A Gentleman's Guide to Valentine's Gifts

Every woman likes to be pampered on Valentine’s Day, the day when a gentleman takes time and effort to create a romantic day for his beloved. Your sacrifice of time and your selflessness will show her exactly how much you appreciate her and how grateful she is that you are in her life. You don’t want to try anything that is hideously superficial, but you want her day to be something she can show off about to her friends, because of what you did as well as what gift you presented her with.

The giving of a gift to her on Valentine’s Day is your chance to let her know how well you understand her interests, likes and goals. With just a short amount of planning, you can be celebrating a Valentine’s Day, you will both be remembering for years to come.

Flowers

The most important thing on Valentine’s Day is that you gift your lady some flowers. The retort that flowers die is no excuse for not buying her favour blooms. If you know she has a favourite florist, ask for their advice for a special selection. Relying on a single stem rose may be beautiful as part of a wider celebration, but on its own, it lacks imagination or thought. You can gift a rose bush or even a tree that you can plant in your garden and watch grow together, just as your love for each other grows and changes.

Unique gifts

You want your partner to like their present, so be on the lookout for any hints she may be dropping, deliberately or otherwise.  The best Valentine gifts are those that are most suited to her. This is because it shows that you are aware of what she wants and hear what she says. If she complains that her headphones don’t work well on the train or if you see her admire something in a shop window or mentions something in a magazine or seen on a television show that impresses her, any of these things can be turned into a romantic Valentine’s Day gift, with a larger sports holdall, noise-cancelling headphones or the new coat she admired.

As Valentine’s Day is one for romance, also surprise her with a gift that she would never consider buying for herself.  A natural rose picked at the peak of perfection and then dipped into platinum or gold can be displayed at home as a daily reminder of your love for her. Add this to her breakfast in bed tray to start the way off in spectacular fashion.

Wine and dine

You don’t need to find the most exclusive restaurant for dinner, but you should wine and dine her, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. As with the flowers, your efforts show that you have put some thought into making her happy and the effort is far more important than the expense of the meal. If schedules are difficult due to differing shifts at work, consider breakfast in bed with her favourite treats.

As with the flowers, a box of chocolates bought at the last minute with a pint of milk from the corner shop is not going to give your lady the message that you care. If your partner’s favourite chocolates are dark chocolate truffles, fill a heart-shaped box with just these. If you make them yourself, this will melt her heart.

Surprise

Every woman loves a romantic surprise. You can take her to a place she has always wanted to visit and book a night at a lovely hotel.  The surprise factor matched with the fact that she is not facing the usual chores at home will make this a very romantic gesture. Do all the preparations for the trip yourself, including finding care for your pets and children whilst you are away. Book all the tickets in advance and research good eating places so that whilst you are away you can relax.

Surprises are not always easy to pull off. Coordinate your plan with their schedule as soon as you know it, asking them to block off their schedule for a particular time as you have something planned. Alternatively, you can ask them to be home by a specific time so that you can be sure you will make the deadline for your dinner reservation or the departure of your train or flight.

If you cannot plan time away from home, make sure you celebrate Valentine’s Day from morning to night. A homemade Valentine’s day breakfast or sneak out early for her local bakery favourite. At the end of the day, have her favourite dessert to share.

Make her feel good

Whatever Valentine’s gift you choose, make sure it is one that will make her feel good.  Remember also to compliment her and tell her how many ways you love her. Be a gentleman and open the car door for her, hold the door and allow her to walk in first. Also, help her with her coat, both in taking it off and putting it on and hold her hand when you’re walking. Treat Valentine’s Day as if this is your first date in which you aim to impress with your charm, wit and manners.

With all your choices, the two of you will have a memorable Valentine’s Day’s confirming the old adage that it really is “the thought that counts.”