8 great Valentine’s Day gifts that skip the roses and chocolate

Brandon and Danielle Lebrescu share their love while flipping through pages of poetry. (Kari Warren/ SWRNN)

It’s the time of year that love surrounds us especially since February is usually associated with romance.

Every February 14^th, we are showered with generic gifts that attempt to display our adoration toward our loved ones. So why not add some excitement this year by purchasing more meaningful gifts for your sweetheart. Forget the candies, the flowers, the same boring dinners and even the Valentine’s cards. The following eight great ideas will help spice up your love life this Valentine’s Day.

Dodge the crowded restaurants for dinner and dine at….

#1.  A Picnic - Finding a place to eat on Valentine’s Day is no picnic! Why not have one? Take your companion out to one of the local parks or lakes in Southwest Riverside County. Bring a blanket and a basket full of your favorite foods, and eat together out in the open air. The ants nearby are sure to get carried away with your love rather than your meal.

#2.  A Cooking Class - They say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but why not find the way into each other’s hearts and create some real chemistry together in the kitchen? Take a cooking class together! Click on the link and check out the one offered in Murrieta or create a class of your own at home. Check out the latest Martha, Rachel or Paula episode and follow their lead. The two of you are sure to sauté and simmer, and later, I am sure you will be spooning.

Instead of a crummy box of chocolates why not choose….

#3.  A Day at the Spa - Share a day with one another at a local spa. Give the gift of a massage, mud bath or hot springs to your beau to let him know he makes your heart melt. Sometimes a day getting pampered together is all you ‘knead’ in order to feel more connected.

#4.  A Mixed CD or Playlist - The idea of giving a mixed tape may be a tad old school, but sometimes the best way to show someone how much you care is through music. Go through your old CDs, check out iTunes to burn a personalized CD or create a playlist for your honey. Pick out songs that they love or ones that reminisce over your romance. I know I want to know what love is and the band Foreigner and iTunes technology can now show me.

Rather than a simple bouquet of flowers why not pick….

#5.   A Star - You have always wanted to give your sweetheart the moon, so why wouldn’t they settle for a twinkling star? You can now name a star after them! For a decent price you can have your shining star named and registered. Let your lover know that they are your little ball of gas…err…fire.

#6.  A Plant - Shovel on down to a local nursery and pick out a special plant for your partner. A dozen roses are sure to die after a short while, but purchasing a rose bush that you can plant is a gift that will keep on giving. This token of affection will allow you to dig deep into each other’s hearts as you both watch your love grow.

Replace a boring greeting card and open up….

#7.  A Book - “The course of true love, never did run smooth,” a quote referencing love from Shakespeare that you can share and analyze with your own beloved. Open a book and recite poetry to one another. Forget Hallmark and American Greetings, head to the local library and flip through Shakespeare and Lord Byron to get a better idea of what love is. You are bound to become closer to each other with each page you turn.

#8.  A Jewelry Box - Engage yourself in this idea. Let’s face it, if you have been in a relationship for awhile it might be time to head to the jeweler and grab that little box with the diamond in it. Valentine’s Day has always been a perfect time to show your loved one that they are the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. I believe Beyonce said it best, “If you like it, then you better put a ring on it.”

You could stick to the same routine as last year and stop at the corner for last minute flowers or the convenience store for a box of sweets before you head home. But you would like a Valentine’s date for next year too, wouldn’t you?

Tags: canyon lake, February 14, hemet, Lake Elsinore, Love, Menifee, Murrieta, SWRNN, Temecula, Valentine's Day gift idea, Valentine's Day gifts, valentines day, wildomar

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 12:18 pm and is filed under 8 great, Food, Lifestyle, Local News, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.