This is a tricky category: What to buy your significant other for the holidays. Yes, you know your lovely's nuances and his or her favorite shows and books. You may know what kind of jeans and shoes he prefers, or that she's had her eye on an electronics upgrade. Yes, you could easily gift him with predictable items. But what about wowing them with something they didn't even know they wanted? What follows are my suggestions to wow your honey.

Adventures

A local winter cruise. The South Sound is truly a unique and beautiful place. Explore the water in the winter, see Christmas lights from a new view and enjoy the romanticism of staying close for warmth. My Girl, a charter boat that picks up and drops off at ports around the sound, is beautiful with its teak and mahogany woods, wrap-around bar and dance floor. Go in on the deal with friends, or make it one-on-one. Dinner can be included. 1125 Dock St Gate 8, Tacoma, mygirltheboat.com

Amtrak Snow Train. Every Saturday in December passengers can board in Seattle for a catered trip to the ultimate Christmas town of Leavenworth. Breakfast, dinner, strolling musicians and yes, Santa will be part of the trip, along with five hours to explore Leavenworth and witness the lighting of the town's Christmas tree. Amtrack.com, look under deals, then regional packages.

Snow tubing or snowshoeing at Snoqualmie Pass. Just an hour's drive north, Snoqualmie can be tons of fun. Tickets for the tubing hill are available in two-hour blocks and give thrill seekers quite the treat. Cost is $16-$21 per session and includes tube. There is an onsite restaurant to warm up and get something to eat. Night sessions are also available. Nordic tracks and snowshoeing for beginners are offered in the breathtaking beauty of Snoqualmie Pass. Warm up yurts are strategically placed along trails so you can rest up and warm up. Military discounts available. Summitatsnoqualmie.com

Sweet and simple

Flowers for a year. This says "I love you" every single month - and may even get you out of trouble or turn an ordinary evening romantic (wink, wink). Most floral shops will do standing-order deliveries, including Artistry In Flowers in Olympia (300 Cleveland Ave.). Cost will run around $350 for the year. A single delivery, which can still pack a good punch, will cost around $35. How cool would it be to cheer up the office or home with color, creativity and class?

Photographs. Come up with a thoughtful arrangement, frame existing photographs or book a couples photography session. Celebrate memories for many holidays to come with personalized pictures. There are tons of local photographers throughout the South Sound (after all, toot-toot, we are a haven for creativity), but a few that come to mind are OlyKaz.com and zenfolio.com. Or, for something a little more saucy, pin-up photos are a popular choice to make your honey buns feel sexy and special, and we all know where that leads. Dineadephoto.com specializes in pin-ups.

Booze and cigars. This might fit the "obvious" category of what your sweetie wants, but check with Lacey's Cigar Daddies (4511 Lacey Blvd.) or Brown and Sons (6502 Martin Way) for premium selection and awesome advice. Pair it with a nice smoky liquor like Laphroaig single-malt scotch or the surprisingly savory Chamucos tequila. T-Brother's Liquor Lodge in downtown Olympia (417 Plum St.) will have all your spirited needs. Cheers!