by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Guys, if you’re looking to score points with your girl on Valentine’s Day, the first thing you’ll want to show her is that you actually put some thought into a gift for her.
First, you’ll want to find out or just remember what she likes to do with her time. Her hobbies, her likes and dislikes. Write down everything you know about your girl. If the list is too short to give you any gift ideas, then you’ll need to go on a stealth reconnaissance. Question their best friend, ask their Mom or, if you have the subtlety for it, ask her without letting her know what it’s for. Just don’t do this the day before Valentine’s Day.
If there’s something she’s been wanting to learn, from ballroom dancing to an art or cooking class, take the class with her. Spending time and effort to show you care. Here are a few different types of girls with different gift suggestions:
If she’s an eco-Friendly activist, buy eco-friendly gifts and make sure she knows you made the effort.
• Head outdoors to take her on a tour of the river or to one of Jacksonville’s many area parks.
• Little footprints. Be conscious of the impact of your gift. Instead of buying her roses that may have had to travel by plane, adding to greenhouse emissions, ask your local florist if they have a local supplier.
• No blood diamonds. This is a girl you don’t want to buy conflict diamonds for. Cook her an all organic meal instead or buy her a gift that also benefits a charity.
Some of us hide it well, but we’re really hopeless romantics at heart. If you know your lady is a hopeless romantic, you’re going to have to think back to early in your relationship. Is there a special time or moment you can try to recreate?
• Memories count. Put a bunch of photos into a book. If you’re creative, maybe you can even put in mementos from past dates.
• Watch romantic movies together. Especially if you normally hate chick flicks. If you’re suffering a little, she knows you care.
• Chocolate flowers. Give old standards a new twist. Give her a bouquet of chocolate flowers.
Girls who like to be pampered aren’t high-maintenance, they just know they’re worth it. It better be good. If you can’t spend money, you MUST show that you made an effort to come up with something.
• Takeout and roses. You can get away with buying takeout for your special evening, as long as you give it a little something extra. Put rose petals in her path and make sure you’ve put the takeout on plates.
• Relaxing massage. These are great, as long as she doesn’t feel that it’s just an excuse to get in her pants. Make sure you have other stuff planned during the evening.
• Pay attention. She will give you clues. She will casually mention things she might like in the days and months leading up to Valentine’s. It is your job to pay attention. Take notes. If you have to directly ask her what she wants, you weren’t paying attention to her and therefore don’t care about her.
Nothing turns a music-lover on better than her man seeking out the music-oriented novelty gift or a rare recording, especially if it features an artist that she cares for and you don’t. But don’t just add to her bloated Beatles paraphernalia collection, get her the thing that only you know how much she loves. A rare John Lennon vinyl will mean a lot more than a 2008 Beatles Album Covers calendar.
• Vintage band posters. Find out if she loves the Grateful Dead or the Doors then either buy a vintage poster online or frame a quality reproduction. Extra points to the guy that can find an old album and frame it.
• Ye olde mix tape. Yep, this is still a cool gift. Maybe it is sort of high school, but it does have its charm.
• Write her a song. You’ll get extra points for effort, even if the song is…umm…not all that good. Just make sure you try. Write down a copy of the song for her to keep.
Getting a woman any kind of appliance for Valentine’s Day is supposedly taboo, but if cooking is her passion, you can cross into the danger zone and get her things for the kitchen. The key can be that you use it before giving it to her. That’s right, use it!
• A blow torch kit for crème brulee. When she opens it, tell her you’re making the first batch of crème brulee tonight. You also might want to make sure she doesn’t already own such a kit.
• Chocolate fondue set. Have the chocolate ready so you can break it in on Valentine’s Day.
• A picnic basket. Fill it with all the stuff you’re going to be having on your picnic at the park. If it’s too cold, just lay out a blanket in the living room for an indoor picnic.
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