10 Valentine's Day Gifts!

By now we all know I am anti-Valentines! But for those of you who absolutely MUST celebrate this pointless holiday, I have devised a list of some cheap and clever Valentine's day gifts for couples! With less than a week until the big day, these gifts are perfect and involve minimal preparation. But if you are like most couples and decided to celebrate it this weekend, you better hurry up and get shopping! But while all of you are out there running around spending money on candy grams and chocolates I will be enjoying the company of my best girlfriends enjoying my weekend :)

1. Romantic Movie Basket

 Put together a little basket of his favorite movies, a bottle of wine, popcorn, maybe a snugly blanket, some sticks and marshmallows for the fire and a take-out menu of his favorite Chinese food place for later. This gift should not cost you more than $70 if you play it right and he will absolutely love it! This will also give you two a chance to spend some time together and bond rather than just going to see 'The Vow' in a packed movie theater when you two can't be close or talk!

2. Lotto Scratch Off

I saw this idea on Pinterest (of course!) which is where most of my great ideas come from but I thought this was such a cute homemade gift for both guys and girls! I could not find the exact example I had found before but the jist of the gift is to create your own scratch off where your loved one can scratch off one square a day until valentines day. It will take a little creativity and some time but it should not cost you more than $10. This is a great idea if you two are already planning on going out to dinner because it will be a good lead up to a nice romantic candle lit evening!

3. Dirty Darts

I found this unique idea on a website and I thought it was a great idea because it incorporates sports and romance. This game will be sure to spice up the night and it will also entice his sports side. He will be thrilled to see you got him something sporty yet adventurous. And it is fun for both parties! 

4. Personalized Pub Glasses

On this same website where I found the dirty dart game, I also found these personalized beer glasses which most men would love! Beer and their name, of course they would love this! They also have beer mugs and personalized beer coasters. Another variation of this would be to add chalk paint to beer glasses which allows guests to write their own personalized messages to their glass.

5. Kick Boxing Class

Why not beat up on each other a little bit for a nice romantic Valentine's? Most classes will only cost $50 a class or sometimes LA boxing even offers free classes. Working out releases endorphins and will ultimately put you both in a better mood after. This is a perfect gift for the athletic boyfriend and the healthy girlfriend. Another alternative is dance lessons, especially if you guys are considering marriage or engagement. Perfect preparation for the big day!

6. Coupon Book

As I was searching for more Valentine's Day gifts, I noticed a lot of suggestions to purchase romantic coupon books. So why not make your own personalized coupon books. For example: This coupon is redeemable for one morning I will take the dogs out and serve you your OJ and ham egg and cheese in bed. By making the coupons more personable, this will make him more excited to use the coupons that he would actually do! This involves some time but very cheap! Guys, you could also do this for girls! We would love it :) 

7. Cook Book

Nice way to hint that you would like him to cook more for you ;) Create a cook book of your favorite recipes, maybe throw some of his own in there and on Valentine's day give him a cooking class with one of the recipes in the book! Along with a bottle of wine, this would make for a nice romantic night where you guys are helping each other out and working along side with one another! This will also be a good useful gift for the future because next time he messes up he can refer to the book and be awaiting for you when you get home with your favorite meal already on the table! Hint hint, this will be sure to get you out of the dog house fast!

8. Royal Flush

Chances are he is probably better at Poker than you so let him give you a lesson. At the end of the lesson, play each other and be creative! Bet with something other than chips and be sure to wager something for the winner! This will be sure to boost his ego and also give you guys a common new hobby. So next time a bunch of your friends get together to play poker, your girlfriend could be the one taking home the winnings for you!

9. Gift Basket

Similar theme to the movie basket but this time create a basket with all of his favorite things! Be sure to limit yourself to a budget and stick to it. Include his favorite beer, food, snack, underwear, candy, game and hobby. This will be easy on your wallet and if you know him well enough he will be sure to use everything in your basket! You could even make it cute and more geared towards a Valentine's Day theme. Maybe some heart boxers or movie tickets to 'The Vow.' You can even label your own beer with Valentine's Day popular sayings! How cute :)

10. Volunteer Together

If you and your Valentine are looking to give back to the community, volunteering together is a great option! Find something local around Valentine's Day and volunteer together. Might not be the most romantic Valentine's Day gift ever but it will make you both feel good about giving back to a local cause. Afterwards, you can celebrate by going out to dinner and be proud that both of you are with someone so generous!