We’ve covered several possible dates and also romantic styles for Valentine’s Day, so you should already have a good idea of how your date will go.

Now it’s time to broach the dreaded Valentine’s Day gift scenario. Should you go with the expected roses, chocolate, and teddies; or up the ante and buy jewellery and champagne? If your brain keeps fizzling out on picking your Valentine’s Day gifts or you want some more creative options, keep reading:

Fine linens transform your bed into a sanctuary. By The Falcondale (Flickr)

Thoughtful

Back massager / foot spa – either of these gifts are ideal for a partner who spends most of their day on their feet or deals with stress on a daily basis.

Canvas Prints – I’m certain your partner has a favourite photograph of the two of you together, so shell out some cash and get it printed on canvas. Wrap it up, pop a single red rose under the ribbon or bow, and, hand it over with a kiss.

New linen – buy a quality set of linen (with a high thread count) that matches your bedroom colour scheme. Also, consider replacing your pillows if they’re more than five years old. Yes, these will be fairly pricey, but you’ll both reap the benefits for a long, long time. Another alternative is buying fluffy bathrobes and towels, as they’ll also be appreciated, and used fairly often.

Bubble bath – nothing is more precious than time, so go ahead and start running a bubble bath, add some essential oils like jasmine or ylang-ylang and spend an hour conversing with your beloved. Make it more sensual by lighting candles, finding your fluffiest bath towels, and pouring champagne. *This will combine wonderfully with the back massager / foot spa gift.

Delectable home-made chocolate covered strawberries. By hezoos (Flickr)

Home-made

I-O-U Vouchers – write down little things you’re happy to do for your partner, such as take out the trash, listen more, give a half hour massage, etc. on different sheets of paper. Staple these together to form a little book. Your partner can then tear off one, or all of the vouchers, at any point in the year to be redeemed only once. The only catch with giving this gift is that you HAVE to follow through, unless you have a good, medical reason why you can’t.

Breakfast in Bed – I’ve never met anyone who’s been annoyed at being awoken with a kiss, a cup of coffee, and a meal. This gesture is sweet, thoughtful, and will only take 20 minutes if you time it right.

Cook Dinner – if your partner is always the one to make supper, take the initiative and do the cooking (make sure it includes their favourite dish) and cleaning for them. Don’t forget to set the mood with candles, bubbly, and rose petals on the table.

Chocolate covered Strawberries – a classic Valentine’s gift made extra special by the fact that you made it from scratch. Wash strawberries and melt chocolate on the stove. Drizzle chocolate carefully over the strawberries, put them in fridge to set, and reveal after supper.

A gift of love by aqsahu (Flickr)

Voucher

If you haven’t had time to buy a proper gift, a quick trip to the shops is in order to get a voucher. The voucher should be for anything you know your partner will appreciate and can be as small as a coffee or as large as a golf lesson.

Add some spice to your relationship by getting a lingerie voucher and go shopping together.

An accommodation voucher is always a great idea! TravelGround has a variety of vouchers available to purchase that can be redeemed when booking at any of the accommodations on our website. Click here for more details.

Hire a photographer. By Bien Stephenson (Flickr)

No Holds Barred

If money is no object and you’re after only the best, consider:

  • renting a stretch-limo to take you around town in style
  • buying a matching jewellery set for your lady, or a classy watch for your man
  • booking a couples photo shoot (especially fun if you bring props)
  • splurging on an expensive perfume or cologne

  • talking to your partner first, and then only if they’re agreeable, plan a boudoir or a pin-up girl styled photo session – if they’re too shy to have a professional shoot them, offer to be the photographer
  • hiring a personal stylist for the day to give you both wardrobe, beauty, and body advice
  • donating to a shelter or wildlife reserve – this is a great feel-good gift but should only be done if it’s a cause you both believe in

Let us know what gifts you’ve thought of, bought, or made, for this year’s Valentine’s Day.

Main image courtesy of hmomoy (Flickr)