We splurged a bit on DW’s birthday present this fall. I usually come up with something creative, but this year I had nothin’. So, I opted for an old fallback I hadn’t used in maybe 10 years. Jewelry. With some subtle guidance from me, DD picked out a trendy pearl Yvel necklace. It was a bit more than I intended to spend, but it was *perfect* for her . Plus, DD would be very pleased to say she selected it. Problem is, how could I possibly top that?
Let’s see. Mom is in town for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we have a very rare offer for an overnight babysitter. So, I thought I’d try to find a reasonably priced hotel near what we recently dubbed “Our Restaurant” after a third visit in about a year. The next problem was, last time I tried, rooms anywhere in walking distance were $300 and up, if one was available at all:-(
I had another option. She loves to get in her swimming workout on weekends. She’s often sore afterward and hinted maybe a massage could make a gift idea. Plus, low stress=minimal kids for the day, so maybe I’d just send her off to do her thing.
Well, after scouring for a hotel deal, I found a nice price match and upgrade offer for barely over $100 a night. Must have been a big event or convention in town last time I tried. Then, I came up with this. Hopefully, there’s even a little in it for me at the end!
Well, it still may not be particularly creative, but I’m sure it will be appreciated. Maybe it will give you an idea, too! Also, I decided it wasn’t going to be a surprise, either. Nothing to make it better than a couple weeks of anticipation, right? Happy Mimi Day, dear!
Now to come up with something to unwrap at gift giving time!
Despite almost no one having read or commented, I thought I’d leave a follow up on this-
Mimi day was a success. It didn’t start as planned. An early morning phone call from a relative woke her up. Things kind of unravelled after that a bit, but the stress level was still kept to a minimum.
The rest of the day made up for it. All went according to plan. Traffic was easy and we made it to our hotel early and then to the restraurant as they opened. That was good, because the tables filled instantly and we were lucky to get one of the last few tables in the bar area where we normally eat. Dinner was awesome. I had sliced duck in green mole’ sauce that was to die for. Everything down to the chips and habanero salsa are always extraordinary there. DW loved her enchiladas suizas, too.
Anyway, we finished early enough to do some shopping. We had a nice walk up Michigan Avenue in Chicago through the prime shopping area. There was a light snow coming down, it wasn’t too cold and all in all a very nice evening. We got a few last minute gifts for the kids, too!
The Amalfi Hotel was great as well. A nice find that is very close to our favorite spots.
I did find a gift to wrap for DW. It should pretty much offset this gift in terms of creativity, though it was something she wanted lol.
What a thoughtful gift, kudos to you, Darren. Do you teach seminars for other DHs? 🙂
Wow, now THAT is something that would be way out of my league. He’s definitely “That Guy”.
http://www.helzberg.com/category/about+us/our+advertising.do
Wow! I’m speechless! This seals your spots as *The Man*. Mimi will love your present.
My dh actually scrapbooked for me for a present. He did a really good job, documenting our life together. He’s got one page left to do and then it’s done.