November is here and Christmas is only 43 days away. Can you believe it? At the risk of sounding like a cliché, broken record–I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by. Usually by this point I’d be nearly done with my Christmas shopping. However, I must admit that I’m slightly behind schedule this year. That’s okay though because my husband and I just sat down and went over the Christmas budget. I’m now prepared and motivated to GET IT DONE. I always try to get my husband something meaningful but I’ll tell you–sometimes it’s hard! Today I’ve come up with a list of meaningful gifts that your spouse will actually like. Links in this post contain affiliates, all opinions are my own.

meaningful gifts

personalized watercolor

I’m so thankful for people that have different talents than my own. Although I once wanted to be an artist, I quickly learned I had pretty much zero skill. I love the idea of a personalized watercolor in your home that isn’t just a generic landscape. Something that actually has some meaning to you and your family is such a conversation starter! A couple years ago I bought my mother a watercolor print of my childhood home. A custom watercolor of a first home or favorite family photo would be such a meaningful gift to open on Christmas morning!

map of the night sky

I bought Mike a custom star map of the night we were married two years ago. Ours is from The Night Sky but there are several companies that do this. I really loved the quality of the map and the ability to customize some of the details. As part of my big push to organize and decorate our house by Thanksgiving I finally bought a frame for it. Yes, with all the moving issues we went through it has taken this long to hang it up. And I gotta say, it’s currently my favorite thing hanging in our house. I love seeing it every morning when I first wake up and the large 18″ x 24″ size is perfect for a big impact! It has turned out to be one of the meaningful gifts that we both really love.

a year of date nights

I am a big believer in the importance of regular date nights in your marriage. A couple of years ago for our anniversary I gifted my husband with a package full of “a year of dates”. There was one envelope for each month that had a pre-planned and pre-paid date night inside. For several months I had planned, and set aside gift cards, and budgeted money so that it wasn’t a huge expense at once. But you can really do it inexpensively and plan a bunch of at-home date nights too. It’s totally up to you!

My friend Camille at Friday We’re In Love also recently posted about date night ideas from Amazon. I mean, who doesn’t love Amazon? I checked out her list and many of them are under $20! That means you can have a date night or two delivered right to your door every month for a very reasonable price and not even have to pay for a sitter!

I also wanted to be sure to share my friend Amberly’s book with you, Prioritizing Date Night in Your Marriage. Not only does she discuss why date night is important, but she shares over 300 date night ideas! She includes a range of ideas for every budget and stage of life so you’re sure to find several date nights that interest you and your partner. She also has it avaible as an eBook, audio version, and paperback. And if you order and use the code “LITTLEDOVE” you can get a discount. Be sure to order quickly so you can have your copy in time for Christmas!

more ideas

• personalized collar stays
• a custom office desk calendar
• a gift that gives back
• some one-on-one time (my friend Amberly has a discount code, APM10)
• personalized cuff links
• Star Wars bling (use code LITTLEDOVE for a discount)
• enjoy an experience together

Do you try and buy meaningful gifts for your spouse? Do they try and buy meaning gifts for you?

The photography in this post was taken by Shelby Mousley Photography. If you are in Northern California or surrounding regions I highly recommend her.

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