Do you ever think about how to surprise your husband?
I don’t nearly as often as I should! I know some people hate surprise parties; but hardly anyone hates the occasional little surprise! After all, a surprise just means “going above and beyond”, or “doing something unexpected”. A surprise, then, is really just being romantic.
And doesn’t that make surprising our husbands an important part of a great marriage?
I blog about marriage and sex, but I’m not the only marriage blogger out there. I’m in a great community with other bloggers where we talk, share ideas, and support each other. I thought it might be fun for the occasional Top 10 Tuesday to “crowdsource” a post, and have other people chime in. And so I’ve asked other marriage bloggers to give me great ideas for how to surprise your husband–how to go above and beyond.
I’ve got ten great ideas here. Now, please–don’t just read this list! Read this list and decide to do one of them. That’s it. Just one! Find the one that resonates the most, and decide to follow through. That’s the way we make our marriages great. Not just by reading about how to bless your husband, but by actually doing it!
So without further adieu, here are 10 ways to surprise your husband!
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“Make Life Easier for Him” Ideas to Surprise Your Husband:
1. Steal His Workload
One of my favorite ways to surprise my husband (that doesn’t cost anything but time!) is to finish doing a big job for him. Especially when it is a task that I know would lighten his load if finished or make it so we can do something more enjoyable together – if I can fit it in my schedule I always try to! It’s so fun to surprise him when he comes home expecting to spend a good chunk of the weekend cleaning the garage (for example) only to find out the job is already done!
2. Burn Through Your To Do List
Right now romance has inevitably and necessarily taken a bit of a backseat. We have a toddler and a newborn, and time as a couple is at a premium. Therefore, the most romantic thing I can do for my husband is to simply empty the dishwasher on a day when I’m not struggling! Every additional chore I complete before he gets home equates to one less job for him to do, and an extra few minutes to spend as husband and wife, before the chaos of family life begins all over again!
3. Bless His Commute
My husband has a not-so-great commute, so every couple of months, I take a little bit of time to make it more enjoyable. My plan is that I borrow my husband’s car for errands and instead take it to the car wash. It’s not a big deal for me to do it (I bring my computer and work while I’m waiting.) I also slip a $5 Starbucks card into his cup holder and send him an Audible credit for a new audio book as he’s leaving for work. He works hard to provide for us, the least I can do is to make the journey a little bit sweeter (and more caffeinated.)
“Make Things Fun FOR HIM” Ideas to Surprise Your Husband:
4. Bring His Newest Fascination to Life
Here’s the thing, my husband and I don’t like Sushi. We ate it for the first time five years ago and we decided we didn’t like it. And it’s been on our never-again list ever since. Then a few weeks ago, he was “coaxed” to try Sushi at a company dinner. And now he can’t stop thinking about it! I wouldn’t have guessed his current fad if I hadn’t asked. And Sushi and smoked brisket is a riveting combination, if you ask me. So I would say dig around, find out your husband’s current fascination and then make it come true! Score those romantic love points!
5. Pose as a Client at Work
Here’s a fun one that can work if your husband has daily appointments! One day (on Jason’s last day at a particular hospital), I snuck in the back and ended up connecting with his nurses. They hid me in a room and I posed as a patient under the covers. When he walked in I jumped out of the bed!
6. Plan a Date Night Involving His Interests
One of my favorite ways to surprise my husband is to do his ideal date night, meaning I make it based on his likes instead of mine. For example if I know there is a big fight coming on (he loves MMA) then I’ll get a babysitter, find which local pub has the fight on, pay any cover charges, and surprise him when he walks through the door. He always loves these, because normally he’s subject to the girly end of the spectrum when it comes to date nights. You can get really creative with this too. Hikes, shooting, action movies, football games, etc. Just make arrangements for his favorite things and so all he has to do is enjoy!
10 Ways to Surprise Your Husband: 10 awesome ideas to make his day!Click To Tweet
“I Notice You” Ideas to Surprise Your Husband
7. Humble Yourself and Give Him What He Emotionally Needs Most from You
Surprises don’t have to be big and elaborate; why not surprise him with what he needs most from you — that you’ve been unwilling to give? Maybe it’s an apology for the hurtful, dismissive or disrespectful attitude you’ve had lately. Maybe it’s a verbal commitment to better prioritize your relationship or your sex life. Maybe it’s the support he needs to do things his own way. It only takes a minute, it costs nothing, but you might just be surprised how it can dramatically transform your marriage when you actually follow through!
8. Greet Him with a Kiss!
The most simple and meaningful weapon for a surprise attack is a kiss. A smile and a kiss when he walks though the door at night. A “I can’t wait to see you later” good-bye morning kiss. Make that one linger. A “I just wanted to feel you close” kiss on the cheek. This simple physical intimacy really does pour into our relationships. In the beginning he won’t be expecting it, but as time progresses it will become a beautiful hallmark of each day. A kiss is a pure, simple joy that truly brings a smile onto each of our faces.
9. Keep Track of Potential “Gifts” and Make a Wish List for Him
I LISTEN to my husband. Yes, that’s a surprise in and of itself. LOL! But seriously, I listen. When he is sharing with me something he’d love to have but likely wouldn’t spend money on, I add it to ‘his’ list. Then when it’s present shopping time, or even when I just want to spoil him with a ‘just cause’ gift, I pull out the list HE essentially created without knowing it and he is ALWAYS surprised! AND thrilled!
10. Find Some Room in the Budget for Something He Really Wants
This last one is from ME, and it goes along a little bit with #9 from Sherry. I hope you all are sticking to a budget in your marriage, and you know how much you have to spend on each category every month. And I hope you have a financial plan that will see you reach some goals in a few years–get out of debt, buy a house, pay off a house. But when we’re doing that, it often means that we don’t get to “splurge” on ourselves very often.
If you’ve been really responsible lately, and sacrificing hard, and you know there’s something he really wants, then take a month and be as frugal as you can in other budget areas so that you can find the money to buy it. And then present it to him one Saturday morning, telling him it’s all paid off, and you just want to bless him because he’s such a blessing to your family! (But remember: the blessing is not in buying the item; the blessing is in sacrificing in other budget areas so that you can do it without a credit card! ? ).
Let me know: Which one are you going to try? Or have another one for us? Let’s talk in the comments!
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