Is your boyfriend difficult to shop for? Do you have absolutely no idea what to get your beau for Valentine’s Day, or why you should even have to since it’s a “girl’s” holiday? Are guys just too complex for you and you can’t figure out the perfect gift idea? Here’s the deal: guys are so simple it’s stupid. I have to assume this is why “guys are super hard to shop for,” as one anonymous collegiette told me. You ladies are so wonderfully complex that it’s unfathomable that men could actually be as simple as we are. So without further ado, here’s what you’ve all been waiting for: Pat Bradley’s Official Guide to What To Do For Your Man on Valentine’s Day.
Gift Ideas
So this guy isn’t just a last-minute fill-in so you’re not home alone and he actually means something to you, and you’d like to get him a gift that shows that. Awesome. Now what the heck should you get him? Well, there are really two routes you can take: get him something that really means something to him, or just get him something that’s totally awesome.
Something that means something to him –
I asked one of my best female friends this question:
“If you were my girlfriend and decided you wanted to get me a gift for Valentine’s Day, what would it be?”
Her answer was simple, but perfect – a framed picture of the two us from the summer we first met. My jaw dropped at her answer. I was expecting something completely different, something quirky or boyish, but instead she went with the picture and it was exactly what I would have wanted from her. As close as we are, that really means a lot to me. If your valentine isn’t just some new guy, but rather your best friend who you happen to be dating, he’ll absolutely love this.
Other ideas –
An extra Xbox 360 controller and a gift card paying for a month of his Xbox Live subscription. With the extra controller, you can sit there and learn about the video games he’s so passionate about, and maybe even something about him you didn’t know before. Plus, with the gift card, you’re encouraging his playing of video games and reinforcing that you’re not judging him or trying to take away something he loves.
There are three things a man loves and will always be incredibly proud of – His name, his country/heritage, and his hometown sports team. Why not combine the three and give him a super, ultra, combo gift: A personalized jersey with his name and number on the back. Seriously, if I got a Team USA Basketball Jersey with “Bradley” and number 9 on the back, I would jump for joy. If it were a Red Sox jersey, I’d get down on a knee and propose. I’m not even kidding. Okay, maybe I am, but you get the idea.
Bonus points: get two tickets for you to go to the game together and he can rock his awesome new apparel. He’ll be so excited he won’t even care you thought Larry Bird still played on the team.
A side note on getting him tickets to a game – the NHL Lockout just ended and you can bet he’s dying to get out there and see his favorite team skating circles around everyone else. Plus, since we all know every girl is obsessed with hockey players, you can fawn over the likes of Tyler Seguin, Sidney Crosby and Dustin Brown while he fawns over the dangle-fest top-shelfers that’ll make SportsCenter’s Top 10.
Bake us something we love – Seriously, we’re suckers for some home-baked goodies. Cookies, pies, brownies… whatever it is he loves, he’ll love even more on Valentine’s Day. You can even sneak in some cute stuff by putting heart-shaped pink frosting on top.
Something that’s totally awesome –
His own, engraved drinking glass
His own engraved pocket knife
A framed blue print of his favorite ball park for the Man Cave
A lightsaber umbrella – possibly the coolest thing ever
Plan a scavenger hunt for us. It provides a challenge, you’re 10x more awesome for thinking of/planning it for us, and every guy will love it. Want to have some fun with it? Lead him to a treasure chest with the sexy lingerie you bought for the special occasion. Bonus Points if you leave a sexy note to go with it. Extra Bonus Points if you kiss it with red lipstick.
What we really want
Not that everything I just presented wouldn’t make any guy incredibly happy, but ultimately all we really want is for you to be happy. The following were the two most common responses I got from guys.
Appreciate us – Are you really independent and don’t like letting men do anything for you? Take a step back on Valentine’s Day, and let your man be your chivalrous knight in shining armor. Let him open doors for you, pay the bill (although it’s caring and courteous to offer and get denied), and maybe even let him be big spoon. Don’t forget to say ‘thank you’ or tell us how happy we’ve made you (assuming we did). We work really hard to give you the absolute best on Valentine’s Day, so it means a lot hearing our efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Heck, you could even put those freshly gel-manicured nails to use and give us a head massage!
Grab a six-pack and watch the game with us on the couch – Most guys said they really don’t need anything from you and don’t care what they do as long as you’re with them. If, however, you insist, pick up a couple cold ones (as long as you’re 21+!) or a case of IBC root beer, sit back and enjoy the game with us. Actually pay attention too, instead of checking Pinterest or your texts – they’ll be there when we’re done spending time together.