20 Thoughtful and Romantic Gift Ideas to Surprise Your Spouse With

I recently read an article about how to be romantic all year round and how you should not wait until Valentine's Day to show your love for your spouse.  There were some great ideas in this article, many of which did not require a lot of time and money.  One idea that really inspired me is the one about a monthly gift.  I think picking up a little something for your spouse once a month just to say that you were thinking of him or her would be fun, romantic, and would add some anticipation to a marriage.  This should be a low pressure gift, perhaps something little that you saw while you were out that made you think of your spouse.

For those months that you do not just happen to see something you think your spouse would like, I enlisted my husband to help me make the lists below.  These are lists you can turn to if you need a back-up gift idea.


Monthly Gift Ideas for Your Husband . . . 

1.  A favorite cake, pie, or other dessert that needs to be specially ordered from a restaurant or bakery
2.  A 6-pack of one of his favorite beers that he rarely gets to have
3.  A movie he had mentioned once that he wanted to see a long time ago, but never did
4.  9-holes of golf
5.  A tie (if he has to wear them often)
6.  A clever novelty t-shirt
7.  The latest book by his favorite author
8.  The latest issues of a few of his favorite magazines that he does not subscribe to
9.  A video game he would like that you can play together
10. A container of munchies or treats to keep at work


Monthly Gift Ideas for Your Wife . . .

1.  A jar candle in a scent you think she'll love
2.  A charm to add to an existing charm bracelet or necklace
3.  A favorite cake, pie, or other dessert that needs to be specially ordered from a restaurant or bakery
4.  A mixed bouquet of flowers
5.  A movie she had mentioned once that she wanted to see a long time ago, but never did
6.  The latest book by her favorite author
7.  The latest issues of a few of her favorite magazines that she does not subscribe to
8.  A new scarf (if she likes to wear them)
9.  A pair or two of fun novelty socks that fit her personality
10. A few shades of nail polish or lipstick you would love to see on her


If you have any ideas about small thoughtful gifts to give to a spouse, I would love to hear them.  My husband and I are going to try this, so I will certainly need more ideas for the future.

Go here for more great ideas about how to show your love all year long.

Holiday 2010 Review: Women's Personality PJs from Soma Intimates

Sleepwear is an extremely popular gift for women for Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries. The key is to buy the right ones for that particular lady. I personally like lightweight pajamas and am more comfortable when there is less fabric. So the set of thick fleece pajamas consisting of a long-sleeved button down tunic and long pants I received two years ago for Christmas are still folded up on my closet shelf unworn.

Show the recipient that you know her and have put some thought into her gift by selecting women's pajamas that she will actually love and use. As someone who normally wears a tank top and boy shorts to sleep, I was surprised how much I loved these Personality Pajamas from Soma Intimates. The fine jersey knit is super-soft. I would wear a tank top with these bottoms to bed and just wear the shirt open before bed or in the mornings in place of a robe.

Aside from the fine knit, some other details that add to the tailored look of these pajamas are the ribbon accents on the side chest pocket and drawstring at the waist of the pajama bottoms.

These Personality Pajamas from Soma Intimates offer the tops and bottoms separately in sizes XS to XL. Had I known that, I would have requested an X-Large for the top and a Medium for the bottoms. Instead, I compromised and asked for a size Large. Still, because the knit has a bit of a stretch, I found these pajamas to be very comfortable. The only thing I would change is to make the pajamas bottoms sit below the waist. That is just my own personal preference because all my bottoms are low-rise and I find that to be more comfortable.

To help you choose the right pajamas for your favorite lady, take the Soma Intimates personality quiz and answer the questions as you think she would. Then you can determine if her style is glam, romantic, chic, wild, classic, or fun! I turned out to be a cross between romantic and classic.

Visit Soma.com to view their full line of women's lingerie, pajamas, clothing, swimwear, and more.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Soma Intimates and received a pair of Personality PJs to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Review: Junior's Cheesecake from 1-800-FLOWERS

Did you know that September is "Pleasure Your Mate Month"? Just by coincidence, both my husband's and my birthday took place this month. 1-800-FLOWERS offers much more than fresh flowers. They offer romantic gifts that include indulgent gourmet goodies. Since my husband loves cheesecake, but the rest of the family does not share this passion, he rarely gets to enjoy this treat. For this reason, I thought that a Junior's Cheesecake would be the perfect thing to surprise him with on his birthday last week.

The Junior's Heart Shaped Chocolate Cheesecake was delivered by UPS right on my husband's birthday. The cake arrived packed with dried ice and was in perfect condition.

My husband found the cheesecake to be delicious. He is a little worried about finishing the whole cake all by himself, but I think he is willing to give it a whirl.

Important Dates for September:

National Singles Week (9/19 to 9/25)

Wife Appreciation Day (9/19)

Love Notes Day (9/24)

If you are a man who is always at a loss about what romantic gifts to purchase, visit 1800flowers.com to find some inspiration. You can also utilize their handy Guys Guide to Flowers to find the perfect flowers for any occasion.

Thank you to 1-800-FLOWERS for sending us a sample cake free of charge to base this review upon.