Create ways to present a gift to my wife?
October 6, 2011 4:08 PM Subscribe
How should I surprise my wife, the love of my life, with her new iPad 2?
It's not a holiday or any special day, but I just want her to know that I love and respect her for all that she does. She's the mom of the year and I want to recognize all that she does with this iTrophy, if you will.
I'd like to avoid opening it as, sometimes, that's half the fun! (plus, I got her the white one and I may have to return it if she'd rather have black)
Thanks!
It's not a holiday or any special day, but I just want her to know that I love and respect her for all that she does. She's the mom of the year and I want to recognize all that she does with this iTrophy, if you will.
I'd like to avoid opening it as, sometimes, that's half the fun! (plus, I got her the white one and I may have to return it if she'd rather have black)
Thanks!
Oh -- mine arrived by FedEx and I thought it was a joke. The packaging is similar to a reem of paper. Pad of paper, I thought at first, thanks a lot. Then I opened it. Wrapping it in something unassuming?
posted by mamabear at 4:32 PM on October 6, 2011
posted by mamabear at 4:32 PM on October 6, 2011
Best answer: Put it (unopened) in a (empty) box of chocolates (if she's the type who would like chocolates, of course). Hopefully she'll be happy thinking she's getting chocolates. When she opens it and finds the iPad instead, she will be extra super thrilled.
(And uh, maybe keep the chocolates from the empty box for her as well, because, well, they're chocolate!)
posted by cgg at 4:35 PM on October 6, 2011 [12 favorites]
(And uh, maybe keep the chocolates from the empty box for her as well, because, well, they're chocolate!)
posted by cgg at 4:35 PM on October 6, 2011 [12 favorites]
Response by poster: Box of chocolates! How did I NOT think of that!?!? She'll never see it coming!
posted by siclik at 4:38 PM on October 6, 2011
posted by siclik at 4:38 PM on October 6, 2011
Put it (unopened) in a (empty) box of chocolates (if she's the type who would like chocolates, of course). Hopefully she'll be happy thinking she's getting chocolates. When she opens it and finds the iPad instead, she will be extra super thrilled.
Yeah, better have an actual box of chocolates to hand, too. My g/f would be super happy with an iPad, but if I promised chocolate and then didn't deliver, I'm pretty sure that she would bite my hand off.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:41 PM on October 6, 2011 [13 favorites]
Yeah, better have an actual box of chocolates to hand, too. My g/f would be super happy with an iPad, but if I promised chocolate and then didn't deliver, I'm pretty sure that she would bite my hand off.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:41 PM on October 6, 2011 [13 favorites]
Put on your sexiest pair of boxers and after dinner meet her in the living room and murmur in her ear "Baby , tonight I am going to give you something amazing. It'll be electric and I think I can make it last 8 hours" When you two get to bed present her with the iPad! Then say "OK, one more thing..."
posted by Poet_Lariat at 4:44 PM on October 6, 2011 [22 favorites]
posted by Poet_Lariat at 4:44 PM on October 6, 2011 [22 favorites]
It'll fit nicely in a cereal box,but the weight would throw her off.
posted by backwards guitar at 4:58 PM on October 6, 2011
posted by backwards guitar at 4:58 PM on October 6, 2011
As far as the black/white goes, you can ask her. You might happen to be looking at a website and ask, "What do you think of the white iPads? I kind of like the black ones..." and see what she says. Years ago, when I was pregnant with my first, a friend e-mailed me to ask my favorite colors. I answered her, and then forgot about it. It wasn't until I opened a beautiful hand-knit baby blanket in one of the colors I had mentioned that I remembered her question. I certainly didn't think when I got the e-mail, "Oh, my goodness, she must be planning to knit the baby a blanket!"
If you decide to open and charge it, you could set it up as a whole sweet time-just-for-her thing. Tell her you'll feed the kids and put them to bed, and by the way here's a nice box of chocolates and a cup of tea, now you just get settled here in your favorite chair, oh, and here's a little something I picked up for you to entertain yourself with...
Though I like surprise options better, really. How old are your kids? Is there a hide-it-in-with-the-diapers option? Or some other way she could stumble on it during her normal round of endless mothering chores? An opened iPad could be slipped into many places. Or you could do the cereal-box idea but build it into the humdrum routine: "Honey, we're out of Cheerios in the kitchen. I think there's a box in the pantry cupboard, can you grab it and give some to the little rascal?" Etc.
I would personally be delighted with either the let-me-pamper-you option or the happy-surprise-in-the-middle-of-the-millionth-annoying-chore-of-the-day.
Oh, wait, maybe you could get the kids in on it? Do you have one in the age range where they're always doing crafts at preschool, or drawing pictures for their mom? Have one of the kids say, "Mom, I made something for you!" and either bring it out from behind their back--she'll be expecting another gluey scribble for the fridge--or lead her by the hand to where she'll be expecting to see their latest Lego creation or whatever. Do you have kids who actually do Lego creations or who make robots out of cardboard boxes? Could they be pulled in to incorporate the iPad, in or out of its box, into a creation?
posted by not that girl at 5:48 PM on October 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you decide to open and charge it, you could set it up as a whole sweet time-just-for-her thing. Tell her you'll feed the kids and put them to bed, and by the way here's a nice box of chocolates and a cup of tea, now you just get settled here in your favorite chair, oh, and here's a little something I picked up for you to entertain yourself with...
Though I like surprise options better, really. How old are your kids? Is there a hide-it-in-with-the-diapers option? Or some other way she could stumble on it during her normal round of endless mothering chores? An opened iPad could be slipped into many places. Or you could do the cereal-box idea but build it into the humdrum routine: "Honey, we're out of Cheerios in the kitchen. I think there's a box in the pantry cupboard, can you grab it and give some to the little rascal?" Etc.
I would personally be delighted with either the let-me-pamper-you option or the happy-surprise-in-the-middle-of-the-millionth-annoying-chore-of-the-day.
Oh, wait, maybe you could get the kids in on it? Do you have one in the age range where they're always doing crafts at preschool, or drawing pictures for their mom? Have one of the kids say, "Mom, I made something for you!" and either bring it out from behind their back--she'll be expecting another gluey scribble for the fridge--or lead her by the hand to where she'll be expecting to see their latest Lego creation or whatever. Do you have kids who actually do Lego creations or who make robots out of cardboard boxes? Could they be pulled in to incorporate the iPad, in or out of its box, into a creation?
posted by not that girl at 5:48 PM on October 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
First give her an iPad 2 box, but with chocolates in it...
posted by tumid dahlia at 6:32 PM on October 6, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by tumid dahlia at 6:32 PM on October 6, 2011 [5 favorites]
I favorited the idea of putting the chocolates in the iPad 2 box, but a) make sure they won't melt if you might need to return the iPad, and b) give her the iPad in the chocolates box first, otherwise the iPad isn't as surprising. Sweet surprise all around!
posted by ldthomps at 6:44 PM on October 6, 2011
posted by ldthomps at 6:44 PM on October 6, 2011
I would be bowled over with the "love of my life" "respect" and "mom of the year" part of the gift. Start with the words. The iPad2 just gravy!
posted by cecic at 6:45 PM on October 6, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by cecic at 6:45 PM on October 6, 2011 [8 favorites]
Response by poster: I went with the 'ol box-o-chocolate surprise and she couldn't have been happier.
"Was that gift box made especially for the iPad!?!"
... followed closely by ....
"Ok, where are the chocolates!?!"
Well done metafilter!
posted by siclik at 8:22 PM on October 6, 2011 [31 favorites]
"Was that gift box made especially for the iPad!?!"
... followed closely by ....
"Ok, where are the chocolates!?!"
Well done metafilter!
posted by siclik at 8:22 PM on October 6, 2011 [31 favorites]
Bravo!
posted by ocherdraco at 9:14 PM on October 6, 2011
posted by ocherdraco at 9:14 PM on October 6, 2011
I went with the 'ol box-o-chocolate surprise and she couldn't have been happier.
Encasing it in chocolate is perhaps even more elegant, but that's only if you have no worry about returns.
posted by holgate at 9:36 PM on October 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Encasing it in chocolate is perhaps even more elegant, but that's only if you have no worry about returns.
posted by holgate at 9:36 PM on October 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mamabear at 4:29 PM on October 6, 2011