My wife is 70 this next couple of months and I have no idea as to what to get her. She is so difficult, not being one for BLING, Watches or ornamentation, clothes she prefers to buy herself. I do not have good taste (according to her). Lavish meals out are not her thing. Usually I would buy her something that we need either for the Kitchen, House or Garden but this year I want it to be special to her. A cruise would not be her style. Really she is the perfect partner as demands nothing, but what a problem now I really want to show her my affection.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I found them interesting and have been inspired to go with the cordless Gardening equipment. Something she will use and benefit from.
Is there some sort of event - romantic or daft - from your shared past that you could try to recreate for her? Ideally quite some years ago so that she sees you've made the effort to remember? :)
I always used to get something for the house too....I didnt mind too much as I would buy anything I wanted myself, however, a few years ago my present one Christmas wasnt the usual cupboard, bookcase or set of pans (amazing my old man is still breathing really!) it was clearly a magazine or brochure of some sort. Inside the travel brochure was confirmation of our 6 days holiday in Italy (Rome, Florence etc) with optional coach tours...which would never have been something I would have signed up for. It was a fabulous present....he followed it up with a trip to Madeira (I am a keen gardener and its the best place for a plants person to visit) city trips to Lisbon, Paris, Edinburgh, London and others. Ive also been given vouchers for garden centres which was a great gift. Ive just bought my best friend a flying lesson in a twin engine plane for her 60th. Good luck!
It just so happens that I'm an artist...I painted a watercolour of my sister's cottage in Cornwall as a gift for her...included in the painting were her three cats hiding in the garden. She liked it so much that she had it printed on her cards advertising the holiday flat... on the top floor of her cottage. She now lives near Bristol...and the watercolour of her cottage hangs in the hall of her new bungalow...happy memory of her life in Cornwall.
Organise a secret party that she doesn't have a clue about & won't have to do any organising or clearing-up for - invite people she likes but doesn't see enough of eg family who live far away (if you do it well ahead it works) tart up your garden with lots of balloons and/or bunting all over it & fairy lights in the trees, glass yoghurt pots with tea-lights in them, torches etc, get a band (teachers at your local music school can help & aren't expensive) & a caterer (yellow pages or bouche à oreille), put people in charge of drinks & going around with snacky things & make sure you have plenty of helping hands in the know who will make sure she is off doing something timeconsuming but fun to keep her out of the way until the right time on the day eg a market or a brocante or girls' morning out so she comes home to a lovely surprise & everyone singing happy birthday as she arrives. Make sure you have someone taking photographs & put them in a special album for later. If you use good quality paper plates etc & have lots of bins dotted about there isn't much clearing-up. It means lots of plotting which is half the fun. I did this for my OH's 50th & it worked brilliantly. Oh & if there are small children get a teenager who will be present to be in charge of them for a small bonus.
Similar to the book idea already mentioned, could you have someone draw/paint/sketch of your home (current home or the home where you lived when you first got married)? If you have a photo it should be fairly easy for someone to do this & then you could have it framed. A friend did this for her parents after they sold their home & moved away; it brought tears to their eyes & big grins to their faces. A picture of a beloved pet or a family picture is also lovely. Or...an antique map or print of her favorite place. My husband gave me a lovely old map of our favorite island of our honeymoon in Greece. (my husband just happens to also sell antique maps & prints!)
Your wife sounds just like me re-jewelery ...ornaments...lavish meals out etc. (Though I'd not turn down a cruise :-) )
For my 70th my Beloved arranged for our two children to fly over on their own...no partners no children...so it was as it used to be when it was just the four of us. Oh... and he also surprised me by taking me to our local Peugeot garage...on the pretense of asking the proprietor for some information about his car...but there on the forecourt was a Peugeot 308 with all the bells and whistles. Now I'm a person who dislikes surprises...but all that had me in tears. We had a wonderful weekend with a party of friends joining us at my favourite local Chinese restaurant for lunch... followed by another party given by a very sweet friend.
If your wife is a gardener ...and has problems with her hands...a rechargeable battery operated pair of secateurs would make a very welcome gift. Or a rechargeable battery operated pruning saw...I have both and wouldn't be without them now. I also have a soup maker which I use several times a week...as you may have guessed I'm a gadget girl...anything to make life more fun :-)
In the U.S. we have a company called MyPublisher where we can create picture books for a very reasonable cost. You could make her a book of her favorite pictures of you and family if there is such a site available to you. It is all done online and then they mail you the finished product. I did a book of family pictures for my parents 60th anniversary of old family photos. They loved it. They are one of those couples that has everything they want so they were pleased at such a thoughtful gift.
I would ask you if friends and/or family back "home" are of importance to her.
I know that my mother-in-law (early 60's) believes the most important thing is family and thus, to have them together would mean more to her than anything in the world. So, if you could somehow surprise her with a visit from a dear friend a sister, cousin, etc., perhaps that would be something truly special to her that she would cherish and remember forever?
Glider trip we are near Nogaro turn up and pay €70, our 13 year old thought it was brilliant and view fantastic. He was most impressed at being followed by a bird that flew alongside.
How about a concert or spectacle - look for the programme at your nearest Zenith or concert halls for example
I previously recall organising soirées like Cirque du Soleil & Celtic Dance for my ex mother in law for example and numerous classical concerts & even a rock concert for my late wife
A day at a spa, with hot tub/sauna, facial, massages, pedicure/manicure, all the things that one might not ordinarily or often spend on oneself. (Or a pass to spend a day at the spa every month for the next x months...)
Wham-bang makeover - hair, makeup, several beauty treatments... (if it's part of the spa day, it's not likely to be considered a hint! :)
Does she had a favourite magazine or hobby - would she like a year's subscription (because this is a special birthday, this would be an "add-on" gift, not the main one...). The nice thing about this is the monthly reminders of her birthday throughout the year.
A special trip to a loved one/s who lives far away, not often seen perhaps...old friend, sibling, child...
Think about something that bugs her in some aspect of her life or about herself, that is able to be addressed, but is normally lower on the list of priorities for the budget and therefore gets put to one side..
Good luck with this - if you listen closely to things she says over the next couple of months, I'm sure the perfect idea will come.