While working on this love language series I have really come to realize some things.
Mostly, that I love a part of each love language when it comes to different aspects of my life.
I can truly appreciate gifts, even if I rate higher in physical touch and quality time.Ā
I would say my birthday and anniversary love language is gifts.
The gift itself is a visual reminder of your partnerās love for you.
This visual representation of love shows that your partner is listening to you, and cares about the things you want and need from them.Ā
The love language of gifts is so much more than just spending money.
I also feel like this love language gets a bad rap on being materialistic when itās not.Ā
Giving gifts to your partner doesnāt mean you need to burn a hole in your wallet.
There are other ways to give gifts without actually spending money, you can send them a letter or even create a YouTube Playlist for them.
What matters the most is the thought and time your loved one puts behind the action.
11 Ways Incorporate the Gifts Love LanguageĀ Ā
Another thing to consider with the gifts love language is that sometimes your presence is a gift in itself. Think about the cost, time, and effort it takes to travel and meet your partner.Ā
When you meet with your partner your physical presence becomes a gift to your partner.Ā
While it is important to show your affection to your partner with gifts just remember meet-ups are more important.
Take time to carefully plan your finances so that you can have meet-ups and know that gifts donāt have to be expensive.
Listen to What They Are Interested in
If youāre the type that loves to give or receive gifts it is important to have solid communication with your partner. And with communication naturally comes listening.
That is what I love about this love language. It requires active listening. Which means in order to figure out the perfect gift for your partner you need to listen to their wants and needs.Ā
A great way to keep track of what gift to give is to write it down and make a list.Ā
One of my favorite gifts that my Snowman ever gave me were things we talked about but I never really asked for.
I told him how cool it would be to have an Anatomy book in Finnish that way I could learn the muscles in another language.Ā
The comment about the book was more of a fleeting thought on how cool it would be. But, he remembered and surprised me with it on my birthday.Ā
That anatomy book means so much because he listened, remembered, and followed through with what I wanted.
The important thing to remember with this love language is to really take the time to think about your partnerās interests and find someone they would love based on that.
Open Gifts in a Video Call
My Snowman and I have this rule that if we get something from each other we have to open it up on a video call. We do this so we can see each otherās reaction.Ā
No matter how excited or impatient I am šš
When you watch each other open up gifts you are able to learn more about what gifts make your partner excited.
That in itself is just a beautiful feeling to see the joy on their face knowing that you helped to create that moment.
You created that by listening to them, by taking the time to find something that represents your love for each other
If you are still having a hard time trying to find the perfect gift then reach out to your partnerās friends and family members to see what your partner would like.
Reaching out to others will also show your partnerās friend and family how committed you are to your partner.
Donāt Slack on Special OccasionsĀ
If your partnerās love language is gifts, then special occasions like birthday and anniversaries are occasions you shouldnāt slack on.
Special occasions are important for a reason, itās in these times we are celebrating life and the love you have for each other.
Birthdays are huge milestones in life that should always be celebrated. It is also a time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the years to come.
If youāre in a long distance relationship itās hard to always be there for your partnerās birthday.
This is a great time to send your partner a card or even a digital gift like love coupons to let them know that you care.
Anniversaries are huge too! This is when yāall celebrate being together. Celebrating yāallās love and affection to each other.
With the gifts love language your partner appreciates that visual reminder of your love for them and gives them more confidence in yāallās relationship.
Surprise Them
While special occasions are a great time to give gifts there is also joy in receiving a ājust becauseā gift.
Little surprises are a great way to let your partner know that you are thinking of them.
You can also think of surprise gifts as a way to encourage your partner when they are going through changes in their life.
Is your partner starting a new job? Or have they been having a rough week? Sending a surprise gift is a great way to encourage them.
Itās also a visual reminder that you are there for your partner and that they can trust in your support.
These little surprises will help make your partner feel loved and appreciated by you.Ā
Make It Fun
The planning process for giving your partner a gift is so much fun.
Creating the gift and planning on how your partner will receive the gift brings so much joy to both of yāall.Ā
Gifts arenāt just limited to the long distance part of the relationship.
Think of the ways you can apply this when yāall are together during meet-ups. A great way of doing that is buying a souvenir during meet-ups.
The last time I was in Finland my Snowman and I went to an outdoor zoo in the middle of December.
I was excited to go to the zoo to see Reindeer and thought the zoo had an interactive area but it didnāt and I was really sad.
My Snowman was also excited to see the Snow Leopard at the zoo but it was hiding from us even after waiting for a while.Ā
We both had expectations that werenāt met and were kind of down. When we went to the gift shop we saw stuffed animals of the ones we wanted to see.
I saw the Snow Leopard and thought Iām going to buy this for him, as I was walking up to the register I saw he already had a Reindeer in his hand that he bought for me.Ā
Yāall I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful a moment that was. It was like our early disappointments didnāt matter.
What mattered was the love we wanted to give to each other and now a new reminder of that fun day we had at the zoo.Ā
Now that Reindeer sits in my room and is a visual reminder of our love for each other. The Reindeer is also something I can hold onto when I am missing my Snowman.Ā
Gifts IdeasĀ Giving and Receiving Love Language in an LDR
Mail an Special Card with a Letter
If you think about it, writing love letters is the original form of long distance relationships.
Letters were how Napoleon was able to declare his love and passion for Josephine. Their love letter are part of what made their love story such a romantic tale.Ā
One of my favorite things I have received from my Snowman was a letter.
In his letter he was able to express his love for me in a way he wasnāt able to verbalize.
There are times when I pull that letter out and re-read it. That letter reminds me how much he loves me and how special I am to him.Ā Ā
Mailing your partner a card is also a budget friendly way to show your love for them. This is something that can be done on special occasions as well as just because.Ā
Mail Something SmallĀ
The great thing about gifts is that they can be bought, created, or even found.
Say that you go to the beach and see a pretty sea shell that makes you think of your partner.Ā Most likely your partner will find the beauty in it as well.Ā
That seashell is something small enough to fit inside an envelope and send it to your partner.
It follows with the idea of ājust becauseā gifts, and sending your partner that visual reminder of your love for each other.Ā
Send a Care PackageĀ
Care packages are so much fun to make and to receive. It also allows you to have more freedom to get creative and create themed packages.
I typically mail my Snowman different snacks he likes from the US and he will send me some chocolates from Finland.Ā
Chocolate š¤¤š«
If youāre living in the US I recommend using USPS to send your package especially if you are shipping internationally.
I use USPS because it is cheaper than FedEx and when you ship with FedEx the package ends up having a longer customs process than it would with USPS.Ā
So if youāre going to ship anything international or even in the US use USPS. The downside to sending care packages is that they can get pretty expensive.
The last time I sent one to Finland it cost around $50 just for the shipping. Thatās not even including the price of the stuff going into the care package.Ā
DIY (Do It Yourself)
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DIY gifts are great because it doesnāt take any talent to make them and they become one of a kind.
Creating a gift for your partner also shows them how much time and effort you put into creating it. A DIY gift is the perfect way to show your love and affection to your partner.Ā Ā Ā
I love making gifts for people. Especially using photos that we have taken together.
I decorated a picture frame for my Snowman and I know it would be one of the first things he grabs from his apartment if he had to unexpectedly leave.Ā
It is nice to know that something I created for him holds that much importance in his life.
That picture frame is a physical display of my love for him, and he reciprocates that love for caring for it as much as he does.Ā
YouTube PlaylistĀ
I might be dating myself when I say this but I used to love getting mixed CDs from my friends.
It always had our favorite songs and great memories behind those songs. Creating a playlist for your partner can also create great memories.Ā
My Snowman created a playlist for me of danceable metal music. Such a weird combination I know but he knows how much I love to dance and I know how much he loves heavy metal.
Heavy metal isnāt my first choice of music to listen to.Ā
Then he created that playlist and it changed my thoughts on metal music and I learned to appreciate it more.
The playlist he created for me took some time and effort on his part. He had to find songs that he thought I would like and could dance to.
In the end his efforts paid off because I loved every song on that playlist.Ā
Order Food For Them/Venmo Them
The other day I saw in my friendās IG story that her boyfriend sent her $5 on Venmo.
The Venmo was subject was āTreat Yourself to Some McDonaldsā and I thought that was the cutest thing ever.Ā
That gesture of treating your partner to something nice, whether itās random or because they are having a bad day, is the epitome of romance.
Venmo-ing her was his way of being there for her when he couldnāt physically be there.Ā
And food always tastes better when itās from someone you love.Ā
Is Your Partnerās Love Language Gifts?
The hardest part of having gifts as a love language in a long distance relationship is the cost of things.
Itās easy to get caught up and think that this love language is about money when itās actually about the thought and effort behind giving a gift.
Gifts are also visual reminders for your partner, and in a long distance relationship those reminders are important.Ā
Itās important to know that despite being miles apart your partner is there for you and loves you. Those reminders is what help keeps a long distance relationship strong.
Check Out These Posts for Gifts Ideas
21 Must Have Long Distance Relationship Gifts for 2021
10 Virtual Escape Room Games Perfect for LDR Date Nights
13 Map Gifts that Your Long Distance Partner Will Cherish
20 Perfect Gift Ideas for Long Distance Boyfriends Under $20
17 Thoughtful Care Package Ideas for Long Distance Relationships
