The List.

14 December 2012

Every year, I write the Davester a list.

A list of stuff I want. 

Call it partially a gift to him because shopping stresses him the fuck out.  Shopping for gifts is most definitely my job.  I like doing it.  I like finding fun creative things or items that I know people will love.  I also have zero problem with calling someone I’m not sure about and asking what is on their wish list.  I really think all year about what I want to get Dave for birthdays and Christmas and I keep a running list of things that he mentions stashed away in a note on my computer.

All year.

He is getting these awesome collar stays from Tesoro Jewelry for his fancy pants shirts.  {Oh hey, honey, you’re getting these but they aren’t arriving until after Christmas so I’m telling the whole internet and you at the same time!  Merry Merry Sucka.}  He lost one of his current favorite pair when we went to Atlanta in September and I made a note.  Plus, obvs he is a bad ass.

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He?  Does not think that way and that is totally fine.  I don’t expect him to.  Not one bit. 

I used to think he should just know these things and then I ended up with a stocking full of nothing but chocolate when I was supposed to be watching my pregnancy blood sugar.  That, coupled with ridiculous hormones and I was a sobbing mess on Christmas morning.  And for what?  Because I wanted him to be a mind reader?  This man does the kindest, most lovely things for me all year long and I was putting all of this dumb ass pressure on him about one day. 

So, I stopped. 

Now, the list is just a bunch of wants.  He chooses whatever he likes and often goes rogue with his own ideas.  But, if he doesn’t have any ideas or he is too busy to sit down and think about it, he’s not wandering around the store aimlessly for an hour stressing.  Maybe this makes me a spoiled brat, but I think it makes me a good wife.  There isn’t any guessing sizes or freaking about whether or not I have a certain book or what was the name of that mascara I love. 

Some of it is housed on my Wish List Pinterest board, marked with an asterix if it is a current want, some of it is emailed to him with specific sizes and colors and links to the items online, and some things are just scribbled onto a piece of paper.

Do you give your guy a list?  Is he a good gift giver without one?  Ever had a hormonally fueled Christmas meltdown?  Spill it.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

14 yrs ago for Christmas, My husband and I got engaged. 13 yrs ago, My husband knows that I am Italian and I make Pizzelle cookies with my mother every year, and they require a special cooking iron to make them. So for our first Christmas as a married couple he searched the internet found me a pizzelle maker, I was so happy! Nothing will ever top that special gift he found for me. Well, maybe when he asked me to be his wife. :)

Christine said...

OMG. When we married 6 years ago we blended 5 kids in their 20's (plus girlfriends, boyfriends, new in laws...etc) so I was exhausted from putting together this fabulous "Its A Wonderul Life" Christmas from hell and after the last gift was opened I sat there looking at my husband with this stunned looked on my face that said "where in the f is my gift buddy"? I had picked out a watch, told him where it was, the whole nine yards. As it turns out he had it in his office but it was still in the Dillard's sack. Unwrapped. Talk about a meltdown, fortunately I waited until we went out for ice later in the afternoon and then I let him have it!

Michelle said...

Christine, that is SO meltdown worthy!

Just A Normal Mom said...

I give mine a list with item name, size, color or whatever details are needed, as well as store, location in store, or website to order from with the item bookmarked. I may or may not have actually ordered my own gifts before, with his knowledge, and handed them to him to wrap when they arrived, once or twice through the years. HE IS GRATEFUL and I get what I actually want.

Kelly @ turned UP to ELEVEN! said...

My husband and I started the PINTEREST wish list last year and it's worked like a charm. The only time this doesn't work is if we are shopping locally. In which case we give emails/written lists for items around town that we would like to have :)

I am sure I have had holiday meltdowns but my selective memory let's them fade into the past ;)

Jessica @ Wanting Adventure said...

I think a wish list is just a suggestion guide. That's why I love my Amazon wish list because it's out there and public and anybody buying me presents can look at it to see what is the current love. My husband knows to look there but he usually doesn't buy off it. He somehow knows what to get me and it's usually really sweet. I'm the one who's awful at buying gifts.

Michelle said...

So Jess, does he give YOU a list to help?

Anonymous said...

I will give him a verbal list as Christmas gets closer, but for the most part, he will listen throughout the year and remember what I have wanted. He is awesome like that!!!! I am the bad gift giver :( He buys whatever he wants whenever he wants it, even in December!!!! So it is hard for me to get stuff that is really good.

Kim Moore said...

Every year I made John a list.. it was a general list with just shirt size; pants size; shoe size etc... then i would list books he could choose from... But I will say he did awesome on his own... Because we always made our lists together(the kids, him and me)I made a list this year and the kids made their list and we put them in his "cabinet" because JT said Daddy and Jesus would get them to Santa quicker than the mail... The year JT was born he had his sister in law who is a custom jeweler make a mother's ring from his design when I opened the box and put the ring on my finger Heather's stone fell out and I had a TOTAL meltdown.

MommyLisa said...

OMG - those are bad ass.

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