Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be celebrating twelve days of Christmas. For these posts, I will give you ideas of what you can get your beloved this year! I think we’re all looking for ideas for those who are hard to shop for!
On the First day of Christmas…
Speaking of hard to shop for… the older Eric gets, the less he wants stuff. Each passing Christmas or birthday he has an increasingly harder time thinking of purchasable items he wants than the year before. Several times he has told me he just wants more time to get things done. He is a hard worker and it seems like he never has time to himself to just relax and rejuvenate.
One of the best gifts he could receive this Christmas is a day free from worry and stress. I foresee this day including me taking complete care of Ramsey (our golden retriever), doing everything that needs to be done around the house, and taking any work related item I can off of his plate. He won’t have to work on anything (and I’ll have to stage an intervention if he tries ~smile~).
If you are already married, it will be easier to give your sweetie a day of rest as a gift this year. However, if you aren’t married, you can still provide your honey with rest in various ways. You can see to it that he or she gets all meals provided, you can clean his or her place, and you can make the conditions right for him or her to have a full day of complete relaxation.
It may not sound like much of a gift, but if you have a significant other that needs to take it easy, this is a great gift! Hard workers sometimes feel guilty when they rest, so by giving a day of rest to your sweetheart, you are facilitating something healthy – his or her need to relax. It’s a gift that monetarily costs you little to nothing. It just requires your time, your care, and maybe some elbow grease. This is a great gift for the holiday season, but it’s a wonderful gift idea year round!
On the Second day of Christmas…
For Valentine’s Day a few years ago, my hubby and a friend’s hubby sent my friend and I out for coffee and a movie while they stayed home and cooked us a meal. It was such a sweet gesture. There is something special about sitting down to a meal cooked just for you! This Christmas, give the gift of prepared food. Find out what his or her favorite foods are and make them. You can cook one meal for lunch and another for dinner (you can even incorporate this into the day of rest, if you’d like). Or you can cook him or her dinner on two different days. It will give your honey something to look forward to and it will be special because it will require time and effort on your part.
If you are not an accomplished cook, or if you simply don’t have the time to cook, find a good take out place that serves his or her favorite foods. Spend a little time preparing a table, or outdoor picnic, to make the meal special. You can also talk to your love’s parents, grandparents, or siblings to find out what kind of foods are special to him or her. If you can, a surprise meal would be fun too!
This year for Eric’s birthday I made him Banana Split Pie from one of his Mom’s recipes. At the bottom of the recipe she’d written, “Eric’s favorite birthday dessert.” It made me smile to think that I was making something for him that not only tasted good, but had deep sentimental value to him. Food has a way of taking us back to a meaningful time in our lives!
Consider giving your sweetheart the gift of rest and home cooked meals this holiday season. Giving gifts that take time, planning, effort, and imagination build lasting memories.
Have you ever had someone give you the gift of rest or prepared meals?