On giving gifts

My husband and I agree on a number of things, but we are usually somewhat at odds on the subject of gift giving.  I am a big fan of giving gifts, big and small, for holidays, birthdays, or just for the heck of it.  I enjoy the challenge of finding the perfect present for someone although I will admit there are times when my mind is so void of ideas it can cause moments of frustration.  Of course when that happens I feel even better when I finally do come across a gift worthy of giving.

I was raised to believe that there are certain rules to giving gifts.  Not necessarily set in stone, but rules nonetheless.  For instance, you can't open gifts early.  Yes there are sometimes exceptions to this rule but for the most part you should wait until the given day of celebration before unveiling any gifts.  I have also always believed that gift cards should only be used as a last resort, or maybe as an addition to the overall gift.  I don't know where this idea stemmed from....maybe because I never really received gift cards as part of any regular gift cache, but I always want to hunt for any other type of gift before giving into the plastic cards.  Speaking of cards, I'm also a firm believer of including them (paper ones) along with the gift.  In fact, I have a card collection....so that I will hopefully never be caught in a situation where I can't produce an adorable greeting card for any given occasion.

This particular subject is on my mind because Thursday just happens to be my husband's birthday.  I actually got him a really fantastic gift this year (seat covers for his truck that he has been coveting for two years), but the manner in which he received his present was rather anti-climactic.  First of all, he knew what I was getting him because I had to consult him before placing the order to make sure I was getting the right kind of covers.  Strike one against the element of surprise.  Secondly, he saw the package after it had been delivered and was practically chomping at the bit to open up the box and put the covers to use.  Strike two against early gift giving.  I protested and attempted to put up a fight.  I wanted to wrap the box, give it to him on his birthday, and watch as he feigned surprise after opening.  That's another one of my rules, by the way.  Even when you know what you're getting, you damned well better act surprised.  It's just part of the song and dance. 

In the end I conceded.  The odds weren't in my favor.  Dean wasn't at all bothered by the lack of ceremony surrounding his birthday gift, but it's been lingering in the back of my head since last week.  No surprise, no wrapping paper, and he received his present over a week in advance.  Major fail.  

Does anybody else share my OCD feeling on giving gifts?  Does the process matter as much as the actual gift?  For me, the process is half the fun, so maybe I'm being selfish in my desire to stick to these "rules."  Then again, they do say anything worth doing is worth doing right.....

Oh, and by the way.  I didn't fail on all my rules.  Because my husband will still have one hell of a birthday card to open come Thursday morning.  So I guess I've got that going for me.