Valentines Gift Ideas

Heart-shaped candies. Greeting cards. Stuffed animals. Jewelry. Expensive dinners. Red, pink and white roses. No one can miss the fact that Valentine’s Day is upon us. In America, our retail stores and restaurants makes certain that no one forgets this holiday. However, the focus on purchasing gifts and cards and going out to eat takes away from the deeper expression of love that should be part of the celebration. And these basic sentiments of Valentine’s Day really should be expressed every day of the year, not just on February 14th.

If you are newly in love, you likely express our feelings both verbally and physically often and shower the object of your affection with flowers and love-laced poems, cards and gifts on a regular basis. If you are in a long-term relationship, however, you might more forget to say “I love you” or to show your spouse or significant other on a regular basis that he or she is appreciated and adored. Those in this latter category should see Valentine’s Day as a great reminder to express their love and to show their appreciation outwardly.

If you are stuck in a relationship rut, Valentine’s Day can serve as the beginning of a new “love and appreciation” campaign that last not just for 24 hours but all year long - in fact, all relationship long. Instead of making February 14th a Hallmark holiday — one that simply involves the purchasing of a card and a gift — you can make it the first day that you commit to revving up the romance in your life and showing the one you love how you really.

For those who would like to begin having Valentine’s Day every day…or at least more often than once a year…and would like to do so in a personally meaningful way, here are five things you can do to increase the romance, feeling and meaning in your relationship:

1. On Valentine’s Day, or on any occasion or holiday when you want to give our partner a card or gift, try bypassing the Hallmark and candy displays and instead heading to the stationary aisle in the store. Purchase some nice paper and a special pen. Then go home and write a love poem or a letter that really says how you feel about your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, or partner. Put this on his or her pillow to find and read before getting into bed, on the bathroom to come across in the morning or on a plate to read before dinner. You can even hide a love note in a briefcase or in a suitcase. There are lots of places to hide love notes, and the recipient will always be pleasantly surprised to find it and will feel especially loved and appreciated.

2. Instead of sitting in some crowded restaurant - they are always overcommitted with reservations on Valentine’s Day, this year try having a Valentine’s meal at home. It doesn’t even have to be more than a pizza or some take out Chinese, but create a special atmosphere for the dinner itself. Put on soft music, light candles. Set the table with a white table cloth and your best dishes. Put rose petals around the room or on the table. Place pictures of the two of you nearby so you can recount the wonderful times you’ve had together. Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to do this. Do it at least once a month to revive your relationship, or make one night of the week your romantic dinner night.

3. Instead of giving your significant other chocolates or gifts or even a special dessert, give a huge serving of gratitude and appreciation. Take time to shower the other person verbally with all the wonderful things you love about him or her. Express your gratitude for his or her special traits or characteristics. Describe the behaviors that you really love or appreciate. Or, if you feel uncomfortable saying these things aloud, make a list of them and present them in a beautiful box wrapped up like a gift. If you are comfortable, you can seat yourselves opposite each other, hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes while taking turns saying, “Something I appreciate about you is…” and filling in the blank.

4. If you are looking for romance, create a romantic space. It’s easy, especially after the initial romance of a relationship has faded, to forget how nice it is to be wooed. Go to the trouble of lighting candles, playing soft music, making sure the kids are in bed and asleep, using aromatherapy oils or fragrant flowers to scent the room. Even if your relationship new or still in the exciting romantic stage, this effort will go a long way toward making your significant other feel special, appreciated and desired.

5. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, commit to celebrating Valentine’s Day more than once a year. Plan to have a night or day for romance, love and appreciation at least once a month. It’s easy to get too busy to remember to show your partner in life how you feel about him or her or to plan a special evening together. And the best gift of all might simply be your undivided attention and listening ear.

Nina Amir, an acclaimed journalist, motivational speaker and Kabbalistic conscious creation coach, currently is writing Setting a Place for God, A Woman’s Guide to Creating Sacred Space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It. For information on Amir’s books, teleseminars and classes, or to book a speaking engagement, E-mail her at namir@purespiritcreations.com, visit her website at http://www.purespiritcreations.com or call 408-353-1943.

People give gifts to strengthen bonds, to remind friends, family, and colleagues that they are an important part of their lives. Fine chocolates are just about everyone’s favorite. And as the food industry has evolved in the last few decades, gourmet chocolate seems to be a real niche item available anywhere you shop. Gourmet chocolates can be gifted on Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Wedding Gifts, Valentine’s Day or for any other special occasion.

Gourmet chocolates are a great treat for any chocolate lover, and there is a huge selection online for gift giving. Everyone knows that person who just craves chocolate! Imagine their surprise and delight when they receive the most delectable gourmet chocolates. Getting the perfect gift for the chocolate lover is simple when you shop online from Harmony Sweets.

Harmony Sweets has over ninety world-class confections available including edible gold chocolate pralines from Switzerland, strawberry cream seashells from Belgium, unique Dragon Beard Candy from China, chocolate truffles from France, and spiced cookies from Scandinavia. Perfect as Business appreciation gifts, Anniversary gifts, Mother’s day gifts, Birthday gifts, Valentine’s gifts, Wedding favors, Father’s day gifts or Graduation gifts.

Jane S. Roseen became the sole Owner and President of Harmony Sweets in 2005. Since then she has taken a small, successful online gourmet chocolate shop and made it a name recognized world-wide. Harmony Sweets’ original mission focused on individual consumers purchasing gourmet chocolates from around the world for their friends and relatives. Roseen expanded that mission to include corporate gift-giving.

Many men use Valentine’s Day as the day to propose to their loved one. After all, it is the most romantic day of the year and it is a day you will always remember as the special day that you decided to become one. So, what are some romantic ways to propose? Here is a list of three ways to propose on Valentine’s Day that will definitely thrill your girlfriend.

1. Do it in front of her family

This all depends on how traditional your girlfriend is, of course. If she does not get along well with her family, this is a bad plan. But, if you know she is very close to her mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins, etc., this can be a great idea. Have them help you plan the special day.

Assign one of them to ask her to come to a family reunion on Valentine’s Day in order to get everyone together. Inform them of the real plan, but have them keep the secret from your girlfriend. When she tells you about the reunion, complain a bit about the reunion being on Valentine’s Day, but do not over do it to the point where she decides not to go.

If that happens, remind her that family is important and even though you would rather take her to a romantic dinner alone, you will go to the reunion. If you are very traditional, ask her parents for her hand in marriage before the party. Let the reunion go on for a while, so she really believes it is real. Designate a time when you are going to pop the question and inform the others beforehand (so they know it is going to happen) like when you put on a certain song or say something in particular.

Then, drop to one knee; tell her how special she is and that you’ve already received her parent’s permission to ask for her hand. Tell her you love her, ask her to marry you and give her the ring. Chances are she will say yes and the whole room will burst into applause. Make sure in advance that you have spoken to someone in the family about taking photos or a video when you ask so you will have the moment preserved on film.

2. Plan a weekend getaway

If Valentine’s Day is on the weekend, plan a getaway destination such as Las Vegas or Miami. This is a great way to propose if she likes doing spontaneous things and loves to travel. Don’t tell her until Friday afternoon when she gets off work. Pick her up at the office and say she has 30 minutes to get packed, that you have planned a weekend trip. To do this you will need to plan several things in advance.

You will need to get either airline tickets, train tickets (traveling by train can be very romantic), or get the driving directions. Make sure you have reservations at a romantic hotel. For example, if you are going to Miami, try to get a room on the beach. If you are going to Las Vegas, try to get a suite on the Strip at one of the nice hotels. You will have to have the stuff you will need for the weekend packed - including the ring. Hopefully, she will be so excited by the trip, she will think that is what the weekend is about. But, at a great romantic moment, like a walk on the beach or in front of the Bellagio when the fountains are going off, propose to her. If you are in Las Vegas, you can even get married there the same weekend.

3. Borrow from her favorite click flick

Most women love romantic click flicks and many include a proposal. If you know a movie she loves that has a romantic proposal scene, reenact it with her. If My Best Friend’s Wedding is her favorite movie, just holler out “Will you marry me?” as she is getting in her car to drive away. It is even better if she is getting on the train (which is how the movie version actually goes). If An Officer and a Gentleman is her favorite movie, walk in to her office, just pick her up in your arms, and carry her out. As you are carrying her out, ask her to marry you.

For this, you should probably consult her boss first. If she loves Sex and the City and you have a dog, take the dog out for a walk with her. When you stop to bend over and scoop the poop, pull out the ring just like Aidan did for Carrie. If you are not sure what her favorite chick flick is, ask. You can always use the premise that you are thinking about buying her the DVD copy for Valentine’s Day. Be sure to ask for a few of her favorites to be sure to find one that has a romantic proposal.

Proposing on Valentine’s Day is a great idea and one that your girlfriend will surely love. If you have the right setting, it can be very romantic and something that you both will tell your grandchildren about one day.

Sara Fox is the owner of St Valentines Day Gifts. Get more Valentines day ideas by reading her newest tips on “How to Create a Romantic Valentine’s Day Evening at Home”. http://www.stvalentinesdaygifts.com