Good Valentine Gifts
Love may be in the air year round with you and your sweetheart, but Valentine's Day is a time to amplify and express your affection. Lovers dine, go on romantic dates and exchange gifts for the sheer joy of seeing big smiles. Hearts, flowers and candy may be common gifts, but you can get creative and make something yourself or do a little research for some unique items that spell love in a new way.
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Traditional
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Candy is a traditional Valentine's Day gift, but not everyone wants to eat that much sugar. If your sweetheart loves flowers -- another traditional gift -- buy a truckload of your love's favorite rose, rather than buying just one bunch. Better than flowers, because they last longer, are blooming plants for indoors or out. Gardenias carry a delicious scent, and roses come in miniature varieties, so you could grab several. If your sweetheart has a garden, add a note that you'll plant the shrubs.
For the Boudoir
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Find the sweetest and most fashionable lingerie shop your wallet will allow. Buy her something beautiful, feminine and sexy, not like the lower quality items you can find at many discount stores. For him, a pair of silk pajamas or just the bottoms from a high-end men's store could be fun. Make your own heart-shaped candles to go with the sleeping clothes and lay them out before bedtime. Get some beautiful new sheets and pillowcases. Buy a bag of rose petals and toss them onto the bed covers, leaving a trail down the hall.
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Spa Day
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Men and women alike will appreciate the gift of a day at the spa. The more time the better. A therapeutic massage, steam bath and sauna will do wonders. Some spas have sensory-deprivation units for floating or lap-pools and sunning beds. If you can afford a full day, find a spa that offers delicious gourmet foods for mealtimes. Exercise rooms or meditation areas at some locations will complement the other forms of care. Alternatively, buy a gift certificate for a manicure, pedicure or both. The man who has never had one will be amazed, and women appreciate the routine pampering. Or purchase tickets or book reservations for the two of you to head off for a romantic weekend -- ashore or at sea.
Make Something
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If your loved one collects or appreciates boxes, use your woodworking skills to make a keepsake box yourself. Carve a loving dedication into the bottom of the box. Get some inexpensive pretty glass jars from a dollar store or novelty shop and fill them with bath salts you can create yourself, using Epsom salts and essential oils. You can follow the same concept with body oils; just start with grapeseed or a light vegetable oil and scent it as you think your love might enjoy. Make a scrapbook or journal out of sheets of handmade paper and tie it together with ribbons or a shoelace. Combine your imagination and your personal talents to create something meaningful and lasting. Homemade gifts carry messages that will be cherished long after Valentine's Day has passed.
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