It Just Takes A Bit Of Insider Knowledge To Know What a Woman Really Wants...

It's the same every year, isn't it? The holidays come crashing in and you sit around wondering what in the world to get the special woman in your life. It seems like no matter what you do you end up standing in long lines at overcrowded malls getting her yet another sub par holiday gift. You're not crazy about it and you're not even sure if she'll be crazy about it, but you're all out of ideas so the Ralph Lauren perfume and lotion set start to look pretty appealing. You hate shopping in the first place so anything longer than 10 minutes inside a busy mall is bona fide torture. Your plan of action? Get in and get out.

When gift exchange time rolls around you wait with anticipation as she opens your gift, only to find that she isn't as thrilled over the gift as you are. Sure, she "likes" it, but it isn't quite what she had in mind. Yet when you asked her what she wanted, she said "anything you get me will be fine". Where did you go wrong?

So, do you risk spending your entire holiday and the days to follow getting the cold shoulder and one or two word answers when you ask her a question all because you didn't know how to tap into the inner workings of a woman's mind? (it's not your fault - you're not a woman). What's a guy to do?

Choosing the Right Gift is a Two-Step Process

Whether you realize it or not, your wife does a lot. Knowing how valuable she truly is, the first thing that should come to mind is how thankful you are to have her in your life. Admit it, your world would not be the same without her. That being the case, your approach to finding her the perfect gift comes in two important steps:

1. Think Appreciation
Women wear many hats and most good ones don't gripe and complain about their various roles, they just suck it up and do it. That's what women have always done, but it doesn't mean a kind word and a sincere "thank you" will go unnoticed. On the contrary, women looove to be showered with appreciation. It automatically sparks the desire to do and give more, which is a definite plus for you. So you should get in the sincere habit of saying "thank you" more often!

2. Create an Appropriate Theme
Get creative here fellas. Let her know that you put some heartfelt thought and effort into this. You want to let her know how much you appreciate her - well, how can you do this? One possible theme could be "Remember When". If you've been together long enough there are probably some great memories the two of you share from your courtship and early romance. Recreate some of that nostalgia and write her a sweet poem or letter like you used to. Buy and wrap a favorite treat the two of you used to share that you haven't had in years. Top it off with a beautiful piece of jewelry - a necklace, bracelet, anklet, watch or a pair of diamond earrings. This is just one of hundreds of ideas that you can come up with using a theme wrapped around the core of appreciation.

Still Drawing a Creative Blank?

Not to worry, because there's one thing wives are screaming out for across the country this holiday season that is the backdrop for the perfect gift theme. They're talking about in blogs, on mom forum websites, at lunch with girlfriends, in playgroups, in the cafeteria at work and at in-home parties. It's the one thing women truly want but don't get enough of. And in order for you to know what a woman wants, well, quite frankly, it would require that you be a woman. Since you don't have that advantage, I'm going to help you out here. The one thing a woman truly wants and desires is:

ME TIME

That's right, she wants some one-on-one with herself. No you, no kids and maybe not even her best girlfriends - just much needed time alone. It doesn't mean that she's fed up and is ready to abandon the life you've created together - it just means that she needs some space to recharge her battery so she can be at her very best not only for herself but for her family - and that includes you!

Of course you're thinking, "Well I did that last week when I took the kids to the park" - no, that doesn't count. She spent the whole 45 minutes you were away cleaning and figuring out dinner for that night. and in case you're wondering: the business meeting she attended with a few co-workers last Tuesday night while you stayed home with the kids and did the nighttime routine solo doesn't qualify either. What you want to give her is a smorgasbord of time to herself. Here are some of the basics of Me Time:

• An empty house all to herself
• Long, hot bath
• Facial
• Paint fingers and toes
• Favorite movies, or ones she's never seen
• Wine, champagne or both
• Relaxing music
• Favorite food indulgence
• A trip to her favorite mall or restaurant with no kids, or husband, in tow

  

The two-step process outlined above works for any gift-giving scenario. So once you've got that figured out, go deeper. In this case, the theme of Me Time needs to be broken down even further.

Take another look at the list of what women like to do when they have Me Time - they (we) like to relax. We want to forget the laundry, dishes, errands and stacks of bills, piles of clutter and work, and just go inward. We want to lose ourselves in ourselves and the best way to do that is through relaxation. So when you're thinking about appreciating your wife for who she is and all that she does to enhance your life, think of what you can do for her to enhance the quality of her life.

Spa products make wonderful gifts and they promote that sense of inner-connectedness. However, not all spa packages and products are created equally. It's very easy to go to your local mall and grab an $85 spa basket, but do you know what the products are made with? Many products are made with chemicals and synthetic ingredients that may make the goodies in the basket look and smell good, but they actually dump toxins into the body causing an imbalance to the system. The idea here is to appreciate your wife in the best way possible, that means you want to give her products that promote her health and wellness, not debilitate it.

Who Wants to Stand Around
Reading a Bunch of Labels?

Good question, and here's the answer: you don't. Your life is busy enough, and we've already covered the fact that you hate to shop. The thought of examining product labels in a crowded mall lands the whole experience right up there with root canals.

To solve that problem, I'd like to provide you with not only a solution to the integrity of the products you'll be giving to your beloved to use on her body, but how you can shop from your seat and not your feet! Warm Spirit is your answer.

The name itself evokes a feeling of calm and peace - just the energy you want to create for your wife. Warm Spirit is a self-care and wellness company that prides itself on providing the very best in therapeutic-grade essential oils - the same grade found in only 1% of the products on the market and used by top spas, retreats and massage therapists around the country.

Warm Spirit's mission statement is: "The heart and soul of Warm Spirit is to empower people to care for themselves and to nurture their potential within". It is behind that sincere message that every product is created with the utmost integrity. The products are 100% nature-based and do not contain harmful chemicals and additives like mineral oil and dye. When you purchase Warm Spirit products you know that you are using products that promote optimal wellness.

Shopping Made Easy

Not only is Warm Spirit good for you, it's good to you. Being the non-shopper that you are, Warm Spirit has created an array of beautifully packaged gift sets ready for you to select and order with a few simple clicks of your mouse button. Your order will be shipped right to your doorstep without you ever having to set foot into a crowded mall and stand in long lines.

Here are some the Top Picks this holiday season:

Pamper Mango
Pamper Lavender
Pamper Blue Gardenia
Pamper Heavenly
Day Spa Anahita
Day Spa Lavender
Day Spa Mango
Day Spa Blue Gardenia
Day Spa Spiced Pear
Day Spa Passion Nectar
Day Spa Passion Pomegranate
Simply (Beautiful) Luxurious
Peppermint Gift Set
Relaxation - Essential Spa

So Many Choices, Right?

With over 10 different top picks to choose from, unless you know that your wife's favorite scent is mango, how can you possibly know which scent would be a great selection? All are wonderful, but to help you out, here are the top five purchased scents:

Mango     Spiced Pear     Passion Pomegranate     Peppermint     Simply Luxurious 

Passion Pomegranate is my new favorite, but choose any one of these scents and you simply can't go wrong!

Here are Some Tips to Take Your Gift Over the Top

Okay guys, it's time to bring it all home for the big finish. You want her gushing over your well thought out and considerate gift weeks after Christmas has passed. You want her bragging to all of her girlfriends and co-workers and having their husbands e-mail you to tell you that you're making them look bad! You want her to let you know on a continuous basis that you are the man. So how do you do that? Here are some simple tips that can turn your gift of appreciation into the gift that cannot be beat this holiday season:

1. Coordinate Delivery - Have your gift delivered to your job, your mom's or your best friend's house. Most Warm Spirit boxes are clearly marked with the Warm Spirit name and logo so you don't want to give her anything to question and ruin your great surprise. Be sure to check the holiday shipping schedule here. 
2. Add Some Flair - Once the gift arrives, remove the wrapped gift from the shipping box and put it into a larger, pre-decorated holiday box (we've got to keep this simple, right?) But before you seal the lid, you'll want to do this:
3. Include the Bubbly - Include a bottle of her favorite, wine, champagne, or beverage of choice along with a single champagne glass. Be sure to use lots of wrapping tissue paper so these delicate items don't break.
4. Set the Mood - Buy a relaxing CD for her to put on while she's soaking in her Warm Spirit bath and sipping on her favorite champagne.
5. Consider the Extras - When women pamper, we like to go the whole nine yards: candles, bath pillows, eye pillows, manicure, pedicure, hot tea, facials, massage (this is something you can assist with once the kiddies have gone to bed!) - the works. If you think your wife would enjoy any of these extras on her day to herself, by all means include them.
6. Write a Note - If you're not the poetic type this doesn't have to say much, simply something short and sweet letting her know how much you adore and appreciate her. Put the note in an envelope and include a cute coupon like the one below along with the note and put that in the box as well.
   
   

   

7. Keep it Clean - If at all possible, try to make sure the house is conducive to a pamper day. Otherwise she'll spend most of it trying to get it clean enough so that she can enjoy it. Help her out and either you and the kids pitch in and give it a good clean the day before, or, she'll love this one, hire someone to come in the day before and give the house a good scrubbing.
8. Remember the Afterthought - Let her know you've thought this thing through. Purchase her favorite movie or TV series on DVD along with a gift card to her favorite restaurant that delivers so she can enjoy lunch and a movie without ever having to leave the house.
9. Don't Stop Here - Holidays, birthdays and anniversaries are appropriate moments in life to let your wife know how much you love and appreciate her...but don't let those be the only times you show your appreciation. Women appreciate being appreciated. Something as simple as a kiss before you leave and when you get home from work, or gently caressing her hand while you're watching your favorite television show together will mean the world to her. It lets her know on a regular basis there is still something about her that you simply cannot live without.
10. Make Her Unique - Any guy can go to their local Macy's or Nordstrom and pick up the latest spa basket or perfume gift set from DKNY and Ralph Lauren. Give her bragging rights this year! When she and her girlfriends are comparing gifts over coffee you want your wife to be the envy of the group because not only did her man go out of his way to create this truly amazing gift theme for her, but he managed to find these equally amazing products that none of her friends have ever heard of. They'll be hounding her for the details and she'll be glowing from the inside out.
    
    Okay guys, you've got all the tools to make this a spectacular holiday. So get out there, be creative and have fun with the gift giving this year.
    

Happy Holidays!!