Joe and I have been together for nine years now. And all of the creative ideas that I used to have listed for when I wanted to give him a gift are dwindling. One day I’ll take the time to sit down and come up with a new list of ideas. But until then, I find myself racking my brain every few months. Trying to come up with meaningful gifts that I know Joe will appreciate and actually use. A few years ago for Valentine’s day, I wanted to keep up with my goal of being intentional in our relationship. And I wanted to create something that would help us make our marriage a priority and keep us connected as a couple. So I put together a love languages gift basket!
I loved the idea of a love languages gift basket for a lot of reasons. This is a gift that can be used for any occasion. And it can be given to anyone (not just your spouse). Each gift basket is unique to the person you’re giving it to. Because it’s filled with things that they will truly love. I love you can be as creative as you want with this basket and customize it to fit any budget.
Related: Using Your Spouse’s Love Language to Pick the Perfect Gift
Although I know my husband’s languages, we both appreciate all five of the languages in some way. So I generally incorporate all of them in this gift. You can choose to center your gift around your spouse’s top-scoring love language. Or the two or three that rank highest for them. Or challenge yourself and find something your spouse would appreciate from all five of the languages. I’ve included some ideas below to get you started.
If your spouse’s love language is words of affirmation, it can seem like a tough one to put into a physical item. Include a poem you wrote, a CD of love songs that remind you of your spouse, or a list of all of the things you love about your significant other. Verbal compliments go a long way as well, but can’t easily be put in a basket. I love browsing the card aisle at the store for funny cards that fit our relationship. Then I write a cute or funny note inside to make it more personal.
Related: 20 Things to Thank Your Spouse for Daily
My top love language is acts of service, so these things are my favorite to get! Clean and detail your spouse’s car, and do the chores that they would usually do for a week. Help your spouse finish a project that they’ve been working on, or include an item in the basket that will help you serve them. One time I put a container of shoe polish and a rag in the basket as a promise that I would keep my husband’s dress shoes polished and looking nice. It’s those little things that your spouse might keep thinking about doing, but not when they have time to actually do them, that will make a difference.
Related: 14 Random Acts of Kindness to do for Your Spouse
If your spouse appreciates receiving gifts, don’t just pick anything, make what you give them meaningful. A big package of their favorite treat, something that you know your spouse has been eyeing for a while but won’t buy for themselves, or new cologne or perfume are all fun ideas. I love to gift money toward something big that the two of us or even just my husband are saving for, instead of giving a lot of smaller items. I usually put the cash in an envelope with a picture of that item on the front; that way they know the cash is meant for something specific and had some thought behind it.
Related: Date Night In – A Date Night at Home Cookbook
For the spouse whose love language is quality time, the best kind of gift is one that they get to experience with you by their side. One of my favorite things to do is to plan a special date night. And then give your spouse something that you’ll need for that night. Cook a romantic dinner together from a new cookbook you gift them. Or purchase a spot in a cooking class somewhere near you.
Grab a gift certificate to one of your favorite places to stay overnight together or your favorite restaurant to splurge on, then put a date on the calendar to enjoy it together. Get a new puzzle/card game/board game you can play together. I also love the idea of gifting your spouse with a date night subscription box that will help you make date night a priority more often! You could even include a copy of The Adventure Challenge for more fun!
Related: Prioritizing Date Night in Your Marriage + 300 Date Night Ideas
For a spouse with the love language of physical touch, there are so many different things you can gift. If you’re able to splurge a little bit, include a gift certificate for a massage, pedicure, facial or similar service. Alternately, you could put in a coupon for those services from yourself or an at-home spa night. Some fun items you might consider including might be a soft blanket to use when you cuddle. Also lip balm to encourage soft kissable lips, a bath bomb, a back scratcher, or a massager. I also think that a piece from Mentionables or a product from Coconu makes a fun addition!
P.S. The fun games from Inspiring Intimacy Games would be a great addition to a few of the different love languages, depending on if your spouse is looking for quality time, words of affirmation, or physical touch. Check out their Inspiring Intimacy game, 52 weeks of “I Love You” card deck, or their newest product, 12 Days of Flirty Foreplay for a fun way to add some romance to your marriage. Use code APM10 for 10% off your purchase from the Inspiring Intimacy shop.
Related: 28 Ways to Increase the Intimacy in Your Marriage
What other ideas do you have to include in the gift basket?
