Gifts for the Female of the Species

[fluffhead]

I'm usually clueless when it comes to birthday and anniversary gifts. I've found that massage gift certificates can't be beat for convenience and appreciation. This year, for my wife's b-day, I had a brainstorm (though it's still a week away, so I can't report on the results). She's taken a picture of the kids on each month's birth anniversary for the first year of their lives, in the same chair. I scanned the pics, and did some Photoshop magic (pretty amateurish, unfortunately), and uploaded them and got these beautiful 14X11 prints from printroom.com of the montage. I ordered some frames online, and hopefully it will make a nice package.
She found some of the pictures while I was scanning, but she's not letting on that she's onto it. Hope it works out!
Other than jewelry, have you got any good ideas, or things that have worked for you?

Fluff, Don't you just love Photoshop? It is amazing what you can do in that program!

That is such a wonderful gift! Your wife is such a lucky woman! My husband did something similar for our 2 year wedding anniversary and I have to say that gift beat any other gift he had ever given me (including jewelry!). You also can't go wrong with chocolates and flowers (if she's in to those).

Let us know how it goes....I'm sure she will love the gift!!

[pstone]

during my wife's 3rd year of med school she had a text pager and I would send her text pages every couple of days. Poems, love notes, just missing her thoughts....they all had to be less then 200 characters so I did a lot of poems and quick notes. For our 2nd anniversary I printed each of them out on a 2" X 6" card stock, bound them and titled it

In 200 characters or less.....With love....

It was great, you got to see the whole year progress, each rotation, each call night...and we conceived 1/2 way though so the pregnancy progression is also in there....

now she has no text pager....

but person like your photo idea is always the best!...then chocolate...screw jewlery, she never wears any anyway.

Along the mommy line of things, if you've got a paint-your-own-pottery shop in the area you can do some great stuff w/handprints. We have some hand print mugs that we adore. My absolute favorite though are the dinner plates I've been having the kids make. Once a year they each get to paint a dinner plate - eventually I'll have a custom made set!

On the non-mommy things: yes - massages, pedicures, spa days in general. I would LOVE a maid-service, but you may handle most of that as the SAH person (both you and Peter seem to be so much more on top of those things than I am). Depending on where you live, a custom made purse from 1154 Lill is WAY COOL. There are only a few locations, but it can be done online, too and is very reasonable (IMO).

Your plan for this birthday sounds like it will be a huge hit! I'm just offerning suggestions for follow-up holidays.

[Phoebe]

I was just reading this post 4 months later, but I have to say that I am totally impressed! You guys rock! How did your wife like the photos for her birthday?

I wish my husband would give my birthday half as much thought as you. Although it is a week and a half after Christmas so I should cut him a little slack.

Keep up the amazing support of your wives!

jennifer

[SueC]

That is an awesome gift, I would be speechless and tear-eyed if it were me!
I think you guys are on the right track with the pampering gifts. You can't go wrong with nything that makes her feel spoiled and pampered. I myself would totally love a maid service (which my mom and sister got me last year) but if you do most of the housework, then I suppose that would be more of a gift to yourself.

[fluffhead]

OK....new dilemma.
Graduation gift - any ideas? I've gotten her a palm pilot, which sits unused, she has too much jewelry (imho) already, the massage gift certificates are getting old.

Fluff -

Is she finishing med school or training? When dh finished training, I got him a briefcase made from Rawlings baseball glove leather (most likely not the appropirate choice for your dw). But a nice case - Coach or something along those lines.

Also, redenvelope.com has lots of lovely stuff. If she's finishing training you could get her flowers by the month for her office.

[fluffhead]

She's finishing residency. We have a closet full of &*$#*$(*@#&$ Coach briefcases and she already has 2 doctor bags. She will be in a lab next year, so the flowers won't work. Nice ideas, though.
I figure the fact I'm still here is a pretty good gift (not that I'm bitter...)

[DCJenn]

What to get for the neurologist...

an amazon.com gift certificate? (If you were in DC I'd suggest a Reiter's gift certificate- that's the SmartyPants Dawkter/Lawyer bookstore.)

Does she have the Board prep materials? I got Rick some for his birthday (Nice, huh? Here- happy birthday, pass the flippiin' boards, first try, OK? No pressure though)

There's some conference in Kiawah, South Carolina in July- (I'm trying to get Rick to sign up and take us, as I'm all for 'free' beach vacations) they have all of the classes in the morning and the afternoons are free.

I can send you the words to the Everyone Must Get Scanned song that the neurologists here print for a graduation present for everyone. (They print it on old eegs which is pretty funny)

Jenn

What about a lil vacation? Go away to a weekend spa. Go to a bed and breakfast. Relax in her favorite spot together and thank the Gawds that you survived it together.

I think these would be a great idea as well. A fantastic pen and then a couple of these.... http://www.redenvelope.com/re/gifts/pro ... 4953&nc2=1

I figure the fact I'm still here is a pretty good gift (not that I'm bitter...)

Maybe she should be giving you a graduation gift.

I like the vacation idea. Have a good babysitter? Either a weekend for both of you or for her.

Are there any hobbies, interests, etc that she has wanted to take up when finishing residency that you could give a gift for as a starting point?

[fluffhead]

Thanks for all the tips...yes we already bought all the friggin review books and they're all sitting around collecting dust...grrrr.
Perhaps we can get away for a day - that might be nice. I think a weekend would not be feasible.
And a day spa for her might be a good idea.
I have a couple weeks, though her grad dinner is next week (thank goodness we don't have to pay for it, afaik)

Try the unusual!

There are several things in life that get completely overlooked as givts or gift ideas.
1. Detail their car. Think about it. He/She is busy. When do they have time for that? Change the oil, get the tune up..blah blah blah. They really appreciate it.
2. Clean the house. (Not discounting the SAHD's) Nothing is better than coming home to a nice clean house that they can trash and dirty all over again. Those books and papers do make a mess.
3. No matter haw busy they are, thay are alowed to eat. Make a little picnic and meet them at the office, hospital where ever they happen to be. Make them SIT and EAT.
4. Make a music CD of their favorite songs and sneak it into the CD player in their car. When they get in, start the engine, their favorite song is playing. They will not change the station! HA HA HA. This is where I made a few wave files of myself reading poems and proffessing my love for her. Be careful...they can use that against you in court. HA HA HA
Jewelry is really played out. Unless she sees something and tells you that she would love it...DONT BOTHER!
Flowers are easy and very simple. Go buy one rose (or her favorite bloom) and give it to her at the office or hospital. That personal delivery is what she/he really wants anyway. They miss you too! They just dont have the time to express it properly.
OH! And one more thing. They WILL forget anniversaries, birthdays, Holidays, Weddings, and basically anything that does not revolve around Medicine. SO!!!! Dont get upset. Just PICK THEM UP and make them have fun. They neglect themselves mor than we realize.
There you go. My 2 cents.