What's a good way to say "Thanks for all you do"?

trijoe

Okay here's the problem: My VERY hard working wife has started expressing issues with feeling unappreciated. Now if you ask me, that's not at all true. But I'm not asking me, I'm asking her. So I was hoping somebody might have a good way to tell her "Thanks for all the hard work, crappy hours, and frustrating problems you deal with just so the rest of us have a warm house, nice clothes, and good meals."

Some hurdles:
1) Flowers won't work - I keep a small bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table already.
2) Chocolates/candy won't work - the girls get them (usually - if I don't get there first) and we're trying to cut down on our sweets anyway.
3) Date nights don't work - My wife is a little paranoid about baby sitters (we've used one twice in the last 4 years) and besides, for some terrible, unexplainable reason, after a date night we usually fight. Bitterly. Bad juju....
4) A nice meal won't work - She's finicky about healthy foods and only wants unhealthy garbage. So we go back and forth at meal time.

What else is there, that I'm missing? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Pandahead

Does she like baths? Does she have girlfriends she never hangs out with? Would she like having a couple hours to herself in the house if you take the girls out to a movie and ice cream? Does she like gifts?

I think the best thing is to go with whatever says "I love you" to her. Is it quality time with you, snuggling and watching a movie? Is it being told all the time with sincerity how much you appreciate the sacrifices she makes, complimenting her on her beauty, on all the ways she amazes you? Is it an inexpensive but nice gift that you surprise her with? In the past, of all the spontaneous ways you've shown her how you love her, what has she responded to the most positively?

Sorry, I don't have more than that. Every woman is different.

laurenk182004

I think taking the kids off her hands so she can relax and have some time to herself is a good idea. Either take them somewhere, or stay home with them so she can go out. A really thoughtful card can say alot..maybe pair that with a small gift, something that she will know you put alot of thought into. It's hard to say what other women would want. I'm not picky at all..if I came home to a candle lit dinner with a clean house, I'd be over the moon, no matter what my husband had for food. Hell, I'd be happy with a candle lit hotdog if the kitchen was clean! Sometimes the more corny you go the better!