Valentine's Day: Twists on Classic Gifts to Make Her Smile

As Valentine's Day slowly creeps closer, the stores begin their decorative assault on everyone with vivid reds, pinks and whites all mingling together in perfection. These romantically inclined displays all say the same thing : Buy buy buy. But let's face it, not every man is Fabio or even Romeo and knows what to get a girl on Valentine's Day. Sure there's a generic-like gift every person often thinks of, however, go beyond just that norm. Finding a gift that is her shows that you care and (bonus points!) pay attention to the things she says.

Flowers

It seems that as valentine's day approaches, rose prices go on the increase. Obviously, this is because of the supply and demand that everyone learns about in some economics class back in school. As demand goes up and supply goes down, prices go up. I've seen insane prices for red roses days before Valentine's day. But, honestly, where does it say that all females like the same flowers? I surely don't. In fact, I think getting roses is just protocol, as crude as that possibly sounds. Guys, take it from a girl here. Pay attention to what we say, because your girl may like carnations instead of roses. While roses are supposed to be known as a symbol of love at valentine's day (or friendship, depending on a color chart) that isn't the end all be all of "I love you this much!" If your girl likes pink roses or even lilies, get her what makes her smile, not what someone tells you. Even better, if you're unable to spend the amount of money a dozen roses cost take this angle. If the desire is on roses, the desire on other flowers is down - meaning you might get an excellent price for something you know she'll truly love. Now, don't only just pay attention to her favorite flower, keep an eye open. Colors. What are her favorites? You can get decorations with the flowers (like colored wrap paper for the stems, etc) that will completely personalize the gift. What better way to show you care than show you truly pay attention to her when you are around?

Candy

I remember a quip a few years ago that went something like, "So you buy me candy on valentine's day but the day before you say that I'm getting way too fat. So you feed me chocolate. Thank you so much." It was amusing, however, the point in it is good. Candies in boxes can be so sentimental, especially with those intoxicating deep red boxes they come in with velvet, ribbon or any texture atop it. We all can get giddy. But let me just say this: pay attention to what is IN the boxes, please. Those assortment boxes are just factory made in hopes that there's something for everyone in there. However, most of these boxes end up half used or tossed out because we don't like all candies equally. This, again, is all about paying attention. Not every girl is created equal.. to an extent. Some of us like plain candies like those colorful M&M's they put out specifically for these special days. Now you can even personalize messages on any color candy to cater to any occasion. You can get her blues and whites with I love you on them. I know if you did this action instead of the standard run out buy box return home method, she'll cherish the sentiment moreso than anything else you could get. Some stores even have special candy boxes with only one type of candy per box. IF you know she loves those chocolates with cherries in them - get her only that. Even if they aren't heart-shaped, that doesn't matter. You can easily wrap it in a red tissue paper and make it look romantic. But if she's on a resolution for the new year to lose weight, please take that into consideration. Even something small and non-festive is better than a huge box that'll make her feel worse by the time it's finished.

Stuffed Animals

I don't know about other girls, but stuffed animals scream "under six" to me. Not that I'm innocent of looking at a stuffed bear, feeling how soft it is and going, "aww, that's precious!" but I don't think these are excellent surprises in most cases. Unless she collects Boyds Bears or Beanies for seasons, they really don't tell someone you love them . Ever been to the dollar stores that have bins full of red, pink and all other sort of valentine's plush gifts? I made the mistake of going into one last year a day before Valentine's to buy something unrelated to the day. There were people whipping these plushed creations left and right just rummaging madly for one. It more or less seems like the flower-candy protocol that everyone follows. Also, take into consideration space restrictions. If she already has an over-loaded bed full of stuffed, plush toys, she honestly doesn't need another. There are other ways to tell her you love her beyond just toys and goodies. However, there is ONE good, if she is trying to lose weight and is a sucker for those stuffed animals, then most stores sell plushes with child-size boxes of candy. It's the perfect mix of both worlds if you know she truly wants both.

Dinners

Let's just face it right now. We all don't have a never-ending supply of cash to take our significant others out to the most expensive restaurant on the strip. But I'm not saying you can't take her out. In fact, if she prefers the comfort of a familiar favorite diner that she just doesn't get to often enough, take her there. Most of these smaller places have specials for Valentine's Day, too. Besides, at least here you know she likes the food and will definitely find something on the menu. At expensive restaurants, from experience mind you, I've found the limited menu dismal. I once had to eat crackers and a dessert at one only because I couldn't force myself into escargot. Too rich a restaurant means higher prices and sometimes that's just not comfortable or do-able. Even if you can't afford to go out you can afford to have an intimate dinner for two at your place. Sure, it may seem like a lot of work to cook, set up candles, flowers and the whole nine yards, but in my eyes it shows you truly care and even appreciate her. You know what you'd eat and you should know what she likes, so there it is. A home-cooked meal that's intimate and something both can enjoy. Can't cook? Have a friend who can help out. Just remember to dress nice and help them out where you can. Most good friends WILL help out if they know it truly is needed.

Remember that the most important thing about Valentine's Day is the person - not the gift. While standard protocol's seem to always work, not everyone enjoys receiving the same thing. Pay attention to this love of yours and find or do something that personalizes them. It's much more appreciated than just going with 'what works for everyone else'. Trust me.