One of the best valentines gifts you can do for your wife is not flowers, chocolates, or even a day at the spa…It’s complete your “Honey To Do List!” As a husband, we all have a list of projects that we know that our wife wants us to do around the house. There are valid reasons why we put these projects off for such a long time. But it’s time to step it up and use this weekend as a time to get this list done. Here’s my twist if you have a painting project.

Painting freshens up a room and gives life to an area that might have become stale and boring. Even if all you do is an accent wall, it still gives some energy to space. Most painting projects from start to finish only take about a few hours, maybe 6 hours at max. If you are strategic enough in your preparation, you can easily get this done while she is out running some errands or having an outing with one of girl friends.

Your first step is to get her out of the house for a long time. I guarantee one of your wife’s friends will love to be a part of a surprise plan to get her out of the house for an extended priority time. If this falls through, send her on a shopping trip to the mall, grocery store and maybe a few other places, so you have enough time to complete this project.

Your second step is before you wife has left try to get everything ready to paint. This would entail collecting all your supplies, tools, paint, and drop clothes. Try to stash them in an area where she won’t find them. Also prepare the room you are planning to paint by taking off the electrical outlet covers, moving some of the furniture away from the walls, taking down some of the wall fixtures, inspeciously patching any wall holes and emptying the room of small miscellaneous items. If she gets suspicious, tell her you are working on some electrical stuff (hopefully this will differ any other questions).

Then as soon as she is gone, you are ready to get to work. Move and cover all furniture, lay drop clothes, and empty all the walls. Start taping off all your trim, making sure your tape edges is firmly pushed down with a putty knife. Fix and sand all your pre-patched wall holes. Then you are set to start cutting-in and rolling your first coat of paint.

After your first coat, I recommend checking in with her or her friend to find out her location and ETA. If she is getting close to coming home, throw her a curveball by asking if she can go back to the store she just came from to pick up “one more thing” (an item for dinner, or some new undershirts for yourself). If she somehow makes it home without you knowing and finds you painting, she probably will still be excited, but it’s more fun to surprise her.

If you can keep her away, finish your second coat (which always goes faster than your first) and start cleaning up. If you know she’s on your way home, try to stash your painting supplies somewhere and you can clean up later. If there is time, try to put the room back the way it was.

To make this project extra special, you can decoratively place a huge bow on the door or in the walkway into the room. This way it gives her the same feeling of opening a present. (Candles, Flowers and Chocolates are also encouraged at this time.)

It’s not the traditional Valentines gift everyone gives, but it’ll be appreciated, and it always makes for a great story!

Article originally published at Source by Matt Roefer