Showing your appreciation for the girl of your dreams is top priority. She has made so many sacrifices in the relationship that you don’t even know when she began putting you and everyone else before herself. It comes so naturally to her that you have taken her love for granted. But you’ve turned over a new leaf and vowed to set matters straight. You want to gift her something that she’ll love, something that shows you love her.
Talk to Her Friends
Girlfriends know a lot about each other. There are things that they will disclose to their ‘Girls’ that you’ll never hear. They might even say that they like a certain gift from you, even if it’s not particularly their ‘taste’ and go tell their girlfriends otherwise. They do this to make you happy and keep the peace but they’d really wish you’d gotten them something else. Girls may at times ‘hint’ at what they want while men say exactly what they want which makes it even harder for guys to figure out what gifts to get them.
Friends of your girlfriend are like walking memory banks. They store pertinent information such as how you treat her in front of them, her family and others. A special quality that women naturally have is ‘being a good listener’. Granted, women are also known for ‘loving to talk’, but they listen to others as well. Even when you think they are not listening, they’re listening. Just ask their children or husband.
What Women Want
The key to understanding what a woman wants is simple: It’s the ‘little things’ that mean the most. Planning extravagant vacations and buying her expensive gifts are great. Yet the things that don’t cost much at all holds the highest value in her eyes. The list below will give you a combination of things that she’ll love. It’s all about balance.
The Perfect Ten:
- Car Detail - Yes, washing her car is the perfect gift because women don’t like to do it. Guys spend so much time washing their cars that it would really make her happy if he did the same for hers.
- Suds It Up! - Help your girlfriend wash dishes or give her some time to herself and wash them for her. Women find this very attractive.
- Family Matters - Spend time with her family. Making the effort to get to know her family will make her love you even more. (e.g., dinner at her parents place, attending her niece dance recital, going to her father’s retirement party).
- Drink of The Vine - Gift an ‘In Home Wine Tasting Party’ by inviting her friends. This will show that you recognize her friends are important to her and encourage her continued relationship with them.
- Home Improvement - Make-Over shows are huge these days and women have always loved to improve on what they already have. Giving your girlfriend a gift certificate to a home improvement store will make her scream with excitement as if Ty Pennington himself is at her door.
- Book It - Self-help books are a way of expressing to her that you want her to grow as a woman and pursue her goals whatever they may be. (Ex., Women and Money by Suze Orman; Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, or How To Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life by Melissa Hellstern).
- Anniversaries - This is important because to her this means your relationship together. Every time another one comes around she’s grateful that you two have made it through another year together so gift her something special like a tennis bracelet, diamond earrings or a trip to Venice!
- Spa Her - Relaxation, Rejuvenation and Renewal: A spa get away is the perfect gift for her to take her time and unwind. Give her the special treatment she deserves by the two of you going to a romantic spa such as, the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Northern Idaho (USA) with waterfall fountains, lake views and side-by-side water beds which doubles as massage tables.
- Picture This - Make a photo album with pictures from your relationship, create a Photo CD or frame some of her favorite photos and hang them up wherever she’d like. You may see a tear roll down her cheek with this one.
- Up Close and Personal - Gift tickets to her favorite movie, play or concert. Don’t play it cheap, always get the best seats. She’ll thank you for it in a big way.
The best way to know what to give your girlfriend is to be attentive. She will show you by her reactions to everyday matters if she likes something or not. If she doesn’t like what you gave initially, don’t fret, she’ll be sure to give you another chance to redeem yourself.