For most couples there is one of us who is an exceptional gift giver; the ideas seem to come easy and the gift is always THE perfect one. For some of us, it can be difficult to come up with a meaningful gift. I will say, that Jason is the ultimate best gift giver out of every single person I know. This makes it that much more challenging for me because I want to give him the joy that he always gives me with his exceptional gift giving. Now. Some of the best gifts that he has given me are things that he has made. Like this book stand that sits on my nights stand that not only saves my page, but has a cozy little space to put my glasses. Another beautiful one was this large wooden heart.
But, not all of us can make things that we proudly gift to others, so I wanted to take a moment to offer some ideas for thoughtful gifting during this holiday season from experiences to share together to items to be purchased.
10 – Couples Cooking Class
Ok, so if you have been following me here, you know by now that I LOVE to cook. A big joke between Jason and I is to enjoy the meal before you because you may never have it again. I am a dump and taste and a little bit of this kinda cooker girl. In fact, mi hermana -am trying to learn Spanish and she is my Puerto Rican sista-Mare, told me that a recent pasta that I made was her most favorite thing that I have made so far. Jason and I laughed and said-“Well, we are glad you enjoyed it because I’m not quite sure what I did.” Mare made us laugh by saying, “I’ll give you a glass of wine and maybe it will come back to you.” SO, I think an incredible gift would be to give a certificate for a cooking class together. Check out my recent blog HERE as to why I think I think that cooking together is amazing for couples. (I even share two of our family faves.)
9 – Wine Tasting
Another favorite thing of mine is wine. I love sharing time with Jason, family, and friends while sipping on a good Cabernet. Whereas, I have yet been to Napa Valley, I do enjoy tasting local wines. Perhaps consider giving your partner a gift certificate to the Wine Room in Winter Park or head over to Showcase of Orlando for some tastings.
9- Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
I am a HUGE fan of this tour. Not only does it literally give you a watery glimpse into people’s back yards, but it offers information on old influential families from Orlando AND it’s a piece of Orlando you would definitely otherwise miss. Because it runs hourly, you do not need to get tickets ahead, so perhaps you want to create a little invitation or letter for your significant other with a date in mind to catch this boat ride. You can look at my BLOG to find more ideas on what to do in Winter Park after your cruise.
7 – Orlando Eye
Though I have never experienced the Orlando Eye, I do know many people who have and I kind of feel that it may be a must do experience. After you take your sky ride, there are many fun things to do right there on International Drive such as grabbing a yummy dinner at Yard House and then heading over to Tin Roof for some live music. Check out Ol’Red, too!
6 – Shop and Stroll in Winter Garden (or another cute little Florida town)
Make a day just for pursuing a unique little town such as Winter Garden. Set aside a specific date on the calendar and look ahead for particular places to pop in and out of. Check ahead for special events for instance downtown Winter garden turns into a Holiday Wonderland until January 5th. They have festive entertainment decorations photo stations and much more!
5 – I know, I know. This may seem old fashioned, but to me there isn’t much better than packing a good old basket with meats and cheeses or sub sammie’s and chips and heading to a park or the beach. Time moves SO fast and so carving out some time to just be together is really important. Here are a few links for some great baskets for your picnic.
4 – An Experience Outing
Sometimes we forget that the interests that are different about our partner are actually the things that we love. We may get slightly irritated that our person goes to play golf every Saturday, but it’s good to remember that because they get to spend time doing something that they love, they actually come back to us refreshed and can love us even better. (It’s the whole- “You take care of you, and I’ll take care of me” Winnie the Pooh thing.) But sometimes, we may want to let our person know that their interests matter to us. For your golfer partner, you might want to consider creating a note that invites them for a night at Pop Stroke or Drive Shack. If your partner loves to game, maybe you print off a little game controller and add a note asking them to join you for a night of gaming. As an artist- who doesn’t have much time for that type of creation these days- I would love (HINT, HINT) a gift of art classes at Crealde or an invitation to go to a painted pottery or canvas night with Jason.
3 – Jason and I love to gift each other the traditional suggestions for our anniversary and with this year being our 3rd anniversary the theme was Leather. I found this sweet catch-all for him to have beside his bed so that he can keep his glasses and important personal things in it. Check out Paper Anniversary By Anna V for unique gift ideas.
2 – Adventure Challenge Couples Edition book
This book offers fun and unique suggestions for adventurous and creative dates to put onto your calendar. What is better than making a date on the calendar where you are promising to set time aside to be together?
1 – This last one is a little on the funny side. Those who know me well know that it is nothing short of a miracle when I’m not searching for something. Jason laughs at my optimism by saying, “ We’ll find it. It’s here somewhere.” This used to irritate the heck out of him because when he cannot find something, he literally loses sleep. It can be something small of importance to something super big- it drives him absolutely mad. So me telling him that we will find it doesn’t help settle his mind at all. But now, we laugh because usually I am right; the lost item usually does turn up. So a great, funny, and practical gift for those who are like me would be a set of Apple Airtags with a list of items that go missing on the regular typed up and put in a card. (I have one in my wallet and let me just tell you, that has slightly changed the lives of everyone around me.)
Get creative and have fun finding ways to show your love through the gift of giving during this holiday season!
Thank you very much for taking some time to read my blog. As you will see, I love to support locally owned businesses and I add links for venues that are locally owned in every blog. You can also check out this wedding venue map as well.
XO
Shelley