DIY: A Congratulatory Present For Guys

Yep, this title is just as weird as it sounds. Have you ever been in a position where the main man in your life did something absolutely fantastic, but you were at a loss for what to get him? Couldn’t think of something quite special enough? Well, I’ve got the solution for you RIGHT NOW.

It comes in the form of a “basket” of gifts. However, in this particular case I didn’t have a basket, nor was I planning on spending more money, so I made a surprise arrangement on our dining room table. #wifeoftheyear

Now, let’s get started.

First things first — what are you celebrating? Dane was getting ready to switch out of command (a fancy term the Army uses for ending a very stressful portion of his career for something new). He was mentally and physically exhausted, so I don’t even think he was expecting a present, but the he had worked SO HARD for the last 18 months and I was SO PROUD of him, plus — who doesn’t like a good reason to celebrate?!

I decided on an iPad mini, a custom leather bracelet, a pair of boxers and a gift card to be used for dinner reservations I made at a restaurant we had been dying to try. Let me first say — the beauty of this gift idea is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money. Sure, the iPad mini was big, but the beauty here is the thought. More on that in a minute…

Once I had all my gifts assembled, I wrapped them up and created thoughtful cards for each gift. I tried really hard to make them something he wouldn’t be able to guess…and he didn’t!

As you can see, I also included cards from both Judy and myself. No, that DAD card is not some type of pregnancy announcement!

To celebrate the occasion, our neighbors also brought over a special bottle of whisky. Cheers to THAT!

But I had one more trick up my sleeve…

Dane and I have a tradition of unwinding our days with our favorite book. Our lives have been hectic and stressful, so we have fallen out of that routine a bit and we both noticed it. When Blogging for Books offered to send me Legend by Eric Blehm, I knew it would be the perfect “nightcap”. While the rest of his surprises were waiting on the dining room table, his final surprise was resting on his pillow.

After it was all said and done, Dane told me it was the best, most unexpected surprise he had ever gotten and hearing those words made everything worthwhile.

What is your go-to celebratory gift?