Struggling with ideas on what to get your bae for Valentine’s day? I thought I would share a couple of things I have gifted throughout the years. Some take a lot of work and others are very simple.

For those who like to be creative: Make your partner a Year of Dates!

I gifted my now-husband a Year of Dates on our wedding day, but it would make an amazing Valentine’s Day or anniversary gift as well. I used Canva.com to create little date cards (like you might see handed out on the Bachelor). The dates varied from being free, indoors, outdoors, low-cost, adventurous, etc. I even made “Wild Card” dates as a back-up in case the date of the month simply wouldn’t work. To see all the dates I included, you can visit my Year of Dates Board on Pinterest where you will find some inspo!

Here are some of my favorites:

  1. Enjoy dinner and a movie. This date is classic and perfect for a pandemic. While I concede that we might all be incredibly tired of this date since it’s one of the only dates we’ve been able to do for a year, it’s still fun to personalize the date. I purchased a “Dinner and a Movie” cookbook from that TBS show that aired in the 90s. I chose for us to watch “Julie and Julia” and tried to make Boeuf Bourguignon. While this wasn’t a dinner and a movie inside the book, it was fun. We should be replicating the date every year but with kids it hasn’t happened. Perhaps this will be my surprise date to him this year? Shhhhh!
  2. Visit antique stores. We loved to go out and visit little shops in our town that we otherwise may have never noticed. Talking to the shop owners is fun and makes us feel more connected to the place we call home. We also have very different styles so it’s fun for us to visit thrift/antique stores and find pieces that we both would love to see in our home.
  3. Go to a shooting range. This was very special to my husband because I am not into guns at all. Having a date committed to something he really wants me to be able to enjoy doing with him was super meaningful to him.

Pros and Cons to gifting a Year of Dates:

Pros: Meaningful and handmade, the gift lasts a long time, and a second gift can be made at the end for next Valentine’s Day! If you take some pictures during each date, you can make a little scrapbook at the end of the year with pieces of your cards plus photos of your dates.

Cons: The gift can take a long time to put together and it usually takes a good amount of effort to ensure you actually go on a date every month. We were not as committed as I intended for us to be with opening the date cards and doing the dates. It can be a disappointment.

For those who don’t have much time and want to grow closer as a couple: Gift an intimacy book to your partner.

I think it was in our second year of marriage that I gifted my husband a book for couples. At the time, we needed a lot of help with how we communicated to each other. We were constantly butting heads and bickering; always short with one another. I came across this book on Instagram and decided it couldn’t hurt. It’s called Marriage 365. Every day you ask your partner the question of the day. We slacked on the daily questions but every week, we would cook enchiladas together and I would read the questions while we prepared the meal. Somehow, miraculously and gloriously, this worked for us! It was a TOTAL GAME CHANGER. Something about us mentally approaching the questions with open minds and good intentions allowed us to voice anything we wanted. We both knew that when we made enchiladas, I would grab the book and start reading off questions. After the first couple weeks, we were amazed at how we were both able to communicate calmly and learn more about each other without bickering. It was amazing for us. If you don’t know anything about us, we met online and were married one year later. Love at first sight. But because we hadn’t known each other for a very long period of time, we struggled with communication. THIS HELPED. We have gifted this to a handful of friends throughout the years. I am certain there are other books available for all sorts of couples. You could also go for a more intimate book about connecting as a couple.

Pros and Cons to a relationship book:

Pros: It helped us so much with communication. I believe there is always room for growth as long as both partners are invested in the efforts.

Cons: Both people must be fully committed to the efforts. It can make you uncomfortable.

For those who want a fun, lighthearted gift that he will enjoy: Gift a subscription box or a gift basket of any kind!

Here are some fun, original ideas to gift your partner. I haven’t tried them all yet but they certainly look fun and interesting!

  1. Visit Man Crates and find a crate your partner would like. I gifted my husband the hot sauce crate and it is so fun/ny to see his excitement in trying it all. He and his father love peppers so it was right up his alley. They also have knife making kits, hunting crates, gaming crates, and more. Right now they even have Valentine’s Day crates like a date night crate, a Jerky heart, a “Burning Love” crate, and tons of personalized ideas. For females, try Teak & Twine gift boxes.
  2. Have an R rated game night with Adult Card Game. I haven’t tried this but it peaked my interest. If you have tried this or something similar, leave a comment sharing your review!
  3. Recreate a memorable date. We are from Chicago so one thing I have also gifted my husband was a Chicago Meal Kit. With the pandemic, we can’t travel back to Illinois and indulge in all the amazing food choices but we can still enjoy some of our favorite cuisine! If you don’t have that option, you can try Off the Rails Brewery in Pocatello for Chicago style deep dish pizza and phenomenal service. Consider a theme that brings you back to a trip you took together or something that bonded you as a couple.
  4. Get your partner a subscription somewhere. A year membership to a gun range, a year subscription to photoshop, a membership to a campground or cabin, a rental location that you get for certain dates throughout the year, a membership or subscription to Cabelas or Bass Pros, USCCA, a woodworking class, tickets to a comedy club or concert, or even a streaming service your partner might enjoy like Sling, HBO, or AT&T.
  5. Visit an escape room right here in Idaho Falls! Idaho Escape Room. If you have visited, leave a comment about your experience! If you can’t make it out, try an escape room or mystery box. Hunt a Killer is the one I want to try the most. We love crime documentaries and thriller movies and it sounds like so much fun. I have also seen Murder Mystery in a Box which looks cool too.

I hope these ideas help you find the perfect gift for your lobster. I enjoy Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate the love I found. I am forever grateful to have found my person.

Truthfully, my husband and I would both enjoy seeing more of Idaho. We want to visit Twin Falls, Ketchum, Challis, Boise, Yellowstone, Coeur d’Alene, and every nook and cranny of the state. Once this pandemic is under control, I think all of our gifts to one another will be surprise trips to destinations in this beautiful state. I want to keep the magic alive and continue to experience life with my person. Valentine’s Day can be a time to re-focus on (arguably) the most important relationship we hold in our lives. Don’t let it pass you by.

 

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