Every year, I torture myself trying to figure out what to get my husband for his birthday. It’s so hard for me because I want it to be just the perfect thing so he will love it, but we share very few interests, and I don’t know squat about golf or brewing beer. One year I got him his first nice, grown-man looking watch. He still wears it, so I think I did OK. Several years I have had to default to the old stand-by of a new cologne. He wears it, but I always feel bad for not doing a better job.

This year, I started planning a month ago, and I think I finally got one right. The thing is, to pull off the gift, I had to get the whole garage organized. As we got closer and closer to today, I didn’t think I was going to be able to manage it. Here is a quick (or not) overview of the last week:

Saturday: The kids and I spent all day driving around to thrift stores, flea markets, and pawn shops looking for just the right, manly pieces. After four hours, and a few good finds, we called it a day.

Sunday and Monday: PJ was off from work, so we just enjoyed our time with him.

Tuesday: I worked in the morning, and spent the afternoon and evening working on the garage.

Wednesday: I worked in the morning, then spent an hour on Amazon. I got frustrated with not being able to find what I was looking for, so took a new approach and checked out Craigslist. I found just what I was looking for there, and at a great price, so I went and picked it up and took it home. I talked PJ into looking at shelving for the garage with me that night, and we ordered some. I said a silent prayer that they would get here in time for me to get the garage all set up before Saturday.

Thursday: With the great Craigslist find, I refined my Amazon search and was able to find the two main pieces to go with it. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I was able to order them and have them overnighted (very inexpensively) so I would have them on Friday. Then I stalked the Sam’s Club website hoping to find out when my shelves would be delivered. I also worked on the garage some more. I was able to sell the Bowflex, which made so much more room in the garage!

Friday: PJ received an e-mail saying the shelves had shipped, and it had a tracking number. However, there was no carrier listed so I could track them, so I started my day with a very pleasant call to Sam’s Club customer service. Their representative couldn’t tell me either, so she told me she would get it researched and have someone get back to me. About an hour later, the delivery company called to see if they could deliver the units that afternoon! One of the Amazon finds was delivered early in the afternoon (I put it up right away because I was so excited!), and the other shortly thereafter. Finally, the shelves arrived, and I got to work getting them put together. Then I had to go back and put everything onto shelves to get it out of the middle of the garage where I had put it so I could put in the shelves. I stopped to eat dinner when I realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day because I was too caught up in getting things done. The last task for the moment was moving the freezer over about two feet, but I found out the hard way that I wasn’t strong enough to do it. Luckily, my unsuspecting neighbor came outside, and I was able to con him into helping me. *insert 3 hour wait for PJ to come home and then fall asleep* Jess and I pulled the Craigslist stuff out of the Suburban (which had been mostly unusable since Wednesday with only room for 3 people to sit), got it situated in the garage, and made a run for a few last minute decorations, and food from Taco Bell. With the final touches in place, we could finally go to bed.

Today: Just my luck, I worked for a week to set up a birthday surprise in the garage so PJ would see it when he left for work, and it was raining, so he couldn’t ride his motorcycle. He looked at me all awkward-like when I requested that he leave through the garage anyway. SURPRISE!!

If you made it this far, you are probably wondering what the gift actually is. Don’t worry, I took some pictures for you!

The table and chairs were my thrifty Craigslist find. I found the poker tabletop on Amazon. The new poker chips and cards in a case came from the Montana Rescue Mission store. The bucket of peanuts is courtesy of the Texas Roadhouse, and the huge beer mug was a gift from PJ’s employees.

It’s funny, because Thursday night, PJ mentioned how he needed a bottle opener to go on his kegerator. He didn’t know I had already ordered this one.

I found these metal beer signs last weekend at a pawn shop. They weren’t for sale. Luckily, I know that even when something isn’t for sale in a pawn shop, it’s for sale. 

I hope that these additions give PJ a reason to have guys over, and a place for him to feel like he has a space of his own. I pray that he knows how loved he is. I feel like this year’s gift is a win.

*I have no affiliation with Amazon, Craigslist, Sam’s Club, or Montana Rescue Mission. These are just where I was able to find what I was looking for. I’m also not a spokesperson for Amazon Prime, but I think the service rocks! I get nothing from any of these places, except for what I pay for.

**My husband and I are both employed by Texas Roadhouse, but they pay us whether this influences you to eat there or not. I’m not getting anything extra for mentioning them on this blog.