We all know this month sucks for some single people and serves as the greatest excuse for love-lovers to gift cards and candy. And then there are some of us that are celebrating our first Valentine’s Day with that special someone and, of course, ran out of ideas on what to do with him (or her) because we don’t want to be all “OH MY GOD I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SINCE 1992!” I’m one of those people who really hate this holiday—not just because of the endless clichés, but because Valentine’s Day means that I have to go out somewhere and buy something for someone who isn’t me.
This year is my first Valentine’s with somebody by my side (this means we’re having dinner, right?) and I’m prettyyyyyy excited about the food. LIES! I’m excited just to think I have the power to give away a giant teddy bear with a box of chocolates like everybody else… PSYCH! We all know that, now more than ever, gift-giving is easy because you can just Google “things to do as surprises” or “DIY gifts”, and can use things you have at home while not having to spend a dime. I think there should be a minimum/maximum budget for the gift; I mean, it is your first Valentine’s together, so you aren’t going to buy them a Rolex. Maybe a Swatch. You don’t know if your relationship status will change from taken to mentally dating Justin Timberlake in 0.5 seconds, so take it easy and be creative.
If you aren’t that creative, you can always go to Walgreens. This isn’t my favorite option, but if you’re not even close to guessing what kind of things they like, just go for something traditional. Buy a cute little bear with some chocolates and a card, maybe a balloon. Try to make it romantic! If you want to do something cool and different, search Pinterest for “DIY Valentine’s gift for him (her)”. You’ll be surprised at all of the things you can do with construction paper. You aren’t that creative? Or maybe you just don’t have the time? Make a point of finding out what things they like: a favorite movie, music, some cartoons, a CD or even a t-shirt. PLEASE DON’T BUY GIFT CARDS. DON’T GIVE YOUR VALENTINE A GIFT CARD! If you don’t know what to buy, get some flowers or take them out for some food. Ladies, if you don’t know what to get your guy, buy them candy. Literally, ask what their favorite candy is and buy a generous amount of it, put in a small box with a bow and ta-da! Also, get a nice card, or make one and write something nice.
Go traditional: have some dinner and catch a movie, if you like, or take a stroll around Old San Juan or something nice like that. Remember: You are only getting to know each other, so take things easy or you might end up filed under “psycho”. It’s okay for you two to go and have dinner at a casual Chili’s. It’s Valentine’s, but it’s still casual because you may have only been dating for a month or two… maybe three. There’s no relationship status established yet and, again, you are just getting to know one another.
Always keep in mind that if it’s meant to happen, it will happen. Don’t rush things just because it’s Valentine’s! Be creative but simple, and don’t seem desperate. Valentine’s is overrated, after all. You should be caring year-round and be interested in the other person every day. Remember that the little details are the ones we remember the most. Be spontaneous, take a (little) risk and have some fun. Bring flowers, that’s a must, but don’t overwhelm your partner. Just be sweet. And for those of you that don’t have someone to spend the day with don’t be sad, there’s always another year…and new opportunities. And yes, you can wear black!
Happy Valentine’s Day!