Three Valentine's Day Winners

Valentine's Day is lurking around the corner, and you're wracking your brain over that special someone, wondering what the right something is to give her. The stereotypically "safe" Valentine's gifts are flowers, candy, a store-bought card, or jewelry. It may be that none of these options are right for you, for whatever reason. They may be too impersonal or overdone. If you're seeking an alternative to the usual, here are a few ideas Cupid may have missed.

Never underestimate the value of a hand-written message in a card. It's a physical reminder that you care, something that the other person can pull out when they need a pick me up or when you're apart. Now that we've entered the days of the internet, actually writing a real message to someone on paper may seem outdated, but trust me, there's a lot more to it than that. Writing an email to someone shows that you had a few minutes at the keyboard. With a card, you're showing that you took time to pick it out and write in it. Picking a card with a cute message and signing your name doesn't count. You may be best off buying a card that is entirely blank on the inside which will give you plenty of space to articulate your feelings, maybe bringing up a favorite outing the two of you had this past year, or writing about what you like best about her.

I have been on the receiving end of more than one mix-tape on Valentine's Day. A random amalgamation of songs you like isn't going to cut it. Choose songs that have some special meaning to the two of you, or songs that bring her to the forefront of your mind. It also wouldn't be amiss to make a list of the songs with a sentence of what each of them means to you, and why it belongs on a CD for the two of you.

Last year there was no card, there were no flowers. Instead my boyfriend drove 6 hours each way to take me to see my mom when I was homesick and couldn't drive in the snow. Sometimes, the perfect gift is doing something she'd never do for herself, and really wants. He listened to me and knew what I wanted, and made sure I got it, and that, my friends, is love.

PS: Remember this everyday.