What should you get your beloved spouse for Christmas? For some of you, that’s an easy answer, and for others, it’s a challenge. Today, I want to provide:

• 10 fresh gift ideas
• A roundup of past posts with more than 80 gift and stocking stuffer ideas
• A short list of recommended places to shop
• A quick rundown of my own and others’ resources

Thus creating the ultimate gift list of well over 100 ideas for your spouse and your marriage this holiday season!

Many items have affiliate links, but not all. And I do not suggest something just because I get a small commission. I only recommend a product if I polygraph-proof think it’s a good idea.

10 Fresh Gift Ideas

1. Oh, Susannah Tonight Not Tonight Reversible Throw Pillow Case Cover Fits 18×18 Insert. Send a clear signal about lovemaking tonight with these pillow cases. Fun way to initiate sex!

2. Married Is Great t-shirt. Marriage really is great, when done well. Go ahead and celebrate it with a t-shirt for one or both of you. I love mine!

Married Is Great has several designs and hoodies as well!

3. Love Tokens – Set of 10. And begging the question: Why did I think of that? Love this tokens you can give your spouse to give back to you!

4. Love Mop Premium Cotton Sex Towel. Keep one of these in your nightstand or nearby to clean up after the oh-so-worth-it messiness of physical intimacy.

5. Intimately Us Marriage App. Bedroom games, conversation starters, sexy bucket list, and much more with this app. Put together by the creator of the Get Your Marriage On! event I spoke at a few years ago and Dr. Corey Allan, host of Sexy Marriage Radio who has guested here on my blog.

6. Printable Roses. As of this writing, these are FREE. Yep, you print them out, make them, give them to your beloved. How romantic!

7. Printable Fortune Cookies – Another freebie! “A thrilling night is in your future,” other messages, and create-your-own. Your fortune is a good one with this gift!

8. Liberator Decor Fascinator Throw. The love mop towel above is great, but what can you use to protect your whole bed? Try one of these. It absorbs and it’s very comfortable to your skin.

9. I Have Found the One I Love Pendant. One of my favorite Song of Songs sayings, which I have on my bedroom wall as art! But you can gift it in jewelry too.

10. Home Date Kit. In “Pandemic Year,” you can gift your beloved the perfect date night for home. Think about what you both enjoy and load it up with the right stuff for you two. Some ideas:

• Start with a decorative box or basket. (Locally, try a Tuesday Morning or Hobby Lobby.)
• Add a restaurant gift card; a meal kit; or a gift card for UberEats, DoorDash, or Grubhub.
• Include items to create a romantic setting, like flameless candles, dinnerware, and cloth napkins folded into beautiful designs (if I can do it, you can too!).
• Choose an activity, like a board game, movie, conversation starters, or DIY project.
• Finish up with intimacy items—like specialty lube, a tasty treat, and/or sexy Christmas-themed undies (his/hers).
• Big-time bonus: Write a love letter to your one-and-only, with specifics on why you treasure your beloved and would choose him/her again, and slip it into the basket. (You may want to add a tissue or two.)

Gift Idea Posts (with around 80+ options)

Below are my past gift-giving posts, including Christmas and Valentine’s, with links to various products, services, printables, and more. I cannot guarantee all links will work, because some posts are older and links sometimes change or disappear. But if you really like an idea, you might be able to do an online search and find it elsewhere.

• Wrap It Up For Hubby: 10 Christmas Gifts For Your Marriage Bed
• 10 Sexy Stocking Stuffers for Your Husband
• 8 Sweet Valentine’s Gifts for Your Spicy Wife
• 8 Cool Valentine’s Gifts for Your Hot Hubby
• 5 Fresh Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Husband
• A Sleigh-ful of Gift Ideas for Your Spouse
• 5 (More) Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Husband
• 5 (More) Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Wife
• “Go Big” Valentine’s Gifts for Your Spouse
• 10 Sexy, Manly Items for Your Hubby’s Christmas Stocking
• 5 Free Valentine’s Gifts for Your Spouse
• 7 Sexy Valentine’s Gifts You Can Make
• 13 Sexy Valentine’s Gifts From Your Grocery Store
• My Gift to You: Christmas Intimacy Playlist
• Favorite Books for Christmas Gifts
• 6 Sex-themed Gift Baskets for Christmas
• 10 Last-Minute Stocking Stuffers for Your Husband

Recommended Places to Shop

From time to time, I get asked where to shop for intimate things! Well, here are a few recommendations.

Married Dance. For marital aids/sex toys.

Honoring Intimates. For lingerie and lube.

Mentionables. Another quality lingerie site.

Dating Divas. For fun date-night ideas, games, and printables).

Faithful Counseling. For individual and couples counseling. To be fair, you don’t really “shop” for counseling, but Faithful Counseling is a site where clients can connect with faith-based counselors that match their needs and preferences. The biggest plug I can give here is to say that I tried it with regard a specific issue I was facing, and I had a fantastic experience. But if you don’t, you can easily request a different counselor.

My and Others’ Great Resources

Christmas Stuff in My Site Store

Webinars from Sex Chat for Christian Wives

Webinars from KHS (Knowing Her Sexually) Ministry

My Books

Christian Living

Pillow Talk: 40 Conversations About Sex for Married Couples

eBook: $5.99

Author: J. Parker
Genre: Christian Living

Yet couples often struggle to understand their spouse and discuss their sex life. Pillow Talk: 40 Conversations about Sex for Married Couples provides the right framework for productive communication on a myriad of issues and helps your marriage bed move from awkward to amazing!

More info →

Buy This Book Online

Hot, Holy, and Humorous: Sex in Marriage by God’s Design

5.00 (66% off retail!)

Author: J. Parker
Genre: Christian Living

Do you want to be a hottie in the bedroom without sacrificing holiness? How can you make the most of God’s gift of sexual intimacy in marriage? In Hot, Holy, and Humorous, author J. Parker gives candid advice for wives from a foundation of faith with a splash of humor.

BUY THE BOOK

More info →

Intimacy Revealed: 52 Devotions to Enhance Sex in Marriage

$9.99eBook: $2.99

Author: J. Parker
Genre: Christian Living

What does the Bible say about sexual intimacy? Quite a lot actually. From marriage-specific scriptures to biblical principles, Intimacy Revealed: 52 Devotions to Enhance Sex in Marriage guides Christian wives through weekly devotions that shed light on God’s gift of marital sex.

More info →

Buy This Book Online

Beatitudes in the Bedroom: Embracing the Blessings for Your Marriage Bed

eBook: $0.99

Author: J. Parker
Genre: Christian Living

Once we accept that God’s Word infuses every area of our lives, we can apply biblical principles from various passages even to such places as our marriage beds.

In this short book, bestselling Christian sex author, blogger, and podcaster J. Parker, of Hot, Holy & Humorous, walks you through each separate blessing from Matthew 5:3-10 and shows how Jesus’ Beatitudes are relevant to sexuality and marriage.

More info →

Buy This Book Online

Online Courses with Marriage Experts

Sex Seminar with Dating Divas. Nine experts, nine presentations, life-changing information for your sex life. I address When Your Drives Don’t Match. Usually $35, BUT ONLY $20 with my special URL (discount shows up at checkout and not before).

Online Marriage Retreat with Awesome Marriage. 24 presentations covering everything from improved communication to bedroom savvy. My offering is on 5 Steps to Better Sex. Regularly $49 but take 10% off with coupon code PARKER10 (enter code, click Apply, then continue checking out).

Side Hustles from My Assistant

In addition to working for me and a few other bloggers, my fantastic virtual assistant also runs a few home businesses. Feel free to shop through her, knowing that you’re putting money in the pocket of a stand-up Christian woman.

• Creative Memories Scrapbook & Craft Supplies
• Origami Owl Personalized Jewelry
• Lilla Rose Hair Accessories

Wrapping It Up!

Whew. That’s a lot of info! Have fun clicking and shopping. But stay tuned for a special treat I’ll have for my readers in a couple of weeks.

The post The Ultimate Gift List for Married Couples, 2020 Edition appeared first on Hot, Holy & Humorous.

It’s a day for even us natural pessimists to be Glass Half Full people.

And tomorrow begins the Wallet Half Empty season. Also known as Christmas!

For those who are already finished with their Christmas shopping, you probably don’t need to read any more of this post and we sorta don’t like you anyway. You give us a case of envy the size of our Thanksgiving turkey. (Just kidding.)

But for the rest of us — who start our shopping on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, or any other cleverly named days inviting you to spend money — I wanted to give you a single place to access all of my gift ideas.

Following are posts in which I suggested specific items you can give your beloved which might just spark a little Christmas cheer in the marriage bed.

Note: Some of these posts were written a while ago, and if a link doesn’t work, it’s because that item or link is no longer available. Sorry!

10 Sexy, Manly Items for Your Hubby’s Christmas Stocking

Top Marriage Book Picks for Christmas

13 Sexy Valentine’s Gifts from Your Grocery Store (works for Christmas too!)

7 Sexy Valentine’s Gifts You Can Make

8 Cool Valentine’s Gifts for Your Hot Hubby

8 Sweet Valentine’s Gifts for Your Spicy Wife

Favorite Books for Christmas Gifts

Wrap It Up for Hubby: 10 Christmas Gifts for Your Marriage Bed

Love & Sex Coupons for Christmas

10 Sexy Stocking Stuffers for Your Husband

Of course, you could always pick up a copy of Hot, Holy, and Humorous: Sex in Marriage by God’s Design! It’s aimed at wives, but there are many tips couples can read about and give a try. Indeed, plenty of husbands would love it if you tuck that book under the tree, open it together on Christmas Eve, and then promise your hubby you’ll read the book and prioritize sexual intimacy in the coming year.

You probably have a friend or family member who could use this book as well. And you could even match it with a couple of other marriage books to show your support for their whole marriage.

Stay safe on the roads and in stores. And enjoy shopping this weekend, this season, or — for those who wait until the last-minute — Christmas Eve.

A FEW MORE DAYS LEFT FOR MY NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY! CLICK THE BANNER BELOW FOR MORE INFO.

The post A Sleigh-ful of Gift Ideas for Your Spouse appeared first on Hot, Holy & Humorous.

But when I was recently asked about the romance between me and my husband, I realized something important: Romance is not one-size-fits-all. You have to decide what that looks like in your marriage.

Romance is not one-size-fits-all. You have to decide what that looks like in your marriage.
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If my husband brought me flowers on holidays, I’d wonder what had possessed him. Not merely because it would be uncharacteristic for him, but because getting flowers isn’t a longing of mine. It’s nice, but I’d far rather have other things.

It’s important to find out what makes your beloved feel desired, wooed, cherished. Here are a few ideas:

Undivided Attention.

Do you remember when you were dating, and you basked in one another’s attention? He wanted to be with you, you wanted to be with him, and if a world outside of the two of you existed, you didn’t know it. (Well, unless it was a particular sports season or the like.) You soaked up those moments, likely believing they would last forever. After all, this was true love (or “twoo wuv”), and you’d always want to spend every moment you could with him.

And then you got married and life intruded. Or maybe life intruded before the wedding vows. Regardless, that early limerance didn’t last forever. Those feelings of infatuation and adoration can feel like a drug high, and eventually you sobered up. It’s a good thing, of course, that you’re not ignoring everything and everyone around you to be with your mate. While it’s often part of falling in love, it’s not practical for our long lives.

However, we can pendulum swing so far into ho-hum habits that we forget all those feelings. Those romantic feelings that came with clearing your calendar for your him, doing things together, looking your beloved in the eye, eagerly showing affection. If we want romance in our lives, and a long-lasting marriage, we have to make time for undivided attention. We have to remind ourselves and our spouse that the two of us are we. This is one reason I believe sex in marriage is so important. You can’t really engage in other things (at least not physically) while having sex. It’s an activity that requires focus on the two of you, as one flesh.

Thoughtful Gifts.

I first typed Gifts, then changed it to Thoughtful Gifts. Because, as I pointed out, I’m not a flower bouquet girl, so my hubby bringing me flowers wouldn’t thrill me nearly so much as if he brought me some office supplies. (Yeah, many writers get super-excited visiting places like Staples or Office Depot.)

Gifts that make an impression are ones that show you really considered the recipient. You know what she likes, what he enjoys doing, what will thrill the love of your life. And you make an effort to secure and present it.

Now I’ve written a bunch of posts here with sexy gift ideas for your spouse (for example, 8 Sweet Valentine’s Gifts for Your Spicy Wife and 8 Cool Valentine’s Gifts for Your Hot Hubby). You can peruse my blog, but you can also go to great sites like Gifts.com. (Seriously, you can get lost on that site finding all sorts of ideas.) I’m partial to the personalized items. Recently, I received a monogrammed picnic backpack from Gifts.com which combines my desire for undivided attention, my husband’s desire for practicality, and our need for romance. Giving this to my husband would say, Let’s go have some fun together! You know, in a park, or tailgating, or just spreading it out on our bedroom floor.

Anyway, be prepared to take some time, think through what your spouse would enjoy, and then shop for the right gift. That extra thought can make the difference between a what were you thinking?! reaction and you know me so well! kiss. Make your offering sweet or make it sexy, but find a thoughtful gift.

Loving Words.

One of the aha moments I had when reading through the Song of Songs is how much those two lovebirds talk to each other about each other. It’s all ooh, my man is the sexiest and my woman is hotter than Helen of Troy. (That’s a loose translation.) They go on and on with verbal expression of love.

Now ask yourself when you last really told your husband how much you love him, with specifics. When you last complimented your wife’s appearance, skills, heart. Do your words regularly demonstrate romance and passion?

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Given their power, you’d think we’d use them more often to express love to our mate. For many, romantic words have real weight. Telling your spouse what you adore about him, how she makes you feel, what you want to do later in the bedroom…these are all ways to keep the spirit of romance alive and kicking.

If you’re uncomfortable saying the words, write them down! Or text your honey-bunny. Who doesn’t appreciate a good love note? It can be anything from a long love letter (for which I give tips in Hot, Holy, and Humorous), to a post-it note on the bathroom mirror, to XOXOXOXO texted to their phone. Just find some words to stoke the romance in your marriage.

So now you’re aware: You should be romantic in marriage.

Not that you didn’t know that, but we forget sometimes to make the effort. But don’t you think we should commit to show romance to the one we love?

What are your ideas for romance? What counts as romantic to you?

The post August Is Romance Awareness Month appeared first on Hot, Holy & Humorous.