My wife rarely buys jewelry for herself, and when she does, it’s usually a used piece from the antique store. I have a good feel for what she likes: turn of the century (1900) and deco stuff.
Once in a while, she’ll drop a hint. A couple years ago, she was like, I need some new hoop earrings, I don’t like the ones I have.
Mental note was taken, and bam, hoop earrings for Valentine’s Day that year.
I think I may be out of jewelry options though. She has a handful of rings she wears only every so often. She really doesn’t even wear her engagement/wedding ring(s) much. Necklaces even less often. Earrings much more often, but she has pretty much what she needs.
She doesn’t like massages (I suppose that’s possible), or
She doesn’t feel like she can get away.
When my kids were small I got a spa day package for Christmas one year. I had to take a day off to use it. I think they were open Saturdays, but my kids were small and I felt like I needed to be around for them on Saturdays. Something happened the day I was supposed to use it. Somebody got sick or something. I did eventually go but it almost felt like too much of a hassle.
I got a bit panicky because there’s only two weeks left so I got some jewelry I think she’ll like. It was on the cheaper side, I can’t quite bring myself to pay the premium for gold when silver looks nice.
I don’t really wear jewelry, but my husband occasionally gets it for me. Etsy kind of stuff, nothing over $200, so I don’t feel as guilty about not wearing it often. I’ll put it on for special events.
We are both hard to buy for, and Valentine’s Day just adds another impossible-to-shop-for day into a busy season (Christmas, his birthday in January, and our anniversary in March), so we have stopped getting gifts and just go spend a metric shit ton at a nice dinner place instead.
Duo gifts: Properly scrub out the tub very well (also the rest of the room but that’s most important) for a nice bath, followed by an in-house massage with candles and oil and such. Go all-out on the bath, music and bubbles and such. If there are kids then handle them for the day.
Also, an actual appointment on a day you know is free for a professional massage. Not a gift card, confirm a free date and schedule it.
Dual benefits: First massage might get interesting, second massage gives you alone time
Turns out that there are two sizes to choose from.
But the link I provided is the official Christmas Story store & museum (where my daughter purchased mine) and has the option for the lamp to be “shipped” in the wooden crate or a cardboard box (different price points).
FTR, Mrs. VA has the same “feelings” as the Mom from the movie. It’s currently set up in our basement where I can enjoy it while I’m “at work”.
I don’t wear much jewelry. But it’s something I absolutely refuse to pay retail for. The mark up is RE DICKalous. We know a small shop local jeweler/jewelry maker where we can order from his wholesale catalogue with minimal markup or have him make what we want. Or I shop at pawn shops. Less selection but little mark up and it’s the same variation in quality. You can find high or low.
If you love your spouse, show them every day. Don’t make a show of it one day a year with a semi-pithy card, overpriced chocolates and flowers, a really overpriced dinner somewhere, and/or some showy piece of jewelry they probably won’t wear all that often.
We’re not V-day gift givers generally. I might get something for them this yaer (the smeg kettle that’s making the rounds here), but generally, no.
Through the years we’ve sort of built a tradition of having a fondue with the kids on v-day. We’re doing it again this year, my eldest is bringing their spouse to our place and the 5 of us are having a fondue. So not romance, but family time.
It’s also lol, because its the only time the fondue set that we got as a wedding gift gets used (and it didn’t get use for a long time until we started this tradition).
