By Gillian Benary
Do you believe that finding that perfect Valentine’s Day gift is the hallmark of a loving relationship? Or are you the type that sees February 14th as nothing more than a greeting card company-devised holiday? Regardless of where you fit onto the Cupid-ometer, most of us could add a little spice to our romantic lives with a few new ways to say “I love you.”
© Dolgachov
This year, look beyond the typical truffles and trinkets, cards and candies. Why not show you care by showing you care about more than just romantic gestures? After all, nothing is sexier than proving your passion for a good cause. Who knows? It may even ignite a little personal passion later on…
Here are Magazine BLU’s Top 14 Valentine Gifts with a Heart:
1. For the Fashionista: Here’s a gift that will make your lady “all the buzz” at the water cooler, AND help a child in need at the same time. Bold bob? Sexy shag? Precious pixie? If there’s a major chop your gal has been dying to try, take the leap and make an appointment for her at the hottest salon in town. Have the stylist tie off her ponytail before making the cut, and then send it off to Locks of Love (www.locksoflove.org). As long as she’s ready to part with 10 inches of hair (and you’re willing to assure her you will love the results), you’ll both be making a big difference to a child suffering from medical hair loss. The only thing better than making one girl feel beautiful is making two girls feel beautiful.
2. For the Eco-Foodie: The couple who eats free-range filets together, stays together, right? You show that you care by preparing favorite foods for your partner, so why not show that you care not just about your lover, but about the entire food chain that supports and nourishes them? By getting a joint membership to Slow Food USA (www.slowfoodusa.org), you are showing the love for sustainable agricultural practices, which means cleaner business, a cleaner planet, and tastier food. Sounds like a recipe for the ultimate aphrodisiac!
3. For the Movie Buff: Set up an alfresco movie theater in your backyard or a local park, and spend the night watching some home movies of your sweetie under the stars. Simply call his or her Mom or Dad to ask for copies of home movies, tell them about your wonderful plan (and to keep it hush-hush), and you will win the hearts of your love and their entire family! If home movies are not available, simply compile a slide presentation of photos from your time together. All you need is a film or DVD projector and a blank wall, or even a white bed sheet strung between a couple of trees. It’s a great way to spend some cuddle-time with your beloved, while encouraging a sense of family and personal history.
4. For the Budding Botanist: Don’t waste money on an overpriced bouquet of blossoms that will only last a few days. Instead, grab your sweetheart, and take to the soil! Find a community garden in your area (check communitygarden.org), and spend a day toiling in the terra firma. Plant petunias, till tulips, or whatever strikes your fancy, as the fun is in working up a sweat together and watching both your love and the plants grow! You’ll be communing with nature and beautifying your community at the same time. And you’ll have nurtured a living, breathing bouquet of love that won’t soon wilt.
5. For the Commuting Activist: Want to fight global warming AND help end AIDS in Africa, all with one smart and stylish Valentine’s Day gift? Help encourage your honey to leave the car at home by getting him or her a February bus pass, as well as a Product (RED) iPod (apple.com/ipod/red), pre-loaded with their favorite tunes for foot-tapping through that commute. This gift will reduce carbon dioxide emissions through use of public transportation, and enables rocking out in style, all thanks to your thoughtfulness. A portion of the purchase price of each Product (RED) mp3 player goes to support the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.
6. For the Art Aficionado: Have a date night at an art benefit. Your sweetie obviously has an eye for beauty (that is how they picked you, after all), so why not take him or her out for a fancy evening of canvasses, cocktails, and canapés? You’ll be taking in some beautiful work, honing your critical eye, and supporting your local art scene, all at once.
7. For the Chocoholic: For a sweet treat that offers wider-reaching benefits, seek out Fair Trade chocolates, which helps to support smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa. Our favorites are Divine’s elegantly packaged milk chocolate or dark chocolate hearts (divinechocolateusa.com), which ensure that the workers in Ghana who harvest cocoa and produce chocolates receive a fair price for their goods, as well as proper safety and health conditions. Sweet deal.
8. For the Patriot: Not every American will be able to give their Valentine a smooch on February 14th, because many of our nation’s sweethearts are serving our country overseas. Your honey probably doesn’t need yet another stuffed bear clutching a plush heart (though it was so thoughtful last year, and the year before), so take that generous spirit and put it toward assembling a care package for a soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq. Renew America Together and Operation Gratitude are working together on a project to deliver care packages to our soldiers. Spend some time with your sweetheart, and compile your own care package for a soldier who’s far from home. Include any non-perishable treats, batteries, crossword puzzles, stationery, grooming aids, etc, and send it to:
Operation Gratitude
16444 Regugio Road
Encino, California 91436
9. For the Animal Lover: Is this the year you will hear the pitter-patter of little feet…er, umm…paws? If you’re thinking about sharing your home with a furry friend, a local shelter (shelterfinder.info) just might be the place to meet your new love. Take your honey with you, so he or she can share in the experience of pet adoption, and you will be showing that yes, you are capable of taking care of another being besides yourself. More importantly, you will also be saving an animal that could have been helpless without you.
10. For Myopic Mates: Time for an eyewear makeover! Take your bespectacled babe to pick out new eyeglass frames. Have fun picking out wacky pairs for each other to try on: Thick-rimmed Elvis Costellos, frameless Sarah Palins, sexy secretary specs, or hot-for-teacher bifocals? Once you’ve each picked a sexy new pair, donate your old specs to the Lions Club (lionsclub.org). Your old glasses will provide basic vision assistance in developing nations, and you and your sexy sweetie won’t be able to take your (four) eyes off of each other!
11. For the Nurturer: Are you the giver in your relationship, typically the type to bestow thoughtful presents, breakfast in bed, flowers? Show your partner the true meaning of giving by bringing joy to those in need, together. Wake up early, grab two venti lattes, and head over to your city’s flower market, where you can scoop up buds in bulk (and on the cheap). Take bouquets to a local hospital or nursing home, and you’ll show the residents that they have not been forgotten. By the end of the day, your hearts will be in full bloom.
12. For the Traditionalist: So you want to give your object of affection an object made affectionately, but you are all thumbs? Visit Etsy.com. It is a marketplace bursting at the seams with stylish, fashionable, and unique gifts, and each and every item for sale on the site is handmade. Artists from all over the world convene in cyberspace to sell their handmade wares, from art to jewelry, clothing to furniture. Not only will she love the one-of-a-kind gift you select, but you will also know that your money has gone to an actual artisan, rather than a factory. Set aside some time to get lost in the bounty that is Etsy.com, and you will be sure to find something unforgettable for your Valentine.
13. For the Cardio-Fit: Organize a sunrise run with your sweetheart, to strengthen your bond. Together, getting your blood pumping early in the day will ensure that your shared life is filled with a romantic pulse for as long as possible. At the end of the run, jog over to a healthy restaurant or farmer’s market, pick up some low-fat selections and fruit, then run it all home for a coupled shower, bathrobe breakfast, and the sweet kisses generated from all of those heartbeats.
14. For the “Type A” Multi-Tasker: Over-extended, much? If your girl or guy is (or you both are) all things to all people (all the time), then spending some time together doing good, old-fashioned, N-O-T-H-I-N-G might just be the best way to give back. Put on some music, uncork a bottle of wine, and spend an evening with each other, without the company of the evening news team or the cast of CSI. By reconnecting with each other, you will rejuvenate and restore your spirits. Besides, giving some quiet time to yourself (and your Valentine) is truly the best way to refuel your energy for giving to others. If that doesn’t sound exciting to you, kick it up a notch with lingering kisses, a slow striptease, and extended time in the boudoir, followed by a shared bubble bath.
From all of us at Magazine BLU, Happy Valentine’s Day to you, your loved ones, and the world!
