Three Inexpensive and Unique Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, men are scrambling to think of creative gift ideas to give to their loved ones. Valentine's Day can be extremely daunting to some men, because the expectations are so high yet some men have so little creativity to express how they truly feel in just one simple gift. How does someone find something that's not expensive but still lets their loved one know they care? I can assure you that women love Valentine's Day. It's the one day where romance and love triumph over all other daily responsibilities. Don't disappoint your loved one with a dull flower arrangement or box of chocolates you picked up in a gas station on the way home. If your loved one means a lot, then show her. If you're pressed on time, here are just a few unique gift ideas that are different and sure to create memories and conversation:

A Slideshow

Who ever said your gift had to involve spending lots of money? A computer and a scanner is all you need to make this gift special. Start by collecting a group of your favorite photographs of you and your loved one. I recommend somewhere between 100-150 photographs. Sort the pictures from the earliest to the most current. Once you've done this, then start scanning the pictures and loading them on to your computer. I certainly recommend starting a separate folder so that you can keep these pictures away from any other pictures you may have previously stored. Scanning the pictures is the most time consuming task, but once you're done you'll be halfway there!

Once the pictures are done, start loading them onto Microsoft PowerPoint slides. Load one picture per slide, and again start in order from the earliest year to the most current. After you're done with this task, follow it up by going back through and adding a sweet or funny comment to each picture slide. The last step in creating the PowerPoint slide is to add music. If there are 150 pictures on the slide, and each slide transitions at a pace of 5 seconds, then you'll have time for approximately 4 songs to play. Think of some songs that are very meaningful to your relationship and load them onto the slide. Now, after a romantic dinner you can show her this slide. It'll serve as a timeline to your entire relationship, complete with laughs along the way from the comments and tears from songs as the slideshow shows the transition of your relationship. You can also convert the slideshow to DVD if you prefer to watch it on television. My wife and I did something similar for her parents' 25^th wedding anniversary and the room was filled with tears and smiles!

Name a star after your loved one.

One of my best friends told me about this gift last year when he did it for his girlfriend of six years. The International Star Registry, which can be found online, gives one the opportunity to name a star after a special someone. This is 100% real, and the International Star Registry has several options in personalizing the gift. For instance, you can buy a sterling silver bracelet, a stuffed teddy bear, and other types of jewelry. Once you order the Star registration, you can print the certificate from your computer. Included with the gift is a certificate that is available for framing. This certificate specifies the name, date, and coordinates of the star so that you can look it up with a telescope.

Personalized calendar.

With this gift, your loved one is sure to never go a day without thinking about your relationship. You can start by searching online for different printing companies that can help you. The idea is to personalize a calendar with different pictures of you and your loved one. Each month can have a different theme, of course, such as a costume picture for Halloween in October or holiday picture for December. On the actual days, you can add a personal message such as the anniversary of your first date, the first time you met, or the day you got married. Birthdays and other important dates should be filled in as well. Most calendars measure 11"x17" and are printed on glossy, 12 point paper. This gift is fairly inexpensive and is one of the most unique ideas. Remember, it's not how much you spend, but rather the thought you put into it!