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Romantic and Thoughtful Gift Ideas for Women - Going Beyond Flowers and Chocolates

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Finding the perfect gift for the special woman in your life

There's nothing wrong with chocolates and flowers as gifts for women. If the chocolates and flowers are her favorite and meant to be a thoughtful gift instead of 'Well, I didn't know what to get her, so I'll just go with the old stand-by', then there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Women appreciate thoughtful gifts - gifts that take some thought and effort and let her know she's cared for. Gifts don't have to come in the form of a package with a pretty bow, either. Get creative and do something nice for her, and that could be as good as any present you buy in a store.

Here are some romantic and thoughtful gift ideas for women, whether it's for a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Valentine's Day or just because.

For most women, you can't go wrong with jewelry

First of all, you need to know the woman you're shopping for - does she prefer silver jewelry or gold jewelry? Dangle earrings or studs? Flashy or subdued? Does she wear brooches/pins, bracelets, necklaces? If you know her tastes but you're not exactly sure what to get her, recruit the help of the sales clerk. Explain what she likes, give a general idea, and even a price range if you have a limit in mind, and the clerk should be able to point out items that may be suitable.

If you're lucky enough that the woman you're buying for doesn't have really expensive tastes, or prefers inexpensive jewelry, or 'fun' jewelry, try a store like Claire's. I personally buy almost all my jewelry from Claire's, from necklaces to earrings to bracelets to rings. They've branched out and carry some really elegant jewelry now, not just stuff for teens and really young women. Many department stores also have nice jewelry and the prices and quality ensure that you'll be able to find something to fit any budget.

Check out some of this beautiful jewelry on Amazon

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A day at the spa

Give her a day to relax and pamper herselfMany women would appreciate a day of relaxation and being pampered. A gift certificate to a spa that she could use whenever she wants could be the perfect gift. Look into local day spas, and watch for 2-for-1 deals - you can do couples treatments together, or if a day at the spa doesn't interest you, the woman in your life would probably love to take a friend to enjoy the day with. Bonus: she'll likely think you're extra thoughtful for giving her a gift that includes a friend.

Mixed CDs never go out of style

I'm sure many people remember the days of mixed tapes. It used to be such a romantic thing for a guy to make a girl a mixed tape. Well guess what? It still is romantic - and thoughtful, too! Make her a CD of her favorite songs and/or songs that remind you of her. Take a few minutes to make a nice sleeve for the CD and maybe even include some personal notes.

Another personalized music gift idea is to buy her an MP3 player (or even an iPod if your budget allows it) and fill it with songs for her. Whichever route you decide to go, she'll very likely appreciate the time and effort you put into it and then come to think of you whenever she hears those songs (if she doesn't already). If you want to be really old-school, you could even make her an actual mixed tape - just be sure she has a cassette player!
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Stay in for dinner

Dinner in a nice restaurant is always a good option for a special night out. But even better than that, why not cook dinner, or if you can't cook, order in and stay at home. It's the presentation that matters, regardless. Light candles, put on some of her favorite music (like the mix CD you make!), dim the lights, have her favorite wine or champagne or sparkling cider. Go all out, and then go the extra mile by pulling out her chair, pouring her wine, and serving her dinner. If she has a sweet tooth, don't forget dessert!

Things you might need for your romantic at-home dinner

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Take her for a picnic

Take her on a romantic picnicPicnics seem to be something that many people have forgotten about. They're a great chance to spend some quality one-on-one time together, and can be the perfect chance for a little romance. Some nice day, take a drive in the country and stop somewhere for a picnic (just make sure it's not on private property). If you drive far enough and come to another town, you could stop and check out what the town has to offer - little shops and boutiques, cafés, etc. Small towns have so much charm and so much to offer, you might even find your next romantic vacation get-away spot. If you don't have a car, plan a picnic for the backyard or a local park. If the weather is too cold, have a picnic in your living room. Light candles, spread a blanket on the floor and have a picnic in the comfort of your own home.

Picnic baskets of every shape and size

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Make a photo album of your time together

There are some beautiful photo albums and photo books out there. You can buy a photo album, choose the photographs you want, and put the book together. You can also create a photo book online (most online photo places have this option these days - WalMart is one example) and include little stories about the pictures. If you're the creative type, you might consider making a scrapbook. You can include pictures, stories, and mementos of your time together. Consider giving it a romantic title like 'The Story of Us', or 'Our Adventures', or 'Our Journey Together', something along those lines, but personalized. Gifts like this are beautiful keepsakes, and they take time and effort, and really show the woman in your life just how much you care.

Beautiful photo albums and scrapbooks on Amazon

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Plan a short get-away

If you have the time and money for a big trip, that's wonderful, but many people have limited time off work, as well as limited funds. Planning a little get-away even for one night can be the perfect break from reality and just enough time for a little romance. You don't have to go far - if the next town over has a bed and breakfast you've been eyeing, why not check it out? Or get completely out of town and stay in a fancy hotel. If you and the woman in your life are the type who like to stay busy, plan some fun activities for the two of you. If you like to relax, plan to spend most of the time in your hotel room, enjoying each others company and spending some quality time together.
There is an endless list of gift ideas that are thoughtful, romantic and really make an impact on the woman in your life. Keep in mind that if it takes time and effort, you most likely can't go wrong. Most women probably won't care how big the gift is or how money you spent on it, if it's something that has real meaning behind it.

A poll for the men

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A poll for the women

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Need a date night idea to go along with your gift?

Check out my article on simple, inexpensive date night ideas!

Now that you've hopefully thought of the perfect gift for the woman in your life, why not get some ideas for a fun, inexpensive date night as well? It could be a great opportunity to give her the wonderful, thoughtful gift you got her!

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I'd love to hear from you!

If you enjoyed this lens, or have a question or comment, I'd love to hear from you. Also feel free to tell me what the best gift was you ever received, or the best gift you ever gave, or something you'd like to give or receive in the future.

  • TapIn2U Feb 10, 2012 @ 1:11 pm | delete
    This is perfect! Ladies will love it. Sundae ;-)
  • Gates Apr 19, 2011 @ 4:09 pm | delete
    My wife is still cooing over something I got her last year ,a personalized custom made gift ,I don't usually buy handmade items but this one was above and beyond I just knew when I found it on an obscure little website called "pages from the heart gift books" that it was perfect for my wife .Well I was correct she was over the moon it is a green gift not that I even thought about that but got extra kudos from the wife though it was completely unintentional on my part.Made from a reclaimed hardback book very decorative and sentimental and a very unique and different gift
  • sousababy Mar 14, 2011 @ 10:58 am | delete
    I think this is fabulous and a useful lens year round. All men should sometimes surprise the lady in their life with an impromptu gift or gesture. I means sooo much more when it is unexpected.
  • Koupie Feb 9, 2011 @ 8:03 am | delete
    I keep meaning to have one of those books printed for my husband, too late for this Valentines but maybe his birthday
  • SweetMarie83 Feb 10, 2011 @ 11:37 am | delete
    They really do make beautiful gifts - they're such wonderful keepsakes, something you can treasure for the rest of your life. :-)
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Photo Credits

Thank you to these very talented photographers who share their work in Creative Commons on Flickr.

Bouquet of roses
Spa massage
Romantic candlelight dinner
Picnic

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SweetMarie83

Thanks for stopping by my profile! I'm Marie Landry, author and freelance writer. My debut novel, Blue Sky Days, a young adult contemporary romance/coming-of-age... more »

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