So finding the right Christmas gift for your partner can be a challenge unless you like spending a ton of money. In that case it’s pretty easy: Jewelry for the ladies and manly adventures for guys like a pass for stunt driving school. Since I’m not rich… and, more importantly, I’m cheap, I like to put a lot of thought into the gift rather than money; after all, it’s the thought that counts, right? Not to a toddler: (parent) “But I’m sure Santa put a lot of thought into the underwear he got you… that’s the wrong size.” Fortunately, my wife isn’t a toddler… very fortunate for me since I don’t like prison… but that doesn’t mean she appreciates the thought more than the gift: (wife) “This note says you had the thought of buying me a gold necklace… that’s so much better than getting the actual necklace. I love your cheapness!” And I know the ladies reading my honesty that I’m cheap and worry more about the “thought” are thinking “Mmm, this guy’s dreamy. Cheap is another word for heartbreaker,” but this year I came up with theeeee best gift you can give your partner. It may not be something that she’ll open and be like “If I could magically make our clothes disappear, I’d do that right now,” but this is therapist approved brilliant. Ready? It’s sooo good; so good. Okay, here it is. It’s… a calendar. Ehn? Ehn? Is that not the greatest gift? Okay, at first this seems pretty lame, but let’s take this to where it becomes theeee best Christmas gift ever. Last year my wife got a hold of my to-do calendar, and she wrote little notes on the different days like “Cuddle Time” and “Remember how great you are”. Those little messages were awesome. Whenever I landed on a day with a note from her I felt happy. It was like she gave me a compliment on that day even though she did it long before. This is particularly great for guys who want to get all the niceness out of the way in one fell swoop. In addition, seeing her handwriting was a reminder that it was her who wrote it and not me; it reminded me of her thoughtfulness and that she cares about me. The crazy thing is she has no idea how much it meant to me… at least she doesn’t until I give her the calendar I’m making her this year.
So here’s the first tip to help make the calendar theeeee best gift:
- Make a list of thoughtful sayings like “You’re beautiful because…” and “You’re loved because…”
- Make a list of things you will do for her like “Back Rub Day” and “Cuddle Time.”
- Make a list of chores you want the other person to do so you won’t have to nag later… just kidding. Writing a list of chores you will do, however, might be a good idea.
- Consider how many date nights you will have in a month whether by yourselves or as double dates. Maybe go one step further and choose the activity you’ll do on the night.
- Go through the calendar and write out your different lists on the appropriate days.
When your partner first opens the calendar they might be like “Huhn, a calendar,” but as they go through it they’ll start to see how great it is because of how much thought you put into it. The thought can count for something. Can this be better, which I ask to be like an infomercial? It can. Take it to the next level by having a personalized calendar made with your pictures in it, which you can do at places like Staples, Costco and Walmart.
BONUS: This idea can also be translated for friends go through a rough time and parents from kids where the kids put in times they will call, visit, do chores, have family game nights, etc.
Finding the right gift for your partner can be a challenge, but hopefully you can score major points this year. You’re welcome for my awesomeness… aka cheapness.
May your Christmas gift-giving be a blessing to those around you this year.
Rev Chad David, www.ChadDavid.ca, learning to love dumb people