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Lauren’s Love Blog: Valentine’s Day Present Alternatives

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Lauren Briand
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Rachel Miller
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays of the year. I can’t get enough of all the hearts and chocolate and love in the air. Many girls who don’t have a boyfriend or some kind of fling may be dreading the day of love. However, those of us who do have a special someone to share the day with are likely to share the same dread due to our anxiety regarding what to get our special man. The whole chocolate and roses thing is way to cliché, yet you don’t have the money to go all out and get him that dream skateboard he’s been wanting or those pair of jeans that he really needs. After much thought about how to be cute AND original I have come up with a few alternatives to the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts without breaking the
bank.

Heart Shaped Box of Chocolates: Instead try a fondue kit! They can be easily found for under $20 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Rite Aid. It’s a cute idea that allows you to be creative; and lets be real, you can do so many other things with liquid chocolate after the strawberries and marshmallows are gone.

Lingerie: Don’t run out to Victoria’s Secret and spend a bunch of money on barely-there-underwear. Instead, try making your own pair of panties and match it with your sexiest bra. My favorite website for designing is called Customized Girl, because they have a huge array of different screen prints from which to choose. Not only will they cost a lot less than VS or Fredericks, but, in addition, your man is sure to enjoy that you’re all his–underwear and all.

Cutesy Stuffed Animal: Instead try a cheesy but very cute Valentine that will be sure to make him smile. A few examples would be “You make my heart bounce!” with a rubber bouncy ball from CVS or “Your wheely cute!” with a toy car. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a serious event; it’s more important that you are spending time with someone who makes you happy and cares about you.

If none of these alternative ideas are your style why not just keep things simple with a bottle of wine and watch the sunset. It can be easy to fall under the pressure of making sure he will like what you got him, or if he will think your Valentine was cute enough. Even if he says he doesn’t celebrate Valentines Day because “he doesn’t need a designated day to show you how much he loves or cares about you”- keep in mind that the most important thing is being together on the 14th. 

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Rachel is a senior at UC Santa Barbara and studies Communication and Global Peace and Security. Rachel is from a small, beautiful town in southern California called Palos Verdes. However, Palos Verdes is just one of the many places Rachel has lived. Rachel spent her childhood moving and traveling all over the world, living in places such as Indianapolis, Indiana; Santiago, Chile; Vienna, Austria; and Orlando, Florida. Rachel has found her heart and her home in California, choosing to spend her college years in sunny Santa Barbara. However, Rachel continued her wanderlust when she studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain in Fall 2012. At UCSB, Rachel is an immensely dedicated and involved member of her sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma, where she held the positions of Panhellenic Delegate, Inter-Greek Counselor, Rho Gam, and a member of the Nominating Slate. Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is a passion of Rachel's, as she is their Social Media Coordinator as well as an active and proud member. As a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honors Society, Rachel is able to implement her prowess and affinity for communication and communication-related issues. When Rachel is not writing, participating in Kappa events, or volunteering, you can find her in the gym, on the soccer field, watching Modern Family, or cooking. Rachel's love for sports, food, and writing often times go hand-in-hand, as one may see in her weekly blogs. For the past two summers, Rachel has been freelance writing for the Los Angeles Times, and hopes to continue her career pursuit of journalism after she graduates. Rachel is elated to be a part of Her Campus's fabulous team and loves every moment of it!