Ahhhhhhhhh romance..........The gift shop story is right on target!! You do know what you're doing, or at least have an idea of what your W wants.
When my H and I were dating (28) years ago there were 2 years that he was at college and I was still in high school. We wrote letters to each other almost daily---you know real old fashioned letters with a stamp and a trip to the Post Office. When he came home on the weekends he would be waiting at my car in the parking lot after school, or would have stopped by and left a note under my windshield wiper. I've spent more time than I should lately re-reading the shoeboxes full of letters that I've saved. The letters continued during the first few years of marriage, and I've saved them all. I found these letters (and still find them to be) romantic. I've thought of taking some and framing them or making a collage of them some day.
But, I digress. One letter I received a few years after we were married was on our kitchen table with a vase of flowers. In the letter he talked about how much he loved me and that for my birthday he was going to whisk me away for the weekend. He did the packing and the driving and made all the plans for a weekend away. It was wonderful.
I think anything you can think of that is something that your W normally would take care of, or maybe has asked for help with in the past is a good target to take care of for her. Can't even tell you how turned on I got when I came home to find that my H folded all the laundry (this was years ago too). Scary isn't it!
H also used to arrange for kid free weekends----which reaped benefits for both of us (I know you know what I mean).
I don't know what your history is, but I'm pretty sure if you think back years ago you can remember little things that made your W happy. Maybe things you did when dating that made her smile. These things are romantic. For your wife, if gifts are her thing, think about things from the past when you were happy. Is there something that was really special to her that may be hidden away or has been broken that you can replace?? In my case, I had one thing from my childhood that I had saved. I recently found that it had been thrown into the attic and was falling apart/ruined.
Other romantic things.........holding hands, laying in the grass and watching the clouds go by, putting the toilet seat down (yes), opening the door or pulling out the chair at a restaurant, flowers for no reason at all, romantic notes, hugs.............I'm pretty easy.
I'm sure you know what would be special for your W. Think, think, think----being surprised by something that she may think you've forgotten about would be a hit.
I'll keep thinking..........
Me 45 M 25 yrs; T 31 yrs;bomb 8/15/06; moves out 7/18/08 D 18, D 14, S 12
