My Favorite Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Gifts (That Aren’t Flowers)

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Like it or not, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. “But the holiday is made up!” you cry. “All holidays are made up,” I reply. “You need to get your partner a gift."

No matter how badly you want to stick it to the Hallmark industrial complex, and no matter how much your loved one assures you they “really don’t want gifts,” the fact of the matter is that we’ve all been conditioned to feel the need to meet a bare minimum for romantic gift-giving every Feb. 14. And no, you’re not going to successfully overcome a lifetime of Valentine’s propaganda by deciding to stiff your partner on the gift front. Hallmark will never know about your act of resistance—but your loved one sure will.

So, should you get roses? What do the different colors represent again? Are lilies equally romantic, or will they be a faux pas? Even if you do opt for a dozen red roses, you still need another gift on top of them—ideally, something way more thoughtful and way less cliché.

To make your life harder, every gift list on the internet seems to think that all women are dangerously addicted to rosé, and that all men quite literally live in the woods. That’s why I’ve broken down the most important elements of romantic gift-giving—so you can successfully figure out the perfect gesture within the next several days. Here’s why you should scrap Valentine’s Day flowers in favor of these ideas that are more creative, cost-effective, and meaningful.

Capture a memory

Show your love with a drive down memory lane. Framing can be expensive, but unlike flowers, it symbolizes permanence. When we’re used to having all our photos inside our phones, taking the time to print out your photos and buy some frames is a thoughtful way to show how much your memories mean to you.

Other ideas in this memories category: A personalized journal, a scrapbook of love letters, or even an iMovie montage set to your favorite songs.

Find a way to say “treat yourself”

Self care is always appreciated, especially if you’re able to splurge on something your valentine would never get for themselves. The secret here is to combine individual items for a curated “treat yourself” package. A candle on its own is fine. A candle with a bath bomb, slippers, and a bottle of wine? Now you’ve created a DIY day of decadence.

Here’s the most heteronormative thing I’ll write today: The girls don't need anymore lotion. She knows what kind of lotion she likes, and she has enough already.

Promise an experience

If you’re investing in a shared experience later on, try to find a physical representation of it to wrap right now. Try a new game for game night, a couple’s bucket list, or printed out surprise concert tickets.

Show that you’ve been listening

Remember that your Valentine’s gift doesn’t need to be romance themed. Personalization is the most important thing here. Do they have a favorite hot sauce that you can only get at a local restaurant? Do they need new merch for their favorite sports team? Have they needed new earphones for months now? This assumes that you have, indeed, been paying attention to your special someone for some time now. Otherwise, wring every word they say from now until Feb. 14 for gift ideas.

Cook a fancy meal (alone or together)

My tip here is to turn the home cooking into a date night. You could make a show of gifting all the individual ingredients, or you could print out a personal menu to elevate the at-home fine dining experience. Even if you’re not a master chef, cooking a meal together hits basically every love language:

1. Quality time. Put on some music while you cook together.

2. Acts of service. You’re literally nourishing them.

3. Receiving gifts. A plate of spaghetti is always a gift.

4. Physical touch: Brush hands while stirring marinara sauce.

5. Words of affirmation: “You’re such a good cook!” “No, you!” “Let’s stay together forever.” See?

Subscribe to a monthly gift

Subscription-box services make fantastic ongoing gifts. There are a ton of different subscription boxes out there that deliver curated items like books, coffee, healthy snacks, or even exotic meats and alcohol. You pay for a recurring shipment for a set period—like three, six or 12 months—in which they'll receive items tailored to the recipient's unique tastes.

Consider a flower subscription service for the eco-conscious, an Atlas coffee club subscription for the caffeine addict, or perhaps a snazzy Japanese snack box.

Personalize Valentine’s classics

Instead of flowers, what about succulents? Or any other plant that can become a more permanent, less cliché fixture in their home? (Maybe not any other plant. Although I think a ficus can be mighty romantic.)

Instead of confining yourself to overpriced Valentine’s chocolates, why not get treats that are actually your valentine’s favorites? Maybe that means one of those giant tins of flavored popcorn, or personally arranging a bouquet of beef jerky. Then again, if you really aren’t sure what to get, most people will be happy to see that heart-shaped box.

At the end of the day, it really is the thought the counts. If your thoughts are about how much you care about this person, then that sentiment should shine through whatever gift you land on. And if that gift happens to be flowers, I won’t stop you.

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