Happy Birthday Amanda - From Etsy and Rumba with Love

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!

So my lovely wife's birthday has rolled around again ( July 2nd?? 3rd?? 2nd??? just kidding) and began again the process last month of finding the perfect gift.

So as a guy I can tell you there is nothing more challenging that finding my wife the perfect gift. If your significant other/better half is anything like my wife when it comes to the question of what to get for their special day you usually get the "I don't want anything.. just your love". Setup? Yeah that's what I'm thinking too. So begins the search for the perfect gift.
This is about the time that two of the greatest creations ever to grace the interwebs come to the rescue - Amazon Wishlist and Etsy.

Amazon Wishlist is great because if gives you the chance to create an online wishlist that is accessible by friends and family. All it takes is creating an amazon account, start browsing items from Amazon, and then as you find items you like, just add them to your wishlist. Additionally, Amazon has also provided the ability to add items not just from Amazon but from other websites via the Amazon Universal Wishlist. Amazon provides a browser add-on via their web site that goes on the toolbar. As you are browsing the interwebs and see an item you like, just click the "Add to Wish List" button and the item is added to your Amazon wish list. My wife, my daughter, and I each have a wish list setup and we are gradually getting the rest of the family set up. Definitely takes the guess work out of shopping for gifts.

Now Etsy is really where the hunt for that special gift and the earning of brownie points with your significant other really comes into play. If you have never heard of Etsy, it is probably the best creation ever for that person that loves crafts and art. Etsy is a web site focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. I was actually first introduced to Etsy via my wife's Amazon Wishlist. It is really amazing the stuff you can find here and in a lot of cases items can be personalized. I can't tell you the number of personalized jewelry pieces I've gotten for Amanda for a crazy reasonable price that she wears more than stuff I spent hundreds of dollars on (win.. win.. more beer, video game, and lego money - legos for Maddie of course).

So you ask, what did I get my wife this year for her birthday? Feast your eyes on these wonderful gifts.

"from the heart" print by vol25


"love happens" print by vol25


So the first two are part of the "Lovestruck Robots" Print set by vol25 including "love happens" and "from the heart" prints. This is based on an inside joke between my wife and I (basically she thinks I'm some kind of robot.. and not even the cool cylon type).

Grapesicle Rumba watch by Rumbatime

The last item is a Original Collection Grapesicle watch by Rumbatime. I was originally introduced to this series by my wife on a giveaway that she was doing on her blog. I ended up actually buying a watch for me and for her. Probably the most comfortable watch I have ever worn and I definitely like the look.

So next time you are down to the wire for that special day you forgot about, remember there are some resources out that can keep you out of the fire and looking like the best husband ever (that's my night job). Plus just because you put that 52+" LCD HDTV on your wishlist doesn't mean your wife has to get it for you but it definitely plants the seed for when you little angel child puts a toy lightsaber through your 52-" CRT SDTV.