Looking for some ideas for alternative Valentines Gifts? You’ve come to the right place!
I went to our village shop this morning to get the papers and some milk.
There was a queue of about six men — waiting to be served — all clutching gaudy black and red cards and boxes of chocolates or bunches of overpriced cheap flowers, wrapped in cellophane.
Wow — I thought — what lucky women those chaps are married to… what thought and care has gone into these Valentine’s gifts.
It lands on the same date every year — February 14th — yet these men had clearly forgotten clean about it and were all hurriedly making last minute purchases. Their wives must be so grateful.*
* said with massive heavy dose of sarcasm
My boy and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s day. We made a mutual decision, years ago, to save our money and show a declaration of love, spontaneously, on a random day in the year. And that works for us.
But for those of you that do celebrate your relationships on February 14th, why not buy a gift that is a little more meaningful — and long lasting — than the last minute flowers from the garage/corner shop/supermarket (delete as appropriate)?
Here are my favourite alternative Valentine’s gifts!
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A lovely subscription from the Willoughby Book Club
Either 3, 6 or 12 handpicked books, in the subject that your loved one likes best. Choose from fiction, cooking, gardening books — each one beautifully wrapped — with one book delivered each month! You can even include a personal message with the first book.
See www.thewilloughbybookclub.co.uk for more details.
Dedicate a tree to your loved one.
For a truly unique and long lasting present, why not dedicate a tree to your favourite person? You can do this through the Woodland Trust; choose from a newly created site or mature woodland. Whichever you go for, it’s such a thoughtful gift and the money raised will help to protect the UK’s beautiful woodland environments.
For more details visit The Woodland Trust and hug a tree today! :)
Send a piece of cake though the post for a year!
If your lover has a sweet tooth, surprise them each month with a yummy piece of cake! Packaged to fit perfectly though a letterbox, those clever peeps at The Cake Nest bake delicious cakes — carrot, Guinness and chocolate, or lemon to name a few — and post them to your loved one!
Have a look The Cake Nest for more details of this and also other delicious gifts that they have on offer.
Sadly, it’s a bit late for this year!! As a non-celebrator of V-Day, it didn’t occur to me what the date was; until I saw the queue of men at the shop this morning.
But drop some not very subtle hints for these alternative Valentines gifts; and feel safe in the knowledge that there’s another 365 days until the next February 14th!
Happy non Valentine’s day everybody! X
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
I love these ideas! We don’t really celebrate it either, maybe a card if we remember. I do like the idea of the book subscription though; I might add that onto my birthday wish list :) #sharewithme
Thanks so much Jess! I like the sentiment of Valentine’s day but it seems like a lot of people feel forced into making a grand gesture, rather than doing something because they want to. It really struck a chord with me, seeing all those men who’d put no thought in to a gift for their partners. I would rather have nothing if there’s no thought behind it! X
Lovely ideas for gifts. I love books and useful presents. These are great. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
Thanks so much Jenny; my favourite gift would be the books too :) I love the thought of getting a surprise book through the post each month! Thanks for hosting x