Share Email Print RSS

Two for One

We're all acquainted with at least one couple who seems to do everything together.

You know the couple. They aren't afraid to share the same interests and passions. This couple is so perfect for each other that their relationship teeters on that fine line between syrupy sweet and just plain obnoxious.

But there's an upside to knowing a couple like this. At least their unity shortens your gift list around the holiday season.

With a couple this tightly knitted, there's no reason to buy two separate gifts -- purchase one they can share and enjoy together. Your wallet and bank account will thank you.

For the outdoorsy couple  

This couple loves the purity and peacefulness of nature. Maybe they have a little bit of a "granola" or "earth mama" streak and they don't mind getting dirty. Possible gifts for this couple might include: season passes to a state or national park, fancy trail mix, camping supplies or a gift card to a sporting goods store, such as Dick's in Short Pump.

 

For the sports fanatic couple  

This couple is all Ra, ra, ra! about athletics. Tickets to a game in Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore or anywhere close by make perfect gifts. You might also consider buying them T-shirts, hats, hoodies or other sports fan gifts emblazoned with their favorite team's logo. If they love to play sports as much as watching them, think about what sort of sporting equipment they might want or need. You could even buy them membership at a sports club, like Raintree Swim and Racquet Club (call (804) 740-1035 for more information).

 

For the fashionista couple  

This couple is so obsessed about looking good that anyone on the street can tell. Buy them subscriptions to fashion magazines (double points if they're European, specifically French or Italian, publications), books about fashion or goodies from upscale shops like Beecroft and Bull (call (804) 783-0633 for more information), if you're confident your taste will pass muster.

 

For the wanderlust couple  

This couple takes weekend trips, cruises, fun Christmas vacations and grand summer voyages. If you know such a couple, consider buying them any combination of Amtrak tickets, travel guides or a subscription to a travel magazine or two. You might even pay for them to take a foreign language class, if they're particularly set on being "authentic" when going abroad.

 

For the theatre-going couple

 

You know what I'm talking about: the couple who quotes Shakespeare, sees every production in town, goes to cold readings during their lunch break and even volunteers to usher a show once in a while. They're splendidly thespian and they relish every moment near the curtain. Barksdale season passes (call their box office at (804) 282-2620) or tickets to Richmond's Mystery Dinner Playhouse (call (804) 649-2583 for more information) make a wonderful gift. But if you know that they particularly like reading plays, buy them a set of new scripts online. If you can afford it, tickets to a Broadway show will thrill them!

 

For the literary couple  

This couple reads, reads, reads! And when their noses aren't buried in books, they're discussing books, attending an author's signing or snapping along at a poetry reading. Barnes and Noble gift card or a set of leather-bound literary classics they don't already own are both fantastic choices for the literati in your life. Books from the local Richmond writing scene, such as those printed by Brandy Lane Publishers (call (804) 644-3090 for more information) will likely interest them, as well.

 

For the film-loving couple  

This couple regularly watches "films" (they probably don't refer to them as "movies" and they only watch foreign, classic or independent flicks) and they talk about them at every opportunity. They constantly criticize actors and acting, scripts, plots, special effects, musical scores and any number of other "film" elements. You might buy this couple: a set of DVDs, movie -- I mean, "cinema" tickets, passes to a Virginia film festival (call the Virginia Film Office at (804) 545-5530 for more information), or books about films.

 

For the generic couple  

Many of our friends, family, neighbors and colleagues fit into this category: the plain, average folks, the ones who don't have any particularly strong passions or interests but just sort of like a little bit of everything. They're often the hardest to please yet equally hard to displease. Try treating them to dinner at a nice restaurant like Carytown's Can Can Brasserie (call (804) 358-7274 for more information) or offering to pay for a baby-sitter if they have children. This couple might also appreciate a trip to the spa or a gift card to a large department store such as Dillard's, Target or Macy's. If you're looking for something especially cute (for that lovebird couple worthy of an elongated "awww"), gift sets designed for two, like a holiday-themed hot chocolate set, are always adorable.