Thinking of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away.

The holiday, which Pope Gelasius I established in 500 AD, celebrates love and affection. It honors relationships, and it gives us an opportunity to reflect on those individuals that mean the most to us.

Valentine’s focus on expressing love often takes the form of giving flowers, confections, or jewelry as a token of respect and passion.

Although, frankly, it is the love that really matters, the gift giving aspects of Valentine’s Day do often come to the forefront. So at D&B, we’ve tried to come up with several gift ideas. Here are some of our suggestions, but we would love to know what you think makes a good Valentine’s Day present, so please tell us in the comments below.

Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Her

1. Anything Handmade – Making your wife or girlfriend a gift for Valentine’s Day shows that you really put some thought into your present. It demonstrates how important you think that she is. But don’t just take my word for it. A recent survey of women found that 85 percent thought handmade presents were best.
2. Time Alone with You – Who would have thought that this was a gift. But it is true. A well planned evening (or afternoon and evening) out could be one of the best gifts you give her this February 14th. In fact, you might consider giving her gift cards to one or more of her favorite stores and then going clothes shopping with her. Dinner at a nice restaurant should follow.
3. Jewelry – It may be an old standby, but jewelry is still a very popular Valentine’s Day gift. Pick something that matches her style.
4. Roses – It is hard to beat this classic. Red roses communicate passion and demonstrate your love for the special lady in your life.
5. A New Outfit – If you decided to give clothing, be sure that you know her size, know which brands she likes, and are willing to get the complete outfit from shoes on up.

Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Him

1. Premium Boots – Surveys have shown that men, particularly husbands and fathers, tend to put off buying themselves luxury items. If your fellow likes boots, you should consider a premium pair.
2. Fishing or Hunting Gear – Almost nothing says I love you like new hunting or fishing gear. Play to your man’s passions.
3. Custom Wood Carving – You will need to hurry if you want to pull this one off, but consider a custom wood carving for his office or man cave.
4. A Night Out – It will probably be his job to plan your Valentine’s activities. But this does not stop you from planning another outing. Whether this planned night out is another date with your or an evening out his is buddies that you arrange, send him out to do what he likes.
5. Team Apparel – If your husband or boyfriend is a sports fan, you might consider getting him some team apparel this Valentine’s.