NurtureHer

After reading this blog post, I promise that you will never feel lost or undecided when it comes to choosing the perfect gift for your partner.

Yeah, that’s a big promise. But I am that confident.

The secret to Valentine’s Day gifts is that it isn’t about getting an object or experience that makes you happy. It is about being seen, recognised, accepted, and loved.

For each individual person, that will mean something different.

Your job as the gift giver is to observe and learn what makes your person feel like you really know them, and you really love, accept, admire, and cherish them.

So how do you show this with a gift?

The devil is really in the details here, and I am going to give you some fail proof suggestions.

To get an idea of what kind of gift is best for your partner, start here.

1. If you had to choose three to five positive words to describe your partner, they would be:
2. What are their favorite memories of you together?
3. If they could wave a magic wand and have an entire day to do whatever they wanted, what would they probably do?
4. What is something that you know they would love and use, but would not buy for themselves?
5. What makes them feel most loved? Hugs and affection, compliments and appreciation, spending time together, or being pampered?

If you could answer all of those questions with confidence and detail, you have probably been together for a while. You most likely have a strong bond too, especially if the answers were obvious to you and you could add details.

If not, don’t worry. You will get some good ideas when you read on.

Now, on to the actual gift suggestions.

A Love Letter

You really can not beat a sincere letter to your partner telling them how much they mean to you. This is a great gift if your partner is not particularly materialistic or has more of a minimalist life style.

A love letter costs nothing, but it can be priceless if written with care.

If you are in a newer relationship, you don’t have to skip this one. Just adjust. Even if you have only been on three dates, a card with a nice note about how much you have enjoyed your time together and look forward to getting to know them is really special. And who knows? Maybe it will be treasured keepsake that you show your grandchildren someday. See, kiddos? This is how I landed such a great catch!

Just a note of advice: you don’t have to be Shakespear or Lord Byron, but do avoid just praising things that your partner does for you or reducing them to a role, like wife, mother, bread winner, or girlfriend. Everyone wants to be seen as the wonderfully unique being that they are.

Take Your Queen Out Dancing

If your love is an outgoing social butterfly, then an evening or an entire day dedicated to embracing and indulging their social needs will be a hit.

Extraverts are energized by being around people. So, I suggest going somewhere that will be absolutely buzzing with positive vibes.

Think salsa or line dancing, a concert, or a popular bar or club. This will give your diamond a chance to really shine, and they will appreciate having that part of themself seen and celebrated.

Pamper your Prince or Princess

Maybe your darling is more of an introvert, or maybe they are in a highly stressful phase of life.

If your partner is spending a lot of time caring for children or other family members, a chance to rest and be cared for will be like gold.

Some good ideas to start with would be booking a couples massage or going together to a spa. You might even get a hotel room and finally get in a full night of uninterupted sleep!

If those ideas are out of your budget, bring the spa home. Grab some baby oil and nail polish, and give your baby a good, long massage and a DIY manicure and pedicure. Then pack yourself and the kids up for an entire day at the park, and leave her home with a good book, some snacks, and full control of the TV.

Best Friends Forever Jewelry

Is your partner sentimental? Are you the couple who have been together since high school? Did you marry your best friend? Don’t let the monotony of life trick you into taking that for granted.

Remind your partner that they are still your best friend and you have got their back for life. It might seem cheesy, but a set of BFF bracelets or neclaces has a kind of nostalgic charm that can bring back those memories of youth spent together.

If you are crafty, make a friendship bracelet.

Every time your partner wears it, they will remember that they have you by their side for life.

The hardcore version of this would be matching tatoos, but you really need to know that both of you are happy and willing to get matching tatoos.

Have a Portrait Done

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have thousands of photos on their smartphone, but we all have one or two favorites.

Dig around in your galerie and find a really meaningful and flattering photo of the two of you, and commission a local artist to paint or sketch it for you.

If you have some artistic talent, try your hand at recreating a special picture or memory yourself.

Nothing shows love like something handmade.

Does Your Honey Have  a Hobby?

Do their hobby with them! Take a cooking/knitting/painting/taxidermy class together. Go hobby supply shopping together, or let them teach you their hobby. Go fishing, skiing, play golf, do pilates. Do couples yoga or buy a copy of their favorite genre of book to read and discuss together.

Even if it isn’t your thing, and even if you think your friends would tease you to death if they saw you, suck it up. You can put in a few hours prioritising them and doing their thing.

If it has to be jewelry, chocolate, and/or flowers…

Jewelry, chocolate, and flowers is a very popular gift combo for Valetines Day…to give. It isn’t always the best gift to receive.

The key to giving jewelry is to make sure it means something special to your partner.

The problem with giving jewelry, candy, and flowers is that it can feel very impersonal.

This combination has been so aggressively marketed as The Valentine’s Day Gift For Your Wife that it can feel like there was no thought behind it.

You don’t want your partner to feel like you just bought a gift out of obligation because it is the day you should give something and this is what the radio and television told you to buy.

Even worse, if your partner knows you spent a lot of money, they feel obligated to fake a reaction that might not be sincere. This is a recipe for hurt feelings on both sides.

You certainly can give jewelry, candy, or flowers as a Valentine’s Day gift, and it can be a very meaningful and appreciated gift. IF you know that your partner really loves jewelry, these particular flowers or candy, or this particular one has special meaning.

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BUY LAST MINUTE GROCERY STORE OR GAS STATION FLOWERS!

Nothing says you aren’t worth five minutes of forthought or planning than last minute flowers. And don’t think she can’t tell. We all know what those flower arrangments look like. We have all been to the grocery story and gas station and seen them.

If you forgot and have no gift, just admit that you forgot. We all forget things. But don’t show up with nothing. write a love letter, make a card, get the ingredients to cook a really nice dinner, or write a very thoughtful and loving note in a card. Make a little IOU for something really nice.

Do not grab the last remaining flowers at GrabNGo and pass that off as your original plan.

Remember the key to gift giving; you are showing that you know and love this individual person. The last thing you want is to show up with proof that you can read a calendar and have been exposed to marketing. It is not about getting a thing. It is about showing your perfectly imperfect, special, long suffering, and amazing person that they are loved. And to know them is to love them.

Please let me know in the comments what you think of my suggestions. Or tell me what is the best or worst gift you ever received?