Need some help from the ladies....

[TandT]

Hey girls.... I need some help!!

I'm surprising my wife for her birthday with a trip to CTI - she knows nothing about it and I'm not going to tell her until we get to the airport...

We'll be there from June 4th through June 9th - so if you see us make sure you say Happy Birthday!! lol...

I've made all the arrangements already..... Limo service to the airport, babysitter for the kids, I called her work and was able to request the time off, and I made sure the rest of the family knows where we will be...so I think I got all my bases covered - now I just have to pack for her....

We're leaving Monday morning and I know she's going to want to take all her makeup and stuff and I have no idea about all that stuff..... so what I was thinking of doing was telling her on Sunday that we were going to go stay in Miami for a night at a hotel on the beach (we live in West Palm) this way she will pack a small overnight bag - with at least 1 bathing suit, 1 nice dress/shoes, and her makeup/toiletries - this way when we get to the airport I can just take whatever she packed and just throw it in the suitcase with the rest of the stuff that I packed for her...

So I will be packing the suitcase (for BOTH of us) and could really use some help on what to bring for her...

As far as dining goes we will be eaiting at the beach buffet on monday (casual), Tuesday @ Verandah, Wednesday @ Bayside, Thursday we will be having dinner on the island, and Friday @ Eight Rivers...... So Sun Dresses for Mon - Thurs should be ok right? and then 1 nice dress on Friday...

Here's what I have so far - let me know if you think I should bring anything else or leave any of it home lol.... Keep in mind we have 6 'days' but Monday we should get to the resort by 6 and she'll already be dressed, and Saturday we're leaving at 10ish (am) so I really only need to worry about Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

She will already have packed:
Make-Up / Toiletries
1 Bathing Suit
1 Cover-Up
1 Dressy Dress
1 Pair of Dressy Shoes

So I was thinking of Packing:
3 or 4 bathing Suits
2 Cover-Ups
4 Sun Dresses
1 Pair Jeans (Horseback Riding)
1 Pair Shorts (Dunn's River)
2 Tank Tops (see above)
1 Pair Water shoes (Dunn's / Horseback)
3 Pairs Sandals (Wedges & flip flop types)

Suggestions??? Comments???? Concerns??? lol.. anything I'm forgetting??

Thanks!!!
Tony D

[Crabracer]

Sorry I don't have any packing tips for you. But I wanted to tell you what a neat surprise your giving your wife. Nice job.

Here's something else you may want to do. After you arrive, you can make arrangements for a special romantic dinner on the beach, or even the island. They can also make a birthday cake for her, just tell them what you want on it.

Wish her a Happy Birthday for me.

Richie

[redinthehead]

Very romantic!!!! One lucky lady

My first thought was a razor and feminine hygiene products. hair care products, she may not pack enough for a week when packing for over night. Dont forget undergarments, some dresses need specail bras. Good luck, but I m sure even if you don't get the packing perfect she is going to love how much effort you put into this birthday.

[elizadan]

Wow! What a nice thing to do for your wife. Can you talk to my husband, he makes me do all the planning? Ok, just kidding, but that is really sweet of you.

Don't forget undergarments, maybe a strapless bra in case she needs one for under her dresses, some dresses don't have them built in. Also, maybe a pretty nightgown that you like her to wear. I would also make sure to pack an extra bottle of sunscreen and maybe a bottle of bug spray for your legs at night if you like to walk on the beach.

Hope you have a great time!

[novastar]

OK, I'm not a lady BUT I feel I need to advise you on something. Telling her that you're taking her to Miami for a night is a mistake. She will pack for a night, not a week. And no matter what you pack for her, you will not pack the right things.
My suggestion is tell her the night before you're taking her away for a week, not where, but only what it has... IE: beach, tropics, fancy dining, etc.
Once you are at the airport, she will know you're going to Jamaica and if there's anything she didn't pack, she might panic...lol.
Maybe take her out for a romantic dinner the night before, give her a picture of the beach you'll be at, let her know that you have taken care of all the details like time off work, kids, etc. Let her seeing the sign on the airport gate be the second surprise, and when you land at your couples resort that will be your ultimate surprise!!!
This is something special you want to do for her, so let it be special and not stressful for her. You can prepare her for a week away without letting her know where you're going. Save that for her to experience. You obviously love her and she will appreciate some "heads up".

[miwing]

I could only wish I was married to you!!! Sounds like you have it covered! If you are checking a bag, don't forget sunscreen. And depending on if you are going to the island, you may have overpacked with the swimsuits. LOL!

[footballfans]

I would shoot my husband.

It will be just as much of a surprise if you tell her the night before you go so she can check out your packing skills and tell her kids goodbye--more than just the usual a.m. kiss out the door.

Maybe your wife is different--I'm totally Type A, OCD tendencies...I would probably throw up!

[softail19]

That's a pretty good list but I just have to say what a lucky lady!

[Maxernie]

What a SWEET thing to do for your wife ..... She's one VERY LUCKY lady !!!!! That being said ...... I would hate to see what I would end up with if my husband packed for me ...... I won't even let him pack for himself when he goes on a business trip because he always forgets 1/2 his stuff ..... Like underwear ........... & from your list of what you're taking for your wife ...... You did too because you didn't mention bras & panties ....... LOL ....... Of course that might have been on purpose. GOOD LUCK with the surprise & hope you both have a WONDERFUL time. Please post when you get back & let us know how it goes.

[klstrike]

Undies!!!!!!!

[Nanmac1]

What an awesome hubby....fantastic planning and kudos to you! Your list looks pretty good for packing for her, I know it would work for me. The only the thing is she may want some bras/panties for the times she is not wearing her bathing suit Just a thought. But I am very impressed that you realized she needs more than one pair of shoes!!!!!

[sndtrevino]

You are brave packing for your lady!!!! Good luck with that

[5moremins]

I hope you remeber plenty of undergarments, pajamas, sunscreen, sunglasses, and her passport.
Have a fun trip.

[Sporzi]

You are a brave, brave man. I shudder to think what my husband would pack for me. But, if I think about it, if he suprised me with a birthday trip to Couples I wouldn't care what he packed. Good luck. You have a lucky wife. And your list looks OK to me.

[TandT]

Figured Bras were a given lol...

Panties... eh... she can do without

Keep em coming ladies... Need all the help I can get!

Tony D

[dragonfeathr]

Hey girls.... I need some help!!

I'm surprising my wife for her birthday with a trip to CTI - she knows nothing about it and I'm not going to tell her until we get to the airport...

We'll be there from June 4th through June 9th - so if you see us make sure you say Happy Birthday!! lol...

I've made all the arrangements already..... Limo service to the airport, babysitter for the kids, I called her work and was able to request the time off, and I made sure the rest of the family knows where we will be...so I think I got all my bases covered - now I just have to pack for her....

We're leaving Monday morning and I know she's going to want to take all her makeup and stuff and I have no idea about all that stuff..... so what I was thinking of doing was telling her on Sunday that we were going to go stay in Miami for a night at a hotel on the beach (we live in West Palm) this way she will pack a small overnight bag - with at least 1 bathing suit, 1 nice dress/shoes, and her makeup/toiletries - this way when we get to the airport I can just take whatever she packed and just throw it in the suitcase with the rest of the stuff that I packed for her...

So I will be packing the suitcase (for BOTH of us) and could really use some help on what to bring for her...

As far as dining goes we will be eaiting at the beach buffet on monday (casual), Tuesday @ Verandah, Wednesday @ Bayside, Thursday we will be having dinner on the island, and Friday @ Eight Rivers...... So Sun Dresses for Mon - Thurs should be ok right? and then 1 nice dress on Friday...

Here's what I have so far - let me know if you think I should bring anything else or leave any of it home lol.... Keep in mind we have 6 'days' but Monday we should get to the resort by 6 and she'll already be dressed, and Saturday we're leaving at 10ish (am) so I really only need to worry about Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

She will already have packed:
Make-Up / Toiletries
1 Bathing Suit
1 Cover-Up
1 Dressy Dress
1 Pair of Dressy Shoes

So I was thinking of Packing:
3 or 4 bathing Suits
2 Cover-Ups
4 Sun Dresses
1 Pair Jeans (Horseback Riding)
1 Pair Shorts (Dunn's River)
2 Tank Tops (see above)
1 Pair Water shoes (Dunn's / Horseback)
3 Pairs Sandals (Wedges & flip flop types)

Suggestions??? Comments???? Concerns??? lol.. anything I'm forgetting??

Thanks!!!
Tony D

I have honeymooned at CTI and CSA and day tripped CSS. We did the Falls, horseback riding, Trading spaces, and catamaran cruise on both sides of the island. Here is what you will need for just her for 6 days.

6 days equals
3 cover ups,
3 bathing suits,
2 hats,
1 pair watersocks,
1 pair of old jeans ( this way you can throw them out and replace them with
bottles of rum cream in your suitcase).
1 full bottle fantastic lotion ( their's is okay I prefer my own)
3 sun dresses,
2 very nice dresses
2 pair flip flops ( I usually go with one black and one white)
1 pair aqua socks,
1 pair very nice dress shoes
birth control, and backup birth control

For both of you:
1 bottle downywrinkle release
insulated mug s( the bartenders there will give your drinks to you in a plastic glass you just need to dump your drink into your mug so it stays cold).
1 medicine bag :band-aids, antibacterial cream, pain killers ( think toothache in Jamaica not fun) ibuprofen, tylenol, pepto, anti diharreha stuff
bring one more bottle than you will think you need of sunscreen
1 small bottle bug spray used at night around legs ( sand fleas and walks on the beach at night)
a couple of scented candles for your room that you can get at home ( every time I light them here it reminds me of Jamaica)

Other comments are that you skip Verandah and go two nights to 8 Rivers, make your reservations for everything as soon as you arrive, if your unhappy with your view ask them to move you, go Trade Spaces at CSS down the road from 10-4pm ( bring your beach bag and such with you), do snorkle in the mornings visability is better, drink a hummingbird, go to the martini's on the roof when they have it, take a walk on the beach at night, and if you can afford it grab a KODAK digital easy shot sport camera that is waterproof( runs about 60 bucks at walmart) if your going to take pictures of you two snorkling. Low priced and works great just make sure back door is tight after putting in batteries

[jbrooks2010]

Awe...how sweet!!! I'm soo jealous of your wife right now...I think my husband needs some pointers from you!!

It sounds like you have everything covered! I'm sure she is going to love it! Enjoy and have a great time!!

[randymon]

Hi TandT,
I must agree with some of the ladies who expressed concerns about your ability to pack all the right things for your wife.

How about this? I, as the Chief Romance Officer, will call your wife at a designated time and let her know of your surprise. Let me know and I will contact you offline.

[TandT]

Here's something else you may want to do. After you arrive, you can make arrangements for a special romantic dinner on the beach, or even the island. They can also make a birthday cake for her, just tell them what you want on it.

Already booked the Private Island Dinner for us... Thanks for the tip about the cake though!! and I will wish her a happy birthday for you

[tanfastic]

I agree with Randymon, that would be a killer surprise to get a call from the Chief Romance Officer with the surprise, and if you could pair it with a nice dinner out that would be even better! I did this once and forget some "necessities" so the trip ended up costing me so much more with the shopping excursion that occurred once we landed. LOL Now I plan the trips and let her know the day before and she likes this so much more. Have fun, happy Birthday to your wife and I hope you enjoy the "fruits of your hard work"!

[TandT]

Hi TandT,
I must agree with some of the ladies who expressed concerns about your ability to pack all the right things for your wife.

How about this? I, as the Chief Romance Officer, will call your wife at a designated time and let her know of your surprise. Let me know and I will contact you offline.

Randy I appreciate this but I'm fairly confident I got all my bases covered... I really want to have this be a complete surprise so no phone call is necessary but I appreciate the offer

Thank you ladies for all your kind words but don't let this one gesture fool you - I'm usually like the rest of the men out there and I let my wife do/plan everything and I just come along for the ride... however a couple years ago she threw me a big surprise birthday party and flew in my best friends from all around the states so I figured this year I was going to do something to top that!!

She's expressed numerous times lately that she would really like for me to try and plan things (even just a night out lol), we'll considering this year has been a rough one so far and between work stress, kid stress, life stress lol etc we really needed this, so I figured I could kill 20 birds with one stone
amazing surprise birthday present - Check!
she wants me to plan stuff - check!
she said she always wanted to go to Jamaica - check!
she always wanted to horseback ride on the beach - check!
and she's been dying for a picnic - check? (hopefully the private island dinner will take care of this one!)

Hopefully she'll be completely blown away that if I do 'forget' to pack something specific she wont notice...

with that said I've scoured these boards regarding what/how much to pack and hopefully I'll be ok - I've asked my sister to come over and take a look at what I'm going to pack just as a final "ok" from a woman's perspective...

Bras are a given... her 'girls' are way too big to go without lol.... panties on the other-hand are 'optional' I may just "forget" to pack them on purpose lol...

My wife's a "sun goddess" - she LOVES the beach so aside from Dunns and Hooves she'll be in a Bathing Suit/Cover Up 90% of the time anyway (Unless I can convince her to take a trip to the island )

I know some of you ladies mentioned some "feminine stuff" - She's going for a mani/pedi/wax the day before so she'll be all set - no razor needed and Aunt Flo came 2 weeks ago so the wife is A OK for next week...and as far as nightgowns go - she won't be needing those heehee


Can't wait!! T-minus 72 hours... Can't wait to see the look on her face!!

[Vickyj]

I would love the surprise of going somewhere tropical and I know that after 6 trips, my hubby would know what to pack. Go with Randy and have him call your wife to let her know. He will even read a letter. I would like to know at least tropical and beach at least a week before so I could shop accordingly. Knowing that you have taken care of the kids and job will help tremendously.

[wileeandrr]

lol @ the bc....you are one great hubby! i wish mine would surprise me...great work
go randymon...wooo!
yes, let your lady pack...have fun!
i wish it were me...hopefully cn on 8/6 our 18th anniv

[cawags]

If you tell her at the last minute who is to say there will be clean clothes. My husband knows we are going away in January but he has no idea where. He will find out when we get off the plane and on the shuttle to CTI. LOL. I would go with randymon's suggestion at least a day or 2 before you are leaving. Time to do laundry, shop, whatever last minute things need to be done. It's a great idea. Wish David would do that for me.

[redsgj]

This is rather long winded but....

While I absolutely LOVE this idea (wish my hubby would do this for me!!) I think there may be a few logistical things you haven't considered.

I'm not exactly sure from your post as to your schedule for Monday but I am assuming you are flying from Miami presumably early afternoon since you said you would get there around 6.

So were you planning on your wife going to work in the morning and then picking her up in the limo? If so, I don't know what she wears to work but personally I wouldn't want to go on vacation wearing "work clothes".

If you are leaving before she would normally go to work, were you going to tell her as the limo arrives? Will it stress her out having no time to prepare to leave the house?

As footballfans mentioned, she will probably want to say a "proper" goodbye to the kids. Will they be around when you leave the house?

Also, there might be plans for next week with regards to the kids, etc (appointments, school functions, projects, etc) which you may not be aware of that she will want to have a chance to arrange for someone else to deal with before going.

Anyway, my point of all this is that I would tell her sometime Sunday morning. This gives her some time to prepare but still is a HUGE surprise. For me, finding out that I am leaving in 24 hours and everything (or you think everything ) is arranged for would be FABULOUS!!

I think Randymon's suggestion of him telling her is a great idea. Or perhaps go out in the morning and buy her some flowers and tell her on the card. Maybe make her breakfast in bed and you and the kids can tell her! I think making the "telling her" something special and then her having a bit of time to prepare can only add to the whole trip.