Let me give you a word of warning. Once you are married, it just gets harder and harder to buy gifts for the one you love. It seems that the better you know someone, the more difficult it is to find something that is worthy of their attention. I have been married almost 15 years, and I literally cringe every time a birthday or anniversary comes up, because I have no idea what to do. I'm like a rabbit caught in headlights, and I find myself standing in the middle of shopping malls in a daze, just stunned.

So, I've come to a decision, and I thought I would share it here in the hope that others who are looking for gift ideas may get some help from this. I am going to start following the tried and true tradition of anniversary gift giving. For hundreds of years, people have been following a pattern when it comes to the giving of anniversary gifts. I always thought it was just some sentimental mumbo jumbo, but now I'm starting to realise that it was probably invented by people who are having the same sort of problems that I am facing.

By saying that year one is the year that you give the gift of paper; you are really focusing your efforts when it comes to finding a gift. You no longer are picking up coffee mugs one second, and rings the next, like a manic shopper, you can now stop and think "What can I get that is made of paper?". Likewise for every other year; when year ten rolls around, you know that it's time to find an aluminium or tin gift, and you will find it much easier to pick something. Most of the time, your partner will really appreciate that you have started a tradition that will continue throughout the years.