Presents For Your Partner: The Best Way To Show You Care

An anniversary is coming up, or a birthday, or you simply want to surprise your partner, and you have no idea what to buy. Picking presents for your partner, the person you know best, is oddly hard. You want a gift that shows you care and feels personal, and you do not want to end up with another scarf.

Before you pick one of the ideas below, check whether your partner keeps a wishlist. A quick look saves a lot of guessing and shows you what they have wanted for a while.

Personalised photo gifts

Shared memories are what make a photo gift work. Turn a favourite picture into a mug or a cushion, or fill an album with a year of photos. It is about the two of you, and nobody else could have given it.

A romantic weekend away

If daily life has been busy, a weekend away might be the best present of all. Book a small cabin or a nice hotel. The point is time together without the usual chores, and a chance to talk about something other than next week's planning.

Jewellery

Jewellery almost always goes down well: a necklace, a bracelet, earrings or a ring. Pick something that suits their style, or something sentimental like a locket or a charm bracelet. Look at what they wear every day; that shows you whether they lean towards gold, silver or something simpler.

Browse jewellery on Amazon.com

Subscription box

A subscription box keeps surprising your partner with something new every month. There are boxes for beauty products, for snacks and for almost any other interest. Each delivery is a small reminder that you were thinking of them.

A home-cooked meal

Cook their favourite dish or try a new recipe. Light a few candles, put on some music and maybe add flowers to the table. It costs little, and it shows you care more clearly than most things from a shop.

Massage

If your partner has been stressed, a massage is a lovely gift. Book a couples massage, or have a therapist come to the house for a spa day at home. It gives them a few hours to relax properly.

Personalised gift basket

A gift basket works best when everything in it is chosen for them. Fill it with chocolates, biscuits and perhaps a bottle of wine. A handwritten note, a monogrammed bathrobe or a scented candle makes it more personal.

Pick one present for your partner and plan it this week

Choose the idea that fits what your partner loves right now, and book or order it this week so nothing is rushed. If you are also swapping presents with friends or family later in the year, a Secret Santa generator sorts out who buys for whom.