Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and love it or loathe it, you’ll be expected to provide a token of love of some description.
Gone are the days when a box of chocolates and a single red rose was all it took to have your girl swooning! Now the competition is fierce, as all the presents, romantic gestures, dinners and valentines trips will be blasted across Facebook for all the world to see! All the best gifts will be pictured with sickeningly sweet accolades for the gift giver. All the worst gifts will also deserve some air time, think tyre blackener, house hold chore appliances and cleaning wear etc. (There will be no high praise for these though!)
All the mediocre pressies, will pass by with no social media mention at all.
If you gift choccies and your girlfriend’s bestie gets a diamond… there’ll be no romance for you, so choose your gift wisely.
Don’t worry if you are cash strapped, it doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive. If you have spent a great deal of thought and time on a gift, you should be on to a winner.
Here are some great gift ideas that will have her telling all her friends what a great catch you are!
1) Jewellery – Anyone can stroll into a jewellers and choose something out of the window, but a real special piece is something that you create yourself, there are many workshops available where you can create a bespoke piece. A ring, pendant or bangle can all be created in 1 short session but the praise will last a lifetime!
2) A framed map picture.
This is a great gift that you can buy online or make by yourself, which will make it super budget friendly! If your good lady is on the romantic side, this gift is a winner! Simply remember the place you first met, print out a map of that city or location, place in inside a heart and frame it! Hey presto. A picture that not only looks cute but is also hugely sentimental. (Make sure you get the location right though and definitely don’t mix up girlfriends and where you met!)
3) A Scratch Map
A world map that comes in a variety of styles and colours and you scratch off each destination you have been to.
A lovely gift to remember all the trips you have taken together and a promise of exciting times to come.
4) Gift an experience. Nothing says I love you like knowing what makes her tick. Zoo Keeper for the day, a cooking class, dance lessons or a motorsport track day. Experiences you can gift or share, but something she will remember for ever.
5) A picnic
Ladies love to feel spoilt. If you know of a romantic secluded spot that you can go to ahead of time, set up a beautiful picnic. Think fairy lights, big rugs, blankets and cushions, take a selection of her favourite foods and a bottle of bubbly and snuggle under the stars!
6) A customised neon light
This is a pretty retro gift but they seem to be all the rage at the moment. A customised neon sign. You can design it as her pet name, a song lyric, a special place, basically the only limitation is your imagination. They last years and look super cool!
7) A Love Book!
A book you create online with you and your partner as characters that notes all the things that you love about her. Such a beautiful idea, cheaper than a bunch of roses and it will last longer!
8) Underwear
Buying underwear for your loved one can be a bit of a mine field, choosing the wrong size, or something a little too riske can land you in the dog house! A refreshing change though can be to receive underwear that is for everyday wear rather than the bedroom. Many women have that one bra, like a best friend it’s been offering us support for years, its faded in the wash or gone from brilliant white to chewing gum beige. Find that kind of bra and she’ll know that you were thinking of her, not just her lovely jubblies!!
Whether you believe in the romance of Valentine’s Day or think it a big commercial con to make Hallmark and the like richer, use it as a day to make your loved one feel special. You don’t need to spend a cent on that!