As a Valentine’s-Day-lover, I always get excited to give sweet gifts around this time of year, so I came up with 5 ideas for inspiration. Whether or not you have a S/O, it’s nice to spread a little love. Especially since living in Ottawa in February is super FRIGID, it’s nice to pass around those warm fuzzy feelings. Valentine’s Day can be for friends, significant others, relatives, coworkers, etc. Anyone who misses their parents, sending them a little something in the mail or simply calling would probably make their day. On the day of love, it’s always nice to show your appreciation of others, whoever they may be. Here are 5 ideas for giving this Valentine’s Day.
1. An Insulated Water Bottle (in his/her favourite colour)
Is your special person an avid gym goer, an adventurer, or a long-walk-taker? An insulated water bottle is a great idea for anyone in need of a thirst quenching drink of COLD water after any type of physical activity. I know the Swell water bottles are really “in” lately, but Amazon provides a less expensive version that will do the trick! Pictured below are the Vanpo water bottles that come in multiple colours. Pick a cute Valentine’s Day colour so they can remember this thoughtful gift, or their favourite everyday colour (maybe something to match their gym gear?).
Find the Jouyue water bottles here.
2. Soylent Products
If you have a significant other who is all about efficiency and health, this is the gift for you! Or… for THEM, from you. Soylent is a really innovative company that creates meal replacements with minimal ingredients, while still providing nutrition. They just came out with new flavours for their meal replacement beverage (cacao, nectar, and coffiest). I’ve tried the coffee-flavoured one and, when cold, it tastes similar to an iced coffee! They also have Soylent Bars if the person you are buying for wants a nutritious snack-type meal replacement instead of the beverages.The original drink boasts covering 20% of your daily nutrition in one bottle! Check them out.
Shop Soylent here and find more information on the company here.
3. Fill-in-the-Blank Books
How are fill-in-the-blank books health-related? Well, as cheesy as they may seem, filling out these books for your S/O will increase the gratitude you feel for him/her! Pages such as “I love how we never get tired of _______” and “You deserve the _______ award” can remind you and your cutie of what you love doing together, and what you appreciate about each other. These realizations can help you grow closer together. Gratitude is an important part of life that is, unfortunately, often overlooked. Many studies show that practicing gratitude and being appreciative of the good things in your life promotes overall mental health and happiness. Showing your loved one some extra gratitude could make this Valentine’s Day extra special! Below is the perfect fill-in-the-blanks book available at Chapters.
4. Their favourite snack!
Give them a break from their usual healthy habits and buy them that trail mix they’ve had their eyes on, or their favourite chips and have a snack date. My personal guilty pleasure is yogurt-covered-pretzels (hint hint, boyfriend). This is a super easy gift to get. Just make a trip to Loblaws or Metro, which are 10-15 mins from campus. Pro Tip: the Loblaws in Vanier (across the bridge from Strathcona Park), has a bulk-food section that has Lindt truffles, trail mixes, and *cough cough* yogurt and chocolate-covered pretzels. Sweets for your sweetie! (Note: I’m not a nutritionist by any standard, but my advice is to always follow the 80/20 rule in terms of nutrition, and always watch out for sugar). Indulge responsibly! An added idea is to make a little picnic-style date night out of this. Even if it’s just a movie night, how nice is it to be with the person you care about and your favourite food at the same time?!
5. I couldn’t get through this list without chocolate (and I tried)
Building on the last idea, here’s another sweet gift idea for your guy or gal! Chocolate, thanks to consumerism, has become a Valentine’s Day staple. Since it’s hard to avoid at this time of year, you might as well treat yourself (and your person) a little bit! I highly recommend the Lindt Chocolate Shop in Hudson’s Bay (on the first floor, straight to the back). Magic. They have multiple flavours of their truffles; you could even pick some up for yourself! The glorious chocolate smell is enough reason to visit! This gift is a win-win for the recipient if you buy some of the dark chocolate treats, which contain antioxidants and less sugar than milk or white chocolate! Antioxidants AND a treat, an indulgence neither of you will regret!
I clearly have a bias for Lindt chocolate, but the Godiva Chocolatier in the Rideau Centre also has really gorgeous looking chocolate covered strawberries, that are a healthier alternative to some of the other sweets you may see in stores!
That’s my round up of Valentine’s gifts! If you have any ideas for Valentine’s day themed-gift lists, let us know on our social media pages! Happy Valentine’s Day from myself and the HerCampus uOttawa Chapter!
Source: Cover, 1, 2, 3, image 4 credited to writer, 5
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