I mentioned briefly the other day that for Andy’s 30th birthday, I sent him on a scavenger hunt that culminated with a surprise party.
Since that time, I have gotten no less than a million emails asking me to elaborate on how I pulled it off, and just what the day entailed, so I thought I would share it with you now.
You know, so that Andy can see all the work I put into it, thus forcing him to one-up me on the epic event scale for my birthday.
This is how marriage works.
So, first, keep his expectations low. This can take years to solidify, but if you constantly underwhelm at every birthday and holiday, when you finally do step up to the plate, it will blow his mind.
Second, I had to figure out what a perfect day for Andy would consist of. Golf, remote control airplanes, nerdy stuff, sex…but, this was his birthday, not Hanukkah or the opening day of Nascar, so let’s be realistic.
I bought some small blank note cards, and on each card, I put the street address of where I wanted him to go, and a few corny clues.
I had Andy’s brother come in from Detroit, and armed him with the first clue and a GPS.
Jason waited for Andy in the parking lot of his work, surprising him when he walked out, handing him the first clue…
Blah, Blah Address
Time sure flies when you’re turning 30.
That clue took him to the mega RC Car & Airplane Show that was (thankfully) in town for the weekend that he normally drags me to every year, where I spend 3 hours following behind him in a giant expo center full of men that smell like armpit and their mother’s basements while I look for a rafter strong enough to hang myself from.
I had their tickets waiting at the will call window, and when they picked them up, the ticket lady also handed Andy the next clue to open when he was finished at the show…
Blah, Blah Address
Slow down and enjoy the drive.
Off to the indoor driving range they went, where I had pre-purchased buckets of balls for them, as well as snacks (red bull, candy, chips, other random boy things). I had already stocked Andy’s brother’s trunk with their golf clubs, and when they went to the counter, the woman at the desk also gave Andy his 3rd clue to open when he was finished…
Blah, Blah Address
It’s present time, no peeking!
Here’s where the hard work came in. The 3rd clue would take him to Best Buy where, the day before, I had gone ahead and purchased him a new Droid. I had the kids with me, and a paper sign that read “Happy Birthday Daddy.” The kids held the sign as I took a picture of them with his new phone, and then set it as his background. Best Buy then re-boxed the phone, and let me wrap it up all pretty. They kept it for him at the service desk, and I gave Jason the receipt so they could pick it up without issue. The final card attached to the gift read…
Now hurry home and get ready for a romantic dinner for two!
Andy came home thinking we were going to have a date night, but what he didn’t know was that I had arraigned for his brother and all his friends to meet us at his favorite Indian restaurant at 7pm, we would arrive at 7:10pm.
Sidenote: This Indian restaurant was BYOB. Which, in my opinion, is the most genius idea ever. The meal is cheaper without the overhead of a liquor license, and you can bring in exactly what you want to drink. Which I did. A lot.
When we walked in the candlelit restaurant… he didn’t notice anything. I was all, Oh hey let’s find a seat it’s so busy here, but he didn’t even hear me because he was too distracted by the fact that they had candy at the entrance, so I was like AHEM, ANDY, it’s super busy, maybe you could find a seat for us, since that’s the man’s responsibility.
It took him about 3 minutes to process the giant table waiting for him in the back full of everyone who loved him.
He was completely shocked, I earned a million wife points, and I am pretty sure I won’t have to rub his feet, crack his toes, or give a blow job for at least a year.
What I learned? Businesses, even nation wide corporations, were really excited to get involved. I was nervous about asking them to participate, but they couldn’t have been more accommodating and psyched to help pull it off.
But, just to ensure your day goes off without a hitch, make sure you have the receipts on you at all times for each of the pre-purchased stops, just in case.
This is great!!
Brilliant! I have sucked at birthdays for years and can totally blow his mind next year with something like this. And hey if it’s good enough to get a girl out of BJ’s for awhile then I am in!
Happy Birthday Andy!
Exactly. Almost ANYTHING is worth that!
25 million wife points to you!
I am going to have to start planning now… It sounds like so much fun!
I love all the extra details and touches like the phone wallpaper and that the employees giving him clues… *starts making lists*
Yes, I am not sure if he even noticed the small stuff….guys are ditzy about that kind of thing.
(Although, Andy if you are reading this, you better have noticed everything, because it took me FOREVER.)
And I thought I was clever for making my husband go on a scavenger hut to get his christmas present. He was sort of pissed he had to go into the back yard, I don’t know how he’d take all over town.
Awesome plan!
Yeah my mom was like, OH WE CAN HIDE STUFF AROUND YOUR YARD! And, I was like…no, mom. Not THAT kind of scavenger hunt. He would have kicked my ass.
You win at wifeing.
Wow, great job! I love how you set the Droid background as a picture of the kids. So I am curious, what is the name of this restaurant? My in-laws live in Toledo and I would love to check it out when we visit them.
The Jewel. It’s AMAZING. The food takes a bit, but it’s because they make every part of it from scratch. It’s worth it.
Thanks!
Also forgot to share that when my husband turned 30 in January, I planned a surprise birthday dinner with all of our friends too. I was so proud of myself because I am terrible at keeping secrets. Then the night before I got super sick with food poisoning (which he witnessed, ugh) and realized I would not be able to attend. So I ended up telling him everything and he went to the restaurant by himself and pretended to be surprised. I turn 30 in October, so I am enjoying teasing the old man until then :)
That? Is impressive. And sooo much work. I am amazed by you!
But according to my husband, nothing gets you out of blow jobs for a whole year.
NOTHING.
Ok there has to be SOMETHING!?
What a great surprise for Andy! I hate my husband today so I would never go through such elaborateness for his birthday, but Andy totally deserves it for being a wonderful husband!
He’s lucky, because I totally hated his guts not 3 days before I pulled this whole thing off!
I like you…like, alot!:)
I did a surprise dinner party for my man’s 30th birthday and he was totally blown away! At the time, we only had a 2 yo son…who joined us. Now we have a 6 yr old daughter and our son is 11!:) His 40th birthday is this December and I’m totally stealing your idea of the scavenger hunt! However, his favorite part of his birthday is the BJ…so I’m afraid I’m not getting out of that! Plus, I heard this one lady gave her husband a “something intimate EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR” card for his birthday and he’s been hinting that that’s what he’d really like…so I may do that too…or I may pace myself and save that for his 50th when the kids will be out of the house more and we won’t have to hide in a closet!?:/
you’d better stock up on chapstick!
EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR?
Ohhh sweetie. I think you may be looking at sainthood.
Absolutely BRILLIANT and I am going to be stealing this from you for my husband’s next BIG birthday. You totally rocked it!!!
Seriously, I’m tearing up with how SWEET and fantastically thoughtful this was! I love it! I actually just blew my wad on the concert tickets i’m buying for my husband’s birthday (on June 20…) or I could have done something like this. I have at least 3 years of underwhelming him after this year before I can rock another birthday out. I’ve taken and properly hidden notes for June 2014.
What concert?
Godsmack with Megadeath, etc. in Indy
I totally fucked up with my husband’s birthday this year so I’m already trying to think of some way to make it up to him. Something like this might be good, although I don’t know if business owners in Belgium are as keen on participating in things like this. It may have to wait till we move to the US.
Yes, I can’t guarantee international participation on this…. unless we have a treaty with them? I will google it.
I wish I had thought of this for my husband’s 40th. Instead we had a BBQ at our house. Maybe I should send this to him so he can start planning for my 40th this year.
Yeah right. Like he’ll do that.
Send it to him!
And the BBQ is an awesome idea, I wish it was warm here during our birthday season so I could do something like that.
My husband turns 40 next year, and I think this would most definitely fall into the *something special* category!
I love this idea, thank you for sharing!
Holy crap! You win for sure! Unlucky for me, my birthday falls before the wife’s. Lucky for me, I’m way better at this stuff than she is! hahahaha.
You’re an awesome wife!!! He better pump it up for your birthday, or I don’t think he’d ever live it down :)
I wan’t to be your husband when I grow up. I mean.. your wife. I mean.. I want to be you *as* a wife.
Shit. Never mind.
You are awesome and I’m taking notes. The end.
The forum is a brithger place thanks to your posts. Thanks!
nice job, wifey :-) my husband deserves a birthday like this… but, ahem… maybe next year.
Awesome job. You are sheer creative genius.
Also? Buttering you up because brother is supa-cute *and* I’m also in the Detroit area.
Rawr.
overwhelmed.
You’re just too cool for words.
Thanks for the details!
I totally have the “underwhelm” part down. His birthday is less than a month after Christmas, so by the time I start thinking about his birthday, it’s always too late to plan something awesome. This I can plan way ahead of time and then just wait to execute it. Thinking I’d better start planning *now* lol.
YOU BRITTANY… ARE FRIGGIN AWESOME!!!
That is so awesome! You are so creative. We did a surprise part once for my parents’ 25th anniversary. The hubs and I took my parents to dinner and my brother and SiL set everything up at my parents’ house. They were so shocked. We tried a couple more surprise parties after that but nothing was as cool as that first one. So maybe in 6 years when my hubs turns 40 I may try it again. I love the way you did it.
THAT is fucking awesome.
Husbands get BJ’s?
Ooops.
Q: Why is the bride smiling so big at her wedding?
A: She knows she has given her last Blow Job…
http://www.alotoflayers.blogspot.com
That is so amazing sweet of you!
He’ll probably still take the blow job over any of this though. Just sayin’. :)
What a great 30th birthday you gave Andy!!! My husband turns 30 in December and I’ve already started trying to plan a great surprise for him. Until last Sunday when I found out I’ll instead be giving him a third baby about a week before. I think I’m covered. I’ll probably have to spring for the B.J., though.
shhh. i hope my husband never sees this post. niceone girl!