I'm coming up on my sixth anniversary (iron/sugar), and struggling with ideas of what to get for my wife. We just had valentine's day, so candy seems redundant, not to mention boring. Fireplace tools are neither romantic nor even particularly sentimental. I do most of the cooking, so cast-iron cookware would more or less be getting myself a present.
Any ideas?
Posted by David G (Member # 8872) on :
I presume your child/children is/are young. If so, then surprise your wife with a babysitter and a night out.
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
What does she like?
Or better yet, I'd say go and do something you like to do together that way you'll both have fun.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Buns of Steel video?
But seriously, you are married to the lady, not to the list of traditional gifts. So just get her something that she would like, and forget about the iron/sugar suggestion.
If it were me, I'd certainly appreciate a night on the town, dinner at a nice restaurant and a show.
Jewelry, of course, is always appropriate. Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
I'm not married to the list, but we've been doing well with them so far, albeit with some amusing permutations. For "cotton" I got her a parcel of "cotton blossom" scented products from Bath & Body Works, for instance. For "paper" I gave her a framed copy of my vows.
We will probably find a sitter and go out in any case.
The jewelry idea might be interesting. They're doing neat things with hematite...
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Find someplace you can pick up a bag of Cotton Candy. (Sugar.) If you get jewelry that's not delicate, drop it inside the hole in the center, so she finds it as she eats the candy. Dont' do this with, say, opals. But something with hematite would probably be fine.
Posted by theresa51282 (Member # 8037) on :
I think it is a really cute tradition. It makes me want to try it. I don't have any suggestions though for iron or sugar that's a tough one. Tell us what you end up choosing. I'm curious.
Posted by divaesefani (Member # 3763) on :
In massage, we give "sugar" (effleurage or light stroking) after some deep work. I suggest getting her a massage. That's sugar I know most women wouldn't turn down!
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
ooh I love ElJay's idea!! And hematite, in addition to being simply lovely (imho) is iron oxide, so there's your iron.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Hematite is really brittle, so be careful. Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
It's a very cute idea, ElJay, but my wife is presently wearing braces, and I think cotton candy would get badly enmeshed with them.
Maybe an ice cream sundae or something. Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Hmmm. Giant pixie stix?
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Bake her a cake or pie. Those have plenty of sugar. If you make a cake, you can even put hematite jewelry in/on it (I'd suggest on. I'd be mad if I stumbled upon a surprise in my food.)
This assumes that hematite isn't toxic and won't break down due to contact with the food. I don't think either of these are the case, but you should check first...
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
I wore braces for nearly 3 years. Cotton Candy is almost the perfect candy for braces. You can wad it into little bites that don't even touch the braces, and the sugar is so fluffy if any got on the braces it would dissolve very quickly. Her natural saliva would wash the braces clean easily. I mean, seriously, I can't think of any other food that would be better for braces than cotton candy. Certainly not anything she actually had to chew.
But enough of that. I kind of like the massage, or day at the spa idea. There's a spa in my small town that offers "Chocolate" packages where they serve chocolates along with whatever massage/facial/manicure/pedicure/etc package you choose. That would cover the sugar thing well.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
quote:This assumes that hematite isn't toxic and won't break down due to contact with the food. I don't think either of these are the case, but you should check first...
Another cautionary note, a lot of what's sold as "hematite" is actually "hemalyke" or "hemalike" (i.e. imitation hematite). To my knowledge, it's also an iron ore based substance, but it is not natural. I'm not sure what all the differences are, but if what you buy is mass-produces, really inexpensive, or sold in one of those ring/bracelet/necklace kiosks in the mall, the chances are very high that it's not natural hematite. (Not that I see that much diffence in quality or value between the two, but if leaching or contamination are an issue, you might want to research further.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We can find natural hematite on the ground around here.
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
Yeah, I've seen so much real hematite on the Oregon and Washington coasts that it's a little baffling that anyone would make the equivalent of a cubic zirconium version...
Thanks for the info, KarlEd.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Jewelry hidden in food is a romantic start to spending the evening getting a broken tooth repaired.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
I think the reason for "faux" hematite is more due to the ease of manufacturing than the expense or unavailability of natural hematite.
If I'm not mistaken, natural hematite is carved. It's also very brittle. I'm pretty sure hemalike and other faux hematite is melted and formed. I know some fake hematite is actually glass with a metallic coating. The fake stuff is therefore easier to work with, more versatile for making complex designs at low cost, and probably stronger/less likely to chip or shatter. It's probably one of the few cases where the fake gemstone is "better" than the real stuff. (Note the quotes )
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
So, for those who are curious:
I've scheduled an hour long massage for my wife at a local spa, and ordered a sterling silver-and-hematite pendant for her.
Thank you all for the advice, input, and suggestions! It's helped a great deal.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Perfect.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
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