How I get what I want

    With birthday, our actual first anniversary and Christmas coming up there are several reason for the Hubbs to get me a gift. I don't ask for much or expect extravagance, but I do like the idea of a sweet little wrapped gift, into which I can tear.

So here is how I get what I want from my Hubbs.  This is what we've found to be the best way of communicating: e-mail. My Hubbs, like most people, does not hear every word that comes out of my mouth.  This applies to anything from chores, doggy matters, bills, stuff I like, literally anything. I can say, "I like this and would really to receive it as a gift, from you, on my birthday," but there is no guarantee he will remember that even if he did hear it.  He is no secretary, and since I cannot fire him, I can't be his boss. I 've come to realize and make peace with this, though it saddens me greatly ;p.

It took me a while to come to this realization. I am the type of person who had a good long term memory for anything gift/occasion related or for occasions not related to anything at all. I remember what I wore when we first met, which really has no use at all, but to make me look smart to the Hubbs. However, it takes me a few tries to get some one's name right. It varies.

Anyway, we've found that e-mails work. We're tech savvy enough to make it work. I simply find my item on-line, and paste the url into an e-mail, making sure to make it an active link. The easier for him, the better for me. Sometimes I use the web site's "share with a friend" tool. This is how I picked my engagement ring (because if I wear it for the rest of my life, I better be ok with it sitting on my finger).  It actually took a lot of pressure off of him, and men will usually just spend a lot to compensate for the fact that they have no clue what ring to get. In the e-mail, I include some helpful info, like "there is a coupon in the catalog on the nightstand," or, "you can use your discount card." He has more patience with this method, than live shopping. I've circled things in catalogs before, but he is just not going to flip through a J.Crew or Tiffany, no matter where I strategically place them.

My b-day in 2007

His B day in 2009

So the point of this little story is not that I'm a greedy wife, but that we've found good ways of communication between us.  There are still many methods of communication that we can improve and when I figure them out, I'll triumphantly share them with you.
'Till then, little triumphs for now! I'll let you know what he gets me!