Gifting has become a huge part of Valentine’s day. From the classic love letter and rose, to the box of chocolates and Bartholomew (the Jellycat bear), navigating gift giving on this day can be a bit repetitive. So how do we make sure that our loved ones feel loved on this special day?
Whoever you are celebrating with this 14th of February, whether with a friend or a partner, maybe even a situationship, what is certain is that they will have a preferred love language and if you can figure out what it is… you will have cracked the code to Valentine’s Day gift giving.
We have all heard about the five love languages: Acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch and gift giving. But personally I had never thought of them as particularly useful until now. What better way to ensure that your loved ones feel loved, than hit them with a gift tailored to their own love language?
So here is what you should get your Valentine on the 14th according to their love language.
Acts of Service
If they are the kind of person that jumps at the opportunity of doing something for you, their love language is probably acts of service. People like this tend to always be willing to do good deeds for others so why not take this opportunity to return the favour?
After spending their day anticipating the needs of their loved ones, these people must be running low on energy to take care of themselves, and the best way to make them feel appreciated is to do something to take care of their energy levels. For example, you could cook them a nice home made meal, prepare a nice warm bath for them, maybe even pair it with a face mask and a glass of wine. You can tailor this to their personality, just make sure that it requires minimal effort for them and at least some effort on your part.
Words of Affirmation
Some people just love telling you how much they care, and there is a big chance that they also love to hear it, so go out of your way this Valentines Day to reaffirm them of your love.
You can get very creative making a spotify playlist with their favourite love songs, making DIY cards with different love messages for each day of the week, etc or keep it simple and simply write them a long letter telling them how much they mean to you.
The key to this is making sure that they can refer back to your gift whenever they need to, especially if you are not very big on words of affirmation yourself. This way they will always have something they can read or listen to, that will reaffirm that you love them.
Quality Time
Making time for your loved ones is crucial, but some people need it more than others. If the person you are trying to find a gift for goes out of their way constantly to plan activities that will make your time together memorable, their love language is probably quality time.
To make this 14th of February special for them make a conscious effort of making your time together matter. Set aside a couple hours without electronic devices and distractions and give them your full attention. You can make this more romantic by booking a couple’s massage or a nice dinner. If you are celebrating with a friend, maybe plan a fun sleepover with fun cocktails (or mocktails) and baking. The options are endless. As long as you are in the moment, giving them your full attention, you can’t fail.
Physical Touch
Physical touch is less important in friendships but it plays a huge role in romantic relationships. Some people enjoy this more than others, engaging in more frequent displays of affection, sneaking a hug and a kiss here and there, placing their hand on your arm when they get the chance, etc. Gifting for these types of people may seem more complicated, how can you gift touch? Well, it’s easy: find something they can touch!
A stuffed animal, a cosy blanket, soft pyjamas… pretty much anything that is nice to touch paired with some affection will satisfy their senses and show that you are aware of how important physical touch is for them.
Gift Giving
Finally, the easiest category: gift givers. I know what you are thinking, they’re always saying they don’t need anything! But this is exactly what makes them the easiest people to please. They are so used to giving that they have forgotten how good it feels to receive.
Think of items that they would love but would never actually buy for themselves. For example they might have been eyeing a specific home decoration piece, candle from a more pricey store or even a nice box of chocolates, but have not been able to justify buying it for themselves. You can also be more imaginative and make them a sense basket. Buy a couple of small items that are targeted at each of the senses : sight, touch, smell… you get the idea, and compile them in a cute bag or basket.
All in all, Valentine’s Day is a day to show your love for the important people in your life, and there really isn’t a right or wrong way to do it. I do hope that some of these ideas may have inspired you to share some love this Valentines Day.