How Do I Make Your Christmas Birthday Special When It's Christmas Time?

My husband's birthday is two days before Christmas. His family always lumped his birthday in with Christmas and just gave him money. My birthday is about a week after Valentine's Day and in the same month, after my younger brother's birthday. Even though I had my own birthday and special celebration I always felt overlooked because everyone's attention was divided and Valentine's Day and my brother's birthday got more attention because they came before mine. Everyone was tapped out and partied out by the time they got to my birthday.

But when I married my husband I found that it could be a lot worst. He didn't get anything but a card and some money for both his birthday and Christmas, no celebration. I decided to change things. It took a few years but I convinced his family that I preferred gifts to money by constantly repeating myself and making sure to thank them for the gifts. Plus it helped that I always made sure to follow up my words with gifts for them. I also made constant mention of the fact that we celebrated his birthday separately from Christmas. I won.

I didn't get too far on the birthday party, though. No one wanted to come to a party near Christmas that wasn't about Christmas. So, we celebrate all of our special days quietly, with family, without a big party, especially since our son's birthday is often around Easter and his anniversary is almost on Mother's Day. We could never get anyone to come to a birthday party for him either.

I've also learned to use the unique seasons that we've been born into to our shopping advantage. Christmas and Valentines Day are two of the biggest times of the year for special, unique items with special prices to show up in the stores. Easter offers toys, clothing, jewelry and special collectibles.

The best gifts that you can give to that special person who has a birthday near Christmas are:

A Special Celebration Separate From Christmas:

We almost never celebrate any of our special days on the actual day, due to our schedules, so we try to celebrate before the actual date. Which especially helps for a Christmas birthday. Our birthdays are always celebrated separately from any other function going on and are never included with anyone else's celebration. Everyone deserves to have their special day to be the star of the show and to be told that they are special and second to no one.

Gifts That Aren't Included as Christmas Gifts:

We give gifts that aren't included with any other function. They're specifically for the birthday and for the birthday only. I love getting heart themed gifts for my birthday, although not Valentine themed. But I don't get Christmas themed items for my husband's birthday. Unless he's specifically requested anything like that, I find it to be insensitive.

Those Special Gifts That Would be Welcome Anytime of the Year Because They're What They Want:

I make out a list of what my husband wants, then I shop for both his birthday and Christmas at the same time, unless he's made a specific request for his birthday. Then when I'm done shopping I take out one or two of the items that he especially wants and wrap it to give to him for his birthday. He does the same thing for my birthday and Valentine's Day. I, also, often pick up things in my travels for his gifts.

Christmas is one of the best times of the year for getting items that are often available all year, at extremely good deals and with unique package deals. This is the time of the year when the retailers usually make the bulk of their income for the year, so they put out extra effort to put out special items with special packages, offers and prices. Some suggestions would be:

Clothing:

When we were growing up, this was when we got all of our special winter clothing and winter pajamas as gifts because there were special items and deals that were just for Christmas. That's still true. There are a usually a lot of special deals, multi-packages and designs that have been set aside just for this time of year.

Jewelry:

This is one of the best times of the year to get watches, and any kind of jewelry. There are usually some really excellent deals and packages that you won't find any other time of the year.

Tools:

This is the best time of the year to get that special tool that they've been requesting. It'll probably be at a really good price and with some other items in a special package.

Specialty Items:

Sometimes, the only time of the year you can find certain items are around Christmas. Character slippers, dressy party clothing, water balls and other collectibles and character pajamas are some items that come to mind.

Electronics:

We got our emergency radio one year during Christmas because it was the best price it had ever been. TV's, stereos and their accessories are often offered at good prices and often with package deals.

Video Games and Consoles:

Several times the new releases with special package deals were made available at Christmas time at special prices. This is how our son's wife got his game console for him, one year.

Toys:

Many special editions are designed just for Christmas release in special packages at special prices. Cabbage Patch Dolls and the Elmo doll were two those items.

Cameras, Video Cameras and Cell Phones:

I got my husband' cell phone this way. Special packages of cameras and cell phones show up in the aisles at special prices. This is usually the best time of the year get those prices and packages.

Computers and Printers:

We got a couple of our printers this way. Actually one of those was a package deal and it was only offered as a Christmas special. It wasn't available after Christmas.

Musical Instruments or lessons:

Special one-of-a-kind offerings, special package deals, special prices or rates or gift certificates. One year we got our son a drum set at a special price. Another year it was an electric guitar.

Arts and Craft Supply Sets:

This one of the best times of the year to get some wonderful sets of all of the supplies your crafter or artist may want. They usually come with really good prices and often with a wonderful combination of tools. That's how I got my first set of artist tools.

Sporting Items and Exercise Equipment:

When our son was taking bowling lessons I saw the special deals and packages being offered around Christmas. I've also seen exercise equipment and special packages of specialty equipment.

Specialty Interest Items:

We have chickens, ducks and geese, inherited from our son's chicken collecting and breeding days. So, we go into the feed store on a weekly basis to pickup feed. You can find all kinds of items in a feed store or in a specialty tack shop from baby animals to supplies, equipment and accessories. My husband got me a horse mug one year, from the feed store.

Gift Cards:

There are all kinds of gift cards out there for just about anything. If your special someone has a particular hobby or interest or they want to try something new, or they just want to have some money of their own to spend or to go to a special restaurant or buy a pound of candy or something else. This could be the way to go. Just check to see what the limitations are on the card, do they expire, do they start defunding after a certain point?

Favorite Foods:

Our son drinks hot sauce. The hotter the better as far as he's concerned. So, this time of the year is a good time to get those kind of items in special recipes and special packages that might include other attractive ingredients to items.

Movie DVDs:

We often see movies at half or one third the price they were before Christmas. There are also often special releases timed just for Christmas at special prices and in special packages.

Bed Linens and Pillows:

Except for the white sales after Christmas, this is one of the best times of the year to get these items at special deals and in special attractive packages. This is also when character pillows often show in the stores along with lap throws at special prices.

Gym Memberships or Dance or Other Special Kinds of Lessons, such as flying, horseback
riding etc:

Sometimes I've also seen these offered at special deals and packages.

There are a lot of other possibilities. But these are just some suggestions to get you started looking around and thinking.