St. Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Full disclosure, I am not a fan of Valentine’s Day for several reasons and yes, my wife shares my viewpoint. We both decided long ago, sometime around 1988, (we’ve been married for 33 years) that we would not allow someone else, namely, corporate executives, to dictate when and under what circumstances we would give one another gifts.

We have always given gifts whenever the mood struck us, and the mood still strikes us quite often. However, I fully understand that some people enjoy the day and use it as a reminder to show someone you care for them by giving them flowers or chocolate or jewelry. Well, in the suggestions that follow, you will see none of the previous three examples. You will see unique gift ideas that have the potential to melt hearts…

• Make your gift, rather than purchase it on February 13^th. And by “make,” I don’t mean a coat rack or scarf, unless, of course the recipient is into those kinds of things. Make something from the heart, something that conveys how much the recipient means to you. For example, you might write a poem or a sonnet in the spirit of Shakespeare. You might try writing a haiku (a patterned Japanese poem) for your love. Other ideas include songs, or a short story of your time together. You might not be an artist, but paint or draw by numbers can solve that problem. Find a subject matter (famous place you’ve been to together) and I’m sure there’s a paint or draw by numbers you can purchase and complete by February 14^th. Here’s a personal example, my wife wanted to walk on her treadmill and work on her laptop simultaneously. I solved this problem by making her a removable “desktop” for her treadmill. You would have thought I bought her the Hope Diamond by her reaction.
• Schedule time together by doing something you both enjoy. Here’s a quick list of ideas that fall under this category: concert, dinner, weekend getaway, sporting event, dance or cooking lessons, yoga (hot or otherwise), a spa day, binge watching your favorite streaming series, etc. Try to find something you both enjoyed at one time in your collective pasts but haven’t done for a while, for one reason or another.
• Solve mysterious crimes together with a “Dear Holmes” membership. As an aside, I am in no way affiliated with “Dear Holmes.” This service sends several clues to your home via snail mail every month and you and your partner in crime then use those clues to solve various Holmesian mysteries such as murders, robberies and more. It’s a great way to spend time together and, as they say, it’s the gift that keeps on giving for as long as you remain a member.
• Write that song you’ve always wanted with the help of songfinch. You tell them about your special person, share your story and finally tell the mood or genre of the song you would like and the artist. They then do the rest. Your song will be ready in 4-7 days and will be uploaded to your unique URL where you can listen to it and read the lyrics prior to sharing. As an aside, I am in no way affiliated with songfinch. It just sounds cool to me, albeit a bit pricey.
• Write the (very) short story of your lives together with Lovebook. Yes, this is the book version of songfinch. You design your avatars (yes, your book will be illustrated, sort of), tell them about your lives together, and then get to edit each page to your liking. Therefore, it can be as serious, silly, or humorous as you like. A great way to express your feelings to your Valentine. As an aside, I am in no way affiliated with Lovebook. It just sounds like a unique and affordable way to express love and affection.

Please don’t be that person that puts little thought into your Valentine’s Day gift, or any gift for that matter. Nothing says “I love and care for you” more than a gift that is personalized and requires a modicum of forethought. I hope these ideas help and you all have a wonderful St. Valentine’s Day with the one(s) you love.