Valentine’s Day gift ideas
Candy from the dollar store in an artistically arranged pile (photo: Ruby Costa, The Puma Prensa)
By RubyMarie Costa, staff writer
Everyone remembers Valentines' Day in elementary school, receiving a million Spiderman or “bee mine” Valentine cards with pieces of candy attached to them. Some of these small gifts were not even signed because everyone in class would be getting one, so what was the point? Once you get older, Valentine's Day becomes something you only celebrate with your friends or someone special. Despite this, you might still feel like you're drowning in cheap chocolate and cliche love sayings, like you're back to third grade, and that's no good, is it? Only gifts that stand out will be remembered long into the future, so if you want to make a good impression, it's wise to think outside the box. This isn't as hard as it sounds. If you know someone well enough, it should be easy to think of something they would enjoy based on their hobbies, interests, or personal style. But if not, I’ve got you covered and have come to the rescue with many unique gift ideas to give your valentine this year that will blow them away and really make them want to “bee” yours.
The basics of finding a good gift narrow down to three things: practicality, personality, and purpose. You want the gift to be something your special someone will use, so make it practical. It also has to be something with a little flair or personality. And last but not least, you should have a reason behind your chosen gift. It should be meaningful and have a purpose. After all, for most people, it's the thought behind a gift that matters the most. With these three values in mind, unique gift ideas are relatively easy to generate. Freshman Esperanza Figueroa thinks that “books, a cute makeup bag, baking supplies, paper flower bouquets, or crochet” are all fun gifts that someone might not usually receive. Makeup bags and cooking supplies are practical, with common uses, and a handmade flower bouquet or crocheted sweater has much more personality than store-bought items. “The packaging is important. Bows or cute wrapping paper would make gifts more fun,” Figueroa adds. Another freshman at Carrilo, Jasmine Khinda, thinks you can also put a unique spin on traditional gifts like roses. Instead of buying someone a bouquet, she suggests “chocolate roses or crystal roses for decoration.” These are also gifts with a lot of personality and are more practical than flowers since they won't wilt! Khinda also thinks that packing can be important, although not always necessary, because it shows that the person giving you your gift cares. If you want to take the more classic route with candy, there are still ways to make your gift fun than just store-bought chocolates. If your Valentine loves sour candy, Figueroa recommends “sour patch kids, sour rainbow belts, or candy that's a mix of sour and spicy.” If you don't think candy will do the trick, other foods can also be great options. “Chocolate covered strawberries with chocolate designs on them,” are one of Khinda’s suggestions, as well as “macaroons, cupcakes, and chocolate croissants.”
Some people are great at finding gifts, but their problem is finding good places to shop. Figueroa thinks, “Bath and Body Works and a lot of the jewelry stores at downtown mall have good gifts.” She also recommends Sunnyside Cottage Gifts & Toys, located at 599 Montecito Center, Santa Rosa, in the Montecito Shopping Center. They sell jewelry, trinkets, and things for those places in your house that could always use more decoration. Khinda recommends Target and explains that “if you need something specific, go on Amazon, since they have everything.” If you have many items you want to give to a person at once, making a gift basket or gift box is an option. Khinda thinks gift baskets or boxes are “cute and seem more personal.” Once you have the items or food for your valentine prepared, you’ll definitely want to write a card. Find something that matches the person you're getting it for, and put some thought into choosing a thoughtful card. Whether your valentine would like a silly card with animal puns or a beautifully painted card with watercolor flowers, it's for you to decide. The words inside should be sweet and let your person know how much you care about them. Throw in some jokes, corny Valentine ones, or ones only they would understand, and make your card unique so that they'll want to reread it again and again. Most importantly, sign it with your best cursive if you want to impress them.
Valentine's can be a daunting holiday if you don't have a clue in the world as to what you’re going to get everyone, but once you get a nudge in the right direction, I’m sure your gift will work out perfectly. Whether you have a special someone or are participating in your annual Galentines. It's always important to think ahead, but if the day springs up on you and you're still empty-handed, it's okay to get a little help.