| You've actually made it. You've survived another year | | | | look on her face when she gets them. |
| of marriage and now it's time to pick out an | | | | An anniversary is very special. The day you celebrate |
| anniversary gift for your spouse. The traditional list of | | | | it is very special, so the gift that you buy for the |
| gift ideas is there for a reason. Some of us just have | | | | anniversary should be special as well. Part of that gift |
| a hard time thinking of something to buy. Those of us | | | | being special is the surprised look on your spouses |
| with a limited imagination will fall back on what is | | | | face when he or she gets it. That's why we have a |
| comfortable. Ultimately what happens, especially if | | | | list. Because for each item on the list there are a |
| you've been married a long time, is you end up getting | | | | number of options for the gift itself, which we'll go into |
| your spouse the same thing year after year, especially | | | | in more detail in future articles. |
| if you happen to know your spouse has a preference | | | | Some people might think that having a list makes the |
| for certain things. | | | | anniversary gift even less of a surprise. For example, if |
| For example, if your husband is an avid sports fan, | | | | it's your first anniversary and you know that the first |
| you're more likely than not, going to get him something | | | | one is paper, you're going to expect something made |
| sports related, maybe a jersey of his favorite sports | | | | out of paper. So where's the surprise? Well, for |
| team. Maybe he's a card collector. In that case, you | | | | starters, how many things are made out of paper? If |
| might get him a 1957 Mickey Mantle card. Maybe he | | | | you sat down and really thought about it, you'd |
| loves auto racing so you get him a poster of the | | | | discover that there are quite a few things made out of |
| Bobby Unser and each year that goes by, you get him | | | | paper. So ultimately, your possible gift ideas turn out to |
| something similar, playing it safe and not really using | | | | be greater than if you just thought about what your |
| much of an imagination. This is not to say he won't like | | | | spouse likes. In addition, there is always the chance |
| his gifts. He's just not going to be very surprised. | | | | that your spouse will disregard the list one year. Now, |
| For the men buying the gifts, it's the same thing. If the | | | | wouldn't THAT be a surprise, especially if he or she |
| man knows his wife loves jewelry and what woman | | | | stuck to it for the first 17 years? |
| doesn't, then he's going to get her a bracelet one year | | | | In the next article in this series, we're going to discuss |
| and a necklace another year, maybe a ring another | | | | some normal and not so normal gift ideas for your first |
| year and the string of gifts alone those lines will just | | | | anniversary. No, anniversary gifts don't have to be |
| continue year after year. And again, while she may like | | | | predictable. |
| the gifts, there's not going to be much of a surprised | | | | |