes.

Cheesefood said:

Maybe some theater tickets? I need to see what shows are in town.

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You're on the right track. Go with a dinner theater, and maybe a hotel room too, with the little one at Grandma's. My wife loves going to the Fireside in Fort Atkinson, WI. I'm sure there is something similar near you.

Wow, didn't realize shopping was so hard for guys....

Ditch any thoughts of appliances, unless she has been begging for it. Same goes for techy stuff, except maybe a digital camera, if you have kids or grandkids to take pictures of. The calendar is a FABULOUS idea, and would keep you way under budget....how about adding a few small gift certificates, like for just a pedicure, or movie tickets, or lunch, or a coffee punch card at a gourmet coffee/chocolate place, and include them in the calendar, attached to months where no other occasion exists-so not on birthday month, or May (Mother's day), or anniversary month, etc.....

This is just one married mother's perspective.........

NurseNan said:

Wow, didn't realize shopping was so hard for guys....

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Yeah, we all know it's shopping for guys that's difficult.

Just a few ideas....

Does she like to bake stuff... we have this KitchenAid that mine uses all the time. Heavy as hell.....

Does she have a lot of pictures... SWMBO scrapbooks a lot. There are stores just for it actually.

Do you have a digital camera.... since mine scrapbooks, obviously she LOVES this digital camera we have. Video cams could be an option too.

I know it does not sound romantic, but you mentioned you dont have a taste for clothing with her so cash to get clothes herself coudl be a great option.

What does she like to do? Mine is kinda a crafty, baking, never enough clothes or shoes person so it's pretty easy to figure out what would make her happy.

Oh I forgot... I bought SWMBO a hamster and she never stops talking about it.... she has fish too Pets?

Perhaps money for clothes is not such a hot idea...

I got the wife an iPod. She loved it. I got it from the Apple Store Online which at the time had free shipping and free laser engraving (believe it does right now, also.) My wife loved it, and uses it all the time (gym, etc.) I had it engraved to her from me and the two kids - she thought that was very sweet.

The other mom gift I got her was a silver bracelet with a charm that had our son's name on it. She loved it and now I just have to get another charm with our daughter's name on it.

Plus, all SWMBO's want a conical fermenter and a few extra corny kegs, don't they?

I do like a combo. of the ideas above with the calendar with gift certificates on it. Great idea that I know my wife would love. Thanks guys! Time to get started on that.