Don’t Stress Over Stuff This Valentine’s Day

Have you racked your brain, spent hours doing research or wandered the stores aimlessly looking for ... a Valentine's Day gift for your husband?

It may sound a little far fetched, but sometimes find that special something for your special man can be difficult. He gets himself things he wants, some gifts are way out of your price range and nothing just screams "He'll love this!" It's frustrating, right?

Here's my foolproof solution to the gift problem: don't get a gift.

Before you shake your head and walk away, hear me out. Does your husband really need more stuff? Do you have a copious amount of space to store this stuff? Does he need another 3-in-1 whateverthatthingis? My guess is that the answer to all three of these questions was NO.

So what do you do instead? You don't want to pretend like it's not a special day or just gloss over it. In fact, my suggestion is quite the opposite.

Don't buy stuff - collect experiences.

Instead of going out to an expensive dinner, make one together. Shop for the ingredients together, work in the kitchen together and sit down at the table together.

Instead of buying some books or magazines that he'll never read, listen to a podcast together or find a new favorite movie to watch together.

Instead of getting him a stuffed animal holding a box of chocolates, adopt an animal in his name at the local zoo. (I did this one for Danny for his birthday, and he is now the proud adoptive father of a tiger. We get to go meet the tiger and see the adoption plaque at the zoo. So cool!)

Instead of getting a bunch of heart-shaped knick knacks that you'll only have out once a year, put some money toward buying a new piece of furniture or piece of art for your home together. Make researching and shopping an experience together that forces you to talk and make decisions together.

Instead of buying that new tool or part for his next project, find a project you can do together. Danny and I make a conscious effort to work together on things because his busy work schedule makes those hours in the same room so precious. And don't tell me you don't work well together - you can do anything you set your mind to. I have faith in you.

Valentine's Day is just five days away, so start thinking about how you can give your husband an experience this year. Stuff will just sit around, and you can't put a price tag on the time you spend together. Make that time count.

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